Rabbers

Richard: My sincere apologies for losing you halfway through my over-heavy post. I guess you must be one of the few 300h owners who do not look at the consumption figures in front of you. I admit I once turned them off for a whole day but the resulting loss of mental energy did not make me enjoy driving the car any better. I promise to throw a few jokes into any future post.

Living as I do in a hilly area, I constantly notice that my 300h's fuel consumption increases quite substantially during stretches of uphill driving. While this is not in itself unusual, I am nevertheless puzzled by the distances the car subsequently requires in order to revert to the original rates of consumption. These distances, which may be downhill or on the flat or, more usually, combinations thereof, are in my experience at least two or three times longer than the uphill ones, but they include so many variables in terms of gradients, curves, use of brakes, EV-mode etc., etc. that it is impossible to make meaningful comparisons. Does anyone know of a mathematical formula which enables a driver to estimate, all other things being equal, how far he needs to travel downhill in order to regain what he lost going uphill? And if any such formula exists, does it also apply the other way around? Namely, how far uphill will you expect to have driven before losing the saving obtained from the preceding downhill stretch? All this may sound academic, and it probably is, but I am nagged by the thought that better knowledge of the subject could point the way to improved driving technique and economy in the types of area in question.

Some recent Topics, e.g. "Tank Range" and "Fuel Warning Light" have skirted the subjects of the tank running dry and driving on reserve. Out of pure curiosity, I thought they might be worth a closer look. Conventional wisdom, perhaps erring on the side of caution, tells us that running out of fuel can (a) damage the fuel pump, and/or clog the injectors and fuel filter with gunge dredged up from the bottom of the tank. And if we make a habit of driving on reserve, the likelihood of one day needing to replace the parts in question is said to increase. We are also told that low fuel can lead to stalling when a car is driven uphill, the only sure way of totally eliminating the risk being never to drive with the tank less than a quarter full. Of course, drivers who enjoy seeing how far they can travel on reserve are not going to forgo the delights of a clenched anal sphincter by following the dictates of caution, but if they should ever run out of fuel on a motorway, they would be well advised not to admit that they were conscious of the possibility, let alone that they were in the process of testing it. In some countries, the initial offence of running out of fuel, usually punishable with a simple fine, might otherwise be compounded by a charge of reckless driving, which could lead to complications that do not bear thinking about, especially if an accident has occurred. Which brings us to the specific, and largely hypothetical, question of running out of petrol in a 300h. According to my dealer, who also sells Toyota, none of his customers have ever reported doing so in a hybrid. This he attributes to drivers of hybrids being "more prudent and rational in their thought processes than most people" (I'll take his word for it), but also to the reserve settings in what are already very economic cars being designed to give plenty of warning that you should get to a pump. The 300h warns you at 13-15% capacity (which is a long way short of the aforementioned 25% but good enough), meaning that you have, very pessimistically, at least 120km before running dry. Which, of course, should at all costs be avoided, not only because hybrids share all the potential empty-tank problems outlined above, but even more especially because of the dire consequences of the main battery becoming so depleted that it will fail to fire up the petrol engine as it is programmed to do. After three attempts, it will recognize there is no fuel supply and completely shut down pending refueling and a resetting of the fault code in the engine computer, the latter operation being possible only in a Lexus or Toyota workshop to which the car will have had to be towed (remem- bering to keep the rear wheels off the ground if a flatbed was not available). What this would mean in terms of cost and inconvenience I dread to think - and, frankly, I prefer never to find out.

