Tickedon

Manufacturers run “campaigns” to apply updates and fix minor issues when cars are in for other work all of the time. No reason Toyota/Lexus couldn’t run one here if they wanted to.

And I suspect it’s “only” 38% because that’s the government-mandated minimum for zero emission cars they’ve legislated for to be sold and registered that year… (it’s a £15k fine for the manufacturer for each car they sell below the 38% target - unless they borrow allowances from other years or other manufacturers):

That’s the problem - £70k. For a car that barely goes 200 miles on electric. it’s an awful purchase compared to pretty much any other option. They also don’t have real leather on any trim. The new similar size Porsche Macan EV starts at £70k and will go another 100 miles or so on its battery.

The same people voted for Rishi who voted for Liz, Boris, David, Gordon and Tony - their local parliamentary constituencies. We do not have a presidential system. We elect local MPs. The MP who can command the confidence of House of Commons becomes PM - that would usually be the leader of the largest political party there. I do agree though with earlier posts - we’ve given up expecting proper behaviour. Personally I’d pull everyone over with an illegal tint, number plate, loud exhaust etc. The same goes for throwing the book at everyone carrying knives, burglary, theft etc. People need to respect the law again - but I fear it’s going to get much worse before it gets better.

No, they aren’t. E.g. Despite the noise from the Conservatives about pushing back the 2030 ICE ban, the annual BEV sale percentages haven’t changed. Manufacturers are being forced to sell and register BEVs as 22% of their total this year - despite only 16% of the market being BEV last year, and that being a slight dip on the year before. Consumers are not ready, infrastructure is not ready - but on pain of £15k fines per vehicle, politicians continue to force the impossible. US has Trump, across Europe we have all sorts of new & interesting populist parties. At some point, citizens and societies crack - and I think voters are only just getting started after being ignored for decades.

Not in the UK - Lexus has just had its highest ever annual sales here. With EVs, cars become much simpler to build with fewer moving parts - and so we’ll increasingly see more similarities between Toyota and Lexus. Porsche was owned by VAG who still have a controlling stake - I don’t think anyone can say Porsche is any less premium despite increasingly sharing parts & platforms with Audi and more widely. Electric motors and batteries are becoming commodities- the design of cars is thus what is left to distinguish them. But maybe it doesn’t bother me so much, because I used to drive an Audi (VAG) and before that a Volvo (Ford)!

I used Chris Knott for a number of years to insure my modified Volvo S60 (Polestar) and later my Audi A4. They were always very pleasant and helpful. I would say their prices were probably keener a decade ago, but, in recent years still competitive - but it all depends on circumstances. When my partner decided to get a license and learn to drive, they were open and honest they couldn’t really provide competitive quotes until someone had their license for 3+ years. When circumstances allow again, I’ll definitely be giving them a call to see how their quote compares with others.

The Lexus RX has made a top 10 list of stolen cars… it’s also much more likely to be stolen than a Fiesta (given how many more Fiestas are on the road compared to relatively few RXs!).

Yes, for the specific 12 month period you’ve chosen. But you also said “No Lexus to be seen, the truth is out there” - and indeed it is, where Lexus cars do feature on the top 10 list depending on exactly which 12 month period the figures cover!

According to Lexus sales figures, just over 58,000 RX (&RXL) have been sold in the UK since 1999. So 1.5% of all RXs sold in the last 23 years were stolen just in that 12 month period. This would be an even higher percentage if you adjusted for the RXs no longer on the road (scrapped, wrecked, previously stolen etc.). Apparently there were 1.5 million Fiesta’s on the road in 2023. So those theft figures work out at a 0.4% theft rate. Or about a quarter of the RX rate…

That’s because there were more Fiesta’s stolen than Lexus sells of a single model each year… The key measure is how many cars per 1,000 or similar are stolen - and sadly Lexus figures don’t look so good that way. That’s what impacts on insurance risk as well.

DriveTheDeal.com will get you not far away from 20% off an Audi A4 depending on exact trim… I moved from an A4 to an NX - I’d never go back and the only thing I miss is the extending seat support! I would also avoid the previous gen RX as regardless of what you do, you’ll be paying the higher insurance rate due to theft risk.

It probably does require a plate, but I’m afraid Lexus haven’t produced one - they are only available for the RX.

When buying a car, my salesman said “it’s being moved tomorrow, so you need to pay sticker price today or you’ll miss out”. I’m not sure he was prepared for my reply of “that’s more cost for you, and maybe the other dealership will be prepared to deal - I typically travel hundreds of miles to get the right car & deal, so no worries”. Funnily enough, we did agree a good price on the car that afternoon…. and it remains the shortest ever distance I’ve had to travel to buy and collect a car!

It’s not just about rerouted wiring but use of the “Toyota Security Key” (encryption/authentication on canbus) in newer models. Manufacturers rarely comment on these things as it somewhat creates a menu for thieves to know what they can easily take…

The very latest NX models (from March 2023 onwards ish) have different keys that use Ultra Wide Band technology (UWB) that allows more accurate timing and thus can detect (and in theory prevent) a relay attack where thieves scan for your keys and can then open and unlock a car. The canbus issue doesn’t involve keys at all. It allows them to plug a device into a car and unlock and start it with no access to any keys. A faraday pouch/box is still required for those without UWB as even if the canbus isn’t vulnerable, you’re still at risk of a relay attack. And probably still recommended even if you do have UWB.

I didn’t have problems with quotes being declined last October, but I’m paying an awful lot to insure my NX 450h+. I have however re-run my quote and only 12 insurers are willing to quote… which is rather worrying, and suggests there may be an issue…

Yes, it works differently on every car. This video shows you for the nx300h: https://youtu.be/LWf8CwApCiI?si=GEuL_odMEWmNsER1

Generally speaking, if a Lexus car is compatible with Openpilot (a self driving system), it has a vulnerable canbus. The new Yaris and Yaris Cross are not listed as compatible (just like the new NX and RX), and that’s the platform the LBX is built on. I’m not sure Lexus will ever officially confirm which cars are or aren’t vulnerable- so I think that’s the best we’re going to get. As Ronnie said, lots of ways and reasons a car gets stolen these days, vulnerable canbus or not.

No, the Ghost works in two different ways depending on the car model it’s fitted to - in some cars it stops you starting the car, in others it stops the car going into drive (which is how it works on the Lexus NX current gen).

Didn’t get a full tank of full (and didn’t expect one) - I’d haggled thousands off the price and preferred cash off then fill up at Costco on way home for less. Did come with a full battery charge though, which was unexpected and a nice touch.

I’d suggest looking at installing a Ghost or similar. £500 and will stop them taking your car, but not damaging it in the process. A new ES can be had with sizable discounts via brokers (£6-7k off) and so the motorway offer seems very high. The WBAC price I’m afraid seems reasonable - £1k per month depreciation in the first year is on the low end compared to many new cars….

It means a relay attack where thieves “scan” for your keys and relay back to the car doesn’t work. UWB uses very specific timing, and a relay can be detected - meaning the car (in theory) won’t unlock if the key isn’t actually within the right distance of the car.

But it isn’t the 60k service. It’s the 6 years (72 months) or 60k service. Many items on a car have both an age limit and mileage limit. Tyres being one common example where many fail with age rather than just usage.

Given they’ve had the car for so long, I would bet they paid considerably more than it’s currently worth… Webuyanycar would offer £9500 for it. I’d personally haggle hard and try to get it for £12k. Worst they can say is no!