Oh Blimey!

[michaelH]

If you are worried about swirl marks on black, perhaps try using waterless cleaner /detailing spray and micro fibre cloths instead? I have been using them for years. No need then to use a chamois and no lime stains on the car if the water in your area is hard. I have never cleaned a black car with waterless cleaner, but I have cleaned dark blue cars. I also think the F sport looks a good buy in white, if you don't mind losing a little bit of economy and don't mind the bigger tyres ... white suits the IS I think and is not so hard to keep looking clean. It does show up any insect splatter though.

[Martin F]

If you are worried about swirl marks on black, perhaps try using waterless cleaner /detailing spray and micro fibre cloths instead? I have been using them for years.

That is a sure fire recipe for swirl marks

I've had mainly black cars over the years and yes they do take a bit more looking after than other colours but IMO there is no better colour when its clean and gleaming and you have a wax on it that gives it that deep wet look. B)

If you have black on an every day car (like I had for my GT86 previous to the IS) then it's going to need some regular washing to keep it looking at its best as well as some type of sealant and wax. Always wash off loose dirt and debris first with a hose or watering car, ideally snow foam if you have a washer, then use the two bucket method for cleaning with grit guards and a good quality wash mitt. With lighter colours you can get away with swirl marks not being so obvious but with black they can stand out, so take care cleaning and you should be well rewarded.

[michaelH]

A sure fire recipe for swirl marks? Is that based on experience or prejudice? If experience, what experience?

[Martin F]

It's common sense and experience from having so many black cars. It's grit and road debris collected on the surface of the car which cause swirl marks when people go and wash their cars without trying to remove these first. For more information take a look on some of the many car detailing sites: http://www.detailingworld.co.uk/

detailing sprays are fine for finishing off after washing or to remove odd marks on already clean cars and in my experience they are great as they help to improve the finish when you don't want to apply another sealant coat. Waterless car washes are a marketing man's wet dream but I suspect no decent professional car detailer uses them.

[michaelH]

Well, I wouldn't use it to clean a filthy black car covered in road salt and grit, so perhaps we are not so far apart. But have you experienced swirl marks from careful use of a waterless cleaner? 'Careful' meaning giving it time to work, not rubbing hard with a dirty cloth, etc? I may have a silver car, but I look hard for swirl marks and don't see them. I do see stone chips on the front apron, grrr....

There are black car owners on amazon reviews who swear by such products. "I was afraid of swirl marks but there were none", etc But I was careful to admit that I have not used it on a black car myself.

[zippyone]

Hello all,

thanks for the replies so far, please keep them coming, many different views maketh the decision easier.

On Friday last I spoke to a German at a motorway café near home, he had a ten year old Audi, metallic black. It was in very good condition, just dusty, no real grime. when I asked if he hand washed it, he laughed and said that 'he always went to the car wash, as he had not the time for hand washing.' I could not see any noticeable stone chips either, since then I have looked at a number of black/dark metallic cars and that seems to be the norm for them. Maybe I worry too much?

Michael: Never gave the white sport a real thought, €2.5k is not a lot more when talking these prices. Economy, well I generally get better economy

than most ( almost a Miss Daisy type!). Comfort may be the problem, will the sport 'jarr' our backs like the CT? I agree about the colour.

Martin: I hand wash the car each week, even under the bonnet. I use Autoglym products, they work well for me, also use woolly mitt and micro fibre

cloths, have hard water. Hose off car, wash, hose off, dry, resin polish*, high definition wax*, I also wax the windscreen and wheels. I clay the car

about every six months. (* circa every three months).

Thanks.

Michael.

[Martin F]

Martin: I hand wash the car each week, even under the bonnet. I use Autoglym products, they work well for me, also use woolly mitt and micro fibre

cloths, have hard water. Hose off car, wash, hose off, dry, resin polish*, high definition wax*, I also wax the windscreen and wheels. I clay the car

about every six months. (* circa every three months).

