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I have a diesel Skoda Octavia, it is my workhorse. It is utterly reliable, pretty good to drive, does 50 mpg all day long, is not excessively noisy, has a huge boot for a hatchback, has a towbar fitted for my trailer and copes with everything I throw at it. I bought privately and the mileage is low, it is still worth what I paid for it over two years. It is, to all intents and purposes, a Golf with a bigger boot. It is a really good car and measured by logic alone, is all the car I will ever need.. However, I also have a Lexus LS 400. In logical terms, and considering the fuel consumption and additional cost of running another car I do not need it. However, the Lexus is more than the sum of its parts. The refinement is in a different league, it is incredibly quiet and provides a sense of well being and relaxation that is absent in the Skoda. The principal difference is that I look forward to journeys in the Lexus and if I have a long journey to make, the differences between the two cars are magnified. Also, I would not like to put a glass of water on my Skoda PD engine whilst it is running, or I would be cleaning glass off my drive. I have done it on the Lexus engine - not a ripple. My first job was a mechanical engineering apprenticeship, and the engineering on this car is astonishing

Hi Jeremy,unfortunately,it looks like a trawl through different insurance company websites,is on the cards for you-where one might give me a good deal,wouldn't do the same for you,and visa -versa,it's an insurance-lottery out there,if it's any help to you,I get the cheapest deal I can,as it's only a legal requirement to have your car insured,therefore,I don't believe in lining their pockets.-but then,I'm a crotchety,old fart these days,and can't be bothered with all these con-merchants out there any more.

I stripped the two front calipers down on my car yesterday after replacing the discs and pads a few weeks ago I just wanted to check all was ok. I have taken pictures of the process and posted below although I cant get the pictures to show properly they will however show if clicked on ... 1/ Chock wheels / jack car up and remove the wheel 2/ To remove the caliper from the assembly, locate the 2 bolts holding it on (you will need a size 14 socket to remove them) - remove the caliper from the assembly and place on a support - I use an old plant pot which is an ideal height which doesn't allow too much pressure to be put on the brake hose. Picture below shows the bolts (ringed) to remove and what I mean by supporting the caliper on a pot 3/ Remove the slide pins (shown ringed in the picture below) - these are easily located - the two bolts previously removed were bolted into the pins themselves. When removing be careful not to damage the rubber boots on the caliper itself and also when removing the pins be carefull with the top pin as it has an anti rattle rubbber seal attached to the pin itself so may seam stiff when removing the top pin. You may need to twist the pins when pulling out if the old grease has hardened. 4/ The pin locator holes can be cleaned with a wooden pencil or a pipe cleaner brush with a bit of WD40 - when clean dry them out with cotton buds and tissues. The pins, if in bad condition, can be cleaned with a fine wet and dry paper wet with WD40. Any staining on the metal should come off in the process. Careful when cleaning the top pin as this holds the rubber seal. I have shown the pins before and after a clean below before after 5/ I use Castrol LM grease which can be bought from Halfords and the amount I use I have shown in the picture below. I load the end of a pencil and apply two lots in each pin recess. I will wipe the pins with a bit of grease just so they slide in easy. 6/ When re-inserting the pins there will be a vacuum created by the new grease - slide pins in and out until they settle in the recess so the caliper can be placed back on the assembly. Any excess grease that comes out from boot - wipe this away and place the end of the boot back in the recess in the pin. Refitting is the reverse of above. Also - when doing this job its a good idea just to check if your pistons are working ok - have someone press the brake pedal gently so you can check to see that its not seized and working correctly. I use a G clamp to press the piston back in.

A friend of mine bought a Mercedes E320 last year, on an 04 plate. Immaculate, and I must admit it had me going slightly green at first. One year on and a brake repair cost him £1,500, now he's looking at another £1,500 for a gearbox repair. Maybe that's why we're daft enough to own thirsty cars!. And to be honest, averaging over 30 mpg on a trip this week, I think is pretty good for such a big car.

