GSLV6

That's a pretty decent outing! Bruges looks like a lovely place to visit. This shouldn't happen on a car that costs north of £50K new. I wonder if the Mk4 version suffers the same?

The sensible answer to the OP is to buy the newest and latest model that you can afford. Most problems have been sorted by the Gen3 models post 2009 and you can pick one of those up withn budget. Personally, I would look for an F-Sport as the ride quality alone (handling especially) is worth the extra plus you get LED headlights and head up display which I find very useful. The car is roomy and as practical as anyone would want for a large family car. Beware believing official running costs. Lexus quote 44mpg for the 450h but my average now over my first 1200 miles of driving has been closer to 30mpg average. Motorway driving is juicy if you don;t stick to speed limits, but a steady 70 sees 33 to 34mpg best on the flat. Throw in a few hills and that soon drops. Around town at slow speeds is very good with over 40mpg seen (this is where the hybrid system comes into its own) and mixed A/B road driving sees 35 to 36mpg. Servicing is not too bad nor too complex and the hybrid systems are inherently reliable as they're properly specified. The things most likely to happen after 10 years or so is one of the cells goes down but there are specialists who can replace these batteries fairly economically. The inverters are pretty bomb-rpoof as are the motors. The 3.5V6 Atkinson cycle engine is peachy smooth and very reliable. Buy with confidence. It'll work out cheaper than any XC60 or X3/X5 over 5 years of ownership! Size is one of the main considerations. These are large vehicles and the width takes getting used to. the NX I'd say is a bit on the compact side for a family and your average estate car betters it for load space, especially something like an Octavia or Mondeo. the new V90 is also a stunning family car but so far, there's no petrol option that I can see...most for sale are diesel. The RX is about as good an all rounder as you'll ever buy and about as reliable as it gets. They do have foibles. Poor lower door seals, sluggish take off in standard or Eco modes, choppy suspension on standard models (no side to side lateral dampers unless you pick the F-Sport), and economy is much the sameas for any 2-plus tonne load luggers. Even with the foibles, I can't recommend them highly enough, and my past cars have included a Lexus GS, Volvo estates, saloons, BMW saloons and a passat estate. the RX450 betters them all.

has anyone else noticed the poor sealing of the lower door seals, particularly the front ones? Every time I clean the car, there is quite a build up of mud and damp, and general crud between the bottom door opening and the lower seals. These seals don't seem to work too well and allow a worrying build up of crud in various nooks and crannies, all very difficult to get to to clean out. It's at the stage where I'm considering complaining as this shouldn't be happening. It seems like poor design.

Dunlops on my F-sport.

It's sickening what such yobs do. The "have nots" think it's ok to vandalise what they can't afford or don't like. It would be great, just for once, to catch someone like that in the act. They would think twice about ever doing it again!

Your experiences mirror mine Geoff. My average has dropped over the two month's I've had mine from around 32 to 31mpg and motorway, around 33mpg at 70. Annoying having charger stuck where a long fingered Octopus would have trouble getting to it! How have you found the cross-climates compared with the OE Dunlops? I'd be interested in whether they're any better than the Dunlops off road too if anyone's used them on the green stuff? I think that the Dunlops have a bit of an unfairly bad rep as so far, they've been fine (in the dry anyway....just useless off road....you may as well have some nylon slicks with non-stick coatings for all the grip the Dunlops give but this isn't their natural environment). I've found for me, the switch to 36psi all round has been the best compromise in terms of ride and handling. The RX seems to be all about detail. Good or bad (like the position of one of the chargers) everything has been thought about. It seems like real attention to detail everywhere, except for the silly position of the HUD and display controls where they cannot be readily seen or adjusted on the move, but perhaps that's the whole point. Adjust when stationary.

The dealers really ought to have inspected and replaced those tyres Mark. I'm assuming that this was a Lexus Approved vehicle? If sou, it would have gone through a full Lexus inspection, so someone hasn't been paying attention! The other tyre issue sounds like either corrosion/dirt on the rims or a leaky valve. Hopefully they'll sort for you. How are you finding the car otherwise? I must admit, it's taken close on 2 months for me to get used to mine, but now, I wouldn't want to drive anything else. What sort of economy have you been getting from it since pick-up?

It's funny how we managed for years without these new fangled paint protection products! So paints have changed from Isocyanate or Cellulose base to water base with lacquer top coats. Finish hardness is probably as good today as always if not better, so regular washing and waxing is all I've ever done and once a year perhaps, I'll use a corrective polish, maybe a 2500 followed by a 4000 grit, and DAP and go over the car once washed and perhaps clayed first if needed. Takes half a day to do a reasonable job. A day if clay work is needed. This is needed prior to applying a sealant too. (anyone know if Lexus use these steps before applying their products?) However, having paid out a lot for our latest Lexus, I am paranoid about getting it scratched (too late as the neighbours cats have already obliged on the bonnet, hence a recent acquisition of a very large dog might help reduce that "paintwork risk"), so I will be applying a sealant. It's really not any more difficult than polishing with car polish. The main point is the preparation, which is what takes the time and skill. On any car which is a year old or more, you'll likely need some sort of corrective polish to remove oxidised surfaces and environmental rubbish including tiny bits of embedded dirt and tar. If unsure yourself about this, have the corrective polishing done by your local accident repair shop or friendly pro-car detailer. It won't cost a bomb unlike Lexus paint protection schemes. Then apply CQUARtZ or GYEON sealant from the kit (£40 or so) and sit back and admire your shiny new paintwork. It may not stop stonechips but will up the protection and help reduce environmental grime build up. For a deeper more organic shine, you can wash and wax as normal once in a while. For now, I'm just washing and using the Menzerna sealant as it's already in the garage ready for use (more to protect against bird dropping damage etc).