This is to compare the consumption figures of my 300h after its first 16000km (10000 m.) and those of two 250s in which I did 130000km and 105000km respectively. The second 250 (2009 model) consumed slightly less than the first (2006), there having been some improvements to the efficiency of the engine, but I have averaged the data for the sake of simplification. My calculations are based (with a few rare exceptions) on the km driven between full-tank starts and low-fuel warnings divided by number of litres consumed. In the case of the 300h, the figures are cumulative and reflect the car's entire life so far, while those for the 250s ultimately became so predictable as to require no further monitoring. My driving mix typically consists of 10% Motorway/60% Provincial and Country Roads/ 20% Town Traffic/10% Big-City Traffic, and has changed little through the years though it may vary from one tankful to the next. My driving style is not particularly aggressive or twitchy, but a tendency to slightly exceed speed limits means that the figures could well be improved: 300h 17.0 km/l (My Calculation) = 48.0 mpg 17.2 km/l (Car Computer) = 48.6 mpg 250 8.9 km/l (My Calculation) = 25.1 mpg 9.1 km/l (Car Computer) = 25.7 mpg Three things are clear: 1. My fuel bill (and negative effect on the environment) is almost halved, which is very impressive; 2. Lexus' claims of 23.3 km/l (65.8 mpg) for the 300h and 11.0 km/l (31.1 mpg) for the 250 are meaningless in the real world (though perhaps useful for comparisons with other manufacturers and their models since the official parameters are the same for everyone); 3. Computer readings should not be taken as gospel, although they are not too far off the mark. With specific regard to the 300h's motorway performance, I can offer the following figures and thoughts, having just driven 1650km from south of Milan to Copenhagen, a trip I make twice a year. Because the usefulness of the hybrid system in motorway driving is reduced, and despite the lower power and number of cylinders in respect of the 250, I was not expecting much of a saving on fuel. I was, however, very pleasantly surprised. Variable weather conditions and heavy traffic, as well as frequent roadworks, especially in Germany, mean that an average speed of better than 100km/h for the entire stretch is a good result (110km/h was normal a decade ago), and this time I managed a creditable 103km/h. Total consumption for the trip according to the computer was an excellent 14.9 km/l (42.1 mpg) against the 8.3-8.6 km/l (23.4-24.3 mpg) I used to get with a 250. This means that after starting out with a full tank I would have needed to fill up only once en route, which I did after 846 km (525 miles), putting in 55.7 litres, the low-fuel warning having appeared at 837 km. The decision to fill up again 150km short of Copenhagen was therefore prompted solely by my unwillingness to make a final approach to the city with the car running on reserve. Needless to say, the entire trip was smooth and comfortable, and the car's cabin (with Mark Levinson and a snoozing wife for company) was a nice place to be when stuck in queues or crawling through German roadworks - and made even nicer as a result of the many interested glances received from drivers of the better brands of local machinery.

Wicksy: My advice would be that you should never use commercial products of any kind on the dashboard, simply because even the mildest have some degree of aggressiveness which, in the long term, will alter the surface being treated. In order to maintain a factory-fresh appearance for as long as possible, I would proceed as follows: 1. Frequently, and lightly, dust the dashboard with a dry microfibre cloth or glove until any dust particles are no longer visible. 2. Then, occasionally and only if necessary, pass the surfaces with a very slightly dampened microfibre cloth. You can, if you so choose, dampen the cloth with a very mild soapy solution (say 5%), and then give the surfaces a final wipe with a dry microfibre cloth kept for this specific purpose As a general rule, curb your enthusiasm and do not proceed beyond step 1. unless you deem it strictly necessary.

