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Well, after a long, long wait i finally received my fully spiced ES ! black graphite and takumi brown interior (pictures follow later) , i clocked 250 miles in the last 48 hrs and here are my first remarks. 1: driving: this car is a dream car to drive, provided you're not looking for a true sports car. But driven with relaxation and comfort in mind this is a tough one to beat ! the atmosphere of serenity and calm is unbelievable. Suspension is a little more harsh then my previous 7 serie, but that one had air suspension so not a real 1-to-1 comparison. I find acceleration and torque more then ample for modern day traffic, not once i felt myself wanting for more. As for the whining sound of the CVT some motor journalists go on about, i wonder if they driven the same car as i do, absolutely not an issue! cornering and curves are taken with a relaxt air, again it's not a porsche, but it never was ment to be, as i was a bit afraid of the handling i now can say that the car is surprisingly nimble on its feet, it handles better then its size would led to believe it does. On a mixed day of driving ( 40% motorway, 20 % city and 40% country roads ) i'm averaging 5,6 liter / 100 km 2: cabin: i can honestly say that the cabin of the ES is one of the best i ever sat in, everything feels well put togheter, the seats are marvelous and lay out is fairly logic. View to the back is restricted, a problem most modern cars seem to suffer from. The size of the doors however takes some getting used to, man they are large ! When fully opened , you have to extend yourself quite a bit to close them . Special mention for the climate control, i put the climate control in concierge mode and haven't looked at it since, works like a charm, it switches on the seat cooling when needed and keeps me in a very comfortable climate ! Dials and head up display are crisp and clear , the central big screen lags a little bit behind that of my 7 in clarity and crispness but the difference is small. 3:Multimedia: The elephant in the room ! first of all, the trackpad ! it takes a bit to get used to it, and it will never be as intuitive as the I-drive i loved, but it isn't halve as bad as some try to make it out. after a day or two of use you learn to live with it, besides for the most used functions there are short-cut buttons, and honestly, once you configured your car to your likes, how often do you change the settings afterwards? Pairing and using the phone is really a doddle, better then my 7 series, the only thing i'm missing is when i stream music from TIDAL from my iPhone, i don't see the playlists and can't select numbers, the only option is moving one number up or down . Navigation is OK, no more than that, this is one area where the German competition has the upper hand, maps could be better and more detailed, traffic problems are not, or too late put in the system. Voice command ( addresses etc ) is working very well, to my surprise the system understood my input correct in 90% of the cases. Radio: i have the ML system and i'm happy with it, although it depends a great deal on the source you use, i find DAB rather bland, but the hifi or CD quality from TIDAL is sounding really good. In short the recording quality and the steaming quality are very important to get the most out the system. Making and receiving phone calls works fine, again the 7 series did it a little better. 4: Safety systems: Love it! they work almost flawless and unobstructive , very happy with them, they perform better then the ones on my 7 serie ! Head up display, it was a conditio sin ne qua non, got used to it in my BMW's and consider it indispensable , to my joy i can say that the HUD of the ES is very, very good ! Final thoughts After more then 20 years of German cars ( Audi and BMW ) i found the time has come for something new, it was with apprehension that i placed the order for this ES, but for now i can say, very happy driver so far ! the only thing i can say to anyone looking for a car in this price segment, you would be mad not to go and try out this Lexus before ordering the usual black or grey mercedes/Audi/Bmw It isn't race car, but for those who are looking for comfort, space, relaxation, full saving and reliability, it's more then a serious contender ! watch out for falling acorns however !

Yes. I had a full paint correction done and ceramic coating applied. The Bodywork and wheels should be blemish free...

I've had my IS300H F-Sport for nearly 3 weeks now. And it's so smooth! And quiet, and comfortable with best seats I've ever had in a car, and it steers so nicely, and the handling is great. I think the suspension is the best possible compromise between comfort and body roll. Switching between petrol power and electric is seamless. And I've averaged 46mpg since I've first put fuel in. It picks up Planet Rock Radio on DAB. This is important to me and this is the first car I've had that will do that! It also streams from my Deezer app on my Andoid phone perfectly, giving me song info and album art. The audio isn't the best. I think it's just the basic 6 speaker set up. Needs more bass. But I think I was spoilt on my previous car because that had a Bose system and it was superb. I might investigate what I can do to improve the bass without hacking any of my interior. And I've found out how to turn off the audible warning for excessive speed via the road sign awareness. And that only took me week! 🤣 I'm still learning the car. Because it's just so complicated, but that's par for the course with a high spec car these days I guess. Anyway, I'm really pleased with my car. Can you tell? 😁 Pulse and glide my friends!

