Rabbers

Most Lexus owners will agree that their cars have seldom been favoured by European reviewers in borderline comparisons with German ones. And yet we have still chosen to drive a Lexus, in most cases with few or no regrets, and this implies that while we may find specialist reviews interesting or enjoyable to read, we have ultimately ignored the opinions offered. As for myself, the 300h I am currently driving my fifth Lexus and still fail to understand why reviewers tend to emphasise negatives even when their overall impressions may be broadly favourable, though I have noticed that the opinion gap has narrowed with recent models. Mostly, comparative reviews are informative enough as regards quantitative data whereas final verdicts and how they are arrived at and presented are to a large extent subjective and therefore prone to bias. Since it is common knowledge that magazines and other media are largely financed by advertising income and that some advertisers are more important than others, it follows that any reliance we place on the good faith of reviewers, assuming we care, depends on how cynical or mistrustful we personally are. And even when the magazines do not carry advertising and trade on a reputation for fairness, the thought must still occur that journalists, editors and publishers can be influenced by other means and that vested interests are not always easy to identify. In short, it is a fact that car reviewers rarely find it in their interest to favour David over Goliath. In this connection it would be interesting to know if the ability of the big Japanese car manufacturers, with the Toyota Corporation at the helm, to influence media coverage and opinion in Asia and Australasia might not equal that of the Germans in Europe and with comparable results. European imports in the luxury sedan segment in these areas appear to sell largely on the basis of exclusivity (and maybe a bit of snobbery) in much the same way as low numbers on the road are an attractive selling point to many Lexus customers in Europe (myself included), the technical excellence of the brands concerned being universally acknowledged irrespective of their origin.

Hopefully you have not damaged the screen coating, which would be bad news, but merely moved the surface dirt around and/or thinned it out into an irregular film. I recall once using one of the Zeiss wipes I normally used for my glasses to try and remove smudges from the touchscreen of an IS250, and since there was a little moisture left in it, I also used it on the rear-view mirror. While the surfaces looked clean in the shade, sunshine revealed streaking which I only managed to remove by repeated wiping with a cloth moistened with a soapy solution alternated with a dry one. Maybe this will also work for you and certainly won't do any harm before any potential need to take sterner action. Generally speaking, cleaning products for car interiors IMO can do more harm than good unless used sparingly and then only when dictated by a job-specific need. Personally, for all surfaces, be these plastic, glass, wood or leather, I try to limit myself to microfibre cloths dampened with a 5% mild soap solution, and find this non-aggressive (and cheap) approach keeps the cabin looking new for longer. I think you will find the Lexus owner's handbook says much the same thing.

It would appear that increases in consumption are broadly proportionate to drops in temperature. My consumption over a few days when temperatures averaged around -3°C dropped to 15.2km/l (43mpg) from my customary 16.8km/l (47mpg). It then dropped alarmingly to 14.3km/l (40mpg) during a week of constant subzero temperatures which went as low as -10°C. With temperatures having averaged around +4°C over the past three days, it has crept back up to 16.1km/l (45mpg). When my consumption increased, it was all the more noticeable considering that my speeds were substantially lower than usual because of icy roads.

Needing to lose a few car-related bad habits and acting, in part, on nuggets of wisdom picked up on this forum during the past year, I resolve to: (1) Always turn off the audio upon parking. (2) Use the parking brake more often. (3) Not exploit EV-mode to startle pedestrians. (4) Not swear at the vocal commands system when it asks me to repeat myself, since this only leads to another similar request. (5) Persevere in sometimes using the paddle shift in the hope of discovering any good reason for doing so. (6) Not, as a general rule, use the headlights and front fogs together. (7) Not fiddle more than necessary with the infotainment system while driving, perhaps allowing (but not encouraging) wife to occasionally operate it from the passenger seat. (8) Not race cars at lights just because they are German but, if tempted, pick only those I know I can beat. Any other ideas for a prospectively even happier 2015 with the 300h?

