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Showing content with the highest reputation on 10/13/2022 in all areas
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Well said Sir ! I find that criticism of Lexus by a Journalist who has never owned a Lexus is not worth the paper it is written on. And criticsm of Lexus by an owner who has never had one before suggests to me that he has not done his homework or due diligence before buying. And criticsm of Lexus by someone who has it as a Company Car has it as a way of reducing his Benefit in Kind and his moans concern that it is not as good as his Audi/BMW or Mercedes was. But criticism of Lexus by a seasoned owner for several years of a Lexus is something I value.4 points
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Hello Guys. With regard to larger vehicles being close to the 3.5T weight limit I found this warning in the door frame of my LS460. As far as I know, the Tachograph would only have to be fitted and used if the vehicle was used for commercial reasons. If you have the entitlement to drive up to 7.5T on your driving licence you don't need to use a Tachograph for personal use, for example towing a caravan while on holiday. However, if someone paid you to drive the car while towing their caravan you would need to use a Tachograph if the car and caravan exceeded 3.5T. Steve.3 points
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Hi Glyn Besides the engine it was such an advanced car when it was introduced. Thinking of how complex, efficient and reliable the hardtop is. Then the ML unit and changer, how it can display the album and track names which was way ahead of its time. At that time, the rest of the fantastic things it had could only be found in a top of the range, executive vehicle from a prestige manufacturer. It is tantamount to Lexus that the reliability they build into their vehicles is still holding up well some 20 years on, when other cars have lost their reliability and are riddled with problems. Thank you Lexus for giving us the SC430! Anthony3 points
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I find it interesting considering the size of the SC430 engine how fuel efficient it is. When I had my BMW Z3M coupe I never got anywhere near the SC’s MPG. That was with a smaller 3 litre straight six engine with slightly more power but almost a third lighter in weight. Even the 330d and 335d I had were not that great never mind the M50d considering they were all diesel’s I think the SC is a remarkable achievement.3 points
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The first question has to be why did you do this? I've never needed to replace battery terminals on any car I've ever owned in more than 47 years of driving. Are the terminal connections tight and clean? Have you checked (preferably undone, cleaned and tightened) the 'other ends' of the battery cables, ie, from positive battery terminal to starter solenoid then from solenoid to starter motor? And also the earth straps from the negative battery terminal to the body and engine? Finally, I'm a firm believer in using the proper trade, ie, mechanic for general mechanical work and auto electrician for electrical work, so if it were me I'd be taking it to an auto electrician to be sorted if I couldn't do it myself. Same info as video above but just a bit more in-depth and also showing voltage drop charts:3 points
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I'm fearing there's going to be on-going potential unknowing electrical gremlins as our cars get older I experienced lots of weird gremlins which i reported here on last year or so ............. we've got quite ancient cars and must now expect these little challenges I'm afraid Others don't suffer as we do ..... their cars just don't exist at the age of ours ...... theirs' have long gone to the scrappy 😂 Malc2 points
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Battery terminals don’t usually misbehave much as said but I suppose like every car something unexpected can come up. What is the battery make and spec? Alternator failure is a more likely issue but if the battery is still in good charge you have a system fault. Diagnosis is best done when the car is not operating correctly. When the car fails what exactly fails and what works and doesn’t work? Everything off - every lamp and light, dash? The more you can describe, increases chance of someone else recognising the problem. 👍🫣2 points
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Year by year though, even for stereotypical caravanners ages, more will be brought into the BE trap of 3,500kg without possibly realising...2 points
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Apologies, yes that wasn't the full picture as it was also to do with the changes that happened last year for towing. It does still however depend on when one got a driving licence, so: I have C1E on my licence as I have had it since the late 1970's which states: You can drive vehicles weighing between 3,500 and 7,500kg (with a trailer over 750kg), with no more than 8 passengers and a driver. The combined weight of both can’t exceed 12,000kg, but there is then an additional restriction code on my licence of Not more than 8,250kg. For only BE on the licence, it states: You can drive vehicles up to 3,500kg Maximum Authorised Mass (MAM) with up to 8 passenger seats and a driver, with any size trailer within the towing limits of the vehicle. So, yes, what you can drive/tow will depend on when you got the driving licence - I can tow with a MAM of up to 8250kg so that could be a very heavy car (or even a truck) with a very heavy caravan or trailer (so long as it's within the towing limits of the car) whereas indeed, on your licence you would be limited with only BE to the car and trailer being less than 3,500kg in total. And so yes, I am sure there will be people (younger people especially) who as cars have and will get heavier be driving with MAM over 3,500 kg and therefore driving illegally...! In addition to being stopped by police (if ever) perhaps more importantly they would also be uninsured should they have an accident.2 points
