LBX - The good, the bad and the ugly

[Fazz]

I've had my LBX for five months. You all know the good points - driving position, fuel economy, dynamic cruise control, etc - so I won't go into details.

The bad points, in my opinion, are the relentless onslaught of warning signs, buzzers, chimes and interventions. I can't blame Lexus for a lot of these. They are mandated by the EU's "New Vehicle General Safety Regulations", otherwise known as GSR2. The UK has not signed up to this but Lexus, along with other manufacturers, doesn't want the cost of having a special configuration for Great Britain (Northern Ireland is aligned with the EU's single market). Any new car you buy is going to have the same safety features. So when I exceed the speed limit, and the chimes start up, I firstly blame GSR2 and secondly blame myself for not changing the notification setting before starting. The thought of blaming myself for slightly exceeding the limit rarely occurs to me 😉

The ugly points, in my opinion, are where Lexus has thoughtlessly added to that blizzard of warnings, or made them more difficult to cope with. My main bugbears are:

1. Excess speed warning - changing the notification. It currently takes six presses and one scroll of the centre display, to change the notification to either "none" or "visual". Why make it so complicated? A friend tells me it's much simpler in a Tesla.

2. Passenger and rear seat reminder function. If the front passenger door, or a rear door, is opened then closed before setting off, then you get two warnings after you stop. The first warning is a buzzer and a displayed message. If you have the temerity to ignore the message, and if the front passenger door or a rear door is not re-opened and closed, then when you lock the car it gives a second warning: the emergency flashers are activated and a buzzer sounds nine times. This feature has all the hallmarks of a smartarse IT staffer adding it just because they can. It has nothing to do with GSR2. Being an adult, I can usually remember if I've left a coat or a baby in the car. But this function seems designed for toddlers. Worst still - you can't turn it off permanently. Only a dealer can do that. So when we hand our cars in for their first services, let's all request that this function is turned off. Hopefully Lexus will get the message.

Others may have different opinions.

[Pauly C]

I had one as a courtesy car for a short while, so know exactly where you’re coming from. For me, it was the rather odd and potentially dangerous reactions I was getting through the steering wheel, whilst the lane tracking thingy was on….downright odd, unnerving at times and…as I say….potentially dangerous for some drivers if it catches them unawares🤔