Rob RCF

Yeah, I had the same kind of realisation. Why spend an extra £10k to save a few hundred a year, it only makes sense financially if you're keeping the car for well over 10 years. The heated steering wheel would be nice though... as would the shorter gearing and weight savings.

I like the PS4S once they are warm, but when cold they are almost comically bad at times. Are the PS4 any better in that regard?

At least the tyres only have to be done every few years and you actually get something tangible for your money. Road tax being £630 per year now is what pains me. The later GPF-equipped cars are £165 per year. Ouch! That is some bad luck. Maybe your home insurance will cover it?

Firstly congrats on your purchase and welcome. I went from a Seat Leon with the DSG to my RCF and I can definitely relate. With the DSG you could just stamp your foot down, it would downshift to the lowest possible gear almost instantly and off you go. With the RCF you stamp your foot down, wait 1-2 seconds while it goes "uhhhh", then when you think you've finally got some power it's only in third, then if you keep your foot planted it will eventually drop into second. This whole process seems to take almost like 3+ seconds at times, it's awful. Often by the time it's finally downshifted, it's too late and you have to let off, which makes for quite a frustrating experience. I do have a few suggestions though as it's certainly not all bad, you may just need to reframe how you approach the car. Firstly, when you're just driving around normally you have to appreciate how smooth the shifts are, it's almost imperceptible. The RCF has its roots as a luxury car, and you can tell. If you can appreciate this it makes the car better. If you don't care about smoothness or luxury and just want rawness all the time, then it might not be the best car for you. Secondly understand the transmission's "learning" behaviour which basically just means it will try to switch into the correct programming depending on how you're currently driving. So if you're driving around normally using smaller throttle inputs the trans will be in "lazy mode" which keeps you in a high gear and keeps everything very smooth. It will also have a hard time reacting to any sudden big inputs. Start driving a bit more spiritedly and you'll notice the transmission change to a more aggressive program where it holds lower gears and is more keen to downshift. If you drive normally again, it will go back into "lazy mode" after 5-10 seconds. Frustratingly, there are some exceptions to this. I've had times where I've been cruising along at 40mph in 7th just in normal mode, have planted my foot down and the trans dropped straight into 2nd gear and gave me a swift burst of acceleration. I wish the car did this all the time, but sadly it doesn't and I'm still not quite sure why. It might depend on temperature, what gear you're currently in, or how quickly you press the pedal. Thirdly use Sport mode more. If I want to drive a little spiritedly (normal for me, but not full hooligan) I almost always use Sport mode. I just find it gives a nice balance between Normal and the full Sport S+. It also sounds a little nicer as you don't have the fake engine noise. Fourth, and this is probably fairly obvious, but if you really want to drive the car properly you almost always want to be in manual mode. Manual mode is great, as long as you're doing mostly sequential shifting the response is almost instant and you get a nice shove in your back with each upshift and a very nice blip on high-rpm downshifts. All the above problems disappear when you're in manual mode. You can also hold gears all the way to the limiter, unlike the auto modes which seem to upshift a few hundred rpm early. One last thing is the trans is usually at its worst when it's cold. The transmission needs to get up to temp for the fluid to expand to the right volume and reach the right viscosity and for the clutches to warm up, it will also constantly shortshift and auto-upshift when cold. You might also want to get the trans fluid drained and refilled if it hasn't been done yet. Even though it's a "lifetime" fluid there are still benefits to changing it every 50k/5yr. Although I think the transmission is the worst part of the car, it does have its redeeming factors. It does the smooth stuff when you want it, it also can be quite extreme when you're in the mood. My main problem with it is actually the gear ratios, just too long and spaced out in the lower gears. Edit - One more thing since you mentioned feeling disconnected, if you want to feel as connected to the car as possible, you want manual mode, sport S+ and then if you press the traction control button you will go into Expert mode which turns off traction control and lets you spin the wheels and even get the car a bit sideways. This gets you most of the way there, but there's also "Expert Dark" which is where you instead hold down the button for 3 seconds, this turns off traction and stability control. Whenever I'm in this mode the car just feels that bit sharper, even the throttle response seems a touch better. Obviously use at your own risk, especially in the wet or with cold tyres.

