First_Lexus

I’d like to think - perhaps naively - that market towns, villages and suchlike near to major routes would prioritise getting fast chargers and use it as a way of regenerating high streets. I’m thinking less grim motorway service stations and more small coffee shops in a pleasant urban location with plenty of options for shopping and leisure. The journey may become as important as the destination, much as it was in the post-war period when cars were less reliable and there were fewer motorways and major trunk roads. As a child, no trip to the coast was complete without a picnic stop in the New Forest or a trip to a restaurant for lunch or dinner (depending on whether on the way or the return) in Winchester or similar. Obviously what will actually happen is more chargers in out of town settings with us all condemned to faceless retail parks with nothing but Costa Coffee, KFC, Tesco etc. Perhaps we get what we deserve?!

https://www.spectator.co.uk/article/get-ready-for-the-petrol-station-renaissance/ ^^ This is slightly tongue in cheek, but makes an interesting point. Service station stops - whether on the motorway or elsewhere - are generally for convenience only. Nobody in their right mind would want to spend longer than they have to in the current options, perhaps with a couple of exceptions such as the ‘farm shop’ services on the M6 motorway. That begs the question…as more and more people transition to EVs, and thus have to spend 30-60 minutes charging (assuming no queue to wait to do so) instead of perhaps 5-10 minutes filling up with petrol or diesel, the services must have to adapt to offer a better experience. Or perhaps they won’t bother if it costs money and they have a captive audience anyway!

I probably cleaned my first car - properly I mean, not as a young child helping out - in the late 1970s. The difference in products and speed of application is astonishing - even in the last decade since I last showed my MINI(s) things have progressed at pace. AutoGlym SRP used to be the ‘go to’ product for most people, but in recent years with ceramic coatings and ‘quick detailing’ products I can’t see the point of a wax, at least not on a modern paint finish. Bear in mind that’s coming from somebody who used to spend a small fortune* on Swissvax products, and then spent hours applying them! * as an aside, if anybody is interested in how to obtain a small fortune, I can help. Start with a big fortune and invest poorly. I digress… Accepting that my current car has a professionally applied GTechniq ceramic coating, as did my last one, I can’t see why anybody would need anything other than a good ‘QD’ such as c2v3 (I’ve got a few similar in my arsenal, including Angelwax Enigma, CarPro Reload, Alien Magic Boss etc.). All have a degree of protection these days and, having used them on cars with little or no protection or care (my family aren’t all as careful with their vehicles as I am!) the results are excellent. Clearly there is a degree of decontamination required - CarPro TRIX does the job for me - and the results aren’t perfect, but good enough to draw amazed and appreciative responses from most bystanders. All cars will have some swirls. Washing as carefully as possible to minimise these, and being as gentle as possible with the paintwork is the way to go imho. Prevention is better than cure. Finally; - no, I’m Spartacus - wine. Don’t forget the wine… - no, no, no, no…no women here… - JEHOVAH!

I’ve heard it called that as well. Also white with a red interior I’m pretty sure I read somewhere was known as the ‘Moby D i c k’ spec.

Beautiful. Not sure I’d like to have a heavy front end collision with that as the landing for my head, but…beautiful even so.

Found it…

Do it. DO IT! Life’s too short etc. My personal preference would be a lighter metallic exterior colour with red interior, or a tan interior (accepting not available on the ES based on comments here) but think of it this way…how many black interiors have you had? The fact you’ve even asked the question tells me you’re ready to take the plunge and have something different!

Ah, the famous ‘Quartic’ steering wheel. I had a Vanden Plas 1500 once, and was always slightly disappointed that it came with a round (but leather trimmed) steering wheel! Were Lexus supposed to be planning a ‘joystick’ type thing for the RZ?