I don't believe that lorry driver's tale. If it were true then the cost of shipping and re-refining this "sludge" then shipping back would have made the cost more expensive than premium branded fuel by a long way! (unless of course it was the re-refinement of byproduct he was talking about and I don't know the chemistry involved to be able to comment further on that). There were issues a decade ago and I recall that many vehicles also suffered oxygen sensor failures around this time due to poor fuel causing (somehow) carbon build up on the sensors. This, in turn, affected the fuel/air mixtures and some engines were damaged. Most owners affected seemed to get the sensor failure (engine warning) light flagged up very quickly and there was a lot of debate to the causes at the time but general consensus from both manufacturers and garages was poor supermarket fuels. Many of these cars were new-ish at the time, so the issue was taken as credible and investigations were ordered into supermarket fuels. However (there is one) a little perspective is also a wonderful thing. Many cars were far from new, or at least were high mileage. Good practice seems to be to renew oxygen sensors between 50 and 100K miles on all vehicles to ensure efficiency is maintained and better mpg/lower emissions. Many cars having issues were clearly higher mileage and had probably not been properly maintained so were more susceptible to these issues causing serious running problems. How widespread the issues actually were, I don't know, save to say no-one that I knew suffered any ills from using Tesco or Morrison supermarket fuels at that time. They may all come from the same refinery, but additives do vary, and cleaner burning fuels one would think are better for the health of your engine, hence I only put one tank in 4 or 5 in from supermarket petrol stations.

Looks good Carl.

That's good to know, especially when my average since picking the car up is only 32mpg!

Linky for you John: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/121956341268?_trksid=p2057872.m2749.l2649&ssPageName=STRK%3AMEBIDX%3AIT No smell off this one and it seems pretty tough and durable too. Fits like a glove. Easily as good as the Lexus one at much less cost.

Pick him up hopefully next week as he's out acting as a stud to a bitch on heat (a prior promise to another chap who wants his bloodline for some pups). Visited him earlier on this week and he's a lovely dog. Really well trained and on the silent whistle too, fit as a fiddle and good with kids; he's got a really good temperament and is a gentle dog. Everything I could have hoped for really.

Pictures of dog guard chosen and of transport cage found too which fits a treat. On the Ebay rubber boot liner, it won't budge an inch which is essential. The only things to be aware of with this type of headrest restraint fitted dog guard are: 1. You won't be able to use the recline function; 2. You'll need some form of protection between the guard and leather to prevent scratches or indents. I've used some old speaker grille polyester cloth I had left over from a small job; 3. You'll need to slide all seats forward at the same time if moving them; 4. all seats will still fold at the same time but the guard may catch the front seats and central storage area; These will be the same no-matter what form of head restraint-attached system you use. I would avoid the ones which rely on poles being extended to push against the sides and top as these are more likely to damage the car's interior.

Oddly enough, I find little difference in the way my RX holds the road against my Gen3 GS. The sport dampers certainly play their part. When pushed, the RX will start to run wide before the RWD GS, but it has to be pushed hard for that to happen...probably too hard for sensible driving on UK roads anyway. On the track you would notice a difference but that's not the environment we're in. On the road, I'd say between the RX F-Sport and GS300, the RX feels just as sure footed. Not so the non-F--Sport versions I've driven though! The Gen3 GS would run rings around them. Newer GS is better but I never found the ride as refined in the Gen4 as I did in the GS300 Gen 3. It didn't have as firm suspension as the Gs430 or 450h, and that was a good thing for ride comfort. I've had many Volvos, the last being a 2009 S60D5 SE. The GS out handled that easily. The Volvo had a lot of torque and power through the front wheels but was more of a boat compared with the GS. In fact, the RX F-Sport would out-handle the S60, extra weight and all. The Volvo was crying out for a rear anti-roll bar to help control dip at the front corners.

Got the guard sorted and for anyone interested, also found an excellent dog cage for reasonable cash that fits a treat into the RX: http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Dog-Transport-Crate-Plastic-Pet-Dogs-Car-Vehicle-Travelling-Safety-2-Way-Box-NEW-/282215736836?hash=item41b55e6604:g:qOMAAOSwOyJX9MN5

I never, ever, run a tank down that low, as any cr*p in the tank has more chance of getting through to filters and blocking them, plus you're not really left with a 46 mile safety net. When they set the empty mark (or "zero range") they do take in a factor of safety where the minimum amount of fuel to prime the fuel pumps and to be able to swill about in the tank without inducing air into the feed, are all things accounted for, so a 65 litre tank isn't really intended to give a 65 litre range, I'd guess more like a 60 litre range. Depends how you drive your car and the terrain it goes over (ie uphill with a fuel feed at the front of the tank = empty tank with a gallon left in it!). A bit like "44mpg Sir" isn't really 44mpg!!!

