So long, farewell, auf widersehen, goodnight…

[First_Lexus]

I’ve had confirmation from Toyota that my new CH-R has been shipped from the factory in Turkey, and is due to be delivered to me before the end of September.

This brings to an end three Lexus in a row - two NX300h and my current RX450h. They’ve been great cars to own, with good dealer service. I feel especially privileged to have owned the RX for three years, and I know I’ll miss it. The power, the silence, the cosseting ride and the quality…but…

…my circumstances have changed. I now only drive 2-3k miles a year, and can’t justify such a big car. The Toyota seems like a nice thing, pleasingly premium in most places and certainly good value. For £33k (after discounts and well below the £40k luxury car tax threshold list price) and a very strong trade in deal for my RX, I’ll be taking delivery of a silver and black 1.8 Excel Hybrid.

I did consider the LBX, and looked at the UX but couldn’t justify the price difference over the Toyota. Time will tell if that is a good decision. It goes without saying that moving from an RX to a much smaller car comes with compromises, but these were far smaller than I expected and I know I’ll quickly get used to the new car.

Obviously the theft issues have left a sour taste in recent months, but that was only part of my reason for downsizing. I’ve enjoyed being an active member on this forum, which has plenty of great members and lively discussion. I’ll still pop in from time to time and give honest feedback on the switch to Toyota.

Best wishes all, Ed

[CT200h-TL]

All the best, Ed. Looking forward to your feedback on the CHR. 

[larryadler]

My other half has last generation CHR, in fact had its first service today. It’s the 2.0 Excel, and we are both very impressed, and returning 59+ mpg, handles and performs well. Of course it’s a smaller car, but we easily manage holidays, with the dog, without any issues, you have to learn to pack the boot better 😂🤣

[Scotlex]

I have always liked the CHR. New model looks great too. I have a good local Toyota dealer as well so might give it a try in a couple of years.

Interesting to hear your thoughts on Lexus / Toyota. 😀

 

[First_Lexus]

Well then, that’s that. RX has gone and new CH-R collected today.

I will miss the RX. It was fabulous. But things change, and the CH-R seems very good so far.

It’s fair to say the Toyota ‘experience’ wasn’t as ‘premium’ as with Lexus, but it was fine. I felt more like ‘just another customer’ with Toyota, and some of the little things are crazy. Never once was I offered a cup of tea at the dealer, despite buying a brand new car. The owners manual/service booklet comes in a cardboard sleeve rather than a leather/leatherette wallet. 

However, the car itself is really impressive and the compromise having left an RX450h for a 1.8ltr CH-R isn’t as big as you might expect. It’s a quiet car even on the motorway - albeit not as quiet as the RX. Spec is good even on this mid-range model, with 360 degree cameras, glass roof, plenty of safety tech and a very large and responsive touch screen. I’ve lost ventilated seats, the head-up display (no loss!) and the heated steering wheel (which makes me sad…).

Anyway, I’ll stick around here to update occasionally when relevant. Thank you all for a great forum experience over the last eight years. Ed

 

[Phil xxkr]

1 hour ago, First_Lexus said:

Well then, that’s that. RX has gone and new CH-R collected today.

I will miss the RX. It was fabulous. But things change, and the CH-R seems very good so far.

It’s fair to say the Toyota ‘experience’ wasn’t as ‘premium’ as with Lexus, but it was fine. I felt more like ‘just another customer’ with Toyota, and some of the little things are crazy. Never once was I offered a cup of tea at the dealer, despite buying a brand new car. The owners manual/service booklet comes in a cardboard sleeve rather than a leather/leatherette wallet. 

However, the car itself is really impressive and the compromise having left an RX450h for a 1.8ltr CH-R isn’t as big as you might expect. It’s a quiet car even on the motorway - albeit not as quiet as the RX. Spec is good even on this mid-range model, with 360 degree cameras, glass roof, plenty of safety tech and a very large and responsive touch screen. I’ve lost ventilated seats, the head-up display (no loss!) and the heated steering wheel (which makes me sad…).

Anyway, I’ll stick around here to update occasionally when relevant. Thank you all for a great forum experience over the last eight years. Ed

 

And thank you for your worthwhile contributions 😊

[Scotlex]

Shame that they can't even offer a cup of coffee (how much is that 🙄).

Great that you don't have to pay luxury car tax. 

Good to get a "Toyota update" from you 😃

[Malc1]

Ed hi, I think only doing 2-3k miles a year I’d have created that opportunity to keep a “ big “ car,  comfort, power and all 

Hope you enjoy your Toyota of course 

Best of luck

Malc 

[Scotlex]

4 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

Ed hi, I think only doing 2-3k miles a year I’d have created that opportunity to keep a “ big “ car,  comfort, power and all 

 

Good point. Years ago I thought about buying a 7 series BMW (are you allowed to say BMW here 😅) either the 4 litre V8 or 5 litre V12 which must have been a brilliant engine 😃

Both were quite "cheap" after a few years. 

