First_Lexus

I did a ‘Compare the Market’ yesterday just in case there were any significantly better options than my renewal. To my surprise there were quite a few quotes, and most were between £650-£850. The only name I recognised was Churchill (Essentials and Drivesure, both ‘badged’ as Churchill though). Cheapest was a company called Nutshell (never heard of them) at £634, and there were others from Marshmallow (never heard of them either) and various others. Nothing from any of the ‘big’ players such as LV etc. It’s not an ideal situation, clearly, but not insurmountable for me either. It is certainly a lot better than I was braced for. I’m content to go with the Chris Knott quote through Highway (the actual documents are all headed as LV!) and keep the RX for another year at least.

Nothing on claims efficiency (apart from the general reviews) but last year they placed me with a company called Equity Star, and the renewal this year is a company called Highway who (brace yourselves!) having looked them up are part of LV, who are declining to insure Lexus models! Erm…😆

Civic perhaps? I’ve also had a few Honda - before moving to Lexus in 2016. They are great cars, well engineered and beautifully built. The interior materials aren’t as plush as a Lexus, but then the prices aren’t as ‘plush’ either! I’d have another Honda, and will likely end up with a Jazz at some stage once I’m drawing my pension 😇.

Chris Knott Insurance Telephone 0800 917 2274 e-mail : enquiries@chrisknott.co.uk https://www.chrisknott.co.uk

My insurance renewal is at the end of the month. The notice came through today and was a pleasant surprise from Chris Knott who @RONNIE W HODGEKINSONrecommended on this forum last year… …my premium has gone down! Yes, you read that right…£55 cheaper than last year at £636 fully comprehensive and with business use included. Yes, in 2021 when I bought the RX my premium with MoreThan was £350, but even so…I’ll take that as a huge win (but will still try comparison sites to see if there are better deals, but I doubt it!). I was braced for a four figure number, and I don’t mean £99.99! 😁

Fascinating. When I was considering a downsize recently I was very unimpressed by the Yaris but thought the Jazz was superb…😆…it just felt like a higher quality product to me, nicer to drive too. Back to EVs I’m pretty sure that the future will be almost entirely lease / contract driven for electric vehicles much like most people have mobile telephone contracts. What that means for older EVs and those drivers not in a position or not wanting to have such a contract is anybody’s guess. I’d say unlike now where older petrol and diesel cars are readily available at reasonable prices, there will be a hole that needs to be filled with far better public transport options.

^^ Interesting, as I’ve been told there are ‘very limited’ discounts available and Lexus offered the least amount for my RX as a trade-in! Mazda offered £3k more, MINI £2k more…mind you, Suzuki wouldn’t consider it as a trade-in at all… Very useful review @Rabbers much appreciated.

Initially I’d wipe it with a damp cloth and let it dry just to establish that the mark is on the dash material and not ‘within’ a previous surface product finish. If it is ‘in’ the dashboard plastic (which seems most likely but you may be lucky!) I’d say pretty much any matt finish plastic / rubber product. My personal favourite is Poorboys rubber and plastic but there are loads that do much the same job. Good luck!

I always find it interesting how different drivers find the same car. Even coming from an RX, I found the less powerful CX-30 absolutely fine when test driving today. Power seemed good to me, not gutless at all. A bigger concern was the move back to a torque converter gearbox which I found quite jerky after years with the smooth eCVT. I was quite impressed with the Mazda all round, but financially I can’t really make it make sense. If I’m downsizing I expect to pay significantly less, but that isn’t the case with any of the options. I think I’m moving to a position of keeping the RX for another year, as the deal I got back in 2021 was so good even the higher insurance doesn’t offset the cost to change to an inferior vehicle. With the promise of a technical solution to CANBUS in April, I think it’s right to hold on for now. And after all, I do love the RX…