I recently had my 300h with ML in with the dealer for a week during which I was given a CT200 with standard audio as a courtesy car. Having always had ML systems as integral to the top-spec packages of the four IS's I have previously owned and therefore not having had a basis for comparison, the experience was a interesting one, and I am able to offer the following thoughts. (1) The clarity of the sound in the CT200, while acceptable and the equal of that of any standard Mercedes, BMW, Audi, Porsche, Volvo or Peugeot system I have experienced as a driver or passenger, was nowhere as good as that of the ML in the 300h, by which I mean that the clarity and detail were inferior in complex sounds of the type exemplified by symphony orchestras or jazz big-bands. Similarly, the combination of purity, realism and range on which the pleasure of listening to, for example, unaccompanied classical piano, chamber music or small-group jazz is much dependent, was far superior in the case of the ML. (2) As with most premium audio systems, whether domestic or mobile, the ML gives an impression of effortless performance, great reserves of unutilised power with no potential threat of distortion, and a general feeling of spaciousness. Not surprisingly, the standard system by comparison does not. (3) While it is difficult to say to what extent the foregoing impressions were influenced by the superior proofing of the 300h against road, tire and engine noise, I would judge the difference between models in this regard, if any, to be insufficient to invalidate the comparison. (4) As regards FM but more particularly DAB reception, I noted that the 300h is better in the sense that more stations are received for more of the time over a wider area. I really don't know if this has anything to do with a ML or non-ML system or whether the 300h simply has a better antenna (incorporated in the rear window and not sticking out of the roof as in the CT200). I would conclude that any music lover in possession of a substantial supply of well- recorded music of a nature that demands fidelity as distinct from mere adequacy of reproduction should plump for the ML system as a guarantee of excellence within the confines of a car that is in itself a product of excellence. In other words, if the cockpit of a 300h is a nice place to be, the ML makes it even nicer - and you are not going to procure the system anywhere else or reproduce your music better. Of course, the cost has got to be amortized over kilometers and time according to personal parameters, and even if the thought that Lexus has charged an extortionate price will always weigh on your mind, there are worse things in life on which to spend your money.

Roger Bill-Thank you very much for your illuminating suggestion that the gradual build-up of a Gracenote database could be the cause of the slow but steady improvement in the responsiveness of the audio system. I am sure you are right. I will add the incidental observation that, when the system has the choice of of using either one's own data for album cover art or that supplied by Gracenote, it will invariably prefer the latter. In its chapter on iPod connectivity, the owner's manual in fact points out that artwork provided by Gracenote "may differ from the actual one" (I am translating from the Italian here), which I take to mean that covers often change when albums are re-issued etc., and that Gracework probably has the latest in its database (which, in theory but apparently not in practice, should be the same as in iTunes, Apple being one of Gracenote's best customers). I intend to turn off the Gracenote function and then see what practical difference this makes since I deem all the data I originally imported into my iPhone, iPod and memory sticks, mainly from CDs themselves imported into iTunes, to be both orderly and comprehensive. The consensus emerging from the Apple Support forum (thanks for providing the link) to the effect that the iPhone 4s' Bluetooth connection is "rubbish" (to quote one of the contributing nerds) left me somewhat perplexed. This is not because it is upsetting to hear negative opinions being voiced about what (in the words of another of the contributors) is "otherwise a nice piece of kit", but because somebody somewhere within the Lexus customer-service organization with specialized knowledge of the company's audio systems must be aware of possible connectivity issues affecting given products or brands. And while it would certainly be impolitic and perhaps counter-productive for them to actively recommend against use of an Apple product, they could, through their dealers, usefully mention product-specific bad connectivity as a possible explanation for reported problems rather than leaving customers (and no doubt many dealers) in the dark or hoping for future software "fixes" that may well never come.

I liked Dixgas' image of owners of German cars "sheepishly shuffling away" when caught admiring his 300h in the car-park of a fancy hotel. I must admit, to my shame, that I take a perverse delight in creeping up on people who think they are unobserved when admiring my own 300h. While I generally respond to their comments with what I like to think is a proper show of urbanity, I have nevertheless taken to keeping an adequate supply of disinfectant wipes for the purpose of removing nose-prints and kindred smudges from the side-windows after leaving the car parked in a public place for any length of time. But this is a small price to pay for owning such a great car. I have had my 300h for over two months now and also not seen another on the road here in Italy. This is not too surprising since, according to the small dealership where I bought it, which has the concession for an area of Northern Italy with approximately one million people, sales have amounted to only twelve units since first deliveries in July. While this seems low, it is claimed to be in line with the national target for the first twelve months (which, incidentally, is the same as for France). The U.K. target is said to be 5000 units, reflecting Lexus' higher penetration and potentially bigger fleet business than in the rest of Europe. But even though this means that Richard's and Dixgas' chances of seeing another 300h on the road are five times better than mine, we are still talking pretty small numbers. I do not know how many units Lexus has targeted for Germany, which is supposed to be its biggest European market after the U.K., but can say that not once have I ever seen a Lexus with local plates in the ten or more years that, at least once annually, I have driven the entire length of the country.