I read somewhere that there’s a movement to abolish the apostrophe, along with the semi-colon. I think it was Angela Rayner who, a few months ago, gave an interview where she criticised the emphasis in education (and in public life) on grammatical accuracy. What a superb lesson for our children and grandchildren - don’t worry if you aren’t good at something, simply ignore it and say it doesn’t matter! Accepting this was quite a few years ago, when I was in Upper School - aged about 14 or 15 I guess - the whole school was summoned into the main hall during the middle of the day and without warning for a ‘special assembly.’ This was very unusual, and you can imagine the speculation at what had happened… One the school had assembled - in orderly rows by year, boys and girls separated by an aisle as usual and controlled by the various Heads of House assisted by the Prefects - our Headmaster strode onto the stage in his cap and gown (which he always wore, as did most of the Masters). Two members of the Senior Form then unfurled a hastily written large sheet of paper, and stuck it to the front of the stage. All is said was ‘IT’S = IT IS.’ A fifteen minute lecture followed, and we returned to lessons. It turned out that our erstwhile Head had seen a notice somewhere around the school with an incorrectly used apostrophe and had taken the bull by the horns to use it as an educational aide. I still remember it very clearly decades later. I’m pretty sure Angela Rayner wouldn’t have approved! I should add that the Headmaster in question was a wonderful, very kind and much loved man. He’d been to Harrow, and was simply a great teacher. His mere presence meant that strict discipline wasn’t required, and his staff behaved similarly. They treated us, their pupils, with respect and we returned the favour. Different times.

I avoid supermarket shopping, preferring to order online and have my groceries delivered. Remove the ‘online’ element, and replace with ‘telephone’ or ‘written paper list’ and that’s a very similar approach to that taken by my parents in the 1950s…but I digress. The experience of shopping in a supermarket was, in my opinion, vastly improved by COVID restrictions. Who remembers ‘one way’ systems and controlled numbers in the shops? There are some elements of the pandemic restrictions that should have been retained! Returning to my first point, I’d like to moan about the replacement of ‘service’ with ‘self-service.’ Progress? Not for me.

Ah yes, both of the great Universities. Cambridge and…Hull.

Meanwhile at Burger King… https://www.theguardian.com/business/2023/aug/30/burger-king-whopper-lawsuit

I’ve always been politically interested, if not active. I studied Political History many years ago (combined with Theology, so I certainly wasn’t considering a future career of any sort!). I’ve had the chance to meet or interact with a few MPs over the years. One such occasion sticks in my mind, and may have relevance here… I’d had a frustrating experience organising care for my Father with my local GP practice. They were following the rules, but the rules made no sense to me. I wrote to Alan Johnson, at the time Labour Secretary of State for Health. He was (still is as I think he’s still living) not typical as an MP even then. A Union man, he had a relatively poor background and worked as a postman before his Union career led to him entering politics. Not only did he write back - personally - he noted that the rules I had written about had been raised by others and were under review. A few months later, those rules were changed, and he then wrote again to inform me, copying my GP practice. It was very impressive. Coincidence that he wasn’t a typical career politician? Perhaps, but I’d guess it wasn’t. He had ethics, principles, and core beliefs. I didn’t actually agree with that Labour Government on much, but remember fondly his personal attention. Unfortunately that was the only positive example, apart from a jolly discussion with John Bercow when he was campaigning for one of the General Elections. Yvette Cooper was hopeless as Pensions Minister when a company for whom I worked went bust and we sought support and advice. Bland, formulaic responses and no action at all. Unfortunately Alan Johnson seems to have been the exception rather than the rule. While I’m on a rant, where are the big issues now? When I was a student we campaigned against apartheid in South Africa, we had the ‘poll tax’, we had CND. There were lots of big causes that we felt important. Now? I don’t see the same vigour amongst the young for really big issues - even global warming. They seem instead to obsess over relative trivia. Grumpy old man signing off!

Totally agree. It isn’t just companies who won’t speak about ‘uncomfortable’ truths, it seems to be endemic across British society. In France, things would be on fire - and frequently are - but as a nation we just seem to shrug and carry on. Perhaps the ineptitude of successive Governments from 1990 onwards has knocked all of the fight out of us?! Mind you, that’s hardly surprising. We all know that the ticket office closure ‘consultation’ is nothing of the sort. They think about 500,000 people have taken part. Even if 99.9% of those submissions were opposed, the policy will still proceed. It’s just window dressing - pretend democracy. Planning is the same. How many times have you heard a politician of any party colour say words to the effect “…we’re putting local planning decisions in the hands of local communities.” That’s nothing but a lie. Local development ‘plans’ pitch residents against one another as everybody tries to avoid new building next to them. Consultation for planning permission is just another example of meaningless pretend democracy. If everybody objects, how many times do developments still get approved? Pretty much always. A few weeks ago I met somebody hoping to be selected as a PPC for Labour at the next election. It was an entirely depressing experience. She’d left University and IMMEDIATELY started working as a researcher for an MP. That was about ten years ago I reckon. She’d never had a ‘proper’ job. She didn’t express any political opinions beyond parroting the party line, and it wasn’t like she was being recorded. She didn’t seem to have any real motivation for wanting to be an MP other than wanting to be an MP. It’s no wonder we’re in such a mess.

