paulrnx

Interesting. I was convinced by NX ran better on 95 rather than 97/98. I doubted that the engine was able to make use of the better knock resistance of higher octane fuel by altering the map to accommodate this

We should start a highest mileage IS300h thread to see how high we can go. Would be interesting to see what these cars are like at very high mileages. Suspect they'll still feel remarkably tight to be honest

Yes, I had the window seals / door issue on all three 3rd gen IS cars I've had. Had similar issues with BMWs too mind

Tesco super unleaded doesn't have all of the additives and clever stuff that BP and Shell have in their 'super' unleaded fuels. I'm sure I've read somewhere that Tesco just adds something their standard fuel to increase the octane rating to 99. Nothing like the stuff that BP and Shell do to their Ultimate and V-Power fuels with all the cleaning additives aimed at keeping engines cleaner and healthier. I found no difference in my NX300h between standard unleaded and Ultimate/V-Power. Initially I thought there was a difference but over time I felt that there was no difference in terms of economy or response. The 300h engine just isn't geared towards performance and I suspect the ECO doesn't use a different map for higher octane fuel because it's all about economy and efficiency rather than power and response. In fact, I was convinced that my NX300h ran better on standard unleaded.

And he was being sarcastic just as I would have been

I suspect he was sorry because you told him you didn't know what he was talking about......

Yes, definitely personal experience isn't it. On a number of occasions in the past I've had to change a punctured tyre and carry on with my journey, always whilst on my way to a work meeting I might also add. Never with a Lexus though and I've always been acutely aware that were I to suffer a puncture or blow-out that the gunk couldn't seal I would have to abort my journey and possibly even cancel a work commitment until I could get the tyre replaced. I think it's a retrograde step not having spare tyres in cars nowadays to be honest. More so given I don't get paid if I don't work.

Suspect the GS, model for model. is more refined than the IS anyway? Certainly my brother-in-law's GS300h Luxury was way more refined than my IS300h Executive at the time. His was running on 18" wheels too whereas my IS was on 17" wheels. It's possibly just the way that Lexus have set the IS up, leaning more towards a harder and sportier feel plus also the size, weight and wheelbase length differences between the two models. In all cars I've owned I can accept a compromised ride if the performance is there. Unfortunately Lexus builds a fairly compromised car (IS) in terms of ride with little in the way of a performance return. Especially now that they've dropped the 200t from the UK market. It may well be that market research and sales shows all of this to be the correct approach so not necessarily the wrong things to do. It will be very interesting to see what the 4th generation IS is like.

You've answered your question Chris. You're comparing it to a CT200h which I agree has a terribly hard ride. The OP is comparing his IS300h to his previous car and he thinks it's harsh. No right or wrong, just different opinions based on experience and feel. I think they're on the harsh side too. You started off by saying you couldn't understand the comments and then admitted that perhaps you didn't notice it so much because of your own experience.

I tried it, I didn't say I left it at 2.1

From memory I think I also tried 2.1 bar

Yes, agreed, I also think the 3rd generation IS has a very harsh ride. I think it's too harsh personally but then again some of this has to do with the general state of our roads and my advancing years. Doubt it would have bothered me 10-15 years ago. Have you checked all tyre pressures - when tyres are cold and ambient air temperature is above 5-6 degrees? Worth doing to make sure you don't have over-inflated tyres. Also play around with the pressures a little - try running them at 1 PSI less all round to see if this makes a difference. It did for me.

Yes, I found my 3rd gen IS250 F-Sport to be the same. I couldn't drive it in the end and sold it for this reason. It would have been ok if it had a 5 litre V8 under the bonnet because it woudl have been worth it!

Awesome.!! You could get snowed in overnight and emerge the next morning absolutely fluent in French. Albeit mostly words that you can't really slip into normal conversation!

The only way an aircon system loses gas is due to a leak. Leaks can be caused by something that has failed but the vast majority are caused by seals drying out because the aircon isn't used regularl;y enough. I think this dealership was trying it on to be honest given a one year old car with no more than 10k miles. A big fat no was the right answer

I've recently driven a few F-Sport NX vehicles and I concur re firmness and road noise. Definitely worse imo than an NX with standard suspension. Never got to to try an F-Sport with AVS though, the reports are very good about this suspension.

