SH20

Is the paintwork black or blue Tony? I agree about the tan colour and there are not many external colours that tan doesn't suit. The rarest external colour, sunlight green, compliments tan interior in an old school way. Not quite like British Racing Green and tan leather but close enough.

Next Wednesday I will travel 170 miles to visit Lexus Cambridge to look at a 2022 ES300 with a Premium Pack. Mesa Red with Tan leather interior. So what you say but having had 2 ES300's between 2019 and 2022 I went over to Toyota and ordered a new CHR in Excel trim for no other reason than to own something different. It is an excellent car built to a great standard as you might expect and I have had it 10 months so far but the pull of the ES300 was greater than I thought. The Lexus pre owned Network has very few Premium Pack ES300's, lots of Premium Editions which was my second ES300, again Mesa Red but of course Tan artificial synthetic leather and much less equipment than the first Premium Pack ES I have yet to stand in front of the car in Cambridge but have secured first refusal with a holding fee. Pretty confident it will swamp me with nostalgia of my first ES which was Velvet Black and Tan interior. I tried to find a Mesa Red Takumi with Tan interior but that was just an impossible task. Did look at 2 Takumi's with Mesa Red paint but black interiors just couldn't get me over the line. Lexus Cambridge's offering should suit my tick list, March 2022, one owner, 1st and 2nd year services completed by the dealer with all the benefits of buying from the dealer Network. They were quite happy to take my Toyota CHR in and I'm hoping to drive down in it but drive back in an ES. Having previously sold my ES space saver spare wheel, the different polystyrene tool holder and boot liner to a Forum member it looks I will likely end up starting over and getting the same items again just to avoid those horrible tyre inflator kits. Next Wednesday then

Good to know Bogdan. Lexus UK replied to my contact form and confirmed that Beam Fieldwork have been commissioned to carry out market research for the Toyota Motor Group. In this case exclusively for Lexus owners and Beam Fieldwork have advised me too that I am not eligible as I now own a Toyota. I guess historical data on me was passed to the market research company having purchased 2 ES300's in the last 3 years. So all is good for those who might want to take part and get a reward for their time. There is so much fakery these days based around the internet that a little bit of due diligence doesn't go amiss I think. Glad to establish the research is genuine.

Sent a second contact form off to Lexus about my name being given to an outside research company but likely Lexus will quote their right to pass personal info on if it is directly to do with an approved partnership which promotes development of ideas and research. Beam Fieldwork have stopped communicating with me now as they were e mailing me daily unto the point I said I was seeking validation of their partnership with Lexus. Re: Payment, not sure how any organisation can do a bank transfer without a sort code and account number. Maybe an Amazon voucher can be sent digitally to an e mail address these days, if not it would have to be sent to an address. I won't be bothered if the survey is not offered to me. I drive a Toyota now so my survey answers would only have been based on my previous 4 Lexus cars.

Forgot to mention that many of us will be receiving the regular "Talk to Lexus" surveys they send out which cover new ideas and initiatives Lexus want customer feedback on so not sure why they would need an outside market research company to carry out research.

A market research company called Beam Fieldwork sent an e mail to me saying it was on behalf of Lexus and asked me if I wanted to take part in an online survey about future Lexus vehicles. A screening process prior to the actual survey was part of the research and when I questioned what that entailed they said it was basic information about me and the car I drive, approx 5 mins. Before I decided whether I wanted to take part I contacted Lexus to validate their connection to Beam Fieldwork. I did Google Beam Fieldwork and their website looks legitimate quoting 9 companies they work with but not one was familiar to me in terms of a brand. I sent a contact form off to Lexus via their website but have not heard back yet. So anyone else had the same email? Although I have used the ES300 forum to write a post I'm guessing other Lexus users driving other models may have been approached. Interestingly, the research company say they will pay a participant who takes part in the survey, scheduled for the 15th March, £40 by bank transfer or an Amazon voucher or any charity the participant chooses. I might sound like an over cautious worry head but in this day and age there are some clever scammers out there. I will ask Lexus how a market research company was supplied with my name as Beam Fieldwork's original e mail referred to me by my surname.