If the excessive centre-spot resistance is related to low tyre pressure, as it might well be, I guess I was lucky to have first had the car during a spell of cold weather. With the pressure, front and rear, set at 2.5kg/cm2=36psi as per the door-frame sticker and manual, I was several times upset to find the pressure warning light on after frosty nights, so, on the advice of my dealer (who had already changed a faulty sensor), I raised the pressure to 2.6kg/cm2=37psi, and have since kept it there Winter and Summer except for temporary increases to 2.8kg/cm2=40psi for the rear tyres before long trips with a heavy boot. Not having experienced either steering problems or, as might possibly have been expected, excessive tyre wear, I am wondering whether pressures kept a shade over the recommended ones might not get rid of the resistance problem.

I too found the weight of the steering at motorway speeds took some getting used to when I first had the car (surprisingly so since the previous-generation 250 I previously drove also had variable-assist steering). At 130kmh and upwards the power assistance decreases very noticeably though by no means alarmingly. Presumably because the heightened firmness reduces any need to overcorrect the wheel during changes of direction, I have always found it reassuring, so much so that it has never crossed my mind that it could be anything but an aid to safety - and a very well-calibrated one at that.

That is sound advice, one really should use it more.

You are almost certainly right. I just had a look in the car and saw that the ASL was switched off, I don't know why but probably because I fiddled around with the audio controls out of boredom and to no good purpose when waiting for my wife in a car-park somewhere. I'll see what happens when I use the car tomorrow. Thanks. Easy fix - turn the audio off before switching the car off. That's what I do with every car Ive owned! Right. But even small things like that require the sort of self-discipline I haven't got. How do you manage to put the parking brake on then? :D As a matter of fact I make the effort only when parking on the edge of a cliff or halfway up an Alp.

You are almost certainly right. I just had a look in the car and saw that the ASL was switched off, I don't know why but probably because I fiddled around with the audio controls out of boredom and to no good purpose when waiting for my wife in a car-park somewhere. I'll see what happens when I use the car tomorrow. Thanks. Easy fix - turn the audio off before switching the car off. That's what I do with every car Ive owned! Right. But even small things like that require the sort of self-discipline I haven't got.

Close to 42.4 mpUKg. Figures based on liters consumed between full-tank starts and low-fuel warnings, car computer tends to be more optimistic by 2-3%.

You are almost certainly right. I just had a look in the car and saw that the ASL was switched off, I don't know why but probably because I fiddled around with the audio controls out of boredom and to no good purpose when waiting for my wife in a car-park somewhere. I'll see what happens when I use the car tomorrow. Thanks.

Christian: See my post of 28 June 2014 under Tank Range. In summary, for an all-motorway drive of 1650km from Italy to Denmark (via Jutland, no ferries) with just about everything a cross-Europe motorway route can throw at you in the way of physical geography, roadworks, traffic intensity around cities etc. (but not bad weather on this occasion), the 300h, with one passenger and a full boot, consumed 14.9km/l at an average speed of 103kmh. The return trip over exactly the same route substantially confirmed these figures, the average speed having dropped to 96kmh because of heavier traffic and some rain but with a slight improvement in consumption to 15.2km/h. On the basis of these figures, I reckon 15km/l to be the realistic figure for the 300h's consumption on longish-to- long motorway or fast-road drives but believe there could be an appreciable improvement if it would ever be possible to keep up a steady speed for long stretches while broadly observing the customary 110-120-130kmh limits. Personally, unless you objectively believe these numbers could be much improved, I would keep the 300h at the top of your list on grounds of long-drive comfort alone.

Irrespective of the source - iPod, Bluetooth or Memory Stick - I have noticed that when music has been playing at any normal volume setting (which for me is 40-50 depending on music type, road noise etc.), and the device is not switched off or disconnected at trip's end, the volume can be so startlingly loud as to require turning down the next time the car is started and the audio automatically returns at the setting in which it was left. Does anyone know if this has something to do with the "Auto Volume System" specific to the Mark Levinson or some other ambient-sensitive volume control feature not mentioned in the owner handbook?