Lots of interesting views on this thread, it does show how different drivers have different priorities and opinions. I looked at the new CH-R, Yaris Cross, and LBX yesterday and back to back (to back!). There was also a UX in the Lexus showroom. For me, the LBX feels like a higher quality car than the UX. That’s mostly about perception, and it is a newer model, but for me the interior is ‘proper Lexus’ whereas the UX has never been quite there in my opinion. Seeing them both side by side yesterday reinforced that for me. The Yaris Cross felt good. I like the higher seating position, and it’s a practical thing for the size. The downside was it felt a bit ‘tinny’ and there were harder plastics in areas such as the door tops where the others are softer. The LBX was at the other end of the spectrum and I was impressed. The boot was larger than I’d have imagined, and the rear space, although tight, allows feet to go under the front seats quite easily. Rear space isn’t important for me tbh, but it was interesting that it felt quite spacious, albeit not as much as the Yaris where the greater glass area made it feel brighter inside. The CH-R felt like a high quality product, and is bigger than both. I wasn’t a massive fan of the dashboard layout - it seemed to be form over function when compared with the other two - but as with all things you get used to things you use every day. Next step is to drive all three and see if, actually how readily, I can live with the downsize from an RX. Price is also a consideration. Broadly, based on discussions with the dealers and for comparable (top ish) specs and with indicated discounts factored in, it would be about £29k for the Yaris (AWD), £34k for the CH-R (FWD) and almost £40k for the LBX. I still feel like the LBX is overpriced in comparison despite clearly being a lovely thing. The question will be whether I think it’s worth it vs other priorities. I’m also looking at and driving a Mazda CX-30 on Tuesday for a further option.

I’ve had the same message from Swindon, and I agree - based on the service I’ve had from them over almost ten years it should be good.

^^ I didn’t realise they’d already done that. In which case, based on the ‘mood music’ coming from both main parties on how to fund future ‘carbon neutral’ policies, the electricity surcharge will be on top of EV VED! I mean, why would we be surprised…after all, Labour have said they’re stepping back from their £28BN ‘green’ investment plan based on the current financial situation, but that they’re not abandoning the idea. Clearly they won’t admit to doing it through taxation, but I do think an additional surcharge will be the way they go (and Conservatives too TBF).

Looks like the legislation is England only. Believe it actually came into effect in 2022, but in reality most builders have been adding EV chargers for longer than that in order to meet sustainability targets. My current new build has one (2020) and my previous one did as well (2014). When I was looking at houses in 2020/21 all the new builds had them fitted.

^^ I think it’s likely that EVs will remain ‘zero cost’ in terms of VED, but that home electricity will incur (a further) surcharge for those properties with a home charger installed. With all new build properties required to have a charged installed from new for the last 4-5 years (and some prior to that) if you’re paying the surcharge then you may as well get an EV…but who really knows at this point?! Other than that I fully agree with your post and am in a similar situation. The initial cost, added to range anxiety and fears over depreciation mean I’m happy to wait for now.

It’s fair to say that the value of my RX has collapsed in the last year based on offers I’m getting, with one dealer (not Lexus) refusing to even provide a trade-in figure for it “…as they can’t underwrite the car…” in terms of selling it on i.e. nobody wants to buy it. Hardly surprising I guess… Suggestion is to bin it to WBAC or similar, but I’ll see what the other dealers offer. The only consolation is that this isn’t something that could have been predicted two and a half years ago when I bought the RX - life happens!

^^ Don’t worry, the contenders are (almost) all Japanese. Suzuki Vitara the value option, Mazda CX-30 the mid-ranking, and the new MINI Countryman the ‘premium’ choice. The MINI looks especially good, and fully loaded comes in c£5k less than the LBX. However, my preference is nearly new i.e. up to three years old, so likely it’ll be the Suzuki or Mazda tbh unless the MINI deal is exceptional. I had considered the new CH-R and the Yaris Cross, but again they’re quite new and overpriced against the competition I’m looking at in my opinion. I’ve even looked at the Ssangyong Korando which is astonishing value and feels quite ok really, but depreciation/resale would be a concern. We will see what will do the job I need for the best price. Driving fewer than 5k miles a year now pretty much anything with a higher seating position / entry point is probably fine tbh!