Yeah I've got new Denso blades on now as well. Good to be back to the proper OE ones.

I couldn't see any obvious logos. Just some kind of manufacturer code where the arm connects. Interesting product. Surely the included screen treatment is what's causing the repellency rather than the blade itself though? Personally I use a screenwash called Angelwax Clarity which gives a bit of that hydrophobic effect. It's not as good as a dedicated glass coating of course, but takes little/no extra effort.

Thanks everyone for informing me that the Denso ones are in fact the ones to get. It's a shame the Lexus dealership are swapping the OE ones out for inferior blades (though still Lexus branded!). This must catch a lot of people out.

Anyone else had these yet? My local dealer recently fitted some replacement wipers to my car, I asked them to keep the old ones for me as I heard they sometimes get replaced with a different (probably inferior) kind of blade. To me the blades looked similar enough at first glance, and I put the old ones in the garage and forgot about them for a few weeks. Until, the other day I noticed my driver side new blade had started to squeak constantly in the rain. Pulled off the new blades to compare to the old ones and they are in fact quite different. Here's a picture: The wet blades are the "new" (squeaky) ones. They are a bit thinner and seem to be more flexible overall, but actually a much simpler design with fewer articulating pieces compared to the old ones. They also lack the metal bands from the old ones. And here's what the boxes look like. Genuine Toyota/Lexus parts, but I'm not convinced these are as good as the original ones that came with the car. They seem to wipe okay, but the squeaking obviously puts me off. The old ones rarely if ever squeaked. Any thoughts? I will probably try to get hold of some rubber inserts so that I can replace the rubbers and keep using the old ones. Anyone managed to get the inserts from their dealer?

Yeah they are always really good to me for some reason. Last time the car was in they found my passenger side wiper rubber was starting to tear and they replaced both wiper blades free of charge. Looks like the differential oil should be inspected every 18 months/15k miles. Not sure when it's best to change it, maybe every 6 years. I intend to get mine done soon, along with the coolant.

I think they just included it in the cost of the service (around £800) so I'm not sure about the cost of the work in isolation. Yeah I might be able to tackle some of this stuff myself too, the trouble is it can easily get quite difficult if you don't have the proper equipment, tools, etc. You also need a level surface. I used to work on my old Hondas at home, it was usually a struggle though, limited tools and experience, sometimes the car was in pieces for days while I waited for new parts.

Yes I had mine done in June this year. It didn't take much persuasion actually, I just asked if they had time to do it while it was in for the major service. The dealers will sometimes try to talk you out of doing stuff that isn't part of the normal schedule though, I think they are well-intentioned and just trying to save you from doing work that doesn't "need" doing. Just be persistent, remember it's your car and your decision. It's not a sealed unit, it can be drained and filled like any other transmission. The dipstick is built into the drain plug and it's all part of the refill process which involves deliberately overfilling the oil and then bringing the trans up to temp which lets the excess oil drain out. Watch The Car Care Nut's videos about it on youtube if you want to learn more, he explains it in great detail. And yes you want to do a "drain and refill" every 6 years or 60k miles. Not a flush, and don't do it more often than that either. It's not like engine oil where you want to get as much out as possible, you actually want to leave some old oil in there as it contains clutch material which helps the clutches work. Some people claim they "changed the fluid now the trans shifts so much better" etc. In my experience there wasn't a big change. Maybe a little smoother when cold or more consistent shifts, stuff like that.

Welcome, nice RCF, I don't think I've seen a silver one before! Not too sure about the oversized plate, a bit distracting imo. 6600 is absurdly low mileage for a 2015 car, it's barely been driven! I thought my 2016 was low for only having 21k miles lol. Enjoy it! They are special cars. Btw, I'm not too sure about the oversized plate on the rear, a bit distracting imo.

Sorry to hear you're having to sell so soon. I'm well aware of how situations can change and sometimes you need to make the "sensible" choice. It sucks, but it will pay off in the long run. Btw, I'm glad you raised the price as the original listing seemed far too cheap for an RCF.

He's not kidding, I've heard Kieran's car in person and it must be one of the loudest exhausts I've ever heard. For many people it would be far too much. You have been warned! 😄

Okay, I'm not sure then, I turned mine off as soon as I saw how it behaved and haven't used it since. I think the sensitivity can be adjusted for the normal lights, but not sure about the main beams (at least on RCF).