Sadly, all and every incident reported, no-matter how small, will go against you, your fault or not. The reality we are faced with in our busy lives is quite a simple one: use the feet and walk more, and find safer places to park. It's a PITA to have to walk quarter of a mile with full shopping bags but I'd do that every time to avoid parking in a busy supermarket car park. The one near us is rarely too full, so if I ever use it, I park well away from other road users and walk the extra distance.

Yes, same here. I did about 80 miles on the motorway yesterday at around 70 to 75 indicated (a true 70 according to gps) and with a few hills, economy returned was a shade over 33mpg with tyres at 36psi. My car rarely goes into EV mode on the move (I just get the "...not available..." message), only if stopped and starting off again. It's not bad for a 2.2 tonne lump but no-where near what's claimed which I reckon can only be had driving at 40 to 50mph on the flat without traffic in moderate conditions.

That's awful Dan! I have a golden rule with our RX after our previous GS suffered a similar fate in a supermarket car park....don't park in them! We use a small runabout for supermarket runs and it cost probably less than the annual cost of dent and scratch repairs over 3 years to have a small cheap runabout you don't mind getting banged up. Some users of supermarkets are just ignorant, dishonest, incompetent drivers who couldn't give a damn about anyone else's vehicles. I've lost count of the number of times I've sat in the car waiting for my wife and had someone open a door onto my car, or watched others banging shopping trolleys off someone else's car..never their own mind you! I would not contact insurance companies for such damage after speaking with Lexus Insurance. Their underwriters WILL penalise you where or NOT it is your fault if any claim is made on your own insurance, protected no claims or not. If you had 10 years no claims, the maximum carried for insurance is 5 years. If you have unprotected No Claims and make a claim, you automatically lose two years No Claims and your renewal not only rises about 15% for making the claim but rises more as you lose a few years NC too. Protected NC only means that you retain 5 years bonus BUT your insurance will still rise by around 15% for making a claim and it will remain on your record. Unfortunately, these days with so many numpties and uninsured drivers on the roads and car parks, you either avoid the places and find somewhere safer to park (and walk) or use cameras to record numberplates of cars which have damaged your vehicle and then drive off. Hand that to the police and if on a public road they have no choice but to follow up as that is leaving the scene of an accident, injury or not, which is an offence unless insurance details are exchanged. The only fly in the ointment is that a car park isn't strictly speaking a public road, it is a private car park, but details of the registration can still be given to insurers whose database will flag up the responsible owner, if insured, and you can then pursue them for a claim.

I run all mine at 36psi and noticed little difference in fuel economy from running them at 33psi. The major factor with the RX for economy seems to be what roads you run them on. Mixed A and B roads, semi-rural and rural seems to give the best economy, until you throw a hill or two in, then it plummets. Chuck in the cold weather and it drops and other few mpg. Motorways gave me the worst results irrespective of tyre pressures. 32 to 33 mpg. However, handling is a little improved at 36psi, so that's where I run them all the time as that will also cope with a reasonable load too. Eco engine setting has less to do with what tyres are fitted and more to do with turning off all unnecessary fuel consuming features such as AC, and also affecting engine throttle response (compared with "sport" mode). I find it a complete and utter waste of time and am unsure why Lexus couldn't have just had one mode, ie "sport", which whilst being nothing of the sort, at least allows a near normal relationship between right foot, gas pedal and what happens with an engine unlike the other modes, which if anything, I find more wasteful because you tend to have to press the go pedal harder to wake the car up. The engine modes, I have concluded, are nothing but a poor gimmick. As for EV mode...don't get me started on that one! It works when it wants to an not when you want it to!

Good to know, thanks Rayaans. Mine have plenty of tread left on them so I'll probably see another year on them before I re-shod. I'm considering Avons which have received some really good reviews and are inexpensive compared with some premium brands.

No, you can't lie about anything, but the law changed a while back and the fact is that the onus of proof for the fault, intermittent or not, does not lay with you, it is with the vendor to disprove or prove. If you are unsatisfied with the car, I think I'm right in saying that you can return it subject to certain steps being taken. You need to read your rights under the Act and see them through. A solicitor should be able to tell you. Try the Citizen's Advice Bureau in the first instance.

Thanks Ed, we haven't got him yet. We're second in queue to a chap from Aberdeen who wants to come and look at him, but we're on the doorstep and I've spoken with the owner and I think he'd prefer to turn the dog over to us for some reason. He has a cage etc and I think that would come with the dog which looks a beaut I see it on Tuesday with the family, and will do my best to twist his arm as it looks a perfect (trained) working dog and family pet.

Not well I'd be willing to bet!