[Malc1]

I followed a 91 J reg bootiful looking huge BMW 7 ? series or other ……. Possibly worth very little but wow, what a car 👍

There’s a time in life when juggling petrol cost savings just doesn’t add up vis a vis quality of motoring …….. for me that arrived long back when I bought my first Ls400  J54DAP. ……. my “ new” to me 91 car last year reminded me of that first time, back some couple of decades or more ……… 

Also being happy to having an older car helps too 😄

Malc 

[First_Lexus]

4 hours ago, Malc1 said:

Ed hi, I think only doing 2-3k miles a year I’d have created that opportunity to keep a “ big “ car,  comfort, power and all 

Hope you enjoy your Toyota of course 

Best of luck

Malc 

…had it not been for the Canbus theft issue I might have done, but insurance costs were getting far too high for the RX along with the worry, and there’s actually a lot to be said for a smaller and more nimble car for urban use.

Tbh the RX was a bit of a pain on narrower local roads and in local car parks. Without the longer runs it just wasn’t in it’s natural environment - it was like a lion caged in a zoo…

[Paul Mingay]

13 hours ago, First_Lexus said:

Well then, that’s that. RX has gone and new CH-R collected today.

I will miss the RX. It was fabulous. But things change, and the CH-R seems very good so far.

It’s fair to say the Toyota ‘experience’ wasn’t as ‘premium’ as with Lexus, but it was fine. I felt more like ‘just another customer’ with Toyota, and some of the little things are crazy. Never once was I offered a cup of tea at the dealer, despite buying a brand new car. The owners manual/service booklet comes in a cardboard sleeve rather than a leather/leatherette wallet. 

However, the car itself is really impressive and the compromise having left an RX450h for a 1.8ltr CH-R isn’t as big as you might expect. It’s a quiet car even on the motorway - albeit not as quiet as the RX. Spec is good even on this mid-range model, with 360 degree cameras, glass roof, plenty of safety tech and a very large and responsive touch screen. I’ve lost ventilated seats, the head-up display (no loss!) and the heated steering wheel (which makes me sad…).

Anyway, I’ll stick around here to update occasionally when relevant. Thank you all for a great forum experience over the last eight years. Ed

 

Thanks for the update ,,I would definitely miss the heated/cooling seats though 

[First_Lexus]

44 minutes ago, Paul Mingay said:

Thanks for the update ,,I would definitely miss the heated/cooling seats though 

Fortunately I still have heated seats - that really would have been a deal breaker!

[First_Lexus]

12 hours ago, Scotlex said:

Good to get a "Toyota update" from you 😃

If I write a compare and contrast, even at this early stage, I’d say the conclusions are pretty obvious…but here goes.

If I compare the CH-R with the LBX/UX 250h;

- the Lexus dealer ‘experience’ is far superior, but then again I’ve read some dissatisfied customers on these forums so accept it is very dealer specific. In my case I bought three cars from Lexus Swindon (Fish Bros) and bought my CH-R from Fish Bros Toyota Swindon. The two dealers are a few hundred yards from one another. The difference is stark but, having said that, the Toyota dealer was fine. Not great, not terrible, just ok. They’ve managed to deliver the car with rubber floor mats in the boot from the previous model which don’t fit. I mean…really? 🙄🤔😂

- the Toyota is a LOT cheaper than the Lexus equivalent. At face value the difference doesn’t seem so great, but factor in larger discounts, lower rate finance deals and more equipment (model for model) and it all adds up. My CH-R Excel will work out about £4k cheaper over four years than an LBX with similar equipment, and even more against a UX (now 300h) which although it has a bigger engine is also well over the £40k threshold. 

- over my time with Lexus - 2xNX300h and my RX 450h - I’ve considered that interior quality has declined on the newer models. That’s my opinion based on my experience. Meanwhile, Toyota seem to have really upped their game. The CH-R interior is quite ‘premium’ in most places, but not everywhere. In common with the UX the rear door cards are especially disappointing. But there’s the thing…”in common with the UX.” Is a Lexus interior ‘posher?’ Yes. Is a Toyota interior a nice place to be these days? Based on the CH-R, also yes…and that’s coming remember from somebody who has just changed from an RX.

- I may be wrong with this next one. The CH-R is based on the new Prius platform the dealer tells me. That is a more modern platform than the UX and the LBX is based on the Yaris Cross a class below. Having driven all of the cars before choosing, the CH-R did drive ‘better’ from my perspective. It felt far more nimble, steered more sharply and rode just as well as the UX and better than the LBX in my opinion. 

My conclusions? The Lexus has a better dealer experience and posher interiors. The Toyota is significantly cheaper but also quite nice. I mean, we all knew that already, right? 🤣🤣🤣

[GMB]

There is a massive difference in quality between my 2012 IS and the 2017 IS. The 2012 is far better and more solid in every way including seats comfort robustness materials etc.  Maybe it is because one is from the top of the range I don't know but one very noticeable thing is that the 2012 feels instantly more comfortable and bigger inside.    Er, weird or what🙄???? 

Maybe the 2024+ models are using flimsier, lighter materials for economy reasons?