Having owned two NX300h prior to the RX - and having loved the car - I can see the logic but wouldn’t want to go back. If I do change it will be for something different, and the whole CanBus theft issue combined with a large insurance premium increase has left a bit of a sour taste. Still, at this point I’ll be keeping the RX until Spring and reconsider options then based on insurance renewal quotes. If they come back down towards the £350 I used to pay then the RX probably stays. If it goes up to £1000 or more then it goes!

I used to work for a German company and travelled there a few times. I understand that they, to this day, retain manned ticket offices at almost every railway station. For the British Railway Companies to claim removal of ticket offices makes the railway more efficient, while the second most efficient railway network in Europe (behind Switzerland) does the opposite…if it wasn’t so sad it might be funny. This once great nation is so broken, and in so many different ways, I’ve pretty much given up hope. Sigh.

Today is the final day of the ‘consultation’ on the closure of railway ticket offices. You can find the relevant email address to object as part of the consultation here: https://www.rmt.org.uk/campaigns/rail/save-ticket-offices/ There is also a Parliamentary petition, currently on almost 87,000 names. You can sign that here: https://petition.parliament.uk/petitions/636542 I know this is a motoring forum, and I know many people won’t care, but for me this is a terrible idea. The strap line that this is to make “…buying tickets easier…” and “…modernisation and efficiency…” just isn’t true imho. What a shock. This is all about saving money, but will disadvantage some of the most vulnerable in society. Why do we suddenly need to go online or download an ‘app’ for everything? How is buying online and then collecting a ticket from an unreliable machine ‘easier’ than turning up, speaking to a human being and buying a ticket? For younger viewers reading this and thinking it’s ridiculous, I will say only this. One day this sort of thing will happen to you. Technology will continue to advance, and you’ll be impacted by changes that you don’t like and don’t want. That’s my rant for the day!

@Malc1 FYI the cars I’m looking at are cheaper - not by much but a bit - on a monthly PCP than the RX. No great shock there - they are £35-40k (list) whereas the RX was £60k (list). Actually based on discussions this week, I could be as much as £1500-£2000 per year in credit if I change (less than that depending on insurance costs as per the above). I do know - as has been pointed out - that running an old car is financially more prudent. I’ve got a 2004 car in the garage. My choice - because it is what I like - is to have a newer car. I’m prepared to pay a price for that, to a point. Some people like holidays, some like expensive watches, some buy bigger houses than they need. I like a new car, but if my insurance is going to be £1000+ next year then it won’t be an RX.

I’m moving in the direction of keeping the RX, at least until next year. However, the past few days mooching around car dealers and driving different vehicles has been useful for a number of reasons. - I’ve decided that a smaller petrol or petrol/hybrid simply won’t do the job after the RX. The sacrifice in driving experience is too great. But… - A smaller EV would do the job very well in terms of driving, if I can make range in Winter on the motorway work for my 1-2 times each month 200 mile round trips without charging during the journey. The new VW id3 was a pleasant surprise (don’t laugh!) as was the new KIA eNiro. Both have c300 mile WLTP ranges and should do the Winter motorway trips with range to spare. - Part-ex prices for the RX are excellent. I was concerned about the impact of theft on prices - similar to insurance impacts - but see no evidence of that based on offers made. - However, despite all that I still love the RX experience. Savings are relatively small, unless - and this is the big one - insurance next year rises significantly again. I’m simply not prepared to pay £1000 or more to insure a car, however much I like it. So, come Feb-March I’ll get some renewal quotes and decide from there. The good news is that if I do decide to change the KIA (especially) gives me a really good route to a smaller car with the features I want with insurance (based on a quick comparison quote today) of only £280 per year. Combine that c£400 annual saving with the c£500 saving on VED and I can start to make a case. However, if my RX insurance starts to recede back to the £350 pa I was paying in 2021/22 then that case diminishes again.

