DanD

Happened again at lunch time. I was sitting in traffic, minding my own business and enjoying some peace and quiet... and the radio came on. Car going for MOT... and I'll ask and report back...

Yes I would too, especially if you buy from a dealer. The car will have been thoroughly checked and Lexus warranty is excellent. I know it is a different model, but a colleague of mine has clocked 275,000 miles in a GS300 without any breakdown or major repair.

Sounds like you should have done your homework before buying the car! - Did someone have a gun to your head when you signed the paperwork!?

Actually sounds about right I think. Typically a car will only be worth between 35% and 50% of its original value after 3 years. 50% only for sought after models. However, bearing in mind that this is a first offer, I would treat that as an opening offer and push for more..

If you are going for a new car, would it not be worth considering a nearly new, higher spec car? I would imagine that a 1 year old Luxury variant, or even possibly a demo car should fetch for around the same as a SE? - It is also likely that it would fetch a higher price when you come to selling it on.

Can the ML system be retrofitted by Lexus? Might be a better option than a 3rd party offer?

I always use the SatNav, even for known journeys, so that it warns me of congestions ahead and work out a different route before I get there. Also, I have found that known routes are not always the quickest! In response to your question, I am pretty sure there is an "avoid" feature buried in the satnav settings, where you can force the satnav to not select certain routes. An alternative, which I have used before successfully, is to break your journey up into separate sections. Rather than the satnav taking you directly to your destination,, you can then force it to go via specific locations.

AS a matter of interest, do you have a second set of wheels fitted with winter tyres, or do you swap the tyres?

Thanks Doc. I am printing this and taking it home!

I agree. There are no benefits in fitting winter tyres unless you regularly drive in snow and in temperatures below (approx.) 6 degrees C. Above that temperature, winter tyres - being made of a softer compound than regularly tyres - wear out much quicker... with little or no benefit.

Take a look at this... http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/hi-tech-car-thieves-hit-streets-8099557

Thanks for the suggestion, but no... I was on my own at the time, and I don't yet talk to myself ;-)

Three times in so many weeks the audio system in my RX450h has switched itself either on or off without me having pressed any button. The first time, the radio switched itself on... and I assumed that I'd hit the steering wheel button while going around a roundabout. However the second and third time, the radio switched itself off, and this could not be down to me as you need to press the steering wheel button for at least a couple of seconds for the radio to switch off. Any idea?

Did you report it to the police? - They may be able to lift finger prints and it is also likely that if it has happened in other streets than yours... Would be interested in hearing their theory on this?

Is there any way you could have the car for an extended, 24 hour test drive, and get a AA inspection done? Ultimately, you are buying a 10 year old car. These are extremely reliable cars, but even if the car has been well maintained, there will be some wear and tear. The exended warranty is good advice (I think you can get three years for the price of two) and Lexus offers cheaper servicing for cards over 5 years old. However, if you really are worried about costs, maybe this is not the car for you.

Really!?! I was not aware that you could challenge the insurance "forcing" you to use their approved repairer. I'd be interested in seeing a legal document saying this... and print it for future reference!

I would say that running on 29.5PSI might indeed make for better comfort, but is it not rather dangerous, causing undue damage to the tyre walls, reducing the effectiveness of the ABS system, and also affecting grip when going around bends and roundabouts?

Select Membership on the banner at the top and go from there.... But first: - Check that your dealer does offer discounts to club members. Not all do. (You can check that from the Membership menu at the top) - Check that your dealer will offer you the same extended warranty that you would get if you bought the car from them. I would assume you would, but you never know. I believe that you currently get 3 years for the price of 2 currently... I'm sure others members will correct me if I'm wrong on this By the way, I have no vested interest in promoting membership to the club, but I recommend it because it has served me well to date.

Lexus are known for their reliability. A colleague of mine recently clocked 275,000 miles in his 16 year old GS300. Costs to date have been limited to regular maintenance at his local dealer. No major fault to report and everything is working fine. Admittedly it is not a RX or indeed a hybrid, but it reflects well on the Lexus brand. I would, however, get the car from a dealer to benefit from the warranty, and consider investing in an extended warranty as you suggest. I would also consider a service plan which will guarantee fixed monthly costs and a (approx.) 10% discount AND joining this forum to secure a further 15% discount on parts and labour... all this assuming that you will be getting your car serviced at your local dealer. Dealers may not normally have high mileage cars on their forecourts, but may be willing to source one for you.. Have you checked the Lexus website? - There are currently 2 high milers in pretty good condition at the Southampton dealership. One is slightly above your budget, but I am sure you could talk them down...

Very subtle!

One thing to consider is whether or not you are happy for the insurance to appoint their own repairers, or whether you want your car fixed by Lexus. Whether this warrants paying extra for your insurance is another matter.... I had an accident in my previous Lexus. My insurance point blank refused to consider the quote provided by my local Lexus dealer... even though it was cheaper than their nominated repairer. Ultimately, the car had to go back to the body shop no less than three times due to substandard work and poor paint job. I contacted the insurance to make them aware as I did not want the repairer to pass the cost of the re-work onto them, with the concern that this would eventually negatively impact my renewal, but was met with little co-operation. I renewed with a different company and only had to pay an additional £20, which was a surprise. Incidentally, I would always recommend to use a comparison website at the time of renewal. Insurances are always keen to attract new customers with low prices, relying on people's apathy to then stay with them for the following years. I have often found that you get a better deal as a new customer than as an existing one. And this applies to all types of insurances.

Yes I did notice that. EV will stay on up to about 40mph, as long as you remain light footed. ECO certainly makes for a relaxing and quiet drive, but I would not use it in heavy traffic. One concern I had was that ECO mode might be potentially dangerous in that it could prevent a quick gateway or lane change, in particular with the pre-facelift version where you can't just switch ECO off at the press of a button. However, it seems that if you plant your foot firmly on the throttle, ECO mode is temporarily overridden and that you have access to all the power.

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Yes I did have the aircon on. In fact, I never switch it off and leave it on AUTO to do its thing. I can see that ECO mode would work well on a quite motorway... I'll try in France next month!

Out of curiosity, after filling up a couple of days ago, I put the car into ECO mode before a 30 mile cross country drive. Fairly flat, B-roads/country roads, light traffic, within the speed limit, but leisurely pace. The car definitely felt a lot more sluggish (relaxing?), seemed to rely on the hybrid system a lot more, and sounded a lot quieter too. Amazingly, the readout showed 36.2MPG when I got to my destination. Not sure I would do it again though, too much of a compromise. As I said, economy is not my priority and if it was I would have bought a different car. I'd find it a shame to spend my money on a RX, and then not enjoy its performance!