2015 RX450h First Week Impressions after GS300h

[olliesgrandad]

Well I've now had my 2015 RX450h Advance for a week and around 500 miles.

How does it compare to the 2015 GS300h Luxury I traded in?

Firstly Negatives;

1. Auto locking function is not available.

2. ML  DAB radio is nowhere near as sophisticated and doesn't show details of track being played. Difficult to tune in, Media files awkward to find and no album covers displayed.

4. Auto wiper function not as easy to engage.

5. No blindspot  indicator or rear cross radar.

6. Only one USB port in centre console.

7. Rear camera slower to come on when reverse gear engaged

8. No EV light when car running electric unless EV mode used.

9. EV mode very difficult to sustain compared to GS

Neutral:

No paddleshift on steering wheel.

Main beam headlamps when flashed are not Xenon

Positives;

1. Sat nav seems easier to program 

2. conventional bulbs in interior lights ( GS always seemed gloomy with led's).

3. Creamy responsive V6

4. Excellent LED headlamps 

5. Quiet luxurious cosseting ride.

6. Gorgeous deep soft cream leather seats.

7. Reclining rear seats

7. The way things like the coat hooks and grab handles are so beautifully damped.

8. Excellent Bluetooth telephone connectivity.

9. TPMS system indicates actual individual tyre pressures

10. The indicator stalk is positive and not the annoying electronic sort.

11. The cruise control regulates the vehicle speed when going downhill

 

The big plus is that my wife thinks this is the  best car I have owned since an Alfa Romeo Mito in 2013. Cars since have been  2013 Mini Clubman with John Cooper Works bodykit, Mini Cooper diesel (2014) 2013 Mercedes 220 Amg Sport, "2012 Mercedes E250 diesel AMG Cabriolet,  2014 Lexus IS300h F Sport ( Ex Sir Geoff Hurst), 2015 Lexus GS300h Luxury ML.

At the moment definately 'Living the dream'

 

 

[rayaans]

Very interesting. My 2012 F Sport actually had the locking function which was subsequently removed. Additionally, I thought there was a way to turn the EV green indicator on in the settings. 

Also worth nothing that on the 3RX, whilst individual tyre pressures are given, they don't necessarily correspond to any given tyre so if you have low pressure, usually you have to check all 4

[sorcerer]

So, as a 2015 car is that a series 3 or 4 because if it's a series 4 there are some backward steps there, which is surprising.

Mine is a late 2013 (first registered in November '13) and compares thus:

1. Auto locking is available

2. Not got ML but do agree about disappointing DAB not showing artist and track info.

4. Auto wiper is simple - just one push down on stalk and I usually leave it there in that position.

8 & 9. My EV light only comes on when I press the EV button, not when the car is actually running on Battery or in EV mode 'of it's own accord' so to speak, but only when I manually select EV mode myself. And yes, very difficult to sustain EV mode. If I have the audacity to breathe on the accelerator pedal while it's running on Battery then the ICE fires up and I get told off for using 'excessive acceleration'. Also never got it to hold in EV above 23mph.

Your point 11 would suggest that cruise control in your previous car might not have been working properly if it didn't do that. Every car with cruise I've had since my Rover 800 Sterling has held the set speed on the flat, going uphill or going downhill, which is what it's supposed to do.

[Glover]

Off the top of my head in the handbook there is a page which shows options that can be toggled on or off by the owner or require Lexus to do it.  One is closing/opening all of the windows and sun (moon!) roof with the fob, which wasn't enabled on mine and I had set by Lexus at no charge.  Automatic locking might be in the options.  Incidentally if by auto locking you mean that the doors lock when you reach a certain speed then my 2012 advance does have that function enabled.  And I think the EV light shows when it goes on to EV; can't be certain but I'll check it tomorrow

[rayaans]

15 minutes ago, sorcerer said:

So, as a 2015 car is that a series 3 or 4 because if it's a series 4 there are some backward steps there, which is surprising.

Mine is a late 2013 (first registered in November '13) and compares thus:

1. Auto locking is available

2. Not got ML but do agree about disappointing DAB not showing artist and track info.

4. Auto wiper is simple - just one push down on stalk and I usually leave it there in that position.

Your point 11 would suggest that cruise control in your previous car might not have been working properly if it didn't do that. Every car with cruise I've had since my Rover 800 Sterling has held the set speed on the flat, going uphill or going downhill, which is what it's supposed to do.

He's got himself a fancy 3RX Advance! So yes 3rd gen but auto locking was removed in 2014 RXs. Something to do with doors staying locked so if there was a collision nobody could get in to help. It's been modified on the 4RX so it opens in a collision and therefore has made a comeback

I thought the DAB sound quality was poor in comparison to FM so didn't use it much. Still don't in the 4RX either. 

Agreed with auto wipers. Theyre the same in 3RX and 4RX. Stalk is put to 2nd position and sensitivity adjusted using the wheel. However, on the 3RX I found that they wouldn't wipe if there was standing water on the windscreen so needed doing manually for 1 wipe and then put back. The 4RX ones do as do the IS ones.