In which case I think you will be fine with a black car. Autoglym Super Resin polish is good at filling minor marks and if you supplement this with a two bucket method of washing i'm sure you will be fine.

Stop worrying and get your order in :P

[rayaans]

Martin: I hand wash the car each week, even under the bonnet. I use Autoglym products, they work well for me, also use woolly mitt and micro fibre

cloths, have hard water. Hose off car, wash, hose off, dry, resin polish*, high definition wax*, I also wax the windscreen and wheels. I clay the car

about every six months. (* circa every three months).

In which case I think you will be fine with a black car. Autoglym Super Resin polish is good at filling minor marks and if you supplement this with a two bucket method of washing i'm sure you will be fine.

Stop worrying and get your order in :P

I use AG SRP too. Its the only product in the AG lineup which is any good. Much better stuff out there though. Currently using Autosmart Platinum in place of SRP. Its cheaper and works the same. Hi def wax is overrated IMO, I swapped it out for Soft99 Fusso and never looked back.

Something to keep aware of. You CANNOT stop swirls. You can reduce them, sure, but you can't eliminate them completely. There are a million dust particles in the air in which you travel at 20mph +. These are obviously going to come into contact with the paint and cause swirls naturally. Only way to remove swirls is to polish.

[zippyone]

Hello all,

just a quick update, went to dealer yesterday (Monday) as per an appointment to see the black IS300h. I had intensions to buy the car on offer. I was informed that a salesman had sold it on Friday last, I was not too pleased and made it known.

However, all was not lost it seems. The manager told me that he had two other Executives, one grey(1h9) and a sonic titanium, these were loan and demo cars, with about 10,000km ( 6,213mi) on the clocks, price around the €28,000 (£22,343) mark +/-. The sonic was the car that I had on loan for a day a few weeks ago, and was first registered during the last week in June, so really it's had around two months use, (they were closed for holidays in August).

Next move is an appointment on Friday at 10.00, to look over the cars, but I have told him that the sonic is the main point of interest. If all is well, I will buy it there and then.

It will just be a matter of checking the guarantee side of life, and the software updates. I think that the latest updates are VC03102F, and nav. micro SD 86271-53242. Correct me if I am wrong.

Finger's crossed for Friday then.

Thanks for your interest.

Michael.

[DJP]

Sounds like it might all work out for you Michael, and I believe those are the most upto date software and maps. You won't regret the Sonic T if that's what you do end up getting.

Sent from my iPad using Lexus OC

[Martin F]

Another vote for Sonic Titanium B)

[tinka]

I have Ultra blue, but I really wish I could of found a Sonic Titanium, or maybe a Messa red.

[dochybrid]

I have Atlantic blue ..still love it :hocus-pokus:

[Wallace]

To get back to the question CT200h or IS300h, depends if you want a hatch-back or a saloon.. When our IS250 Sport was in for service we were loaned a CT200h. I had never driven an automatic before but found it so easy. Unfortunatley it rode badly on the 17" wheels, one section of the M54 was like driving over sleeping policemen. I have seen comments that the CT is better on 16" wheels. Anyway we (my wife and I) also tried the Toyota Prius and Toyota Yaris hybrids as i think they all have the same engine and drivetrain. All were on 17" wheels and all drove very hard. However i prefered the Prius apart from the poor rear view and that big whole under the centre consul. My wife like the Yaris. All would have done us but Lexus had the offer of the IS300h Luxury with satnav etc and we were sold. I wouild say that the ride is "refined". We even got folding rear seats which the 250Sport didn't have. Unfortunatly its 4" wider than the 250 Sport and so has to sit on the drive. Now I am sold on the CVT gear box and it may not be as fast as a BMW but it's NOT a BMW and at 47mpg i'm not compaining.

So you have to decide catch or saloon?

Oh yes as for the lack of run-flat, our old 250 Sport never had a puncture in 7 years and the IS200SE before never one in 6 years.

