Lexus Additional Options On New Car

[Deadloak]

Being new to the Lexus family, and a lot of yourselves seasons ones.
I would really appreciate your views and experiences of the following products:

Lexus service plans - I'll do 18-20k a year and have been quoted £935 for 3 services.
Lexus insurance - Competitive?
Ceramic glass paint protection - Worth the outlay?
Alloy/Tyres cover - Bearing in mind in 9 years of last car only 2 punctures and no alloy scrapes (don't park on road, or must urban driving to do so)
Gap insurance - I think I'd be covered for the first year, and probably external services are cheaper for subsequent years.

thanks

David

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SLH products.pdf

[DJP]

You will get a variety of responses to these questions based on individual experiences, which may not match your own needs. For my 2 cents,

Service Plan is a yes. I'm on my second and I have had value for money and price peace of mind.

Lexus insurance is a no, never been competitive for me.

Ceramic paint protection. I've not had that but did go for the Supaguard. With hindsight I don't think it's value for money.

Alloy protection is a defo yes for me. Much of my driving is town/suburbia with lots of street parking, and I've kerbed a few times. By the sounds of it for you though, probably not worth it.

Gap insurance, I went for this but am not sure what you mean about external services. Gap insurance essentially covers you for any gap between the price of a new car and the market value of your car, which is what your insurer will pay you. It's often used in conjunction with finance where the finance outstanding can be more than the market value of your car. A total loss can therefore leave you a balance to find to pay the finance company.

Good luck with the decisions!

Sent from my iPad using Lexus OC

[Deadloak]

Gap insurance - I think I'd be covered for the first year, and probably external services are cheaper for subsequent years.​

By external services, I meant to say Gap insurance services other than that supplied via Lexus themselves.

It did read a bit odd :)

David.

[Richard1200]

If you spend over £30,000 on a car good insurance is a must. I have had Lexus insurance since 2007 and when you need them they are great. Gap insurance for the first year is included, loan car, and guaranteed lexus parts and lexus people repairing your car.

Lexus insurance for piece of mind.

I have had Lexus service plan in the past and it's a good choice, it does save you money and obviously spreads the cost. Easy to get a refund if you sell the car.

I got servicing in with the deal this time.

[Deadloak]

Lexus service plans - I'll do 18-20k a year and have been quoted £935 for 3 services.

Just checked the servicing prices for the 1st 3 services, and they are the same price. So where is my incentive to pay in advance for what for me would be 2 years worth of services, paid advance for the same price? They get my money and interest on it. I lose interest on my money, and gain no discount for paying in advance. Just in case the price of the service suddenly sky rockets, hardly?

David.

[ColinBarber]

It is just inflation protection and IMO isn't worth it, Lexus service prices have risen greatly in the last 18 months, I don't expect them to rise too much more. When I've had service plans in the past the customer service has been worse, they already have you money so just don't seem as interested.

Servicing costs on Lexus vehicles are way out of control at the moment, and no offers with new vehicles. Most of the competition will provide 3 or 5 year service plans for £500 or less. :(

[Richard1200]

My service plan in 2013 was the cost less 10%.

[Deadloak]

Thanks all, very good input.

David

[C Mclean]

David, if you have the forum gold membership, then you should be able to get between 10-15% off the price of the services.

Ceramic paint protection, I eventually got Koch Chemie 1k nano applied to the paintwork. Much better than Supagard and it only worked out at £200 which included a machine polish first. Paintwork is now as smooth as silk, well worth it.

[rayaans]

Service plan - definitely. But.... not at that price. I paid £990 for 2 majors and a minor. I get a free valet every year, courtesy car, 10% off parts, labour and accessories as well as a chauffeur driven car once very year. It's been an LS600hl on both occasions!! If I bought separately it would have been £990 for 2 majors alone so I'm quite pleased. The trick is, pay monthly - I got 0% finance on the service, that way, they don't actually have all the moneyso have to give you good customer service or you can just pull it.

Lexus insurance is overpriced. Any insurance company legally has to let you choose a bodyshop of your choice ie a Lexus approved bodyshop

Ceramic paint sealant - no no from the dealers. Get some C quartz UK from the Internet, watch some application guide and apply it yourself. Being a new car, you won't need to polish it so you just need to give it a wash, then some IPA to wipe oils and then just apply it. It'll literally cost £36 or so + time. Be aware that ceramic paint coatings need special maintenance routines. Waxes and sealants generally dont

[Deadloak]

Rayaan, was that offer on the service plan direct at purchase time, or directly through the service team post purchase?

Also although I'm a private buyer, I'm acually dealing with a business Lexus staff member, which may restrict what he can offer.

So if you got the offer post purchase and/or via a private Lexus staff, that could be the key.

Thank you

David.