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Perhaps it’s the M factor. The longest journey I took in the Z3M was to Amsterdam so nearly all motorway and that averaged out at 29 MPG. Round town it was about 23 MPG. One thing which I think is an unfair criticism of the SC is the 0-60 MPH time of 6 seconds which is none to shabby compared to the BMW’s I have owed which were between 5.5 - 6 seconds without any criticism. I think a lot of motoring journalists just look down on Lexus because it’s Japanese who make a lot of low budget cars so it doesn’t carry the prestige badge like BMW, Audi and Mercedes to them even though it may be a better car in the eyes of owners who don’t just drive them for a couple of days.2 points
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I wouldn't agree with that - even 2 cars with identical engines, say BMW 530d and BMW X5 3.0d will have different emissions based on their weight and shape. Simply said same engine in BMW 5-series will have to work less at any given time and burn less fuel, less fuel burnt = less emissions. This is both true when car starts driving - lighter car will need less fuel to move itself up-to speed... and when at speed 5-Series will more fuel efficient because of drag. Same even true for BEVs, although there is no strictly identical BEV for example Tesla Model-X will use more electricity than Model-S to go same distance, more electricity is more emissions. Now again - Model-X does not use same battery and same engines as Model-S (Model-X is slightly newer and more efficient), so like for like comparison is not possible, but it is still true that Model-X uses more kW/mile, meaning just because of weight and size it is less efficient and more polluting. So size, weight and shape - do impact emissions. Perhaps it could be argued the difference is marginal, or that they are not directly impacting emissions, but at the end of the day - larger, heavier and less aerodynamic vehicle will pollute more. And all combined it could make rather big difference, because larger heavier vehicle will require bigger, wider, heavier wheels, bigger brakes, stronger suspension components etc. etc. Another practical example - I watched how Brabus makes armoured G-Class. They add about 800kg of armoured glass and steel to the car, but overall after they upgrades brakes and suspension to handle all extra weight the car ends-up weighting 1800kg more on already heavy 2500kg G63 AMG. As result of that they add second fuel tank which doubles fuel capacity just to keep same range. So despite staying the same shape and keeping same engine 1800 extra kg doubles the fuel consumption... and that doubles the emissions. Finally, it is just physics - to move heavier object more energy is needed, more energy used = more pollution. Sure there are caveats, because energy can be produced more efficiently, transmitted more efficiently and used more efficiently. So it may be true that despite weighting more, more modern and more efficient SUV will emit less emissions that old smaller car, but that does not matter, because as soon as like-for-like comparison is made - more modern and more efficient smaller car will always be more efficient than SUV with equally efficient engine.2 points
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Seems that many Lexus workshops are trying their best to rob customers and try to throw us to another brand. The car is great, but their service is stupidly expensive. Asked for new tyres and was quoted about 50% more than tyre centres were offering for same tyres.2 points
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Definitely skip. I paid £78 for a regas at Toyotec which includes the decontamination of the system.2 points
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I think I’ve realised what’s going on. Received an email from Costco - their new filling station in Reading is now open… …unleaded £1.49 per litre. I can only assume Sainsbury are trying to react to the new competition.2 points
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Yeah it's my first one 😁. Thanks. Love it. Still can't belive this technology was available in 1999.2 points
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The initial comment I made was specifically with reference to ICE vehicles, the trend in increasing vehicle size and weight is directly contributing to increasing CO2 emissions. But on your point there is really no such thing as a zero emissions vehicle, the energy has to come from somewhere and unless that is totally green there will be an environmental impact.2 points
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Here is the later July 22 equipment list. 220727M-NX-Equip-List.pdf Cornering lights for the NX only with the option packs as @ColinBarber hinted.1 point
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That's very interesting thank you! Certainly doesn't look like it is the £5k fix many seem to say (or did say). Great news for peace of mind.1 point