With regard to cruise control I think OP meant it maintains speed better rather than speeding up too much on downhills. Ive never used it in the GS but in the IS it will speed up more than in the RX. 

[Guest]

My 2014 Advance has Auto locking.

[ChrisM]

My 2009 SE-L has autolocking.

[Dewillia]

Auto Locking on drive away was removed during the 2014 build and brought back again after modification, this was due to American law suit being filed due to doors not opening after airbag deployment. My 2014 does not have the option and cannot be set via techstream either

[olliesgrandad]

Well I have now covered 1000 miles and my average Mpg is 35.7checked tank to tank. After refuelling Saturday I covered 102 miles around the Cotswolds and according to the car computer averaged 40.7 Mpg. 

Can't be bad 🙂

 

[Chris Skelton]

So....you guys are paranoid about getting car jacked? Auto locking-I pondered what it was for a moment! I'm not sure I'd be bothered with auto stuff (more to go wrong?) as I can do stuff. And pressure sensors seem an expensive gadget?

Still; it's an expensive luxury so you probably 'need' all this stuff.

[ColinBarber]

15 hours ago, Chris Skelton said:

 And pressure sensors seem an expensive gadget?

I'd agree but a legal requirement for all new vehicles since the end of 2012.

[sorcerer]

21 hours ago, Chris Skelton said:

So....you guys are paranoid about getting car jacked? Auto locking-I pondered what it was for a moment!

I'm not bothered about having auto-locking but, just as I've always used a seatbelt, even before they became compulsory, so I always lock the car once I'm in. It's become as natural as breathing now and it feels so alien if I don't do it.

You imply that you don't lock the car while you're in it, so why not?

[olliesgrandad]

16 minutes ago, sorcerer said:

 

Simple really. I don't want to be robbed aka Michael Macintyre or have a grandchild kidnapped from the back seat while stationary in traffic. By the way when stopped in traffic I stay far enough back from the vehicle in front so I can drive around if required. 

[olliesgrandad]

21 hours ago, Chris Skelton said:

So....you guys are paranoid about getting car jacked? Auto locking-I pondered what it was for a moment! I'm not sure I'd be bothered with auto stuff (more to go wrong?) as I can do stuff. And pressure sensors seem an expensive gadget?

Still; it's an expensive luxury so you probably 'need' all this stuff.

 

[Vlady]

I was looking into this as well, as you said, my previous car had it - as soon as you do above like 5-7mph the doors will look, the GS doesn't have it and when I looked into options I do not have Auto-locking, all I have is just Auto-unlocking! May be I need to look at it once more! Hmmm!

[Ala Larj]

Don't understand the need for auto locking as it only takes one push on one button to lock all the doors if I want!

[olliesgrandad]

 

54 minutes ago, Ala Larj said:

Don't understand the need for auto locking as it only takes one push on one button to lock all the doors if I want!

On my RX I cannot lock the doors from the inside seemingly. That is the issue... 

I could on my 2015 GS luxury 

[Vlady]

7 hours ago, Ala Larj said:

Don't understand the need for auto locking as it only takes one push on one button to lock all the doors if I want!

Why push the button if it can be done automatically? 🙂

 

[rayaans]

9 hours ago, olliesgrandad said:

 

On my RX I cannot lock the doors from the inside seemingly. That is the issue... 

I could on my 2015 GS luxury 

Why can't you?

[olliesgrandad]

The reason I can't lock the doors from the inside is that the locking button won't move. Suspect this is to prevent the doors from remaining locked in an accident. 

23 hours ago, Ala Larj said:

Don't understand the need for auto locking as it only takes one push on one button to lock all the doors if I want!

On my RX I cannot lock the doors from the inside seemingly. That is the issue... 

[rayaans]

1 hour ago, olliesgrandad said:

The reason I can't lock the doors from the inside is that the locking button won't move. Suspect this is to prevent the doors from remaining locked in an accident. 

On my RX I cannot lock the doors from the inside seemingly. That is the issue... 

That cant be right. The button should work as normal. If the button doesn't lock, it also won't unlock if it happened to get locked in an accident

[olliesgrandad]

If I could lock the does from the inside then they seemingly wouldn't unlock in an accident which surely is the modification they made following the action in the States where a car caught fire with locked doors. From what has been said the generation 4 cars have a sensor to release door locks on impact. 

 

[olliesgrandad]

Apologies to all. I took the unprecedented step of reading the handbook and the car can be locked from inside. So the question is I suppose 'Would the doors in an accident?. 

[DanD]

Yes they would.

Sent from my LG-H930 using Tapatalk

[rayaans]

On 7/1/2018 at 6:17 PM, olliesgrandad said:

Apologies to all. I took the unprecedented step of reading the handbook and the car can be locked from inside. So the question is I suppose 'Would the doors in an accident?. 

Not sure if they would do it automatically if there is no auto lock. I can't imagine that Lexus would be stupid enough not to have it unlock