2004 petrol MINI Cooper! The charger came with the house…😆

Yes, I’ve paid it once already - first year was covered in the purchase price, November 2022 I paid it on first renewal. From memory the total road tax comes to about £550 - the extra ‘luxury’ element is £400 or thereabouts with ‘normal’ VED on top. Interested to note that EVs don’t attract this ‘luxury’ VED regardless of cost. Perhaps, given my mileage, I should investigate an EV. One for consideration tomorrow, especially as I already have a home charger fitted.

It’s a fair question. I’m now at that stage in life when I’m planning for the time I won’t be able to work - which given my disability may be prior to actual retirement - so I’m pumping as much as I can into investments and pensions while clearing my mortgage. Having a wonderful but expensive car sitting on my drive as an ornament most of the time doesn’t feel like a great use of that money, albeit I do understand the trade-off and the fact that a truly rational person would simply buy an older and even cheaper car that would do the job I need!

Over the past few weeks, with insurance prices for the RX450h being what they are and with my VED ‘luxury car tax’ coming up in the Autumn, I’ve been mulling a downsize. It’s true to say I don’t need a car the size of my RX. I have no children and no pets, and my annual mileage is only about 5,000 pa. On paper a smaller car makes perfect sense. But…but… Last week I had a UX250h for a day while my RX was having the headlight security plates fitted. This week I’ve test driven the new Honda HR-V. Based on my requirements they hit the spot. I need a higher seating position due to fairly significant mobility issues, so an SUV type it has to be. I’ve thought about going down the size chart as far as a Jazz / Yaris, but think that would be too great a shock in one move. Anyway, what I’ve established / reminded myself is that the RX really is a great car. Wonderful even. The difference in road noise especially between it and smaller vehicles is remarkable. Yes, I’m sure I’d get used to it, but do I want to? I can only reference the difference between flying mid or long-haul in Business Class (actually my preference is Virgin Upper Class) and Premium Economy. I always fly that way when somebody else is paying, and it’s made flying any other way very difficult. The same seems to be true when driving my RX. Both the HR-V and UX were fine. They drive very well, and are far more nimble than the RX as you’d expect. They are comfortable - the Honda has the edge both for seats and ride quality imho - and quality is good. The UX has a very slight edge here, but it is slight and I still don’t like the slab sided plastic door cards. The UX is quieter than the Honda, and quite noticeably so - but very much louder than the RX. What I now need to decide is whether the financial savings are worth the change next Spring. It won’t be an easy decision, but for anybody else used to an RX all I can say is this - once you’ve travelled Business Class, going back to Economy is harder than you’d think!

Having owned one RX, and driven others, I’ve never noticed anything like this. Very odd.

As I understand it, there are pros and cons for ‘soft’ vs ‘hard’ paint finishes (and the differences are apparently quite small). The pro detailer who has ceramic coated my last two Lexus much prefers ‘soft’ finishes as they are easier to correct and bring back to a better condition. The ‘con’ of that is that they need greater maintenance to stay looking good, but the ‘pro’ - as we’ve seen here - is that even without that regular care and attention they are easier to get looking good again. I’ve owned a few cars with ‘harder’ paint finishes - VAG group are famous for them. They’re designed to stay looking shiny with minimum effort, and they do achieve that. However, their harder finish is also quite brittle, and chips far more easily. They’re also more difficult to correct, especially for the amateur at home. Personally I’d take a ‘softer’ finish over a ‘harder’ one every time. I also believe that (at least) the newer Lexus models have ‘self-healing’ paint too, where the clear coat reacts with heat - either via a heat lamp or strong sunlight to ‘heal’ minor swirl marks and suchlike. I’d always thought such things were nothing more than marketing guff, but having now had three Lexus in a row I do think they work. Either that or I’m a victim of wishful thinking! One thing is for sure. In terms of the condition of your paintwork you’re far better leaving it dirty than washing it badly, either yourself or somebody else, as long as bird poo etc. is removed promptly. It’s poor washing technique(s) that puts swirls into paintwork.