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Ohh... actually I didn't catch this little nuance and how it makes a difference, but now I see what you mean. It sounds stereotypical, but I assume most people with caravans nowadays will be the ones who have gotten their licenses before 1997... so you right 3500Kg may not even apply to them and 8250Kg is plenty for any caravan ever. Sure that is stereotype that only old people are into caravans, but realistically it is rare to see anyone under 40 towing the caravan. It seems it is mostly the retired people (I may be wrong) and because the change happened in 1997, this means oldest person on new restriction is 42 years old and very few retire before 55.1 point
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a quick search shows this: cheapest one: LEXUS LS460 ELECTRIC STEERING RACK 44200-50220 (nipponautospares.com) twice as much: Buy Genuine Toyota 4420050220 (44200-50220) Link Assy, Power Steering. Prices, fast shipping, weight - Amayama serious money if it goes wrong There is VGRS issue with these which dealers normally diganose as steering rack replacement but 1/2 members have mentioned this can be sorted with a software upgrade.1 point
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When I disconnect the battery and put it on charge, the meter on the charger immediately reads about 90%, which makes me think this is a connection problem somewhere, not the battery draining. And I can't use the car until it's sorted, because when it cuts out, everything goes dead. Herbie: my mechanic replaced one of the battery terminals because it would no longer tighten enough to grip. I later replaced the other one, which seemed to be going the same way. This was before the car was checked over during the last MOT. I'm assuming the problem is at what you call 'the other end', which I wouldn't attempt to investigate myself. Thanks for your suggestions.1 point
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Technically that is laminated glass not double glazing with an air gap in-between that you get with high end vehicles (Lexus LS, MB S-Class etc.). But that means it isn't the glass that is making the UX quieter. Possibly it is because there is less glass as the UX windows are quite small.1 point
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My battery is now more than 8 years old so this is a subject of interest to me - so I've done a bit more research. I should have said that the original battery is Panasonic S65D26L - the L refers to the terminal layout. There is a temperature sensor mounted in a cut-out in the corner of the top of the case. The battery has no hold down ledges at the bottom of the case. 068 batteries generally do and that is why they don't fit properly. You need to modify the battery (by cutting off the ledges) or the tray. So far as I can tell the only batteries which fit properly and have the temperature sensor are the Panasonic and Yuasa equivalent. Both are available from various sources but cost at least £250 - I think the best current price is from Lexus Parts Direct. They don't actually specify the make of battery, but the diagram looks like the Panasonic. There are several sources, particularly for the Yuasa version, and various prices. Someone posted here that you can buy a battery from Toyota dealers at a lower price - I don't know if that is actually the exact Panasonic or something different The Hankook battery I mentioned does appear to have bottom edge hold down ledges which may need cutting off. If you are fitting a battery other than the Panasonic or Yuasa you need to remove the temperature sensor from the original battery - apparently this is pretty difficult but it can be prised off and glued to the new battery. Or you could just not attach it to the battery but that's obviously a compromise. The new battery should be a AGM type - that is for safety in the event of a crash because it won't drip acid. A wet (flooded) battery will work perfectly well but you have the risk - slight though it may be. The GS hybrid boot is fairly well separated from the passenger cabin though. Note that a wet battery will be a 068 type and won't quite fit properly. There are various other AGM batteries (described as 068 or S65D26L or both) which don't have the temperature sensor (eg Hankook, Power Plus) and which cost just over £100. Wet 068 batteries are available from about £65. Any battery other than the Panasonic or Yuasa involves a compromise - your choice!1 point
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This product is getting fantastic reviews on our website at the moment, maybe it is because it is super hot and everyone is blasting the air con at the moment. Just wondering if any of the Club Members have used the product and what your feedback is? https://www.lexuspartsdirect.co.uk/parts/lexus-ux/lexus-ux-2018-present/lexus-ux-cooling-heating/lexus-air-conditioning-system-cleaner/1 point
