SH20

Nice choice Habu, driven a Takumi in sonic white owned by a forum member. Excellent build quality. My ES was officially ordered on the 26th Feb for July delivery. Black with Topaz interior and a premium pack. £320 a month on a PCP for 42 months. £5000 cash back. My deposit was £11,000 plus Lexus contribution of £2000. The deal was as good as I was going to achieve and 5 years free servicing and a free protection pack just added to the overall deal. I'm 115 miles away from the supplying dealer but I know them very well, they looked after my LS460 for 3 years after I bought it from them.

I agree that moving from a GS450h 3.5 litre engine to a 2.5 litre ES300h will be the biggest question I will have but as we won't get the V6 ES350h in this country it's something I will have to live with. Apart from the obvious road tests I had recently of the ES it was hard to establish in real terms what owning one is like in all the areas that would be of interest. Fortunately a forum member offered to let me see his ES Takumi which he's had for a few weeks now. This was a real insight into his ownership and how useful some of the gadgetry is on a day to day basis. Although a Takumi it still uses the same 2.5 engine and when I was driving it I got no real sense of the front wheel drive being in your face compared to the GS450h rear wheel drive. Moreover the engine in the ES300 is really powerful and pulls like a train. Brakes were very impressive too. There was no torque steer at all when you accelerated hard and the sound proofing must have been given a lot of attention as it was very hard to distinguish when you were in EV mode at around 30-40mph. I was told the mpg figures being achieved in the real world was in the mid forties which sounds really good. The standard sun roof is a nice to have which I had on a LS460 but not on the GS. It is a fraction under 5 metres long and it really shows in the rear leg room, much more than the GS. The owner's car was in Sonic white with semi aniline leather in black, absolutely outstanding combination. Bigger boot space, must be due to how the battery is mounted. No space saver though. I hate those inflator kits. I have a second steel space saver for my GS so i will be putting that in the boot after I check the 5 stud dimensions on the hub and the wheel nut profile. I feel I now know what i should expect going forward. There is a really great 5 min YouTube video I came across by accident titled 2019 Lexus ES vs 2018 Lexus LS See the differences . The comparisons are remarkable and the ES looks like a smaller LS, maybe. The video has had 260,000 hits.

The GS450h I've had for 7 months has been the catalyst to the decision to buy an ES. The GS is a great car and I believe the ES will be it's equal if not better. The whole hybrid thing for me has been very rewarding and although it will be July before the car arrives I will miss the GS and it's outstanding reliability. The ES will be a keeper for me. Black paint and Topaz interior with a Premium Pack is sufficient for me and keeps the price below £40K. A penny over and the road tax would be £440 for Five years !! absolute disgrace the Government do this as just another stealth tax. Keep the price under £40K and it's £130 a year.

Hi Habu, ask for Ian Mcculloch in Leeds Lexus sales. Nice guy who gave me one of 3 PCP quotes. He was the first guy to offer the 5 years free servicing as part of the package.

Yes Liam, green goes with saddle coloured leather for sure but for me it has to be a dark green paint colour like British Racing Green or Banarto Green used by Bentley in the 30's and reintroduced in the early 2000's. Like the pics. When I saw up close the Lexus Sunlight Green I thought it was just to pale and disappointing.

Hi Liam, I have assumed the current UK configurator is what we would get in this country as a Premium Pack. 18 inch wheels, leather, 10 way adjustable seats, heated, ventilated and driver memory. Blind spot monitor, 3 eye LED headlights, rear cross traffic alert with auto brake and wood leather steering wheel. That's what I'm expecting anyway. The E brochure is a world wide brochure and includes variations applicable in other countries e.g the ES350h with V6 engine, other trim options eg bamboo wood trim so all in all I'm ignoring the E brochure and expecting the configurator to deliver what the options pack lists. The wireless smart phone charger is listed in the Takumi spec as I'm sure you spotted. The premium pack adds approx £50 a month to a PCP over 42 months but as I really wanted the Topaz leather, (similar to saddle or newmarket tan) to go with solid black paint it was the only way to get that colour mix. Lexus have never really bombarded customers with interior choices of trim, only 4 choices compared to 10 paint choices. I still have the official wood, leather and paint selection kit for the 2007 launch of the LS460/600h and that only had 4 leather choices, 3 wood trims and 11 paint finishes to choose from. Kept it because the LS was the best car I've owned to date. Hope the ES exceeds that.