I have a set of these mud flaps surplus to requirements. I had them for my first ES and simply transferred them to my second ES this year. Now moved over to Toyota so removed them and they are now sitting in a cupboard. Anyone that wants them for free and lives in East Yorkshire can have them provided they can collect. I live in YO25 They are cheap to buy so my offer may not be picked up.

Although I did move on from the 2022 ES I bought in January I did sell the tool tray to Beyond the Blue as he says but find it so hard to believe Tony that a Lexus dealer would say to you the part doesn't exist when of course I bought the part in question from Lexus Hull whose young parts man went out of his way to help once I supplied the part number to him quoting it directly from a forum member who brought one in to the country from somewhere in Europe. Sounds like the dealer in Sussex couldn't be bothered. There are even two versions of it, the other can accommodate a full size Takumi alloy wheel because the tools sit in another piece of polystyrene foam which in turn sits inside the actual wheel. It still has the slimmer version of the tray but extra bits and will of course be to accommodate the US.

Only way round the whole issue of Insurers not paying in full if you choose to insist on a genuine Lexus part is to go with Lexus Insurance Services who would have no option but to pay for a genuine OEM part.

Space saver wheel and tool tray now sold.

Decided to trade in my Jan 2022 ES Premium Edition in Mesa Red for a Toyota CHR in Pearlescent White in Excel Trim, delivery November 2022. Got a great deal with Vantage Toyota who were eager to take in the ES which Vantage Lexus supplied. Decision taken to reflect the need to go from 2 cars to 1 car and all the cost benefits that brings and the fact the wife can drive the CHR but would just not drive the ES due to it's size. Time has come to adapt to the significant rises in prices for everything that will never return to previous times. As a consequence of this deal I have the following surplus to requirement kit which I am not prepared to leave on or in the ES. Anyone who is interested just private message me. I live in East Yorkshire. Space saver wheel and centre securing bolt Correct thinner tool tray to allow a space saver wheel to be stored in the wheel well Front and rear ES mudflaps Boot Floor Liner Front genuine winter rubber ES mats, I think everyone knows how costly these are to buy Thanks to all members who have always been positive to my own posts and contributions. Steve

Did Carwow supply at the end of the day via a nominated dealer?

The only cars were a trickle charger has not been necessary is Lexus regarding both Hybrid and none Hybrid. I used CTek chargers for all other cars and you would never own a Bentley or Jaguar without using a trickle charger, they are notorious for battery issues and warning lights coming on unless the battery is always at peak power levels. There was never a need for keeping the battery topped up with any Lexus I have owned and especially the hybrids, (3) One of my hybrids was left in my garage for over a month and just started on the button.

Re: Lexus Carlisle, ask for Derek Fulton. I lived in Leeds over 110 miles away when I bought my first Lexus off him, a Lexus LS460 in 2015. Went back to buy my first ES from Derek, a brilliant salesman. Takes a personal interest in his customers. Can't speak for any other sales person at the dealership but the service dept staff were all really professional and gave great service in terms of sales and service. Steve H

Previously mentioned the fact that when I approached Lexus Uk as to why the ES brochure didn't exist yet the PR dept created one from all their generic ES material incl photos, trim levels, specifications etc and printed it and sent it to me as a ring binder document set. Not really sure why the PR dept felt they need to but it was a nice gesture at the time.

All Plastic and chromed. Volvo were one of the first manufacturers to chrome plastic grilles back in the 80's.

Like I said previously, although I bought one myself, despite my supplying dealer saying they would get me one back in 2019 but never did I have never had need to look at it so wasted £48 back then. It's a fact that all manufacturers want you to download manuals to your smart phone and use that when you need info. Not everyone wants to do that and a hard copy version may be old school but often is best. I think I heard recently that the old service book will go as well as the dealer will merely update the Lexus service history and anyone or prospective buyer will be able to access a car's history on line.

10 weeks 3 days from order date to driving it off the forecourt seems a world away from a suggestion a dealer is now saying a year for order/delivery. What's gone wrong? Surely the demand of Lexus cars is not the reason is it? Wonder if the supply chain has collapsed for all the stuff Japan imports to build their cars, seems likely.