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To be honest, I was never gonna advertise the car for sale as it had too many miles on. I really enjoyed it and I didn't think I'd ever get the kind of money I'd expect for it. However, somebody messaged me asking if I'd sell the car, and I said yeah, sure.. £4k takes it. If not, I'm keeping it as I don't really want / need to sell it. And to my surprise he said YES. It was a bittersweet moment when he came to get the car from Kent, but at that point I had an eye on Nissan 300ZX.. I guess I just wanted to scratch the itch for a 90s jap car again. However the Nissan fell through as it was rusty and then I noticed the Toyota Mark II with 1JZ engine for sale near me. That's absolute immaculate so I put my deposit down and now I'm just waiting for DVLA to register the car (fresh Jap import)/ send the logbook so I can take it home from the dealer. Whether I'll enjoy the ownership of that as much as I enjoyed the IS250, I don't know. Maybe not, but it's a cool car in my opinion and I will always get the money back for it should I decide to sell it as the value of those cars keeps going up. I'm currently car sharing and I really miss the IS250. It just did everything I wanted from it, so I think that until I can manual convert the Mark II, I will have to learn to love the automatic life for a bit. At least it's got pillar-less windows.. that's the coolest feature on a 4 door saloon haha. If I don't get on with it, I might just sell after a few months and buy IS3501 point
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My post of a year ago highlights this issue. I am now at 2 years since the dealership noted the corrosion and its since gone through 2 MOTs Mike1 point
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A second hand unit from a breakers is going to be your only option of getting a replacement quickly I would have thought. Removing the old one and cleaning/painting it could also be an option if the corrosion is only surface rust.1 point
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With Costco you need to be careful as you can very easily go nuts shopping, you need a Clear idea of what you need... Ie no 65 inch OLED TV and no freezer with integrated ice unit and display panel. I only ever use E5 and never ever get E10, this is going back to my Lexus days. The higher octane fuel runs better, throttle response is better and generally speaking the car just shifts better and doesn't have any issues whatsoever, my Subaru is moving into 140k miles and you need to pop the bonnet to hear it on idle.1 point
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As a PS., every year, whatever, the car, I change the pollen filter, use a stick-it-in-the footwell air-con cleaning aerosol, and check the air-con temperature. Cost... about £15? Satisfaction... priceless!1 point
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No matter what car I’ve had I’ve barely been able to hear my wife in the passenger seat!1 point
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As an aside it may be pertinent to mention that I’ve no intention of selling it it the near future so I’m not interested in keeping up a full Lexus service history for maximum returns. In fact I cannot think of anything out there that suits my needs better than this. I know some may suggest going to an independent but as a non gambler I like to keep the warranty for peace of mind.1 point
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Picked up my UX today from my dealer exactly 10 months from ordering. Was disappointed to find that the cobalt leather blue seats had been discontinued, but this was greatly offset by the fact I now have a model 2023 and really impressed with the all upgrades, and all for the same price as well. 😀😀😀1 point
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Cheers for the advice mate, I am ending up with the advance, although I will be retrofitting Apple CarPlay into the CT200H as my first point of call when I get it! Will let you know how I get on with that1 point
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Hi Paul I have never heard that and think it is highly unlikely as it delays up-changes by the gearbox which is less fuel efficient. Give it a go and if you can give confirmation of a way of fuel saving you will be a hero on here! 🤝 🏅 Anthony1 point
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Right, firstly I had an Auris 1.8 hybrid estate for 3 years prior to the Lexus so will include that in my comparisons. Auris was slow struggling at times on inclines and not great for overtaking, you had to work it hard for any results. The ride was ok but still felt like a small car. 3 years motoring and it needed nothing but servicing and a new set of tyres. Overall MPG 59. Lexus was a transformation with plenty of power and appealing looks. I had the Advance model with lots of toys and really comfortable leather seats. It's the one and only car I was proud of and received lots of positive comments. Ride was always on the firm side and you knew it was a heavy well built car. Parking on an incline made it a challenge to open the heavy doors at times, I'm not getting any younger. Overall mpg 48. Corolla, early days and first impressions are very positive. It feels bang up to date, looks sharp in gleaming red paintwork, drives well and gives me all the space I need. I've quickly found a good seating position and instantly feel at home. Basic Icon model with no satnav, wing mirrors you fold manually and fewer electric toys. I'm old school and don't mind that one bit. Been told it's easy to setup google maps from my mobile with bang up to date maps unlike my Lexus. It's a lively car, feels much lighter and more nimble than the Lexus and has so much more power than the Auris. Deliberately stayed in Eco mode on a local incline with no trouble, one that I had to work hard in the Auris. Technology advancements, this has lithium hybrid batteries, have really transformed a dull 1.8 hybrid to one that gives me total confidence. The ride is a big improvement over both the Auris and Lexus, as mentioned the Auris felt like a small car and Lexus was on the firm side but this Corolla has a big car ride and is so much smoother. Have noticed the Corolla is much quicker to drive in electric only mode and even on the motorway travelling in traffic at a steady 65, very impressive. So far I'm totally happy with my choice.1 point
