Steve44

After a couple of months and 3k miles, moving from a 2014 F-Sport (AVS, Leather,Nav) to a 2017 F-Sport(Premier Pack) here is my views. First Impressions - car looks classier than before and even more distinctive (I know it is subjective), interior is more refined than before too, but completely agree the key is step backwards and I pointed it out to the salesman, who hadn't noticed. I did try and unpick my old keyfob and try to change the innards over, but I couldn't do it without destroying it. This is a cost saving measure I reckon, pure and simple and the worse for it. Exterior - On the f-sport, the grille surround is smoked chrome and I like the effect, but why did they not do it on the rest of the car? On my specific car, the graphite black really pops the metallic flake when clean , which isn't for long . Interior - the Premier Pack is by far my favourite feature. The seats are slightly softer I think, but still as comfortable. The extra toys, the big Nav screen and the proper (pressed? who knows!) textured aluminium trim really makes the car and has had many favourable comments from passengers. The new mouse controller with extra buttons is OK, the back button the best feature, the side Enter buttons I don't really use. It has introduced an annoying buzzing/rattle though and I need to get them to fix it, it is the whole mouse unit/wrist rest area, if I press on it it stops. Tech - still no peers on what you get as standard against the german cars. The new Nav system is much better, the screen layout so flexible now (you can even have 3 sections of Nav maps simultaneously if you so desire!) but bits look not quite finished again, some screens are stretched to fill the 10" display, others not. And they have jiggled some features around, such as SMS msgs are now buried in the info section , not in phone?!? But generally all good. The ML stereo has taken a bit of tweaking, but the level of controlled and deep bass is a revelation and it does sound good across the range. It does need volume though to really sound great and I've taken to turning off the Surround function as it seems to introduce weird harmonics on the centre speakers at certain frequencies and volumes. It could do with a more featured equalizer and speaker tweak system though. As £1000 upgrade on the Premium Nav system from Pioneer, it is a hard sell. The sign recognition is hit and miss, easy to confuse and seems to be overruled with what the Nav thinks is the speed too. The auto cruise is similar, good as a toy, but unless the road is fairly quiet, it is too easy to confuse and begins to annoy. Driving - ride and comfort is subtly better (still AVS), it rides potholes and cats-eyes with less thump, but parallel ridges and expansions joints still cause a crash. Road noise is a little less. The drivetrain is better at modulating the battery and EV modes now too, it is keener to hold onto EV than before and to move into it in town than my old car. Can't say I noticed any difference in the driving modes though or throttle response. I do like the Custom mode feature that allows me to choose which throttle setting and suspension setting combination I can have. Steering is virtually the same too, thought it doesn't wander as much on the motorway and is easier to keep straight without correction. Overall for me - better in most areas that count and pretty easy to get the Premier Pack added for virtually no added cost to a std F-Sport, so a no brainer why you wouldn't.

"Loads and loads of checks" They aren't one of the most reliable cars for nothing I suppose......

They do use country wide fixed pricing for services, but you can still negotiate I've found. I ended up with a service plan for 2 minors and 1 major with a 10% discount from the old prices and 0% interest paying monthly. the pricing generally is higher because they can though!

The amount of data used for the traffic/parking info is tiny, a few Kb's per update. The other info could be more, but compared to streaming a video from youtube, not worth worrying about.

I know what you mean, I'm guessing he's done it a few times before........ wonder how many he broke.

Watch this vid, shows how the console comes apart. The silver side pieces are bolted in at the top, long clips at the bottom.

Some phones once connected require an action to be completed first before Bluetooth DUN will work. It says this in the Lexus Phone compatibility list. try making a call first, then see if it connects? Im using an IPhone 7, personal hotspot on connected on Bluetooth, with the new premium Nav system and it works very well, no issues encountered.

Surely be easier and cheaper to get an upholstery company to cover the existing side pieces in suitable covering?

Lex Autolease aren't interested in selling vehicles themselves, they just want a quick return. The supplying dealer was RRG Bradford, but they source from wherever they can get it cheapest. The guy that collected it from me, took it directly to a BCA auction house for prep and then sale to other trades people. I imagine the dealer paid circa £13-14k @ auction for it. I wonder what deal they did to source the car. I know what my company was paying for the car monthly. They didn't lose out even at list price! My previous car (a Vauxhall Astra) also ended up on Autotrader eventually, but mysteriously had 20k miles wiped off the clock in the process. Glad to see this doesn't appear to be the case this time.

I handed it back to Lex at the end of March and it is now on Autotrader at an independent dealer in Sheffield - http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201704084215481 It scrubbed up well, though some of the text in the ad is dubious. It doesn't have a pano sunroof, but it does have AVS, though I doubt the dealer would know that as it isn't obvious.

