Gary H

My 2020 UX F-Sport has red leather and whilst the leather itself is still more or less 'as new' throughout - (just with a few incredibly minor creases showing on the front side bolsters of both seats if I'm being really fussy), I’ve noticed my seat appears a little ‘darker’ than it used to be. I’ve tried cleaning it with both leather cleaner and warm water with a drop of fairly liquid in. Whilst it does bring it up a little, it still seems fractionally darker than the rear. Now that really is looking superb!

Ohh, don't give me ideas! I wonder what my UX would look like with a tan or brown vinyl roof?! 🤔 Or make it an F-Sport with brown racing stripes! 😜

It took me 12 months and three days before I got so much as a build month for the NX I have on order...and if it's awaiting shipping as we speak, it took 13 months finally get it built. I'd imagine your UX would be getting built imminently if the dealer are advising you delivery in September. They'll need to get it shipped out sometime this month I would have guessed - given the time it takes to get across to the UK. Unfortunately I can't comment on how the app operates. My outstanding order has never shown on it (just another bugbear to add to the long list of issues during this process...).

I remember reading about this ‘Brown Edition’ at the time! I picked up my UX only about three weeks earlier and remember thinking I’d have happily gone for that over my F-Sport with red leather had it been also available here in the UK. People who know me are quite aware that I do have a fondness for beige and brown! 😳😄 The one with the tan leather is, quite literally, my ultimate UX. It's a special edition which could have been built for me!

Azure Blue is a lovely colour. It was one of the colours that I was considering when I got my F Sport in 2020. I wanted either Azure Blue, Terrane Khaki or F Sport White (as I think it looks really sharp in white). In the end, I really wanted Terrane Khaki with the red leather, but after a visit to two separate dealers I was told I'd be facing something along the lines of a 16 week wait for that combination. If it wasn't 16 weeks, it was somewhere in that region. Oh how I raised an eyebrow to that - thinking that was a long lead time. Little did I know at the time that three years later I'd be into my 14th month of waiting for an NX... The first dealer (my local) had an F Sport in their showroom which they were offering to me - but it was in Sonic Titanium. I've never really been keen on that in the UX so it was a case of "thanks but no thanks". The second dealer I visited had exactly what I wanted sitting in their showroom. It was an F Sport. It had the red leather. It had the options I initially wanted - Premium Plus and the Tech & Safety Packs. However - it was F Sport White. So it was either wait the 16 weeks or I could take their showroom one in two weeks. I shook hands on the showroom model and took the advantage of picking up a then-new '20' plate only a few days into it's run. Fingers crossed your Azure Blue UX arrives in September, Chris. That should be about the time I'll be trading-in my F-Sport white one, with any luck!

I’ll admit I’ve never personally used a machine car wash on any of the cars I've owned in the 21 years I’ve been driving. I can't comment on how good modern machines are, but I know I've seen the odd article here and there mentioning improvements that have been made over the years. I honestly think the last time I went through one was one of the very few times my father took his company car through one (he knew it was going about three weeks/a month or so later) - so that would place it around the mid-nineties. I know there's two people at work who get this particular mobile car-washer who comes in every Wednesday. He seems a nice enough chap (I've spoken to him several times) and reasonably knowledgeable. His only downside, from what I can see, is that he doesn't do a very good job of drying the car off afterwards. These two particular cars he cleans, even when 'clean', clearly sport various spots of water contamination! One thing I would love to have and has very much been on my 'wish list' for the last couple of years has been an air dryer. It's one thing which I do lack from my own 'inventory'. There used to be a man who lived diagonally across the road from us who bought one to use on his own car (he was even fussier than me...) and I will admit I was a little jealous when I could hear him fire that up whilst I was out with my microfibre towels going through the door jams! Ohhh, don't remind me about seagulls! We've got some nesting on a nearby building where I work. I park in a specific spot out of the way and usually I 'get away' with it. You see, the other side of the car park has a pylon straddling it (birds often perch on it and...yes...the obvious happens) However, one day last week I come out of work to find both the bonnet and the windscreen quite literally ‘pebble dashed’. I got the worst of it off with the power jetter when I got home as there was far too much for the simple old-fashioned ‘hot, wet kitchen towel’ technique. Thanks, Len! No worries, I’ll certainly consider doing one when I get some spare time... I do have quite the reputation at work when it comes to car care!

I think he'd be too embarrassed to! I certainly know I wouldn't be able to show my face! 😄 Now, I don't actually mind that! It looks like it's on standard suspension but I'm willing to stand corrected on that if need be! Those alloys aren't oversized either and very much suit the car! A nice set of Pirellis on it to, it must be said!