Strangely but altogether pleasingly, certain irritating problems I have had with the Navigation and ML Audio system in my 300h appear to have resolved themselves automatically in the course of two months of ownership without my having had to take the car in to the dealer (though it must be said that several telephone conversations with the latter have left me unenlightened as to what Lexus is doing to resolve other not dissimilar "teething problems" reported by customers). Technical illiteracy prevents me from offering any comprehensible explanation, so I must limit myself to a simple description of the symptoms in question and their apparent self-healing. If it sounds as though I believe the system to be inhabited by some kind of ghostly electronic doctor, so be it. 1. While the Browse button on the audio screen used to take at least a minute to light up upon connection of a 16GB pen drive and substantially longer in the case of a 32GB one, the time the system now takes to read the contents before enabling selection from lists duplicated from the drives in perfect alphabetical order has become at least halved and may still be improving. 2. While the system has always immediately read and enabled selection from the contents of my iPod Classic (which occupy 115GB of a maximum 160GB), it would often - maybe one time out of every five uses - suddenly stop playing and present a blank screen. This issue could not be resolved by merely re-setting and re-connecting the blocked iPod via its 30-pin cable, which a passenger could easily do, but necessitated stopping and re-starting the car in order for the connection to function again. The problem, touch wood, has not occurred for some weeks and therefore appears to have resolved itself. 3. Exactly the same glitch used to occur, though less frequently, when music from my iPhone 4s was playing via Bluetooth, and this also appears to have resolved itself. On the other hand, the Bluetooth connection still occasionally fails in normal Telephone mode for no apparent reason. The Vocal Commands system for Navigation (whose basic functions work very well) can be either irritating or, depending on your point of view, a rich source of entertainment. Considering that I was getting no more than a 50% successful recognition rate for even the simplest commands, I was fast developing a complex about what the system appeared to consider slovenly articulation on my part. I therefore thought I would switch the system to English from Italian, Italy being where I live and the only country in which I have so far driven the car. Regrettably, the improvement, if any, was marginal (thus contradicting the widespread view that slurred phonemes matter less in English than in most Latin languages). So, after trying to bark out a few commands having experimentally switched to German, admittedly for my own amusement and not unexpectedly with little success, I then decided to try a combination of English for the Vocal Commands and Italian for Navigation. To my surprise, the familiar Italian voice that guided me for the turns and distances etc., was replaced, when it came to naming the streets, by an English one that pronounced the names so badly as to make them largely unintelligible (thus defeating the whole purpose of vocal guidance). To get the street-names back to comprehensible Italian, I therefore had no alternative but to revert to the original Italian for both Commands and Navigation, thus ending up precisely where I had started (but hopefully with my blood pressure back to normal now that I was linguistically at peace again). When using vocal commands I now lay bets with myself as to whether the system is going to co-operate. And, sad to say, the odds remain against it. As regards commands for Audio or Phone Calls, perseverance has so far yielded no victories, but I am resolved to try again at some future time perhaps after first gargling or sucking a boiled sweet.