Of course I test drove it 🙂 ! I kind of knew what to expect in a way as I’d driven an RCF a fair few times. I was just curious as to the history really! This is my 5th Lexus now but plan on keeping this one!

Thanks It's actually exactly what I expected. It's not as good as the GS for flying down a motorway - the GS rides smoother and quieter. The 3 is epic down Scottish A-roads, with amazing balance, poise and power, so easy to place and awesome grip. I love the minimalism in the interior, the infotainment system is easily the best I've used in any car (but not without its flaws). Our Scotland trip covered more than 1000 miles, and I had to pay a grand total of £6.00 for "fuel". It's better than the Leaf in every way (Shock! Surprise!). As a daily driver it just feels absurdly special (in fairness so does the GS, in a different way... We're not spoiled at all with cars!)

Specs vary country to country. The UK Premier has full leather. Not sure about Japan models, they possibly have the option to have it or not.

Yes, IIRC Lexus started to disable this feature as default where the fob would open all of the windows for this reason about 10 years ago. I was informed of this when I noticed that our 2007 IS would do this but our 2011 model wouldn’t.

It’s proper leather I believe. They have a Tahara option on some models which is man made.

I’m no expert on the 4RX but I don’t think that air suspension was offered on this series. I think Adaptive Variable Suspension (AVS) was fitted as standard to the top spec Premier or later Takumi cars and was an option possible standard on the F Sport models ?( please correct me if I’m wrong ). We have AVS fitted to our GSF and whilst I don’t have an issue with the ride on our 3RX F Sport, the ride is smoother in the GSF in normal mode. Good luck with the search. I hope to upgrade our RX to the latest model in the future.

The 2-4-1 warranty has been on offer for the past 4-5 years . Very good value. I’m glad it’s still at this rate !

The figure doesn't surprise me. The labour costs Lexus have are high. I believe the paint is £600 alone for the bumper and the matching on sonic white is a pain in the arse. In other words they won't just be painting the bumper but some of the Bonnet and fenders too

Personally this was a big thing for me aswell. Rightly or wrongly, I feel more comfortable having done so.

The car is on its original wheels. I know there was an optional style released which may have become the standard fit in the US... The guys here can here can help you out on the trivia...

The plan was to get a toy for weekend fun and run the ISF during the week. In the end that plan didn't make as much sense, especially when factoring in the arrival of our first child. We have another family car too, so I had to let the ISF go. Sad really because I'd invested quite a bit of time and effort to get it the way I wanted. They are fabulous cars; reliable and understated. The colour left an impression too. No, no issues at all. It was serviced by Lexus Edinburgh in March I think, sailed through its Mot also. Like I said, great cars and it will be missed. My toy is definately a bit lacking in the comfort and smoothness categories...

I've got a Tony Banks exhaust on my car - it's a +1 for them from me - sorry! Sent from my SM-N960F using Tapatalk

might be worth inspecting the catch and if the cable is visible try to pull it with a pair of long nose pliers I haven to say I've never heard of this problem on the 460 - its more common on the pre-facelift 430s good luck

We sold our Leaf in July, after my previous post earlier in this thread. 7th Nov 2017 , 2.5 years old 13300 miles, paid £11k (£3800 up front, £7200 3 years 0% HP), and included 2 years warranty, 2 years servicing. July 2019, 4 years old, 25500 miles, sold to a dealer for £10650. WBAC was £10500. 2.8p/mile, or £18.40 per month depreciation. I was pretty pleased with that. I'm sure over time we'll lose a bunch on the Model 3, but it's too awesome to care...

The very word "Hack" fills me with terror , do not use brute force and ignorance check diagamatic blow ups of installation check the US forum and if all else fails train a squirrel to get in and pull the catch.

Thanks, Alan unfortunately It wasn't from a dealer. I have been in touch with the guys at Toyotek who have said they think they can access the cable and mechanism if they remove the underbody covers. They say a couple of hours of labour should cover replacing the cable (if necessary) and they will come back to me with the cost of a replacement cable too.

Sorry I do not know the solution but I would take it to my local Lexus main agent and ask for their advice. It would cost you nothing and they might be at least be willing to let you know what you are up against.

Thanks to the above had Traffic Issues displayed on the Screen yesterday but only one was Live. Tel

Price break down looks fair looking at parts and labour breakdown. Insurance assessor has passed the repair, and the repairer now has approval, and the Lexus Dealer has agreed to swap my old car with insurance approval for my new car so I don’t have the down time of being off the road. Got to love no fault claims.