Hi Mike, while Lexus Leeds (5 miles from Home) did quote exactly the same terms as Carlisle and Sheffield they couldn't stretch to the Protection Pack as well as the 5 years free servicing. Carlisle supplied my previous car a LS460 and serviced and did the MOT for the 3 years I owned it. An outstanding dealer in terms of customer care. No surprise therefore that the free servicing and a Protection Pack was incentive enough for me to choose them for the ES. Sheffield were great too, currently where my GS has been serviced/maintained Outstanding staff in all depts. A lot closer to me than Carlisle but geography was not on my mind while I explored a PCP. I'll always go where the deal is. I have been into Lexus Leeds and found them helpful and courteous. Two out of 5 dealers discounted the car in their PCP figures, something frowned on by Lexus apparently and if caught would face repercussions I was told. This was over and above the standard £2000 Lexus contribution. Neither dealer though would agree a £16,000 trade in value so with the max deposit on my PCP at £11,000 I would not get £5000 cash back. Both these dealers wouldn't agree to any bolt on incentives like the free servicing and P/Pack. It seems logical to think a cash buyer would control a deal, something I will never be on a new car. Like Mike says it's all about a deal and what works for all parties.

I've sent you a private mail vinny Steve

Placed the order yesterday for the ES with Premium Pack. No difference to the final 3 PCP deals as all included the 5 years free servicing. However I pushed all 3 dealers further and got one to agree to a Protection Pack, a £400 accessory, winter rubber mats, boot liner and a stainless steel lip trim for the rear bumper. One dealer just said no and another asked if they could include it would I sign up. As the second dealer said yes immediately the choice was made. Wasn't surprised by the dealer who agreed to the P/Pack as he supplied my last car a pre owned LS460 I bought in 2015. Now that was a great car. I'm told July 1st is when the car should come into the UK. Anyone considering a PCP should be aware that you have no equity in the deal even when you have part exchanged a car. The options are very clear, 1. trade the car in for another car after the PCP term is up, 2. buy the car at the end of the PCP or 3. give it back. HP finance is different, you only own it at the end the agreement but you have equity if you have paid money into the deal either with cash or a trade in. My risk with a PCP is croaking before I get chance to buy the car which I intend to do. My deal was a max deposit of £11,000 and £5,000 cash back so my £11,000 contribution is lost if I default or die during the term. Once you get past 50% of the payments including the 30% deposit you can hand it back without penalty. At worst maybe an exit fee. You can also overpay during the term but only after a qualifying period so Toyota finance get a chance to make some money out of you first. I believe it's 6 months before you can start overpaying to reduce your monthly payments. Lots to consider but I'm up for it. Never owned a new car ever. Just had Company cars during my working life. Took my front and rear dash cams out of my GS450h as I'm letting the dealer have it now to secure the trade in figure rather than trading it in June/July. I have a brand GS450h (Gen 4, 2012) boot liner going cheap if anyone knows someone with a GS. I Live in Leeds, can't post it. PM me if interested.

Nice choice Mike the F Sport with a Takumi Pack. Too rich for me. I'm sure you have got it covered but I had to keep my selection below £40K as I don't want to pay £440 a year for 5 years before it drops back to £130. Any car over £40K attracts this obscene stealth tax. Even if a dealer worked the figures to get a car under £40K DVLA won't let it be taxed at the lower fig of £130 as they know the list prices and option costs.

Hi all, got my fourth quote yesterday £320 a month £16,000 offer for my car, so with the usual max £11,000 deposit I get £5000 cash back. Same term 42 months and 8000 miles. Mike, as I understand it to get proper leather you have to have a Premium pack on the entry model, otherwise it's that rather obvious Taraha simulated leather. The F sport and Takumi have real leather and all models get a sun roof. The larger screen comes standard on the Takumi and comes in one option packs on the F Sport. There is no discount even for a cash deal other than the standard £2000 deposit contribution. Apparently Lexus really frown on dealers giving more money off the car so dealers opt to induce people with an alternative offer or offers, e.g Five years servicing etc. My experience however is that dealers are manipulating deals by discounting the car further and hiding it in the maths of the PCP. I'm waiting on a final offer from a dealer where I bought my LS460. After that I want to move so I can order in Feb as lead times indicate a June/July delivery.

One of the most highly recommended ceramic coatings is GTech C1. Costs £85 for a 50ml bottle. Take a look at Youtube and type in GTech C1 ceramic coating and watch the guy from GTech apply it on a Porsche. The 50ml bottle will easily cover a car. I've done two cars with it, a LS460 and my current GS450h. Without doubt the prep required before applying any ceramic coating is vital. clay bar the surface, machine polish the car, degrease all panels after polishing so the paintwork has absolutely nothing on it's surface as it's a chemical bond between the coating and the paintwork. The latest C1 product has a slower curing time so you can remove excess coating and buff the panel at the same time with nothing more than a quality micro fibre cloth. It takes only a couple of minutes to be cured and by over night it's rock hard. The earlier version of C1 meant you had to work quite quickly.