Thanks! Unfortunately my UX has never made it to the Westcountry. I usually holiday in North Devon annually but that's not something we've been able to do since 2019 - a year before I got the UX. I do know Devon very well and Cornwall reasonably well. Our usual drive down there is in the region of 250-255 miles (depending on minor variations to the regular route we take) and it would have been nice to get an MPG comparison to previous cars on that particular run which I know so well, but sadly it's not to be with this car - unless there's something which is about to go seriously wrong with the NX I have on order... I admit I'm one of the slower drivers out there. Not slow enough to cause annoyance or a danger, but someone who'll happily cruise at 60-65mph on motorways and dual carriageways. Gentle on the throttle and gentle on the brakes where I can be. On previous drives to Suffolk in the UX, lower to mid fifties has been my average - but I think the previous two trips have been during colder months. I'll admit I was surprised to hit over 60mpg on that run. I was expecting mid-high fifties. Cheers! I have to say the air con/climate control in the UX is superb. The same goes for the F Sport seats in the UX. Both are something I'm planning on discussing in further detail in my final review of the car before it goes back - which as things stand is two (and a bit) months away. Mid fifties is about my usual average on a distance run. Impressive for it to remain that way (and more) over your 2000 miles. Very good indeed! 👍 It's good to know not only is the UX a very competent UK traveler, but much further afield also! 😄

Well folks, unless there's any unforeseeable circumstances, I’ve likely not long completed my last long distance round-trip in my UX before it's replacement comes (in the first half of September as things stand). Over the 466.6 miles (round trip to deepest Suffolk for an overnight stay to visit my brother) I averaged 61.4mpg overall. It's a record for that particular trip – which it's done five, maybe six times previously. Not bad at all considering the boot was full on the trip down and climate control was used throughout. I would have taken it a little more easily but due to some time constraints, I couldn't give it a truly fair 'economy test' so I'm reasonably confident I could have squeezed another 2/3mpg out of it. Still, I'm happy overall… So, my lasting thoughts on the UX as a distance cruiser? Great Climate Control, a decent standard radio (when used) and surprisingly comfortable for it's size, thanks to great F-Sport seats up front. I've always been impressed of the ability it has to munch up the miles considering it’s size. I've had two cars bigger than it, which were also great but certainly no better than the UX. Credit where credit is due. I've done three(?) 350-odd mile round trips in a day in it and given I do have the odd lower back complaint, I've very rarely had issues with the Lexus' seats. Maybe the odd ache towards the end of those particular drives, but that really is a lot of miles to do in a day in any car… I've only got praise for the UX in this respect. So, in the final two months and a bit of owning the UX (again – subject to change), I suspect all it'll do will be commuting back and forth to work and the odd day trip out at the weekends. Overall, I've enjoyed owning it for the last three years and four months. It's not perfect by any means and does have a few minor flaws, but I'm planning on doing a bigger 'reviewy thing' at the end of my ownership…hopefully in a few months time.

Update-but-not-an-update time...if that makes sense. 🤔 Still, it's better than the twelve months of 'radio silence'. Earlier this afternoon I've received a text message from the salesperson to say everything remains on track for my NX350h Takumi to be at the dealers on 4th September. This date hasn't changed since I was initially told this at the end of May (I think it was the end of may - you'll have to look back through the thread to confirm...). I recall from the previous video text that I managed to take a very quick screenshot which said 4th September - 'no later than' 18th September. So for argument's sake, I'm just calling it 'first half of September'. However, none of my previous questions from my last post have been answered. I've no idea if the car has been built or it's sitting at the factory awaiting to be put on a boat. Your guess is still as good as mine on that one... All I know for sure is that it has not been shipped out yet. He said it "won't be long until it's on a ship". What that ship will be...? Again, you tell me. So as things stand, if this date remains the same I'll be looking at around 15 and a half months from order to collection if it's there in early September. If we're looking at what's the 'worst case scenario' from that date range, it'll be pushing very close to 16 months. I'm told I'll soon be invited down to the dealer to go over the finance and of course get the trade-in value for my UX. Given the extended wait for my car (which again, has zero options on it), I don't think Lexus quite understand what the word 'soon' means, but we'll just have to wait and see. I'm sorry to hear that and believe me, I know how infuriating it is. People like ourselves, who are well over the first anniversary of our orders, are beyond the frustrated mark. As I've said in previous posts on this thread, I'm only aware of two or three fellow members who have waited even longer than I have... We're in quite an unwanted, exclusive club. 😕