So the exhaust is now fitted. And I’m really happy with the work, it’s a high grade stainless pipe work with a lifetime of the vehicle guarantee. The best bit was going over to see the place, just a small work shop with a small group of blokes working there, with ages of experience. The sort of lads you could sit at an old minors pub with supping down a pint 🍺. Really helpful, and knowledgeable to boot, so I won’t advertise them unless that’s ok and people want to know. I didn’t opt for anything fancy as I wanted function over form. So I asked for a free flowing exhaust with no tips and it tracks down to the single silencer just before the cats, so not cat back but close, as the next step is the higher money end, and starts leading into another world of, what cats, sensor positions and the like.

I've just paid £240 with the AA for my 450H and £181 for my wife's Volvo V70R I thought that was a good deal

I bought my IS300h about 18 months ago with 59,000 miles on it and paid 14k. Today it has 121,000 miles on it and looking at eBay/auto trader and wbac the general opinion is a value of 10k, which I think is excellent as it works out at £222 per month Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

I was also looking recently as I purchased my IS second hand at 2 years old with 40K miles nearly 3 years ago from a Lexus dealer. Comparing list price of the car I purchased (on the forecourt - I did get some negotiated off of course) with one the same age and mileage as mine now has on the clock (79,500) on the used Lexus website I just worked out it has only gone down £3,500 in forecourt value in that 3 years. So depreciation of just over £1,000 per annum from a 2 year old to a 5 year old car. Really can't complain at that. I appreciate I would lose a bit more than that if I trade it in of course at a dealer or sell privately but as a like for like comparison found it interesting.

Bought my used ct200 advance plus in August and have just clocked up the first 1000 miles in it. heres my thoughts so far in the hope it will help other potential buyers just as this site helped me decide. This is my first ct though 3rd hybrid. The 2 main improvements after the facelift were meant to be ride comfort and to make the cot transmission more linear with actual speed. ride - there's no getting away from the fact the ride is on the firm side but certainly not firm enough to complain about. My previous car, a Mazda 2, is praised for its ride and handling and this car isn't that far removed from it. However, if the facelift is an improvement then I can see why pre-facelift versions could be marked down for this. linear transmission - had a first gen auris hybrid which was quite loud and thrash you when pushed hard ( same engine ) Lexus have made massive improvements here and the engine tone is much more refined to my ears. Drove A roads, B roads, motorways, dual carriageways and country lanes and the CT appears quite adaptable to all these...not just a city car! So far, the onboard computer is averaging out at 58 mpg. Happy with this and see no need to verify this with a brim to brim check. minor annoyances: The small fuel tank. At first, it appears the car is guzzling fuel until you get to the pumps and find it doesn't cost quite so much to fill up. Setting up the DAB radio is not user friendly at all. USB connector not practical. Why could this not have been fitted inside the arm rest storage like other cars? Luckily, I found a usb stick small enough to get the lid closed. overall though, very happy with the car and looking forward to many more relaxing miles of motoring. Finally, just like the to say the quality of service from my local dealer, Lexus Edinburgh, has been excellent. Hope this helps someone :-)

The problem with repairing these plastic bumpers is that once they have flexed there are hidden stress areas in the bumper. It can be repaired and look great, but at a later date the paint can lose adhesion. I know this because my wife bumped the front of her pearlescent white Fiat 500 and the repair shop we chose pressurised our insurers into replacing the bumper for that reason. Why would you not want your car put back into 'as new condition'. I have experienced poor accident repairs from my insurers where the safety of the work was questionable so am totally with the OP

My NX has a digital clock in the centre of the dash as well as the analogue one in the middle.

So a digital clock or lack of it makes a car useless,really lol😁?

Having followed this topic from the start can I just say that you are doing a remarkable review and refix of 1993 Lexus tech your dedication to the cause of this classic is admirable please carry on and I hope the other long term members of this forum appreciate your endeavours.

Just wanted to update this as also had AC/Climate Heater Control and Radio dipped as well now, very pleased with the results

I have gotten used to the analogue clock, I love the way it illuminates in the night.

Well I would much rather have the analogue clock than the 1970's one in my IS250.