I think Brian that Nextbase assume the power feed will be picked up from the footwell or under dash fuse boxes dependent on model but your point about garages digging around the bigger fuse boxes under the bonnet of Lexus cars would be worrying. Imagine if you saw a scotch lock crimped into one of the orange battery cables under the bonnet after your camera was fitted !!!!!!!

I agree with Herbie, the hard wire kits are standard for all installations and the footwell fuse box in any Lexus allows for the feed to be piggy backed of any ignition live fuse of suitable amperage. Instructions are idiot proof and Nextbase for example have a superb tech support over the phone. There is a post from someone who fitted the 622GW but he said it was a little troublesome at times. More tech I imagine . 512GW and the 522GW seem a sound bet for simple settings. Wouldn't be without a pair of cameras in any car I own. Even sent some footage to 2 companies whose van drivers were driving in an outrageous and dangerous manner nearly causing 2 high speed crashes on the A1 and A64.

The 2019 ES as a base model is exactly that, a basic spec, sufficient for some and was the car I purchased in August 2019 however I decided to ad the Premium pack at £3,500 at the time taking the overall cost to £38,550 well under that £40K high road tax ceiling. I can say without any hesitation the premium pack was fantastic value and improved the specification off the charts. From my own memory the premium pack adds: Real leather interior, rear side window and rear screen blinds, wood leather and heated steering wheel, full memory seating for front seats, drivers leg extension to front seat, triple LED headlights, real wood veneers, standard heated seats but also ventilated front seats, 18 inch wheels, mobile phone charger in centre console, twin colour trim to facia, auto folding door mirrors. There might be one or two other things I have missed but overall the 2019 premium pack cars have a lot of extras the Takumi models have although the Takumi models do have some nice touches like heads up display, rear audio controls in centre arm rest, boot lid opening by the kick sensor, better rear seats with reclining action. I now have a 2022 ES Premium Edition which is not another word for Premium Pack and has much fewer options. The 2022 base model with a Premium Pack is still available but the pack costs £5500 now and is the only way you can achieve all the 2019 premium pack extras. I can highly recommend the 2019 cars with premium pack. My 2019 car was velvet black with a tan interior and I really liked it. MY 2022 ES is Mesa red with a tan interior. I do miss some of the extras I once had but price was crucial and I wasn't prepared to go over £40K. I would say buy from a Lexus dealer with full Lexus history for all the benefits they give and there are a few to be had currently on the Lexus UK website. Good luck with the search.

I think the high cost of the option would put most members off unless money was not an issue. I would have liked auto folding mirrors but they only come on with a Premium Pack option and not on the Premium Edition. Funny how you miss things when they are no longer there.

Lot to be said for default settings that Nextbase have on their cameras. I got my repaired camera back last week all for the princely sum of £31.20 incl vat and they paid the postage after they diagnosed a failed internal battery. Great value I think. Although I use hard wire kits for both our cars the cameras obviously have to have some form of internal power source when you want to view files etc and alter the settings to suit your requirements from their factory settings. I noted that the factory settings are designed to draw as kittle as possible from the internal battery but when you start increasing the settings options it can increase the battery usage. All credit again to Nextbase for their out of warranty service which is fast and reliable e.g their e mail to say the camera was repaired and should be with me between 2-4 days, in fact it arrived the next day and worked straight away.

The only issue that prevented me buying a Lexus Nextbase model was the lack of a visual screen although I believe there is a red camera on light that flashes to let you know it is recording. The screen on my Nextbase 512GW was an immediate clue to the camera's battery playing up with video images freezing and the recording light not flashing, otherwise I would have been oblivious to it going wrong. Having front and rear images in the camera is a quick reference that all is working. However not had my call yet from the Engineers at Nextbase to discuss the problem I had with my original camera, back logs I'm told.

I use my phone with cable mainly in my wife's Toyota Yaris if I need Google maps and directions. No sat nav in any Toyota Yaris. I guess manufacturers just assume everyone uses a phone these days for everything. At least old gimmers like me must be thankful that the ES has a sat nav system.