At 17800m (=11000miles) my OEM Bridgestone Turanzas were showing an acceptable 6mm+ tread all-round when I recently changed to Winters. While I therefore have no complaints about their durability so far, and am particularly impressed by the effectiveness of the rim protectors, which have saved me in many dodgy high-kerb situations, their noise level has more noticeably increased with wear than in the case of any other tyres I have ever had, including other Bridge- stones. Looking ahead to when I shall be changing them, probably sometime next Summer, the Eagle Asymmetrics sound like a good choice, but I have also heard nothing but praise for Vredestein Ultrac Vorti's. All I personally know about the brand is that their products are aesthetically pleasing. Does anyone know if their good looks are matched by performance?

My experience is the same. In the two weeks I have been running iOS 8.1.1 (on an iPhone 4s), the availability of the Bluetooth connection upon ignition has been perfectly consistent and stable, and all the phone's functions fault-free.

I am reminded of when, after only a few weeks from new, the tyre warning light came on and stayed on. After checking the pressure of all four tyres with my own little guage and finding them OK, and then getting my readings confirmed by a tyre specialist, the logical diagnosis was a defective sensor or sensors. That it was one sensor was duly confirmed by my Lexus dealer after I had needed to make a round-trip of 90km from home, and of course, the sensor was not in stock - not that I had expected it to be. This having been a Saturday morning, there was no chance of getting one before the following Tuesday, when I was going to be a 1000km away. To cut a long story short, I drove the next ten days with the warning light permanently on, and, although I knew there was nothing amiss, I found it a strangely disturbing presence in my line of vision, so much so that still today the light's fade-out is the first thing I look for every time I switch on the ignition. When in due course the sensor was replaced, I was informed of the possibility that cold weather and/or long parking could lead to the warning light temporarily staying on upon ignition, and that if this becomes a regular occurrence, a slight increase in the recommended pressure should resolve the problem.

you can guarantee it will be more than just dealing with the local company direct - there is an extra party involved wanting to make a profit from you. My Lexus dealer charges €20 per corner and €8 per set per month for storage, giving a total of €128-136 depending on likely duration of storage. I would guess these prices do not vary much from country to country. The tyre shop I previously used (and to which I intend to go back when the time comes to buy new tyres) advertised €15 per corner but charged an all-in €100 inclusive of a season's storage without quibbling about the duration thereof. A two-man team plus a fetcher-and-carrier took 30-35", or maybe a bit less, for the change.

A quick tour of Lexus websites for the main European countries does indeed indicate that while they all recommend proper tyre care and the use of Winter tyres, Italy possibly appears to be the only one where dealerships formally offer, as do Toyota ones, a full in-house tyre service. I quote from their site [in transl- action]: ".... Tyre maintenance is fundamental to your safety .... in our dealerships specialized technicians will look after your tyres using the latest technologies and facilities .... in Winter, normal tyres will changed for thermal ones .... and when it is time to change tyres, a team of specialists will carry out this delicate operation ...." My own experience in this regard with a dealer whose other services I have always found excellent over more than a decade makes the claims somewhat embarrassing. Personally, I have not the slightest objection to dealers using outside services for a tyre change, unless it takes much longer or costs significantly more than going direct.

