Scoops

Good news involving my lack of iPhone control via USB. I bought a new cable and it has been working just fine. The original one was genuine but had seen better days!

I have the Exec running on 17s but I think the ride is pretty decent. MUCH better than the CT I had which was just too firm. I have driven the Premier on 18s too and noticed the difference but I found it okay.

If you want the body work protecting I would go to a detailer and get it properly done. Most offer a new car protection treatment. You will also have more choice there of the treatments that are used and how much you want to spend. Sat Nav wise it is difficult to say. If you are going for the standard one which I have in the IS then it is simple enough to use and works well enough. I doesn't have the bells and whistles you get with the premium one and certainly won't be as good as a decent standalone one. It is nice to have it in the car though going through the main screen via the rotary controller and not having it stuck to the window with cables etc.. I use mine occasionally but normally use my phone too as that is always plugged in for music. I use Waze as it is far more dynamic and aggressive than any other nav I have used and it is free. Best for traffic and commuting but the choices out there are endless!

While I am sure the V60 'Twin Engine' is clearly a good car it suffers from the same problem as all cars - it efficiency, or lack of, is directly related to the type of driving done. The electric only range is great but my commute is 100 miles and then business on top and some of that is high speed driving. I would be interested to see if it was any more efficient than my current IS - I doubt it would be by much. The economy figures on plug in hybrids are probably open to the most 'abuse' - just as a BMW i8 owner! On the other hand if your commute was 30 miles a day it would be cheap to run - effectively, an EV but with more flexibility. I guess though there would be nothing stopping me going for a i3 range extender or Ampere. Also factor in the cost - the V60 is approaching Tesla prices. In terms of Lexus and the NX, clearly the figures mentioned here are disappointing but Lexus have said no to plug-in hybrids at the moment though it will be interesting to see if that changes. I think they could make some really effective tweaks to the system with a slightly bigger battery and more power from the electric motor when accelerating and pulling away. The next generation hybrids are due next year I believe so it will be interesting to see if they go with lithium ion and more power but keeping the battery small enough to be charged via the ICE still.

I have an Exec so no premium for me but I have issues with iPhone control via the car. Plugs in and plays fine but if it doesn't respond to track skipping or browsing. Occasionally it does, normally for a short period after the song has started but normally it doesn't. Bluetooth control is okay but not through the cable. I am running the latest iOS and the car software is unknown but I don't know if any updates are available for that. Car is only 3 months old. Just wondering if anyone is experiencing the same?

It is true that some emergency vehicles get a hard time and I certainly wouldn't touch an ex-patrol car with a barge pole but in our case it is also the car you take the family away in (or whatever) so I think they would be in better condition than you might expect.

As for Devon's CFO getting a big rise? No idea, their pay is set differently to the 'troops' but I am sure he has a nice car! Maybe the rise will let him buy his own LS?

Well I am glad you asked! The fact is the Service hasn't gone out and bought it at all. All officers vehicles are leased. They actually provide an allowance which is based upon a base vehicle - a Skoda Octavia 1.6 TDI. They do however understand the impractical nature of running a business and private car for the individual so they allow it to be used for private use too and everyone has different needs as I am sure you can appreciate. They allow you to get something other than the base vehicle but any additional cost is met by the individual - the cost to the service doesn't change at all. The Chief also individually approves each vehicle meaning you have to make the case for it if you want something a little different - this stops people getting sports cars/convertibles and such like. The service I work for is very small and is run in an extremely lean and efficient way. If they had gone out and bought pool cars and had them marked etc it would actually be more difficult to manage (taking into account shift patterns/change overs/reliefs/officer's geographical locations) and potentially more expensive as the overall costs would be at least as high. Public perception is very important as, we are a public service after all, but that perception is sometimes based on incorrect assumptions. I can assure you however, this is the most effective way to manage the officer fleet at the moment and the tax payer is getting the absolute best value it can. I won't go on further due to the increasing political nature of the discussion but suffice to say I liked my CT (private) so much it kept me with the brand for this vehicle and I am very much looking to the next three years with it. If anyone wishes to discuss further I would be more than happy to answer questions!!

