Ordered my first Lexus

[LenT]

21 minutes ago, Cs150 said:

The repaired panel that the body shop worked on, the Ceramic coat would now need to be applied to this repair area? Does it not look uniform the finish without this area being treated with the Modesta product?

I’ll let you be the judge, Carl.

The mark was the size of my little finger nail about halfway up the crease on the wing.

They resprayed that area and back to the door panel (ie not the whole wing) with a three coat finish.  When I got home, I wiped it over with a Modesta maintenance product that you apply to a dry surface - normally after a wash.

This restored the shine to match the rest of the panel and the door - to my aged eyes anyway!

 

[Cs150]

The Modesta product seems interesting based on some reading done. Considering the actual core product is around £450 with a premium formula around £750 which consists of BC04 and BC05 multiple layers it must cost well over £1k to have these applied by a detailer.

[LenT]

1 minute ago, Cs150 said:

The Modesta product seems interesting based on some reading done. Considering the actual core product is around £450 with a premium formula around £750 which consists of BC04 and BC05 multiple layers it must cost well over £1k to have these applied by a detailer.

It did, Carl!  🙁   And well researched.

From memory I think it was about £1600 for the full detailing treatment which was scheduled for three days and included interior, exterior and the wheels.

If I had thought it was only good for 12 months it would not have happened!  I can post some shots taken during the process if that might interest you?

[Cs150]

Yes would be very interested to see shots of this Len. Thinking of getting something quite exotic for a weekend toy so will potentially consider this treatment as in the US especially it has an outstanding reputation. 

[LenT]

51 minutes ago, Cs150 said:

Yes would be very interested to see shots of this Len. Thinking of getting something quite exotic for a weekend toy so will potentially consider this treatment as in the US especially it has an outstanding reputation. 

Fair enough, Carl.  Others may wish to skip this bit!

I don’t think you’ve mentioned the colour of your car.  I like white cars and ceramics certainly produce a very shiny finish.  But for eye-popping effects, you need reds, blues, greens, yellow, orange…well, you get the picture!

To give you some idea, have a look at my guy’s website.

https://www.huntsmiths.co.uk

Apart from more details on Modesta products, he’s got examples of his work on Facebook and Instagram - which I don’t do! 

But I believe you’ll see many shining examples of exotic weekend toys there.  (I’m told mine’s there too!)  

 

 

PS.  If the alloy wheels look odd, it’s because I have Alloygator rim protectors fitted.

[RONNIE W HODGEKINSON]

22 hours ago, LenT said:

The next thing I would do, if you’re planning to keep it for some years, is take it straight to a good Detailer for a high quality ceramic finish.  Possibly even Paint Protection Film applied to the front to give added protection against stone chips.

I appreciate that it’s very easy to spend someone else’s money, but it’s a small additional cost relative to your initial spend and the benefits accrue over the years.  And the car is never going to be in a better state for a Detailer to work on.

PS.  Ron, I like the look of the Milenco and you’re almost persuading me except, as I’ve mentioned before, would anyone really target a seven year-old car?

 

Simple Answer.. YES.. They will Target Most Cars irrespective of there Age..Remember The Majority of Car thefts are not carried out by professional car Thieves but Opportunists  Who See Your Car as an easy Target.. Either for a Joyride or to steal The contents of your car..I Chose the Milenco steering wheel lock over the Stoplock Pro because it Fits my car Perfectly and preferred it  as it looks a really strong piece of kit..The Stoplock Pro looked like a ladder pushed through the steering wheel..Just MY opinion of course..!!!

[LenT]

7 minutes ago, RONNIE W HODGEKINSON said:

Simple Answer.. YES.. They will Target Most Cars irrespective of there Age..Remember The Majority of Car thefts are not carried out by professional car Thieves but Opportunists  Who See Your Car as an easy Target.. Either for a Joyride or to steal The contents of your car..I Chose the Milenco steering wheel lock over the Stoplock Pro because it Fits my car Perfectly and preferred it  as it looks a really strong piece of kit..The Stoplock Pro looked like a ladder pushed through the steering wheel..Just MY opinion of course..!!!