[zippyone]

Hello all,

Latest update Sonic Tit. IS300h:

Our appointment Friday was cancelled by dealer Thursday afternoon, because of an eye infection, said that he would probably call Saturday. - He has a bloodshot eye, but nothing serious.

Being trusting folks and this being Italy, we arrived at the time of the original appointment, as we arrived outside the dealers he drew up in an apparent rush. After a few smiles and hand shakes he informed us that the car he had was the grey one, SHMBO informed him that she preferred the Sonic, and could we see him today, Saturday, 'no,' he said, as he was very busy on that day, but Monday would be OK. He then went into the dealership and within a few minutes was out again, in the car and steaming off into the Sunrise.

No time was given, but I will go on Monday morning at 10.00 and see if we can FINALLY get a deal sorted. Things are easier for him now, as we are only talking about one motor.

No disrespect meant, but '*****,' what an effort one has to put in to buy a car from this man, he is the Lexus manager as well.

Best wishes to all my readers.

Michael.

[zippyone]

Hello all,

Latest update Sonic Tit. IS300h:

Saw the dealer manager again this morning - he is in good health again.

The story today is, the car that he offered me is a demo. car -which we all knew from the start, and as such, is not theirs, it is registered with, Lexus Italy, so he can't sell it, something to do with contracts.

Later this week though, according to him, a representative from Lexus Italy is coming to check the dealerships around the area. The manager told me that they have bought one car more than their required quota, - it was four before, so they will ask his permission to sell the sonic to me now, or I can wait until their contract runs out in January whenever. The manager will contact me on Thursday this week with an answer. I do not hold out much hope though.

I find it obsurd that a small dealership, with two or three salesmen - for Lexus - one a manager and they do not seem to know what is going on. I think that they have fouled up and instead of admitting it straight away, they are stringing me along whilst they look for a way out. That is how they normally do business here, Italians' like the titles and the money, but take no responsibility.

Lets see what the end of the week brings up.

Thanks for reading.

Michael.

[Martin F]

It doesn't really seem like they want your business. :eerrrmm:

Is the next nearest dealer an option?

[zippyone]

Hello all,

Latest/last update Sonic Tit. IS300h:

Saw dealer manager Friday last, he informed me that Lexus Italy will not let them sell car now, as it is loaned under some agreement that it has to remain a demo/loan car for so long before selling on, ( rubbish I think).

He informed me that it has 2000km on clock now - it was 10000 before - and that it should be up for sale late December early January. I have to rattle his cage again at the beginning of December. That is no problem for me, as I can wait and if I ordered new, it would probably take 3/4 months to arrive. SWMBO got on his back as well.

There are other dealers about, but more difficult to root out, this one is only twenty minutes from home. Maybe I should try Snows at Southampton, they're always helpful and have coffee as well, just a thought.

Thanks for reading.

Michael.

[Rich2508]

Dealers in the UK have to keep demo cars on the books for three months for tax advantages and I think benefits from the Manufacturers.

A friend is a Manager at Ford Dealership and he often orders his cars spec'd up ready for someone to take delivery in three months time.

They (Ford) also insist that the car is sold within nine months else they have to pay more for it, I know this when my friend said that a nearby dealer had an S-Max with an unusual spec (but exactly what we wanted) with just 79 miles on the clock approaching its 9 month date the next week. He told us to go and offer a really silly price and see what they said - result an almost brand new S-Max fir £12,250 - nearly 40% off list.!

[bluenose1940]

Well, I'm moving in the right direction, (see my original post)

I have booked my IS250 in for its next service on November 19th (just a mere couple of weeks away!!!)

And on that day the dealer is loaning me an IS300h for the day, and boy oh boy am I looking forward to that.

If I like it, and I can see no reason whatsoever why I won't, I then need to be looking around to find one to buy that has as many of the goodies that my current SE-L has got, such as light coloured leather, heated and cooled seats, etc etc etc.

A few weeks ago I sat in a CT200h Sport with lovely red leather seats but I still think that I will be swayed in the direction of the 300.

I will keep you updated as things progress.