Drove mine in the recent snow and I was particularly impressed with its traction. I had no problems and took both my son and daughter to work during the worst of it. I was a little bit worried about the other kamikaze drivers on the roads mind, who seemed to think that very closely following the car in front was the best way to stay safe.

Hope you don't get any more problems Ed. You've been unlucky, certainly if my experience is anything to go by. I've had 5 Lexus and barely a thing has gone wrong, ever, About 130k miles in total I would say and all were reliable and better than any other marque I've owned. I'm staggered by how much your car has been off the road to be honest. Sounds like Lexus and the dealership have been good throughout all of this but even so it's not great. Hopefully you'll get to a point where you can drive without thinking that something else is about to go wrong! In 22k miles with my NX I've not experienced the groaning at all but I have done in a number of other cars - a Renault 19 16V company car I had was particularly bad in this respect.

Cheers, will do

Yes good point, hadn't thought of this. Spot on. A Lexus dealership once tried to sell me an IS through the approved used scheme that hadn't been serviced to the required schedule. It was about 4k miles over one of the services as I recall. I don't expect to have to find this out for myself, certainly not when sold through the approved used scheme which are supposed to be cars with a full up to date Lexus service history. There are so many cars to choose from nowadays, especially with the power of the internet, that it is best to just walk away when a service history is not complete and/or when a garage/dealership are vague about service dates. Not worth the risk in my opinion because there is always another car for a similar price without any issues like this.

13,000 miles between these two services, assuming there wasn't one in between, has taken this one outside of the recommended servicing schedule. Ok if the car has no warranty but any Lexus warranty would be invalid. Not a full Lexus service history either given the gap. Of course if it's reflected in the price then it should be ok because 13k is only 2k over the generally accepted 1 month/1,000 miles leeway Lexus would allow.

Just sold my meteor blue NX300h Luxury with convenience pack and protection pack. Cream leather too which contrasted nicely against the blue. Shame. I'd already done the deal so too late for me this thread. Mine had two years warranty to go and had the smart cover so it would have made a good and risk free buy. Hope you find one Mark.

After months of deciding whether I wanted to keep my NX, I've sold mine. It will be replaced by a saloon car, no more bouncy SUVs for me. The replacement will have a petrol engine, will have an auto gearbox, will be a bit smaller and will hopefully be much more fun to drive. Likely won't be a Lexus either given that I've had one 2nd generation IS and three 3rd generation IS (IS300h Executive; IS250 F-Sport and an IS200t Sport). It will also have quite a bit more performance than I've had to contend with for the last 13 months with the NX. Lovely cars but I'm bored to death driving mine and have been for some time but wanted to give it time to make sure. I drove a couple of NX200t F-Sports but poor ride quality and the additional road noise turned me off. Not intending to blast the NX, they are lovely cars, just not for me any more. I'll likely drop in and confirm what the NX has been replaced by once I've decided.

The best thing to do is to just try to make a claim. Easy painless thing to do. You have to fill out an online claim and send photos of the damage too. Worked for me but I'm aware that not every panel is covered for every type of damage. Worth making a claim because you have nothing to lose. Worse thing that can happen is they say no.

I never take out GAP insurance and reckon I've saved a fortune over the years by not doing so. I have the £399 Smart Cover. Used it twice, perfect repairs both times and great service. Worthwhile in my opinion. I'm sure I'll need to use it again too before it runs out. I took out the extra two years warranty for £795. Peace of mind decision for me. Whether it's worth it is another matter. Lexus cars are reliable and I've had no warranty repairs done since I bought mine 13 months ago. Or at least I can't remember that I have! Can't answer re a towbar for an NX. Had two caravans in the past and always used Witter towbars except for a BMW X5 which had a manufacturer's removable towbar fitted. I'd always go with a quality make. I'd be interested to know how yours tows if you do get one. How heavy is the van you'd be towing? Been thinking about venturing back into caravanning and was wondering how an NX would tow. I think Practical Caravan have tested one as part of their annual towing tests and it did ok but they did criticise the lack of torque. Hope you get one sorted Clive.