Last week I traded in my IS250 for a 300h "Luxury", this being the name of the top spec in Italy (corresponding, confusingly and with some slight differences , to "Premier" in the U.K, "Executive" and "Executive Line" in France and Germany respectively, and "Plus" in Spain). The 250 was the second I have owned, the first having originally replaced a 200 which was itself the second of two. Thus, the new third-generation is my fifth since the series was launched. Considering that the three generations bear little or no technological resemblance to each other, my loyalty to the brand firmly rests on what Lexus has continued to offer through the years, namely, high quality and proven reliability, good dealer service, and the choice, within the given segment, of not owning a German car. This latter factor does not mean that I begrudge the Germans their commercial success. It merely reflects the feeling of exclusivity synonymous with being one of a small number, and this, in its turn, reflects my own personal vanity rather than any conscious wish to inspire envy or curiosity. However, now that Lexus is way ahead of the Germans in hybrid technology in the saloon segment, there is finally one more reason to prefer the brand. Having been attracted by the prospect of a good deal and immediate delivery, I bought my 300h straight out of the showroom, and while the pairing of an Arctic Pearl exterior with Ivory leather would not have been my first choice, it is elegant enough. It will brighten up the murky winter days before coming into its own in the summer. Reviews of the 300h in the Italian specialist press have generally been very good, with opinions differing little from those I have read from the U.K. and elsewhere. The main criticism concerns the unresponsiveness of the CVT gearbox, although this, for those of us who rarely hurl their car along deserted country roads, is compensated by its graduality and smoothness. Almost all reviews have been based on the F-Sport as the result of Lexus' somewhat unsubtle targeting of younger drivers in order to widen its customer base. While I understand the need for this, I feel that commercials featuring Jarno Trulli driving around the inside of an aircraft hangar in the guise of a videogame character, not to mention excitedly enthusiastic utterances from another retired F1 driver like Olivier Panis, are less likely to attract new customers than alienate old ones. Be this as it may, I admit that I would probably have preferred an F-Sport at parity of equipment had there been one in the showroom. My decision, however, would have been almost entirely based on aesthetics since, during a test-drive, the claimed virtues of the Sport+ mode and adaptive suspensions were not readily apparent to me. The F-Sport in full-frontal view is undoubtedly sexy (though the splendid design of the grille cannot help being marred by a numberplate), and the LFA-inspired instrument- panel is a remarkable technical feat (though its novelty value is probably destined to wear off). The black roof-lining is also a nice touch, and although the sporty seats may not be to everybody's taste, they are perhaps the most comfortable in the entire Lexus range (and there can be no higher praise than this). There are a few surprising blemishes and omissions in what is otherwise a superb cabin (or should we call it a "cockpit" as the Lexus marketing people would prefer?). The door-pockets do not open outwards as in the 250 and are flimsier to the touch. Storage space for small objects towards the front is practically non-existent. Strangely, the front door-sills in my car are plain satin-finish metal strips and lack the back-lit logo to which I have become accustomed. The dealer was as surprised at this as I was, and has asked for an explanation that has so far not been forthcoming. My own suspicion is that the proper components were not in stock on the day the batch of cars including mine came off the assembly line. Another conspicuous absence (that will discourage prospective purchasers of the exorbitantly priced Cool Box in the Accessories list) is that of a 12V socket in the boot. And, speaking of the boot, the swan-neck lid-hinges are downright ugly and do not hide away upon the lid being lowered as in the 250. They may also prevent the lid from shutting properly when the boot is loaded right up to the top. The Mark Levinson sound system is so good I wish I could take it into the house with me. It gets scant mention in the promotional brochures and none at all in the handbooks, which means that anyone wishing to know more needs to research it online. If I understand it right, the system's 15 speakers deliver twice the intensity of sound of normal ones without increasing the consumption of energy. Can this mean that the previous-generation 14-speaker ML system equipping my 250s was constantly causing me to pollute the planet while squandering money? The ASC synthetic- sound device, of which I fail to see the usefulness, is no more than a piece of acoustic bling, and I have switched it off. Some journalists with an over-fertile imagination have suggested that it could be made to provide a choice of supercar snarls and howls at the driver's whim, but I cannot imagine that Lexus would ever inflict this idea on its customers unless the company's quest for younger buyers extends to the juvenile market. I have yet to come to grips with the Navi system, which I am at this stage eyeing in much the same way as a mountaineer gazes at an unconquered peak. I certainly miss the user-friendly touch- screen of the previous system, and the 400+ pages of the handbook are more than a little daunting. The only audio problem I have so far encountered was a blockage of my iPod Classic a few minutes into its first use, and, after a moment of panic, a simple resetting of the iPod resolved the issue. Fuel consumption is looking remarkably good (not surprisingly compared with the 250) even though I have not yet done enough kilometers to precisely quantify it. Generally speaking, the almost dutiful aim of keeping the needle within the ECO limit has had the effect of disciplining my style of driving, which, the 300h has made me realize, was occasionally somewhat lacking in dignity. Indeed, the car is so extremely well-mannered and unruffled in any situation I as to have made me a better road user - and therefore a happier one.