Has anybody else experienced delays or heard of technical difficulties in connection with the fitting of 18" tyres? Before I had my 300h I bought tyres from specialist shops that also stored and changed them for me as necessary. Because Winter was approaching when I took delivery of the 300h in October last year and Toyota/Lexus was offering a good seasonal deal, I ordered a set of Yokohama W-Drives (245/45/18, all four) with a view to replacing the standard factory-fitted Bridgestone Turanzas (245/40/18 front/255/35/18 rear) a few weeks later, believing this to be an intelligent move since it offered the possibility of combining future seasonal tyre changes with other routine maintenance needs on a one-stop basis under the same roof. And indeed, when I took the car in for the first S-to-W and subsequent W-to-S tyre changes, I left the car for the whole day on both occasions, so that it did not cross my mind that the changes could have been carried out other than routinely and on the premises. Last week, expecting to have to wait for an hour at the most, I booked the car in for the sole purpose of having the tyres changed S-to-W. When the hour came and went, I began to get fidgety, and upon being told that it would take a while longer, I went out for a walk. When I came back, I spied what looked suspiciously like my tyres being unloaded from a van with the name of a local tyre shop on the sides. Twenty minutes later, the car was ready, and before being given the chance to blow off a fair amount of accumulated steam, I was thanked for my patience in having waited for so long and told that there would be no charge. By this time, I was late for an appointment and could not hang around for a detailed explanation but was able to gather, if I understood it right, that when the tyres are levered onto the rims, the lowness of the profiles and the connected rigidity of the walls involves the risk of seriously damaging the metal (and I got the impression that this has actually happened with some unfortunate customers). Apparently this has also been the experience of other Lexus dealers who now prefer to have 18" tyre changes done by outside specialists. As regards my own dealer, until the management decides to invest in new equipment for the tyre bay, 300h customers with 18" tyres will in future be asked to leave the car for at least half a day and be given a courtesy car while the tyres are out for changing.

More than just a bit, I would say. On the other hand, OT as they are (like much of this thread), the S- v. ECO-mode figures for the 300h are interesting - and would have been more so had NORMAL been added to the comparison - insofar as they quantify the available performance boost as being quite significant. Also, these are the only published acceleration figures I have personally seen (although there may well be others) where Lexus' declared 8.3' for 0-100kmh is actually confirmed.

I was just now sorting through some Italian magazines from 2013 which, in their reviews of the 300h, included detailed acceleration figures I have not seen elsewhere. Since one of them (Auto, August 2013) coincidentally also reviewed the BMW 135i (xDrive) in the same issue, I thought the figures would perhaps be of interest to some contributors to this thread: IS300h F-Sport 135i (xDrive) 0-60kmh (in seconds) 4.35 2.18 0-80 6.46 3.24 0-100 9.09 4.64 0-120 12.31 6.28 0-140 16.30 8.40 0-160 21.46 11.03 0-180 28.46 14.17 80-100 in D 2.72 1.27 80-120 6.10 2.85 80-140 10.25 4.94 80-160 15.68 7.53 80-180 23.27 10.52 40-60 in D 1.75 0.99 40-80 3.89 2.05 40-100 6.56 3.45 40-120 9.90 5.05 40-140 14.06 7.13 The figures for the 300h F-Sport were substantially confirmed by Quattroruote (October 2013) and also by Panorama Auto ( August 2013) for the Premier model, this latter review having also compared figures for ECO and S-Mode: ECO-Mode S-Mode 0-50 3.4 3.1 0-80 6.4 5.9 0-90 7.8 7.1 0-100 9.2 8.3 0-120 12.4 11.5 0-130 14.8 13.2

Except for Nigel's dislike of the standard 18" wheels, I agree with everything he says. Having bought my Premier straight out of the showroom at a good price based on a mutually beneficial situation whereby my willingness to take the car off the dealer's hands was matched by his anxiety to make a quick sale, I really did not need to ponder whether I wanted the top package or not. Not that I would have been likely to decide differently since my previous four ISs (two 200s and two 250s) were also top-spec models that yielded higher-than-market trade-in values and therefore satisfactorily supplemented the cash discounts negotiated for the new. In other words, it has been my experience that dealers find top-spec second-hand models easier to re-sell and will therefore value them at a relative premium upon trade-in. Except for when I bought my first IS200 twelve years ago, I have never sat down to figure if, apart from simply pampering myself by buying the top package, I was also getting value for money and/or actually had a practical need for all the gadgetry. As regards value for money, I recall that upon appraising the contents of Lexus packages by adding up the average prices Mercedes-BMW-Audi were asking for their optionals, Lexus was significantly better, and although the gap appears to have narrowed to judge by a glance at current price- lists, probably still is. As regards the need for gadgetry, I like to think that I could live without much of it but am probably not alone in finding it difficult to judge when something becomes indispensable after having been merely useful.