Our IS has a new driveway friend....

[ganzoom]

17 hours ago, DanD said:

Are the doors likely to be a problem in an underground car park, or is there a way to stop them from going all the way up?

Haven't tried but don't think they will be an issue. The rear doors are no longer a novelty for me, I must have open/closed them coming up to 100 times already. Absolutely no issues at all so far, for me they are now 'normal'. 

What I really love also are the powered front doors!! They open by themselves and close with me putting my foot on the brake. It may sound like overkill but having to manually open/close the drivers door by hand is now a bizzar concept..... Amazing how quickly you get use to things. 

 

[ganzoom]

I thank my wife for getting the IS300H as it opened my eyes to life without a combustion engine. The smoothness of the EV only option made me explore full EVs, and now that I've covered over 1000 miles in an EV with no range anxiety our decision on what car to get to replace the IS is nearly made. 

 

Since the arrival of the Tesla our IS300H is hardly been used, wife is now fighting with me for the keys of the Tesla and I feel a bit sorry for the Lexus as it's still a fantastic car but totally outclassed by the Tesla.Am just waiting for prices on the Jag iPace to be announced and than will either be putting down a deposit on a Model 3 Tesla or iPace as the replacement for the IS.

@rayaans. You mentioned before Lexus was working on a full EV?? Well they better get a move on, I've owned some of the best combustion cars around but the sheer ability of the Model X is astonishing. The Leaf hinted at the potential of EVs, the X is a ture game changer and moves the barometer of what I now expect a car to do up to a point I honestly didn't think was possible. 

It's a 2.5 ton SUV that I can throw around the local B roads with the same vigor/speed as my old Nissan 350Z on a sunny Sunday morning and than do another 120 miles carrying 5 adults + baby in comfort all without a hint of range anxiety and to the near silent humm of the electric motor.........The scary bit for Lexus, our Tesla is the least capable car they do as it's the slowest and smallest Battery version available!!!

 Oh the fuel costs for the X over 1000 miles has been roughly £30 if I round up all the numbers, in an equivalent SUV with similar performance I doubt that would get me even 150 miles worth of petrol!! 

Lexus need to offer a competitor to Tesla, and they need one soon. If Tesla can deliver half the ability of our X in the upcoming Model 3 it's really going to shake up the market!! 

 

 

[rayaans]

Have to say, with the current tax position and all cars over 40k having to pay £450 a year apart from EVs - 

Im really tempted to go out and buy a 5.0l V8 :)

[marrat]

If only they didn't have crazy prices. I can't justify getting a loan because I think Tesla charges too much for their cars, even though I think they're on the frontier of a new generation. Hopefully they won't have to compromise too much with the Model 3, but their huge net losses every year don't give me much hope. Elon Musk did fuel the EV hype though, we can thank him for that at least. Everyone I know knows what a Tesla is 

[doog442]

14 hours ago, ganzoom said:

The scary bit for Lexus, our Tesla is the least capable car they do as it's the slowest and smallest battery version available!!!

 

 

Lexus isn't exactly an out an out performance product bar one or two exceptions.

I can't really see EV vehicles impacting on Lexus sales yet or for the forseeable, perhaps that's why they aren't overly worried.. Plenty of life left in the combustion engine with vast oil deposits being found ,fuel prices aren't going anywhere.   At least we know that when Lexus do go there it will be what we all want within reason....a solid reliable comfortable product which I believe overrides everything else for Lexus customers.  

Plugging the bloody thing is also a potential pain in the arris. We live in an over populated country where it would absolutely impossible to charge the thing if you (like millions) are subject to on street or communal parking.

That aside, its been interesting reading your updates and best of luck....

[Spacewagon52]

I think Musk is trying to capture the Battery market. I am not sure he will continue in the car trade but he is leading the way, reluctantly for many, to the future. I will enjoy my V8 for a little longer but the writing is on the wall I am afraid. Technology is moving at an incredible rate, so it will be very interesting to see how cars develop. One leading light on driverless cars has predicted that his 12 year old son will not have to pass a driving test in his lifetime - a bit over optimistic, but who knows????

 

Your arguments in favour of electric cars, Ganzoom, are very persuasive. Keep us posted on the Tesla.

[ganzoom]

^^ Am still to be convinced on driverless cars. Our X has the full Autopilot 2.0 hardware which apparently will enable self driving once they sort out the software.... But I just cannot see it, I haven't even bothered to activa the standard autopilot. 

One thing I do know though, my one year old daughter is going to grow up with no concept of the Internal combustion engine. The IS will be replaced by an EV as soon as funds allow and cheaper EVs come to market. 

[ganzoom]

5 hours ago, rayaans said:

Have to say, with the current tax position and all cars over 40k having to pay £450 a year apart from EVs - 

Im really tempted to go out and buy a 5.0l V8 :)

Go for it, someone has to keep paying fuel duty otherwise the government may try to start taxing electricty :) 

[ganzoom]

Just realised its now coming upto a month since picking up Kia. I always think short test drives tells you very little about a car and it's not until you live with a car day in day out you can truly bound with it..... 

 

Well all I can say is I must like driving Kia, because despite my commute to work been 5 miles I've somehow managed to rack up nearly 2000 miles in just 4 weeks.

 

 

 

I should also point out most of those miles have been done on twisty B roads like these... Non of this Autopilot M-way 'driving' rubbish for me. 

 

Forget about the fact Kia is an EV, or a Tesla, it is simply a fantastic car to drive and live with. Every time I sit in the drivers seat it simply brings a massive smile to my face and at the end of the day thats what matters. Bring on the summer and next 2000 miles :) 

 

 

[rayaans]

Nice to know you're enjoying it!

But am I missing something?! I swear you bought a Tesla and not a Kia? 

[ganzoom]

57 minutes ago, rayaans said:

Nice to know you're enjoying it!

But am I missing something?! I swear you bought a Tesla and not a Kia? 

We've named the X Kia, always wanted to name something Kia so why not:).

[rayaans]

30 minutes ago, ganzoom said:

We've named the X Kia, always wanted to name something Kia so why not:).

Reminds me of Kia Motors! 

I think Nikola might have been more suitable

[Eire Lexus]

A Tesla named Kia........what's the Lexus called ?? Mercedes perhaps.....?

[ganzoom]

6 hours ago, Eire Lexus said:

A Tesla named Kia........what's the Lexus called ?? Mercedes perhaps.....?

Lexus has no naming option on the dash :) Sadly the am pretty sure the IS will be going in the next 12-18 months, it all depends on how good a job Jag can make their first EV. 

Would dearly love to have an EV version of our IS but Toyota/Lexus is still ignoring the whole EV segment so we will be taking our business else where :(