Do you have auto main beam on and also left your main beams clicked on lol? That could easily explain this behaviour... For what it's worth I turned that feature off, it seemed to overreact to things in front of the car and would often turn the main beams off at times when I wanted them on.

What do you like about eco? Not a loaded question, genuinely interested, as I find it so horrible, the accelerator pedal feels like pressing on a sponge.

Yeah I thought the same when I first drove it, the transmission seemed reluctant to downshift, especially on tighter roads when you don't have any long straights to keep your foot planted. Bear in mind I came from a car with a DSG. Any frustrations faded away as soon as I switched to manual mode. It can be fun in auto though, you need to at least be in sport mode and when you start getting on it the transmission does "wake up" and will really start to hold low gears and even blip the throttle when you get hard on the brakes which is quite awesome. Then if you relax your inputs for a few seconds it calms down again and goes back into a higher gear. I don't think there's too much to worry about with the oldest ones per se, and one creak shouldn't be too hard to fix. If the car's in great condition otherwise I wouldn't let that put you off. But it's always a good idea to drive more than one.

This would worry me too tbh! Although, if your drive's quite steep it's understandable. What happens if you park the other way round? Another possibility is the lower ambient temps meaning the oil isn't quite as hot as it would be during the warmer months.

Were you in auto or manual mode? The transmission can be pretty laggy at times, especially if you're driving normally and then suddenly floor it and it has to work out how to get from 8th > 2nd. The throttle itself should feel very responsive though, especially in manual mode and Sport S+. If you're not sure, try to drive another one to compare. I wouldn't want a creaky Lexus though. Keep it as a negotiation point maybe. "I'll buy it if you fix the interior creaks".

I guess this is why they usually don't let customers interact directly with the techs, he seems to be getting a bit defensive, and bringing up his grievances with the time it takes and such as if that's your concern seems a bit inappropriate. Maybe you should try a different angle like discussing it more with the service manager as you don't want it to be too personal between you and the tech. He's probably quite overworked and stressed, so try to diffuse the pressure a bit. Tell them you're not in a rush, but you're concerned about your car which you feel is displaying the exact symptoms from the TSB and you'd like to book it in for another look. Sometimes a bit of persistence is key as it shows you're not just going to go away. If they still push back and you really want to dig your heels in you can ask them who do you need to speak to to make a formal complaint. Although, if you've already escalated it to Lexus UK it might be best to wait and see what happens. Or offer to cover the cost of the labour while they investigate, to be reimbursed if they can verify the issue and cover it under warranty (I doubt they would ever agree to this, but it might force them to take the issue more seriously if you're offering to put money down).

I'm a bit of a fanboy of the Car Care Nut who has a lot of information about about various fluid change intervals. Trans fluid is every 6 years or 60k, he goes into quite a bit of detail as to why you shouldn't flush or change it too often either, as you want to leave a bit of clutch material in the oil. 4:10 but the whole video is a good watch, he also mentions spark plugs towards the end:

The Scheduled Maintenance Log, which (confusingly) contradicts the manual: Although it does make reference on other pages to the "Federal Emission Control Warranty" which is a US thing. I'm not totally clear on whether this applies in the UK, but wouldn't be surprised, as we obviously have more stringent emissions requirements than the US. Bring this up with a Lexus dealer and they will just say changing the plugs it's part of the service schedule (which they receive directly from Lexus). You can try to ask in more detail, but at least in my experience, they don't know. The only thing I got was them asking the "warranty adviser" or someone, who just said "it may affect the warranty". Maybe you'll have better luck, but I feel like they are just reluctant to go into detail about this kinda stuff, so it's hard to get any solid information. I find it a shame that we are almost forced into changing some parts early, while other things that should get changed more often are set for unrealistically long schedules (like transmission fluid, coolant, even engine oil).

What.

Yeah I did mine this year in June and it was £800. I wanted to wait until 60k miles to do the plugs, but the dealership told me it would affect the warranty, same as you. In the end I caved and let them get on with it, although I do slightly regret it as those iridium plugs are proven to go 100k miles with ease, but as least I can show all the proper servicing has been done.