Currently I have a 2012 GS450h gen 4. I have 3 quotes for a pcp and all are different. 3 part exchange figs of £15,250, £15,500 and £16,000. 3 deposits are: two at £11,000 and one at £10,000. Cost of car £38,650 entry model ES300h , £35,150 plus a Premium Pack at £3,500 in solid black paint. If you want metallic it's another £670 but sonic white and sonic titanium are a whopping £920 extra. A PCP will limit the deposit you can to pay so a cash back deal from a Lexus dealer is the only way you can proceed. 3 cash back deals in my case are £4,500, £5,000 and £5,250. Term I asked for was 42 months with 8000 miles per year. The 3 monthly payments so far are 2 at £298 a month and one at £344. The 3 residual values or buy back figures at the end of the deal are £15,727 and 2 at £16,785. Incentives so far to place an order are: one dealer will give 5 years free servicing and another will do a Paint Guard Treatment. The 3rd dealer who quoted a £10,000 deposit has said it would normally be an £11,000 deposit so he says that is all he can do. As you can see you have to be on top of your game to decide who is giving you the best deal as they all have different opinions on how to structure a PCP. For me the 5 year free servicing with £5,000 cash back and £344 a month is overall the best deal for me as I would have set up a separate monthly service plan anyway on the ES. Good luck with your enquiries.

Hi Colin, my car was registered Sept 2012 and is a 4th generation Luxury GS450h (L10) model for definite. Is this a factor in the type of sat nav it uses and why I can't get to the sat nav id number i wonder? Steve

Thanks Peter for the reply. I've established I can't get to the Sat Nav ID number. Forgetting the mobile app for a minute the main Lexus website gives a specific route to find the Sat Nav ID number for every car. Decide which system you have, it can only be, in my case, either Lexus Premium Navigation Generation 1 or 2 out of the 4 options the add multimedia device gives you when you click on the link. You get 4 pictures of the 4 systems and you pick the one which your car uses. Generation 1 and 2 are similar and the path to the ID number is the same. The path is: Press the menu button, press Set Up, press Navigation, press Connected Services and then press Navigation ID number. The number is then typed in to the box on the main Lexus "My Lexus" Add Multimedia Device portal screen. I don't see a connected services tab to click on after the first 3 steps. Without the sat nav ID number I can't take advantage of this function. I wonder is my car just too old at six and a half years old. The fact Lexus give 4 options of sat nav systems seem to indicate age should not matter. The mobile app is just the same, select the system you have and find the Sat Nav ID number while you are in the car and type it into the "add multimedia device " ID box. So if you can't get to the sat nav ID number you've no chance. Probably end up asking Lexus UK via their contact us facility.

Looking to understand an element of the My Lexus App I have just downloaded to my Android phone if anyone can help. The app itself is useful to me as the app lists the service history for every visit the car made to a Lexus dealer, all 35 entries so far over six and a half years with 3 owners incl annual services and any other work related repairs. The date, mileage, dealer location and a description of the work is all available. It only lists work a dealer records on their National database. Useful also to show any prospective buyer if you sell your car privately or even trade it in to a non Lexus dealer. The GPS facility allows you to pin point the cars whereabouts should more than one person use the car I guess or if you forget where you left the car maybe in another city or town. The only thing I can't get my head round is the registering of a multimedia devise which appears to revolve around which media screen you have, one of four choices depending on the year of your car. Mine is a 2012 GS450h. Has anyone used the My Lexus App and managed to register the device to the car. Apparently it allows for updates to the car's systems such as latest sat nav software, or am I just wrong here. Steve

I bought my 2012 GS450h 3 months ago with one key. The seller came good and honoured his promise to obtain another key as part of the terms of the deal. The retail cost of a new key was £385 incl vat. The reprogramming of the key by Lexus Sheffield was £35 plus vat. He obtained a trader discount but still ended up paying over £300. So if they can be bought on e bay as non OE parts and can be reprogrammed then that would the best option I guess. My dealer told me they re programmed the new key and my existing key to a new code thereby making the missing key obsolete.

Just been reading the threads after I asked if a hybrid can be jump started. Plenty of opinion I see and good to know that the 12 v battery is for lesser functions. I did note that on the inside edge of my boot lid there is an official Lexus sticker attached stating quite clearly to ring an 0800 tel number number if you intend to use jump leads. I guess it's to make sure you don't get things wrong and everything goes sideways on you. Thanks for all the info from people with greater knowledge on such things.