I have to admit that I’m a self-confessed ‘car washer’ from a family of ‘car washers’! 😄 Well, by that I mean I’m someone who treats a car like a member of the family. An extension to the house as it were... I take after my father in this respect, who has also always taken pride in his car. My late grandfather was also very similar. I suppose it runs in the family! I do have multiple tales from over the years to tell but that's genuinely worth a thread in itself. There are, of course, exceptions to the rule but generally speaking we’ve always washed our own car and of course, thanks to the likes of YouTube and a few specific content-creators we watch with regards to car-washing, have employed the ‘two bucket’ method e.t.c for a number of years. Generally speaking, a fortnightly wash is about average. Sometimes that’s extended to three weeks but it doesn’t often go beyond that unless there’s some unusual or exceptional circumstance. Several years ago during the winter months, I will admit we did take our cars up to our local hand washing place instead of spending an hour and a half/two hours outside doing it ourselves out in the freezing old. It was very highly rated and to be fair to them, it was worth the wait in the queue. Whilst they didn’t do the car to our own standards, they certainly weren’t too far wide of the mark. It only required around five minutes of ‘titivation’ when we got back home to bring it up to an acceptable standard given the time of the year. Unfortunately once they started to get in a few different members of staff (in around 2018/19), we noticed they were taking much less care on the alloys and they quickly no longer had any concept of an electronic boot. On two occasions they did try to force it to close manually. It was at this point both myself and my father decided to ‘call it a day’ on using them and we have now reverted back to washing our own cars ourselves in the winter - and putting up with the cold. My UX has never been to this hand car washing place. It’s always been done by ourselves. My father (aged 70) is understandably now getting to the age where it’s becoming more of a chore than a pleasure for him. Whilst he does still enjoy car washing, he has to ‘build himself up’ to it these days. We both suffer from Arthritis (mine’s rheumatoid, his is the age-related osteoarthritis - mainly his lower back) so the pair of us often look at our cars and wonder, every so often, if we can let them go ‘another week’! 🤔😄 Obviously there will become a point where we’ll both have to refer back to hand-car washing places but we’ll certainly carry on our usual car washing practice for as long as we can.

So, we're now getting towards the end of June. I was told that my NX had a build date of 'June'. Has it been delayed again? I don't know (and remember - I'm now up to my fifth estimated date). Is it being built as we speak? I don't know. Has it completed build? I don't know. Has it left the factory? I don't know. Has it ben put onto a ship? I don't know. Not that I was really expecting anything else after 13 months of mostly silence/basic scraps of information, but so much for promises from the dealer of keeping me updated as soon as there's any news... So, onwards into the 14th month I go...

If it was my own choice between the pair, I'd go for the LS. I do like the RX, but it's black - and having had black in the past I know just how much they take to keep clean (and I'm a really fussy so and so when it comes to car cleanliness). Both are overpriced though, I agree. The LS may be nicely specced and low mileage for it's age, but there's no way that can be still worth £19k, surely?! I'm quite shocked by that, to be honest. I thought around the £11-12k mark would have bought anyone a really nice example around that age, but the used market is very much 'broken' at the moment with high prices.

Each to their own of course, but I really don't understand why people do this to their cars - especially those sorts of cars which were more expensive than average to begin with. I've seen things like this happen with multiple early IS's over the years and it's sad to see them look like, well, sheds. A Lexus is designed to be a 'comfortable, floaty' thing. It's not really designed for large alloys and practically zero suspension. It seems to be the sort of car which if I was good in front of a camera for the likes of YouTube, buy it, put it back to completely standard and then sell it on again.

I’m relieved in a way that I know it’s not ‘just me’ who is witnessing this because for a while, shortly before becoming a member on here, I thought maybe I’m being too harsh with my grumps with the sales team I’ve now been dealing with for 13 months. I know I’ve been asked what dealer I use, but out of respect and decency whilst my long-standing order remains ongoing, I’ve chosen not to say for now. Given my location, that certainly limits the possibilities. All I’ll say is that my dealer has been discussed by at least one other former member in the past (after a bit of searching), but our experiences are very much ‘chalk and cheese’. Recently in another post I said that that it’s unlikely I’ll be dealing with my particular dealer again after I collect my new car (currently due in September) and would unlikely buy another Lexus after this upcoming one based on this experience alone. It would take something pretty special from them in the remaining time I have to wait (or upon collection) for me to change my mind on that. Given how woefully uncommunicative they have been for over a year since I placed my order, in my heart I think enough damage has already been done. I’ve never, ever felt this way about one particular dealer of any brand I’ve dealt with in the past and it does shock me that Lexus, in my opinion, have very much let themselves down. What I find particularly sad is that I’m quite a ‘soft’ person and I am beginning to feel as though I’ve been taken advantage of. I don’t particularly like confrontations but it’s had to get to that point over the last month or so just in order to get something...anything...to happen. I can see it all bubbling up when it comes to sorting out the finance with them/getting a trade-in value on my existing car and again on collection day.

