DanD

I intend to replace my RX400h Exec Ltd Edition with a RX450h SE-L or SE-L premier over the next few months. I read somewhere that these two models have side monitors (cameras) built within the mirrors, but cannot work out what these are used for or how they work: - are they a parking aid that display what is next to the car, in a similar fashion to the rear view camera? If so, how are they activated? - are they some kind of lane departure warning system? These models also come with full LED headlights. How do these compare to the regular HID/xenons? I would be interested in the views of SE-L / SE-L Premier owners as to why they chose these models over the SE or SE-I, and whether the increase spend was worth it. thank you in advance.

The one you need to look for if you are going for an 09, is the Executive Limited Edition. It was the run out edition before the 450h came out, and it has ALL the toys, with the exception of the rear DVD. It is easy to spot: it has an "Executive Limited Edition" badge under the 400h badge on the tailgate.

Don't do it! - You'll give Lexus drivers a bad name. I don't want to be compared to an Audi - or worse a BMW driver!

Wow... looks stunning... Glad that I'm not the one who will be cleaning it though!

Has anyone found a way to display song titles / artists?

I really like the looks of the car. Also like the wood/leather steering wheel. I hope it will be real wood, rather than the tacky plastic imitation. Incidentally, I saw a new XC90 "in the flesh" last night. Looks good. Big. Loads of road presence seen from the front coming towards you. The headlight/turn signal combination are particularly striking.

Congrats on the new arrival. Enjoy! @Geoff... your story reminds me of an elderly gentleman I used to know, who owned a Rolls Royce (with private plates). He used to order a new one, every two years without a fault, but with always exactly the same spec, so that friends, family and neighbours would not know he could afford to replace such an expensive car that ofen!

What colour leather have you gone for?

You can switch that setting off yourself in one of the menu settings... unfortunately, my wife has the car today so I cannot check for you.

Same here. My wife would not go near the car to start with... now she won't let me in the driver's seat. She says that, despite the size, it is easiest car to drive that she has ever had

Did consider a 450h with a panoramic roof, but was put off by the fact that it robs rear passengers of a couple of inches of headroom. I have two teenage sons, and they found that they could not sit up straight without their head rubbing against the lower ceiling required to store the electric blind.

Good outcome! Let us know what your Lexus dealer offers as compensation. Might even be worth letting them know that members of this forum are eagerly awaiting your update!... might help turn things around in your favour!

Re the car never being straight... I have the same issue with my RX400h. I think it is related to the fact that the camera is not in the middle of the car and slightly offset...

Actually, I don't agree with you on this one. The dimming of the DRLs when using the turn signals is not necessarily a bad thing in the sense that it ensures that your turn signals are more visible. It does work well when the DRLs are particularly bright.

I hope it is not possible. Imagine the implications if it were. You would be open to all kind of abuse, justified or not, to even more sales people targetting you and calling you out of the blue (assuming your number is listed), and burglars targetting your house whilst on holiday....

Satnav on my RX400h zooms on junctions and displays lanes... Are you sure you have configured yours correctly?

Priory

My guess would be a stoat cosying up somewhere warm for the night and bringing its dinner with it.

To hammer the point made by Rayaan: never ever have different tyres on the same axle. Your rear tyres may be different to your front ones, but tyres on the same axle must be the same. Tyres have different thread, different ratings in the dry/wet/snow etc... in a slippery situation such as greasy road, wet weather, snow, etc, you really do want both front wheels to react in the same manner. This would need to be verified, but if you were to have an accident and an insurance assessor was to notice you have different front tyres, you may give them an excuse for not paying out.

Going back to Infinity... I regularly drive past the Reading dealership and popped in a few weeks ago out of curiosity. I was greeted like a long lost friend... the only person in there seemed soooo pleased to see someone! I did not like the design of the cars. Far too blobby for me and too anonymous, with the exception of the QX50 and QX70 maybe (previously EX and FX respectively). I much prefer the sharp lines of Lexus models. The cars are certainly well kitted out, but everything feels rather cheap and to some extent brittle. It looks like you can get good discounts, but I would only lease as I would be worried about resale prices. Given how few Infinity cars get sold, I would also wonder about the long term future of the brand in the UK, and getting lumbered with a car I can't get rid of in a few years time. Talking of which, I saw a new MG6 last week... why oh why...

I lived in southern Germany for many years, and people there have a lot of problems with weasel/martens/squirrels damaging cables overnight in cold winters. They climb into warm engine bays and spend the night there, feasting over anything chewable. It is such a problem that some car manufacturers such as BMW supply cable leads that are impregnated with some kind of repellent.

Air suspension was never available on the RX400h, only on the RX300/350 (SE-L grade only)

I would also ask a few questions about the LPG conversion... how old is it, whether it was done prior to importing the car or in the UK, and if in the UK by which company. I don't know much about LPG conversions - some others on this forum will be able to give you some advice - but I do know that the quality of the installation does vary a lot. Once you know who the installer was, you may be able to check on its reputation etc...

That red is a lovely colour... not seen very often and a nice change. Incidentally, my local dealer (Southampton Hedge End) has a white 400h for sale (I don't think it is on their website site yet). Again, a nice change from the norm.

Just to confirm, the Executive Limited Edition was indeed the run out model before the RX450h was launched. You will only find them on late 58 and 09 plates. It was a fully specced car, which matched the SE-L specs with the exception of the ICE system. It does not have parking sensors, but it does have a rear camera linked to the satnav screen. It does have memory seats, sunroof, electric tailgate, illuminated door sills, etc... and also the ML audio system. It also has an additional badge that reads "EXECUTIVE LIMITED EDITION" on the tailgate, under the 400h badge. (I know, I've got one!)