Because it is used to respond to emergencies! All above board!!

For those of you who expressed an interest in seeing it once fitted out, here it is:

There is plenty of room for the children. I have two younger ones but the car will carry four in total comfort. Remember however that saloons are simply not as practical as you average hatchback for cramming things in. The boot in the IS is big enough but it really depends how much you want to drag with you without having to put a top box on. Obviously the spare wheel thing may be a factor.

Well it depends doesn't it. I have an Exec but had the Premier for the weekend before I got it. Firstly the money, £168 is nothing for a car if that includes all your maintenance etc. which I assume it will seeing as it is a company car. If you can afford it (especially if you were paying something like that before) then I would go for it. For me the price difference was just too much between the two but if I could have afforded it I would have. As far as the actual equipment goes you are getting a lot more for your money. The premium nav comes with better traffic, online connectivity (although I question the real value of that other than traffic), the reversing camera and parking assist which I found was bloody good on the CT I had previously, better integration than the exec, voice control across many of the car functions like picking your track on your iPhone, having your texts read out to you, having the nav show on the smaller instrument display, splitting the main screen to show different functions and so on. Factor in all the additional safety equipment (which should be standard nowadays) especially with the blind spot for the motorways etc. and I think it is good value. You are spending a long time in the car and you want to be happy there. The seats are more adjustable and ventilated as well as having the easy entry system although make sure you don't have an adult behind you when you undo the seatbelt! Unlike DJP I listen to Spotify all the time and I thought the ML sound system was fantastic - it even made the Frozen soundtrack sound good! I can imagine some not liking the way it splits your music across the various channels but I would have it in an instant. Having said that - the standard sound system is actually pretty decent and just as good as the upgraded sound pack that was in the CT although it can't do surround sound of course. I would go to the dealer and have a listen. If comfort is your main priority though what about the new advance trim. Effectively the Exec with the heated/vented seats and parking camera? Would be a good compromise as it still has all you need and will have the great ride you get on the 17s. Apart from looks, the Premier doesn't gain anything from the bigger wheels and wider tyres.. I wouldn't put you off the Exec by the way. It is a great car and the nav is simple enough to use as well as the rest of the bits with the rotary dial rather than the remote touch. It is just a bit more simple from a tech perspective. I don't know if any of that helps but it will be interesting to hear what you go for!

Having just got an IS300h as a lease car (on a business lease) I didn't experience any difference in service from the dealership and certainly not like a Mercedes dealer I once visited you simply weren't interested when I said it was going to be a business lease. You may want to try and see if Lexus Finance will match the price from your leasing company if the source of the dealer is flexible, the did with me. To echo the point above, get the keys to a car for a weekend or 24 hours at least. Never had an issue getting a test drive with no questions asked. The 'cramped' cabin may be down to the design which is designed to wrap around you somewhat - I prefer that cocooned feeling.

The German enthusiasm isn't going away soon unfortunately. Good job we have brains to make our own decisions!! We would all be driving around in the same car otherwise!!

Filled up this morning and reset the trip. Crawled the 42 miles as shown on the clock through variable speed limits and 40 mph average speed section and got the following. Kept it around 65 although it wasn't really possible to go any faster than that due to the traffic!

I just tried it and it isn't working from the iPhone. I tried a USB stick with movies on but it didn't recognise any files on it. That is likely because I didn't format it specifically for the car. The manual specifically states it has a USB video mode. The alternative would be to connecy via an AV cable if such a thing exists.

Unless anyone knows off the bat I would say yes, theoretically. The manual alludes to it but it is a bit cagey on the specifics.

I am sure they would have no problem getting you in for a test drive - their approach seemed similar to Lexus in that they welcomed you and then left you to it unless you wanted a chat. I recall the tea was a bit strong but hey... They were keen to talk about the hybrid (I was coming from the CT at the time but their knowledge of their competitors cars seemed lacking which, if you are in sales, is a bit poor. The business version, I am sure, is only available in the 2.2 diesel. I would have gone for the petrol which I think offered around the 45 mpg mark. The hybrid was being sold on its performance for sure not unlike the BMW hybrids were. It was the big price difference which would have ruled that out for me. Let us know how you get on though, it will be interesting to hear your thoughts..