Has anyone actually ever jump started a hybrid, if so what is the procedure to do it safely. Is the hybrid battery isolated from the battery that turns the engine over?. Cheers

Since I bought the GS 450h I wanted to brighten up the front bumper somehow. Decided to make a lower lip finisher in 0.5mm aluminium. Made using paper templates in 3 pieces with two small joining pieces. The aluminium was thin enough to shape into the curves and folds of the bumper's profile. Once fitted it was polished using various wheels and mops with different grades of metal polishing compounds. Took me back to my previous life in Bodyshops working with sheet metal. Needs no more than a a bit of Autosol once a week after polishing.

Anyone know the correct torque settings for wheel nuts on a 2012 Lexus 450h, preferably in lb/ft please. Read it's only 75 lb/ft on a website but that seems very low to me.

I've used the Wheel Specialist Franchise in Leeds twice now, once in 2014 when I had 4 wheels refurbished on a Jaguar and last week on my 450h. In between these two occasions, around 2016 I used another refurbisher on my LS460 and that was a disaster. Every wheel was ruined by bad process issues, mainly dirt in the top coat. I knew going back to the Wheel Specialist with my 450h wheels was not going to give me any issues and true enough the wheels were completed next day and were just perfect. There was nothing actually wrong with my wheels on my 450h other than the colour, which was dark grey and not a colour I could live with. I understand why the original owner specified the car with them as the paint is solid black with black interior. Too much black for me so I had the wheels powder coated in metallic silver. For me it broke the swathes of black and just brightened up the colour scheme a bit.

Part Number is PW178-30001 Price is £124 plus vat = £148.80. If you can get 10% off the list price before vat it will cost £133.74 incl vat. Not trying you to tell mother how to suck eggs here but be careful when sticking the trim to the bumper. The 3M tape is very sticky and will grab easily to the painted surface.so alignment is crucial. The grey protective tape, top side, has an arrow in the middle and you line up the arrow with the boot latch. It has 4 pieces of 3M tape on the underside of the trim. Top tip, peel off the film of the two small one inch pieces of tape at each end. Pull back about an inch of the film on the long pieces of tape at one end and turn it 90 degrees so it will stick out. Centre the trim using the arrow and press down on the opposite end to where you have the two pieces of film sticking out. This allows you to get the lip just right on the profiled edge of the bumper as you lower it in to place. Then press down the other end leaving you the two long pieces of film sticking out which you can then just pull gently along the whole length of the trim. The trim cannot move as the small pieces of tape at each end are now holding the trim in place. You can now press down along the whole length. It ain't coming off !!!! Pulling all the pink film off all the tape will risk the trim being slightly mis aligned as once all the tape hits the panel it will be difficult to pull it off without bending it as it is quite thin, no more than an eighth of an inch. You can then pull off the grey protective tape off the top side exposing the bright stainless steel. The part comes in a foam sleeve and also in a cardboard box to protect it from damage. Steve

Parked next to a 17 plate GS on a local dealer forecourt recently and noticed a smart rear bumper protector in what looked like brushed and polished stainless steel. Very nice I thought, I'll get one. Parts man asked for my reg or chassis number and then said sorry not listed for your 2012 car. As an ex Insurance Engineer I pointed out to him the Gen 5 GS was all about front end changes but the rear bumpers of a Gen 4 and Gen 5 were identical so I'd like to order one. He wasn't keen because he couldn't send it back if it didn't fit. OK I said and contacted my dealer in Sheffield where I have my service plan. Parts manager there is so helpful. He understood what I was saying about the bumper profiles being the same and said he can only really go on chassis numbers too but if I wanted he would order one, I could come in and check the trim sat on the bumper ok without removing the 3m tape film but if it didn't fit then he would send it back as a return. I thanked him and said let's order one but I was 100% certain he would not be sending it back. The part was a perfect fit as expected. He thanked me as he now knows if anyone coming in with a Gen 4 model who wants the same part he could say he knows it fits regardless of what the computer says. The Lexus E Bay shop lists the part for the Gen 5 model and if you do their compatibility check it says " Does not fit a 2012 version". Anyway pics speak for themselves. Made in Italy would you believe but not cheap at £134 even after discount.

Sorted the fused pick up by using the ignition controlled circuit of the windscreen washers. Fuse number 9, 20amp right hand lower footwell fuse board. Dash cam comes on when starting car and then switches off turning car off. Quality of the mini videos when viewing on the laptop are very good. Would recommend the Nextbase 512GW model.