I think everyone here, has more or less put their ten-cents worth into the debate,regarding just how much of a racket,the insurance game is,-a licence to print money,( my opinion),it's a subject,which I think has come-up on more than one occassion,and promotes lively debate,my final comment on this matter,for what it's worth,is that we,in Britain,are enduring one of the worst financial recessions,in living memory,with no relief in sight,being royally mismanaged,by the current crop of incompitents,who would make Richard Nixon look honest,with swingeing financial -cuts being implemented right across the board,vital public services budgets paired to the bone,-all to save a few hundred,or thousand quid-while these maggots award themselves pay-increases,while all the time,telling us 'were all in it together' -my hairy arse,we are,and that is why loyalty to insurance companies,is a hiding to nothing,and shopping around,is the order of the day,( as Bluesman rightly mentioned,the internet makes it much easier to shop around,and get good deals) anyone reading this diatribe,will surely agree,that given the financial climate,prices of everything,are rising at an alarming rate,-and people are losing their jobs as fast,I for one,wonder where this is all going to lead to,-it ain't gonna get any better soon,-though,if you listen to Cameron,and his mouthpiece,the BBC,you'd think we'll all be in clover this time next year,-dream on, I apoligise for chuntering -on so,but I am fed up to the back teeth,with what's going-on in this once great country of ours,and feel so impotent to do anything about it,and sorry to Jeremy,for hijacking your thread,...signed:-******-off,from Milton Keynes.

I forgot to add that I never go back to get them to price match after they send the renewal. If they can't quote a decent renewal price in the first place screw them, they had their chance. I'd rather go somewhere else

I shop around every year. Insurance companies would prefer to spend millions on advertising for new customers rather than look after existing ones. It flies in the face of common sense but perhaps ripping off the 60% who can't be bothered to shop around is more profitable than looking after the 90% who would renew every year if looked after. No doubt actuaries have done the sums and come to this conclusion. The world we live in.

Mike - I have what I call 'some knowledge' more of an overview of how the system works and did not specialise directly in insurance plus as you know it is always good to ask for opinions, experience and points of view from others....sharing knowledge is powerful and the only way we can all outwit the cons that are so prevalent in the insurance game.

Last month my DVD changer stopped working, price to get it fixed: £1500 (Ouch! And that is only for a refurb.). I have a 2 year warranty from WarrantyWise which I bought 2 years ago for around £900. So I put a claim through which got authorised next day, booked the car in with Lexus, DVD changer got replaced, payed the full amount to the dealer and a week later received a cheque from WW for the full amount. Basically the whole process was hassle free (except e-mailing some documentation and cashing the cheque :-)). Thought this info might be useful for anyone looking to buy extended warranty, they are not all that bad it seems.

You could knit a little key pouch? (serves you right for saying how useful we are on here!!!)

Yes, I think what Wikipedia says is correct. I have a copy of The Lexus Story, which was written by people with direct involvement with Lexus/Toyota (e.g. Danny Clements, Group Vice President and General Manager, Lexus Division), and this is what it says at p 57: "Lippincott & Marguiles, an image consulting firm in New York, presented the company with a list of 219 names, including Vectre, Verone, Chaparel, Calibre and Alexis. Alexis quickly became the front runner. At a marketing meeting, however, George Borst, then corporate marketing manager, pointed out that Alexis was the name of the conniving Joan Collins character on Dynasty. (She was the one who had the cat fight with Krystle in the lily pond.) Doodling on a notepad at the same meeting, Lexus project manager John French dropped the "A" to create "Lexis". From there it was a short trip to "Lexus" which the group thought had a more luxurious and high-tech feel. A luxury brand was born."

Welcome to the club Tim, You have just found the best kept secret in the motoring world....LEXUS. Cheap reliable luxury motoring....Enjoy your new car. Ian.

Many years ago while in an old car I recall hearing something similar. We took of one of the read hub caps and several nuts fell out. Maybe a quick check of your wheel nuts might be worth while!

The LS is not like a Merc or BMTroubleyou. BMW gearboxes are "filled for life" and they DO fail. I know a colleague at work whose BMW X5 transmission fluid was never changed and her gearbox repair cost more than my car. Another friend has a 'C' class Merc and before replacing his fluid (much more difficult than on an LS), he had bad slippage and jerking from the gearbox. Common sense tells you that any ATF will not last forever. When you drain the gearbox on an LS , only 2 litres comes out. I gradually replaced mine over a period of weeks just for peace of mind. I mainly use Toyota type IV ATF, but Comma oils also make the exact same ATF which works out a fair bit cheaper. Not many people seem know that.