I got 55k out of the rear Bridgestones on my previous IS300h, and 70k out of the fronts! Just do lots of long motorway miles. Plus the Bridgestones are so hard.

Which one? After reset (When do you reset)? After Start? After Refuel?

Having driven in Europe again with the Lexus a couple of years ago, For me: France -billiard table smooth roads with one of the most boring drives on the autoroute Belgium - oh my god my alloys! Some of the worst potholes I've ever seen on a motorway. Italy - lane markings are suggestions, indicators optional items, but they do look good doing it! Swiss - spectacular scenery, oh so disciplined apart from speed. Germany - keep your wits about you, from in front ( trucks pulling out, ever changing speed limits), from behind ( someone is always faster than you) and from the side ( the polizei).

The pre crash warning can be confused easily on A roads, with overtakes of vehicles as you accelerate up to and past them i find. Adaptive cruise even on closest setting still leaves a large gap in my opinion, and it detects from quite a way away. It is a new skill to drive to its limitations and I find it again can be confused when changing from lane 1 to 3 to overtake say 2 lorries at the same time. The blind spot detect is good, as is the rear cross traffic alert. Road sign reading is also good, but the warning is a fixed 1/3/5 mph over, I'd have preferred a % value. The Lane control feature is good on the motorway, but less good on A roads, it is too sensitive even on lowest setting. I turn it off when not on motorways now.

Tel, what techniques are you using to get that kind of mpg? Speed you are doing? Cruise control or manual control? Higher tyre pressures? Managing acceleration? Pulse and glide etc etc i can get barely 45mpg (same as previous car) and I'm convinced it must be down to personal driving style. i agree the car EV/battery management is better now than before.

Maybe or maybe not. If he complains hard enough they might do as they did with my previous IS and swap the SD card with another from a showroom car that is more up to date😣 There is a full maps update page where you can order new maps from, be sat down when you look at the prices though.... http://www.lexus-mapupdates.eu/

S Flow was explained to me by salesman as adaptive ventilation, using sensors in seats the car will direct air to only those occupied, subject to other settings being setup correctly, i.e. Manual vents open, fans running etc. I did a quick test this morning in my car. Turned everything off, set the recirc on and closed all the dash vents. At up to 30mph I couldn't detect any air flow through them in the car. Side benefit, from a cold start with the system off, the car virtually always went into EV mode and shutdown at traffic lights and junctions. As soon as I turned fans on it would start the engine. However the needs to balanced against the car misting up inside.

My maps date is mid 2016. Car was built Jan/Feb 2017 with the new Premium Nav. maps date will always be at least a year out of date due to the time it takes to ratify and update the solution.

I'd agree Tel, the MY17 FSport seats seem softer than the MY14 ones I had previously, especially the outer bolsters.

Set it to Auto, AC on, SFlow on, temp between 21 and 24 and forget for me. Adjust vents to my preference usually fully open and pointing away from me. The vents will not be completely sealed so will still admit some air into the car when travelling I suspect.

Never had an issue with Lexus dealers as a company car user, same service. Yes most lease companies if they deliver to your house mean there will be no handover. How they could they? The delivery driver is usually just that and doesn't know the cars. Other manufacturers once they knew you were a lease customer treated you like a pariah. On the upside, have had many a conversation with dealers about cost of service or repairs and took great delight in saying, "not bothered, it's a lease car"! Quick signature and on your way, can't beat not having to pay, so you take the rough with the smooth. my handover as a private customer was great, similar to above with car in seperate area covered with a silk sheet. Full handover, but on most of it I knew more that the salesman did!

I don't see why this wouldn't work, but you would have to change the rear exhaust outlets too, as the Is300h ones turn down at the ends. Is the diffuser bit a separate part to the bumper? If so could you not change just that?

Excellent news and glad it is all sorted out. Now you can start enjoying the car!

Em, not sure but you might not be able to refit the screen. Is the screen a bonded one on the IS? Most are nowadays. You will need a fitter with the patience of a saint to cut it out, clean it up and refit it again if it is.

You can take the head unit out of the IS in about an hour, so the labour charge isn't going to be near a £1k and the new ML unit also isn't going to be close to that figure, I guess about £1500. If the car dash dims when the lights come on, then the sensor works and is signalling through the dash to the dimmer. It could be something stupid like a cable break or not correctly connected at the back of the dash to the head unit, so it isn't picking up the correct signal. I can't remember seeing an option in the head unit settings for day/night graphics etc. Dealers will do strange and morally wrong things more often than not. On my last IS I kicked up a fuss about getting an old Sat Nav sd card with it. Eventually it was swapped to a newer one from a car in the showroom. Someone else had the issue then......