I must admit I’ve never heard of ‘Waze’ before now... I’ve just had to Google it. It just highlights I’m the technophobe I know I am! 😄

I don’t remember there being any major issues when contacting the service side at my local dealer to be honest. I have to give credit where credit is due, there... I think on all but one occasion I’ve got through first time (within a few minutes my call is dealt with and finished) and the one time I recall having to leave a message for a call back, they did so about an hour later. Maybe slightly less. If there has been anything more major than that, I certainly can’t remember. The sales side, however, is a different story unfortunately. I’ve moaned and groaned about them often enough elsewhere in our forum but getting through first time is a miracle and it often involves two or three requests for a callback. All I’ll say is I’m hoping when I collect my new car in another two and a half/three months, I’ll never have to deal with them again.

I've only had a low battery (key fob) warning once. It took me aback a bit as the car had only been in for it's service about a month prior. I honestly thought, or assumed rather, replacing the battery in the key was a standard part of the service (it certainly was the case at other manufacturers I've dealt with in the past). Anyway, fortunately everything on the car still worked and after a quick five minutes on YouTube, I managed to replace it myself. It's a little bit fiddly as I thought it would be, but it wasn't too bad and I got there in the end.

That sounds about right based on my own experience. I ordered mine (NX350h Takumi) in May 2022 and currently being told it's due at the dealer the first half of September (they've said the 4th, but of course that could slip...) - so adding three months for your order would indeed place it more like December as things stand. Hopefully things will speed up. I'm told mine is currently 'in build' but had no update on this for three weeks. I've not been told anything by my dealer but that does very much seem to be the case judging from fellow members on here. It seems the 450h's are coming in quite a bit sooner than the 350h's. It's rather frustrating (and that's putting it very mildly). Snap. 👍 I was told three weeks ago mine was 'in build' for June and delivery is estimated as 4th September. Looking at the screenshot I've got from the salesman's screen, it's showing as 4th September - 18th September. I wish you luck with the Tesla. I've only been told my car is now 'in build' and my order was placed in May 2022. So, I'm literally a few days short of 13 months and it's only just being built... It is a ridiculous situation, yes. Especially when you know others with fundamentally the same car have had theirs built, shipped and delivered by then. It really doesn't leave you with an impression that you're a 'valued customer'. Believe me, if I knew at the start of this year that I'd be waiting until at least September (which is three months beyond what my initial date was - and currently my fifth estimated date given to me...), it would have been cancelled and I'd have gone elsewhere. Indeed. As I've said before, I think Toyota/Lexus as a company is going to lose a lot of respect it's gained over the years for this. My father has always rated Toyota since the late 80's when he had an E plate Carina II (the earlier T150 shape) as a company car. He's been truly shocked by what I've experienced with Lexus over the last 13 months and it's changed his opinion of the group somewhat. I'm just going to wait and see how Lexus (or my dealer) acknowledge/respond to what will likely be my 15/16 month wait for a mid-size SUV because if they don't...well...I'm almost certain it'll be the last car I'll buy from the company. I'm an incredibly patient person and do have relatives in the trade (two of which were former factory workers themselves) so I've been sympathetic of the situation. This experience however, has gone beyond my own level of patience and in my own case, the lack of basic communication is unforgiveable. It's only because I'm so far 'down the line' with my order now that I've decided to keep it ongoing. Obviously we'll just have to wait and see what happens when it comes to me eventually collecting the car but...it's really not looking good for them at the moment. 😕

I’m quite a stickler for maintenance. I’ve always considered myself to be quite ‘old fashioned’ in my view of servicing my car every year or 10,000 miles. It’s a rule I’ve followed for the last 21 years. So far, touch wood, it’s not let me down in terms of reliability e.t.c... I’ve had at least three cars with those longer two year / 20,000 mile service intervals but regardless of that, it’s still been serviced yearly regardless. I’d never personally let a car go that long without being serviced, but that’s just me. I’ve personally seen a couple of horror stories eventually develop from friends and old work colleagues who have done this and it just seems to be a way to prematurely wear out a car mechanically in order for it to be replaced sooner rather than later. I do personally feel on modern cars that servicing over the likes of 6000 miles is a little excessive (unless a year has passed and you haven’t done the miles...’I’m guilty as charged’ on that front), but again, that’s just my humble opinion. Each to their own. I could understand this on a much older engine (carburettors, classic cars...) or perhaps a worn engine in which you’re trying to make it last as long as possible, but on cars under 10 years old for example - I don’t really see the point.