Typical, get a new car and they go and change the range!!! Anyway, it all seems positive to me.. The Advance looks good value although the reversing camera is likely not the one with the additional parking features in the premium nav version. I haven't seen the proper spec yet as Lexus posted the model on their website without actually giving any more details..

Not sure with android but I had forgotten to activate the send notifications setting in the bluetooth bit on iPhone as by default it is not enabled. Until you do that you won't get any messages...

I had the premium nav in the CT and to be honest I thought the parking camera/system was excellent - it helped me parallel park in some very tight gaps with no hassle at all. I don't have that in the IS and I think it will be the only thing I really miss. The remote touch mouse? It is okay despite what a lot of people say but I actually prefer the rotary dial right now. The dial actually has 8 way movement so can be used in the same kind of way. Unfortunately, the Exec/Lexus standard Nav locks the rotary function of the dial to zooming the map meaning you have to push the dial to get to menu options, this is not consistent with the way the rest of the car works... You do get speed camera warnings as well as other things the CT nav didn't such as junction views at motorway intersections and the like. You don't get the option to show the nav instructions on the multi-information display on the dash though... Not too much of a biggie as all the other information you can show on there so you aren't missing out. I haven't looked yet but I don't know if you can split the main screen to show the nav/different information at the same time (apart from other types of navigation information which it did automatically for me when I used it the other day).

There is a dealer not far from me so I popped in. I was offered a test drive but I didn't have my license with me and in the end I really wanted a Lexus. These were my thoughts though: Atmosphere and dealership facilities were very good. Very like Lexus in approach really but then it is the Nissan equivalent so I expected as much. A lot of the car will be down to personal opinion... The shape was interesting and in the end I quite liked it. The Sport has a different grill which really improved the look. Interior was nice and felt good quality but in my opinion lacked a lot of the flair found in the IS. The double screen with touch sensitive apps etc on the lower one was a nice toy but I am not a fan of touch sensitive screens in cars and I wonder what it would be like to use on a day to day basis. Also being updated while driving with someone's facebook feed did not appeal! The options were a bit obscure - getting a Sat Nav (or DAB if I recall correctly) was an expensive business. They have since done their own version of the Exec, aimed at business users and comes with Sat Nav I think so things may have improved in this area. We didn't talk costs really but I would expect you would be able to get one at a similar level to an IS if not a bit lower. Obviously not the hybrid though.... I normally don't put too much into magazine reviews but noted the following consistently said, the Mercedes engines are not that refined and quite noisy (taken from the C-Class) and the steer by wire system is bloody awful. No-one seems to like it... I still think there is a lot of merit to investigating as it offers something different and the quality is there are first glance. They are a proven brand in the States and I would expect they are reliable which is just as well given the scarce dealer cover around the UK. I might pop back and have another look and maybe blag a drive even though I have just got the IS but having looked into both, I am happy I have made the right choice.

They have definitely hit on a good form factor there. I really wanted GPS though which is a separate unit with that one isn't it? I opted for the 0805 because it was only £10 more expensive and the GPS is built into the mount. With regards to wiring it in, I was going to grab a hardwire kit and use one of the piggy back fuse kits to run it off the accessory/lighter fuse slot. Anyone see any issues with that?

I was very interested in heading down the electric route when looking for a new car but for my commute and job, there just isn't an EV which will do they job. I don't think work would have agreed to a Model S either and even in that, the range and recharge would have been too limiting. If it fits your lifestyle however, they are certainly compelling. The same with a plug in... I looked at the A3 E-Tron which is a nice car apart from the loss of 100 litres of boot space. Problem is, if you regularly go over the 30 mile electric range regularly, the argument becomes less compelling in some respects. Where higher miles are concerned, the self contained nature of the Lexus system is very appealing.

Finally got a pic onto the computer - here she was a week ago! Bit dirtier now though!!