[rayaans]

I bought the service plan off the Lexus Aftersales manager post purchase.

Business Lexus staff members should be able to offer better deals for servicing IMO

[Deadloak]

Lets see what they come up with on Monday. As I live near one main dealer, and work near another :)

Although with a service plan, doesn't it require the services to be done at the one place(or they'd make you think you do)? Unlike with with most other manufacturers.

David.

[rayaans]

Yes it does. However I bought an RRG service plan. Both Bradford(local) and Stockport (where I bought service plan) are RRG group.

[Macscrooge]

I went for Gap insurance but bought it a LOT cheaper elsewhere.

I did get a quote for Lexus insurance but found their call centre staff to be dangerously clueless so stuck with my usual broker. After quite a hefty increase for the mid-year change of car the renewal earlier this month was no more expensive than last year's cover for my 2008 Saab 9-3.

[Deadloak]

While I was getting the 3 comlimentory Insurance verified. I'd thought I'd humour the with an insurance quote. They said how does that compare? I laughed and said well hat is more than double what I'm going to be paying with my current insurance company. So then came the "we only use genuine Lexus parts ... blah, blah"! I laughed again, well I'd expect that if I was getting any repair at a Lexus dealership. Oh not all insurance companies let you go to the main dealers, maybe so. But do they really think people who by there vehicles haven't been around the block a bit, and are so dim?

I phoned my current Insurance company, and I'm covered by them for the first year as far as Gap insurance is concerned. But I will get an independent quote for Gap insurance for subsequent years. We did that for my Sons car, and it was far better value. As long as you check reviews of them first.

[rayaans]

While I was getting the 3 comlimentory Insurance verified. I'd thought I'd humour the with an insurance quote. They said how does that compare? I laughed and said well hat is more than double what I'm going to be paying with my current insurance company. So then came the "we only use genuine Lexus parts ... blah, blah"! I laughed again, well I'd expect that if I was getting any repair at a Lexus dealership. Oh not all insurance companies let you go to the main dealers, maybe so. But do they really think people who by there vehicles haven't been around the block a bit, and are so dim?

I phoned my current Insurance company, and I'm covered by them for the first year as far as Gap insurance is concerned. But I will get an independent quote for Gap insurance for subsequent years. We did that for my Sons car, and it was far better value. As long as you check reviews of them first.

Yeah it's a load of bs. Insurance companies can't say that you can't go to a Lexus Approved Bodyshop. You have to pay £250 or so on top of your excess but it's still the better option

[mmmatt]

Service plan from my Lexus dealer was circa £1000. 2 majors and 1 intermediate.

Phoned up local independent Lexus service centre and got it down to less than £500!

[Deadloak]

Matt, who was the independent in Hampshire? I'm in the Southampton area.

David.

[C Mclean]

Jings, thats a good price but I hope it doesn't give you problems in the future with warranty etc

[mmmatt]

Deadloak,

Toyoda in Wickham, really helpful!

[rayaans]

Service plan from my Lexus dealer was circa £1000. 2 majors and 1 intermediate.

Phoned up local independent Lexus service centre and got it down to less than £500!

Yeah urm I wouldn't do that - you'll have to pay for the Hybrid health check each year, otherwise the hybrid warranty is VOID.

The reason I choose Lexus servicing is because they've taken good care of my car - no chips or scratches anywhere. I dont trust independents - Ive been to many and they touch everything with dirty fingers, oil all over the carpets etc etc - every single independent ive been to has done it!

[mmmatt]

AFAIK - legislation is that manufacturers cannot invalidate warranties based on independent servicing if they adhere to schedules and use OEM parts. Both of which they do.

There's no hybrid check in any of the servicing schedules as far as I can see.

Do you honestly think they do anything other than plug a reader in and test the voltage of the batteries on the hybrid check? It's £59 from a Lexus dealer if you're that worried about it!!!

Hybrid system (hopefully) is pretty solid!

Anyone care to jump in and add any additional info? I didn't have a particularly great experience at the Lexus dealer so I'm not keen to take it back.

[ganzoom]

We're are keeping our IS300H for 5 years +. One of reasons we bought the IS over a C class was because the PROVEN realiabilty of the hybrid drive in the Prius - it's same technology.

Ours will never go back to a Lexus dealer for as long as we own it. I've used the same mechanic for all my cars for the last 10 years. I trust him far more than any main dealer from any brand. He charges me £90 for an oil change, and uses OEM parts. So that's whom I'll be using.

[ColinBarber]

There's no hybrid check in any of the servicing schedules as far as I can see.

http://www.lexus.co.uk/hybrid/index.tmex#/HybridHealthCheck

"This health check is offered free of charge as part of your service at an Official Lexus centre."

It isn't a requirement though to maintain the standard 5 year hybrid warranty provided with the vehicle.