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The MY2023 changes were introduced into production in August and the cars are just starting to appear in the UK. The key change is that the infotainment screen is larger and is closer to the driver as it's now touch screen so the infamous touch pad on the centre console has been removed and some buttons have been moved around. Extra spot welds have been added to improve body stiffness and the suspension has been slightly modified to improve ride quality. I'm hoping this improvement will be sufficiently noticeable to help convince me to place an order in a couple of weeks time when I've got a test drive booked.1 point
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I will share whatever I receive from Lexus CS, Phil That link is confusing and possibly misleading. It more than implies that the system is checked,but it only guarantees the Hybrid Battery ! Thus if an inverter fails,it will impact the performance/operation of the Hybrid Battery which itself is not faulty ! Hence the need for the 10 year plus extended warranty to be paid for.1 point
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Time has come and I finally did a drift day in the 250. The seat above came in handy. I went to Birmingham Wheels as it's local and for £50 you can't really go wrong. I put on my spare wheels on the back and off I went. It was a damp day - it wasn't raining, but they wet the track every 30minutes so people can do wet skids. You'll learn more in terms of control during the wet day, so I didn't mind going even though dry days are better. Oh well, next time.. The car performed really well. Factory LSD locked up nicely, and the steering lock is amazing too. Don't really have any complaints about it. It can definitely do with harder springs on my coilovers for dry days when you have to be more aggressive, but other than that I'm happy with it. I did between 7 & 10 laps before letting it cool down with the bonnet up for 10-15mins and then went back out on the track - the key to reliability.. DO NOT beat on it for too long, have some mechanical sympathy. Everyone said the car is too nice to be drifted, but like I told everyone, I wasn't there to smash it. Drift cars meant to look good, sadly UK is too used to battered E36, IS200 & MX-5s.. Here's a few pics. Got a video coming too.1 point
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Evening, I've been signed up for quite awhile now and have wanted to buy an ISF multiple times but it's never worked out. A very nice one popped up at a local classic/ prestige sales place owned by a friend of a friend. He'd invited me over to have a look and no pressure, not many seem to venture up north so he'd suggested I take advantage to at least have a look around one in person at last! Before I knew it I was out for a test drive and then discussing a deal for my current car ( a Golf R Estate) This all happened very quickly, I went from being happy with my golf to owning the ISF in a day! First proper drive out was my favourite 110 mile loop in the North Pennines which I tend to do quite often in my second car, an old BMW. Really impressed, I don't agree with the write ups on them about the suspension being harsh and not well damped, which most seem to say! The roads in the north Pennines are a good test for compliant suspension, my golf wasn't great at speed over continuous bumps but the Lexus ate them up! Great fun! Ill get a couple of snaps up from the drive when I can. Looking forward to reading more of the forum (and trying to ignore the threads with large expensive problems!) Thanks, Scott1 point
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Update: I've been a bit slacking on here, so anyway. I've installed the new exhaust (HKS Hi-Power) a couple months ago and I've also put coilovers (TEIN FLEX Z) on the car a few weeks ago. Exhaust was a very very easy to install. Nothing special, just pop the hangers off, undo a few bolts, job done. Now coilovers. There were all pretty easy to do it, just a matter of WD40 and undoing bolts here and there. However, the rear left bolts that goes through the shock & lca was rusted in so bad I couldn't remove it. I ended up cutting it and putting a new bolt in. FIY, the bolt is M14 and around 80mm long.. I couldn't believe how difficult it was to find it. I ended up buying it online for £7 as B&Q, Screwfix and Toolstation had only M12 or M16 as alternatives... I needed my car, so I just put an M12 through it that I got from B&Q as I didn't have any other option, but it's all good now. The car is now sitting about 60mm front and 50mm rear lower than stock. The ride is actually more comfortably than on stock shocks, although the stock suspension was 135k miles old and tired. Here's a pic of the clearance on the front on full lock with 18x9.5 ET38 wheels. It looks fine, but it does rub on full lock when there are two people in the car. Only an issue when parking, and not a big deal at all. It just catches the arch liner, so no damage. Here's a few pics of how the car sits now. Also had to test the diff. The stock suspension had so much travel the diff just wouldn't lock, whereas now the rear end is a lot stiffer, the little Torsen LSD engages a lot better 🙂 Apologies for the poor choice of location, but it was convenient and nobody was around as this McDonald's is still closed now due to lockdown.1 point