Ouch. That really is chronic. I do feel for you. I'm currently waiting on an NX Takumi which is currently due at the dealer in September to the best of my latest knowledge - at which point I'll be at the 15 month mark from ordering to point of collection. Obviously, this still remains 'subject to change' 😒. It does seem to be the case those with Takumis on order (regardless of what Lexus model it is) seem to be really suffering. As I've said elsewhere, I only hope the dealers do acknowledge/address this in some way but I have no faith they will. I remember when I got my UX back in 2020... I took the showroom model because barring the colour, it was exactly the spec I wanted (the option packs, plus the red leather). If I wanted exactly the same thing but in my first choice of colour, I'd have had a 16 week wait or thereabouts. I didn't know just how bad the situation would be two years down the line when ordering it's replacement. 16 weeks is nothing now!

I didn't know this place existed until the turn of this year, when I was starting to grow concerned over the extended waiting time (which is still ongoing...) for the NX350h Takumi that I've had on order for almost 13 months, now. I was basically doing a Google search to see if there was any information online because I was getting nowhere with the dealer. I was also looking to see if others had similar issues. I then found last year's thread on NX Waiting Times, which, hey presto, led me onto this forum. The rest, as they say, is history!

I do like the lighter interiors, Alan! I know they're more impractical but if you care for your cars as I do, there isn't really much of an issue. I've had black leather a few times in the past and to be honest, I grew bored of how sombre the interiors looked quite quickly. Unfortunately with those particular cars, they didn't come with an option for any other colour for the leather. Like in the words of Henry Ford, you could have had it in any colour as long as it was black! I have a 2020 UX F-Sport which has the red leather option. It very much lightens up the interior, although being an F-Sport, it still has the dark headlining, which does make the cabin feel a little more 'enclosed' than what yours will feel with the lighter one. I currently have an NX Takumi on order which will come with the Hazel (tan) leather.

I'm thinking along the same mindset, Deb. Not directing it to the customer, but certainly in the direction of both the dealers and the factory. They know full well how long some people have had to wait for fundamentally the same car - and yet they're still expected to be happy and satisfied customers when they know full well others have been getting them without the extended 12-15 month (plus) extended wait. In my case, it was just over a year before I even got so much as a build month... Others had their cars built, shipped and even delivered in some cases by then. I know there are one or two others who have had to wait even longer than me - Feb '22 orders. My order was placed towards the end of May '22 and I'm convinced it's only because I've complained three times to Customer Services that they've finally, reluctantly, decided to put my car into build. If I had sat back and said nothing, I bet I'd still be at the 'back of the queue' seemingly indefinitely. These are very much points I'll be raising when it comes to sorting out the finance/appraisal on my existing car and/or collection day - which as things stand is likely to be September sometime...so a 15 month wait for me. This whole ordering process has well and truly left a sour taste in my mouth with the company and regardless of what I'll think of my NX when it comes to eventually collecting it after so long, I really can't see me dealing with them again. If I knew six/eight months ago that it appears the factory are very much 'picking and choosing' what they want to build and paying no attention (or having little respect) at all to just how long some people have had to sit at the 'back of the queue', I would have cancelled as in my humble opinion, they've not been fair at all. I was looking at my local BMW dealer about a month ago to see what was available and when - as I was getting close to cancelling with still no news at that point. They did have a few unregistered 5 Series Tourings which could be had in 2-3 weeks. Obviously, no choice in spec but it seems other manufacturers of similar ilk to Lexus can supply you a brand new car with significantly shorter waiting times. Nor were they charging several thousand above list price for them too (as I've seen with a few pre-registered NX's...). It was a similar story for my local Jaguar/Range Rover dealer too, but I didn't fancy one of them!

That’s one of the reasons why I’m moving to the NX from the UX. It’s not that the UX has been too small for me over the last three years and three months. For me to commute back and forth to work in and for the odd day trip out, the majority of it’s life with me, it's been absolutely great. It’s just on those occasions where I’ve had overnight/two night stays away and rear seat passengers it’s sadly proven to be just 'a bit' too small for my needs. Especially where boot space is concerned - which has always been the biggest drawback of the UX for me. If the rear cabin was about 10% bigger and the boot about 20/25% bigger - I’d have been quite happy to order another UX. The LBX would simply be too small for me - so I think it would be aimed at a kind-of 'premium supermini' market. I’m struggling to think how it will be marketed in this respect. As I've said before, the UX is about as small Lexus should have gone in my humble opinion.