I think you’ve almost talked me in to it, Ron!

I agree with you about the Stoplock Pro.  As I previously mentioned, I’ve had a couple of Diskloks in the past (and still have one in the garage) and I think they are the gold standard in steering wheel locks.

But they are cumbersome to store and use.  And the Milenco does pass official tests as an effective deterrent.  And from the weight of it, some unofficial tests as a practical deterrent!

There’s a caravan retailer near me listed as a stockist.  I might just venture out and see if they have the latest version….

[RONNIE W HODGEKINSON]

11 minutes ago, LenT said:

I think you’ve almost talked me in to it, Ron!

I agree with you about the Stoplock Pro.  As I previously mentioned, I’ve had a couple of Diskloks in the past (and still have one in the garage) and I think they are the gold standard in steering wheel locks.

But they are cumbersome to store and use.  And the Milenco does pass official tests as an effective deterrent.  And from the weight of it, some unofficial tests as a practical deterrent!

There’s a caravan retailer near me listed as a stockist.  I might just venture out and see if they have the latest version….

LEN.. Check out Halfords price Thats where i got Mine and you should be able to apply your discount which makes it a bit cheaper..Your making a good choice..Cheers.!!

[Mincey]

29 minutes ago, RONNIE W HODGEKINSON said:

LEN.. Check out Halfords price Thats where i got Mine and you should be able to apply your discount which makes it a bit cheaper..Your making a good choice..Cheers.!!

I'm beginning to regret choosing the Stoplock Pro now. Those Milenco units look significantly more usable. The thing I don't like about the Stoplock is having to make sure that the wheel is in the right position so that I can get it through without hitting the indicator stalk.

[Cs150]

Thanks Len for posting details will do further research on this subject. Certainly food for thought the Modesta products and Huntsmiths detailers have some outstanding reviews.  

[beyond the blue]

Has anyone with an ES (with paddle shifts) actual used the Milenco unit? I keep reading on amazon reviews that they are not suitable with paddle shifts.

[LenT]

28 minutes ago, beyond the blue said:

Has anyone with an ES (with paddle shifts) actual used the Milenco unit? I keep reading on Amazon reviews that they are not suitable with paddle shifts.

My IS250 also has paddle shifts.  But I was planning to lock it across the middle spoke of the wheel which doesn’t have paddles.

Provided it’s long enough, that should severely restrict the movement of the wheel wherever that spoke ends up.

[RONNIE W HODGEKINSON]

1 hour ago, beyond the blue said:

Has anyone with an ES (with paddle shifts) actual used the Milenco unit? I keep reading on Amazon reviews that they are not suitable with paddle shifts.

BTB.. i use the Milenco on my NX300h and it fits lIke a Glove ..I have Paddle shifts and i position mine Horizontally so it fits between the steering wheel Struts and makes it even more Secure .. Looks good Too

[wharfhouse]

Beyond a visual deterrent to the chancers, wouldn't a determined thief just cut the steering wheel to remove the bar type ones to take the car - that's probably easier to cut through than hardened steel. If they are taking it for parts then it wouldn't matter to them causing that damage and if to resell then getting a new steering wheel I suspect isn't that hard? There was video on on a thread in the forum where the thief used what looked like an angle grinder in the car to remove a steering wheel lock...

[beyond the blue]

After reading on this forum about Lexus fitting CAN Bus protection plates to the RX range under warranty , l queried if they had plans to include the ES range. I have just received a quite in-depth reply saying there is no plan to include any other model.

[LenT]

On 8/23/2023 at 3:43 PM, wharfhouse said:

Beyond a visual deterrent to the chancers, wouldn't a determined thief just cut the steering wheel to remove the bar type ones to take the car - that's probably easier to cut through than hardened steel. If they are taking it for parts then it wouldn't matter to them causing that damage and if to resell then getting a new steering wheel I suspect isn't that hard? There was video on on a thread in the forum where the thief used what looked like an angle grinder in the car to remove a steering wheel lock...

