Cs150

This was in Cambridge at around 10.30 in the morning this Sunday

Observed some strange activity around my ES this weekend. On the rare occasion did not fit a steering lock in a public car park; a person kept hanging around the car with a handheld gadget potentially a mobile? The vehicle was parked in a far corner of the car park near no other vehicles. Very odd behaviour. Unclear if they were planning to dismantle the wheel arch lining subject the right moment and attack the canbus or using some remote method? As soon as I approached the vehicle they immediately moved away, these vehicles appear to be a target....

Should work with either App, was using the standard one then switched to the plus version a few weeks past. When switching to the plus App it removed the vehicle from the standard one. Would not hurt to remove the vehicle and add again using the chassis number if needed.

The ES in the US like other Lexus vehicles has better quality and a greater range of accessories. The rubber floor mats look better than the EU versions. The dealers there even offer a PPF fitting presumably just for vulnerable areas at a reasonable cost.

For the A25 Dynamic Force engine fitted to the ES and other recent vehicles it will be complexity that impacts the lifespan. The longer term outlook is good for this unit but perhaps not as bright as that of the previous generation units: https://www.motorreviewer.com/engine.php?engine_id=127

AutoGlym Resin Polish is a great product but consider every time it is used it is abrasive, obviously not significantly but it does remove a tiny amount of the finish. Getting the paint in order then using Autoglym EGP with new coats of EGP when water repellency degrades would be better for durability.

Like the red but would be a little concerned about how it would wear compared to the black. This is obviously only a concern if you intend to keep it for a good while. Quite often older cars with red interior have black side bolsters where the red has faded away!

Some performance and specialist cars you can literally feel the difference with higher octane fuel. Quite often the smoothness is the obvious difference. With the ES it makes no difference 95 or 100 RON it feels the same.

I assure you it is not the case! Ordered mine new and waited nearly 12 months with almost no updates! Have also reported an incident to the forum in which I witnessed them almost damaging my nearly new vehicle at the time. Complaints only receive priority if you post comments in a public way e.g. Google or TrustPilot etc....

Thanks Len for posting details will do further research on this subject. Certainly food for thought the Modesta products and Huntsmiths detailers have some outstanding reviews.

Yes would be very interested to see shots of this Len. Thinking of getting something quite exotic for a weekend toy so will potentially consider this treatment as in the US especially it has an outstanding reputation.

The Modesta product seems interesting based on some reading done. Considering the actual core product is around £450 with a premium formula around £750 which consists of BC04 and BC05 multiple layers it must cost well over £1k to have these applied by a detailer.

The repaired panel that the body shop worked on, the Ceramic coat would now need to be applied to this repair area? Does it not look uniform the finish without this area being treated with the Modesta product?

Did consider Ceramic coating mine. Called two detailers one quite a famous one in the industry. They advised realistically it would only be good for 12 months even using the best products money can buy in terms of a Ceramic finish. Also asked would it help against stone chips both gave the same answer that was no and they advised the soft Lexus paint can chip easily. Perhaps different detailers will provide different answers and in reality perhaps it would last longer. In the end simply used high quality wax which typically lasts for a good 6-7 months.

For anyone interested waxed the ES for the second time during the 9 months since collecting the vehicle new, it seemed to have left the factory with no protection and the Graphite Black appears to respond well to a product being applied. Rather than take layers off the vehicle with a polish product opted to add layers with Autoglym Extra Gloss Protection, applied in total 5 coats. Did Try the expensive Autoglym High Definition Wax on a single panel but was disappointed with the amount of duress needed to buff the product away and could see it potentially causing hazing in the lacquer due to the significant pressure that needs to be applied to the delicate Lexus finish. The Extra Gloss Protection product is also cheaper and does not need much pressure being added to the vehicle surface to remove.

Been taken out in BMWs recently one was 2018 the other 2020 both 3 series and as a passenger felt very mediocre indeed. Rattles evident and certainly not smooth probably related to the harsh diesel power delivery. Does not provide a solid feel when it comes to build quality. The Mondeo was driving until last year actually felt a better screwed together vehicle. If this is what a status symbol is then really people can keep it and enjoy their status. Additionally If this is what the motoring press feel is the best they are certainly living in a parallel universe.

Honestly what is there to argue about the ES is a big comfy barge that can be purchased new for £32/33k. That is of course the Premium Edition if you haggle hard. It is a large amount of car for the money with a potential decade long warranty if you keep up the servicing. Let people look down on it all opinions are subjective....

Very convincing, will look to acquire a high powered BMW on a PCP deal as soon as time permits...

Nothing against German cars but simply a personal dislike of the BMW attitude on the roads that tends to be evidenced most days. A badge that often is seen in the rear view mirror a few feet from the rear bumper. A badge that often symbols poor levels of consideration and driving ability based on frequent observed events. Also speaks volumes that many buyers on a wider subject do not care about the longer term durability. Society is certainly not as critically thinking or frugal compared to previous generations...

The great thing for me personally about the ES and why it was bought is that it is not rear wheel drive or has the BMW badge. Absolutely fine with it being a plush version of the Avalon with better sound proofing. Whilst it has some silly short comings it is very much a bargain with the discounts offered. The build quality is generally solid unlike some premium German rivals. Some model year BMWs have plastic guides that cause the timing chain to fail at low mileage. In terms of comparison with the GS Hybrid which is a nice car; the ES is far smoother especially at low speed.

A brand new Premium Edition model can be had for £32 - 33k depending on how good and determined you are at haggling and time it when a dealer has figures to hit. I collected a brand new Premium Edition in November 2022 for £31.5k having pushed the dealer to the limit.

As a fairly recent Lexus customer in recieving a new vehicle late last year dealer experience has been appalling. Service noticeably inferior to the local Ford and Kia dealers that I have direct experience with. Lexus UK in communication come across out of touch, distant and a million miles away from the original intentions of the brand many years past.

It is not acceptable to sell recent build cars with such defects on the approved scheme unless there is a very low bar for quality. Selling with the defect simply allowed the dealer a greater margin. I personally would have bought a brand new factory build Premium Edition for essentially the same money.

ES is a bargain but only due to the massive discounts that are available if you do your due diligence. Upon searching for a new car in late 2021 I was going to buy a gen 4 Prius. I know it gets stick for being boring but was quite happy with 120bhp, actually quite like the shape and enjoy being underestimated in life and was additionally quite happy with the perceived poor image. Safe in the knowledge it would do mega miles without serious issues. Focus changed to the ES after discovering it would cost a mere £5k more than a new Prius! It is much more car for the money! Whilst the ES has silly short comings such as rear seats that do not fold flat, lack of spare wheel on UK versions plus some evidence of outright poor build quality such as some corrosion on under bonnet items it is still good value.

Only Toyota know the policy here, since Convid parts are in short supply. A manufacturing company I do some consultancy for have a dual sourcing policy for some mission critical components...