Changing the sensors and PCV valve on a 2010 is250 Mine is the SEL ML HDD Nav variant. So the parts duly arrived from the USA via Rockauto in NY. Very speedy service too!! First thing was to remove the three engine covers and also the main one in the centre. The battery and components are all removed in the same process as described by Noobies excellent guide. I had copied and printed and laminated the sheets for guidance. That way they will stand up to greasy hands and can be used again if required. Those connectors into the electronics box are right little so and so's to free up. There is a large one on the right and two on the left side as seen in the photo below The grey one on the left is conventional squeeze and pull off. The other two (as noobie points out) are somewhat different. You will need a short and small (4mm) flat blade screwdriver to prise up the little black tag. They need to come right up before you can start to lift the securing bar. This white bar has to to come up to 90º as shown on the rhs connector in the photo. This partly frees the connector but they are quite a grunt to pull right out ...and you are always thinking to yourself ...go easy don't break anything. I actually used a larger screwdriver to help prise the connector apart from the electronic box. I laid everything out on the floor in order of how it came out to help with reinstatement. There is a loom wire attached to the tray and that is a bit of a toad to squeeze at too. I found the only way i could do it was by lifting the tray upright and squeezing the tabs with long nosed pliers. I had dosed the sensors bases with WD40 a couple of times and hoped it would soak in. So I figured I'd crack on with the PCV valve first. With all the battery parts removed you can get at the valve very easily. Squeeze the wire tag and slide it upwards and then gently pull the tube off and push it out of your way under the bulkhead. Its a 19mm spanner job. A tap with a hammer on the end of the spanner had it moving. It's pretty tight though! That's the new pcv and the old one removed. The part number is that for a 2010 model. Think it covers 08-12 models IIRC. The valve should rattle but mine sounded nothing like the new one. Bit of threadlock and then refit ...simples!! New pcv fitted (sorry the pic is sideways, it wasn't when I uploaded it) All connected and pipe and tag secured. Then it was on with the sensors. For the 2010 model with Denso sensors the Bank 1 Sensor 1 is part no 234 9048, and the Bank 2 Sensor 1 is part no 234 9068. This is different to Noobies and I don't know if his would have worked in my car or not. But this is what Denso and Rockauto indicated for my car year ... so who am I not to listen. They are nicely packed and are supplied with a little tube of copper grease to apply to the threads and have threadlock pre-applied at the seat of the threads by the compression washer. This shows the part numbers together with the old sensors. The cables are different lengths. I guess 9048 could be used for both, but 9068 will not fit on Bank 1 ... it's too short by 50mm. Bank 1 Sensor 1 The 2010 vehicle differs from Noobies in that there is no fuse box to move out of the way on the drivers side. It is pretty restricted access even so! I had purchased a sensor socket from China beforehand (£3 delivered), and you will need on of these! They are a 22mm fit and are slotted to accommodate the connector wires. There is also a 3/8" square drive at one end to connect, via an adaptor, to my 1/2" drive socket set. I needed two extensions and a universal drive (to get the angle of attack correct) to get clearance above the engine components. There is no room to get any push lower down and you will end up pulverising your fingers. And you are going to need them for the second sensor!!!! It was a hell of a grunt to get the old sensor to move but it only takes 5mm of movement and it's spinning freely by hand. The actual wire connectors are awkward to undo as you are relying on feel. I had an inspection lamp and a mirror on a telescopic handle that proved invaluable in seeing what the heck was going on behind the engine block. So this is Bank 1 Sensor 1 finished. Bank 2 Sensor 1 This is a right pig to do ... sorry, but that's the truth! Access is incredibly restricted and your arms and fingers will take a bit of punishment in the process. Perseverance is the ticket!! I had to cobble up an extension to the t-bar to get the leverage right. Then the relief when the thread goes is immense!! There then follows the same PITA trying to get the wire connectors apart ... and then back together after fitting the new sensor. That's Bank 2 done! Then put all the tray, electronic unit, plug connectors, tray base, battery, battery shroud, cable clip and connect the battery. Having turned the ignition 'ON' there followed a brief bit of computer loading on my screen (I have the nav/reversing camera option) then all systems were ready.....Started first time. Radio stations were all lost ... no biggie really. [There is no radio code to be concerned about] Clock will need resetting Window switches did not need re-syncing ... maybe something changed on the facelift variant! A/C had to be reset to Auto [as it defaults to 'off'] ... at least that's what I have it set at Cabin temp setting was unaffected as were audio preferences (Bass, Mid, Treble etc) Navigator cursor defaults to showing North Which was a weird ... only spotted this driving home across the heath .... sideways!!!!!!! Tap the Compass pointer with your finger and it reverts to 'ahead' view. No idea why ... but the rain sensor for the wipers seems to working much more sensibly than it had before ...puzzling, but I'm pleased about that. Won't know much about mpg for a while as the ECU will start its learning sequence all over again over the next couple of hundred miles. What is immediately noticeable is the reduction of smoke from the exhaust, and the smell of petrol vapour has completely vanished. Seems smoother and quieter but not hugely ... could be placebo effect. I should not have driven the works van in the morning ...that probably did it!!! Whole task was around 3 hours ... Including a much needed cup of tea at the end!

2017 lexus nx200t no digital clock on displayed do not buy it i will not recommend to anyone to buy lexus car anymore they are useless even a car that built in 1996 had a digital clock on the dashboard.