An interesting point, Phil.  I contacted Milenco to ask for their comment.

Their detailed reply emphasised that it had passed the five minute Sold Secure Gold standard, but conceded that like most such security products a thief - given enough time and facilities - could remove it.  

However, its presence would make attacking the wheel itself a not straightforward job - and potentially even dangerous.  They confirmed that it should fit over spokes with paddles, but if that was a problem it could be fitted across the top of the wheel, using the new protective pads supplied with the Plus version.

They also supplied the Milenco Outlet contact which was offering the product at a very competitive price.

https://www.milenco-outlet.co.uk/catalogsearch/result/?q=6798
 

[Dippo]

It's £69.16 on amazon.

[LenT]

54 minutes ago, Dippo said:

It's £69.16 on Amazon.

It is indeed.

Unfortunately, it’s not the ‘Plus’ version with the ‘Carry Bag’ and the useful additional plastic blocks designed to prevent the weight of the lock marking soft-rimmed steering wheels.

But that’s a good price if you don’t feel the need for the newer version.

[whiskey33]

The car it at the Derby Centre now. The countdown begins. no work from the dealership on the exact date yet.

 

[Tonyw]

2 hours ago, whiskey33 said:

The car it at the Derby Centre now. The countdown begins. no work from the dealership on the exact date yet.

 

What colour are we looking for again?

[SH20]

It must be new car orders where Lexus Cambridge treat you right.   Not my experience when buying a pre owned Lexus from Lexus Cambridge. The worst experience ever compared to Lexus Carlisle and Leeds who do treat customers like they are worth something to their business.     Mr Steven Eagell couldn't be bothered answering my written concerns  about my experience on the day I collected the car and totally ignored my correspondence.    I imagine his waste paper bin is full.    

[Navnan2]

Just ordered an ES300H Premium in ice ecru with hazel tahara interior. Dealer reckons it might be here before the end of the year with the year end incentives they have at the moment. We will see. My previous and current UXs took 6-8 months.

[SH20]

Although I have hazel coloured leather against the Mesa Red exterior colour I have never understood why Lexus didn't produce a tan coloured trim that was more Tan like in colour,  the way Saddle or New Market Tan is generally recognised as a pure tan colour in motoring circles.   Purists might say it's Lexus's own colour but can't help thinking they wanted to create a full bodied tan finish but somehow didn't quite get it right.    In the US it's called Palamino,   aren't they horses?.    

[Cs150]

On 8/30/2023 at 10:21 AM, SH20 said:

It must be new car orders where Lexus Cambridge treat you right 

I assure you it is not the case! Ordered mine new and waited nearly 12 months with almost no updates! Have also reported an incident to the forum in which I witnessed them almost damaging my nearly new vehicle at the time. Complaints only receive priority if you post comments in a public way e.g. Google or TrustPilot etc....

[Guest]

8 hours ago, Cs150 said:

Complaints only receive priority if you post comments in a public way e.g. Google or TrustPilot etc

This is so true. I bought my 14 month old ES from Leicester, within a month two of the alloys peeled where a smart repair had been done, took it back left it with them and it was repaired. Three weeks later same thing happened, complained again and was basically fobbed off and ignored (never rang back etc) I am laid back but whether you pay 40k or 4k for a car this shouldn’t  happen with a so called reputable main dealer.
So I put a really bad but honest review on Google stressing that any future servicing would not be done with the Inchcape group, within a day I was contacted by a manager who agreed with my complaint, my car was taken in for a few days, given a free courtesy car and all four wheels were powder coated correctly not smart repaired. I did alter the review to reflect they had redeemed themselves but before that review they had zero interest in me. Incidentally they lost interest in me when I bought the car as I funded it myself and didn’t use there finance, gap insurance etc, seems like today you are buying a finance package that has a car attached to it.