I’ve got a series of test drives booked for later in March, and I’ve decided to bail out while my RX still has some value. I want to downsize anyway, but this issue has brought my decision forward. My RX is my third Lexus, and I’ve loved the cars and the dealers. However, none of the cars I’m testing is a Lexus - I cancelled the test drive in the LBX because I feel it’s just too expensive compared to the alternatives and, to be totally honest, all of this malarkey has made me think twice. I fully accept that other manufacturers have, have had, and will have similar issues. I also accept that Lexus may come up with a software solution for the Mk4 RX which helps or solves the problem. That said, I’m of the opinion that a smaller and less desirable car, and one without this specific CANBUS vulnerability is the right thing to do in the circumstances before my insurance renewal in May. Personally I think the damage to the Lexus brand among previously loyal owners is, and will continue to be, significant. Shame.

Not specific to Lexus, but I heard on the radio a couple of weeks ago that for some ‘desirable’ cars they believe thieves are placing magnetic ‘tracking tags’ on the backs of wheels etc. so they could pick their spot to steal the vehicle.

I’ve had a private number plate for 25+ years and have never heard anything like this from any dealer! Usually they simply have the whole thing sorted by the time I collect any new vehicle seemingly without any involvement from me!

TBH I need to downsize now. My mileage has plummeted working at home, whenever I visit the office I use the train (paid for on expenses but fuel isn’t, go figure!) and with no pets or children an RX is very hard to justify now. When I was up and down on the motorway it was brilliant, but now my use is only around town and I actually struggle to drive longer distances. It has been a privilege to own it though, and if the LBX was £10k cheaper…well, it isn’t so that’s academic!

I have a test drive in one of those at the end of March. Takumi grade nearly new £15k less than a new LBX!

Indeed we do…well, I have in the past…but with retirement fast approaching, my mobility not what it was, and the desire to buy a property abroad for Winter warmth at some stage in the next few years I’ve realised that the car on my driveway is not actually so important! I’m very lucky to have owned the RX (and the NX before it) but that time in my life has passed. Time to move on, downsize, and spend money on things that are more important…for my situation and aspirations, anyway.

Yes, I’ve seen the reviews. I’ve no doubt it’s a very good car, but it’s overpriced for what I now need and want to spend. Put it this way. I can buy a pre-registered top of the range 4WD Vitara for £20k. The LBX - and not even the AWD - is almost £40k. For fewer than 5,000 miles a year I’m more prepared to pay that difference, regardless of how ‘good’ or not the car is.

Back to the original subject, I cancelled my LBX test drive that was due for today. I’m afraid I consider it far too expensive for what it is and, given my mileage is now less than 5,000 miles annually, I’ve decided to either; - go for the new MINI Countryman as a ‘premium’ option as it’s very impressive and usefully cheaper than the LBX; - look at a ‘value’ option such as the Yaris Cross or Suzuki Vitara (which is very good value, especially pre-registered), or; - buy a 2-3 year old car for cash, something like a Honda Jazz. Afraid I won’t be sticking with Lexus, despite having loved my two NX and now my RX. As I approach retirement I’ve decided there are better things on which to spend my money than a fancy car that hardly ever gets used!

I agree. I see Rachel Reeves accepted a £10k payment from a climate change denying organisation just a few days prior to Labour ditching their £28bn ‘Green New Deal.’ The various statements called the timing ‘unfortunate’ but didn’t really apologise… Whether you agreed with their politics or not, politicians used to have values they believed in. They didn’t seem to just go into Parliament to get rich. It did, imho, change with Blair. Whitelaw, Howe, Healey from the 70s and 80s, and plenty before that going right back to Lloyd George (a rascal but not corrupt) and Halifax, Churchill, Eden, MacMillan et al. They believed in their ideals and believed in service. I can’t think of one current politician on any side about whom I can say the same. Shame.