Took car for service

[daveenty]

This was the Lexus RX450 and not a Mercedes, hence I've posted it in this section.

It initially went in 2 weeks ago for it's annual service, all was good apart from the tracking being out so, as the dealership have a Hunter machine I had it done. Possibly a bit of a con but I was shown before and after print outs and the tyres weren't cheap so it was worth it to me. Total cost of service and alignment was £320 which I was quite pleased with.

The technician then asked me if I'd had any issues with the rear door/tailgate as it wouldn't open for him. He asked me when the last time was that I'd used it and, rather embarrassingly, I hadn't a clue but reckoned that it wasn't this year. No problem, book it in again and we'll get it sorted he suggested, which I did last Friday. After an hour or so they came back and told me that the motor was goosed and needed replacing. Luckily, and unbeknown to me at the time as it was bought outside the dealer network, the car was covered with an extended warranty (it's a 2014), so they would get a new motor in and ring me when they had it. I did ask the fitter if they'd had other issues with them and he hinted that they had but justified it by saying "It's a big heavy door". My suggestion of fitting a bigger motor didn't go down too well...

This brings me to today when I went back to have it sorted. No drama, arrived at just before 08:30 and was on my way home by 10, after being few copious amounts of coffee and biscuits. I was informed that the warranty was due to run out on the 31st of this month so I decided to renew it at a cost of £995. This sounds a bit steep but it's for 2 years and includes full roadside assistance so it was a no-brainer really, especially as the repair I'd just had on the back door would have been in excess of £1,200. I've usually never bothered with Mercedes warranties as I've always taken the risk but the Lexus is an unknown quantity to me and I don't know anyone connected with them apart from the main dealers. There probably are independents for them but none that I'm aware of, so for £500 per year I now have peace of mind and, as it's transferable, so will the next owner if I do decide to move it on.

 

[Blobcat]

Sounds like a decent dealer and decent service. It’s what I’ve heard and read about lexai, not that I’m tempted

 

[daveenty]

Dealership seems fine though, to be honest, I'm not over bothered about the marque myself. This one just came at the right time and for the right money as a replacement for the Range Rover.

Yes, it's a bland and possibly boring car but not a bad place to be really, very quiet, smooth and comfortable. Don't know if I'd have another one but that's a bridge to cross when I get to it. I may decide on something silly again.

 

[Blobcat]

Silly is good (very) you’re an awfully long time dead

 

[V6Matty]

Would never take you as a silly car buyer Dave
I’ve always liked Lexus, something about them just feels very engineered and thought out. I was very tempted by an LS600 at the time I bought the 212, they seem to do mega miles too but I just couldn’t put a deal together with the seller.

 

[Frontstep]

If Lexus had made a large diesel estate I would be driving one.

A car thats quiet smooth, comfortable and reliable doesn't sound half bad.

 

[daveenty]

If Lexus had made a large diesel estate I would be driving one.

A car thats quiet smooth, comfortable and reliable doesn't sound half bad.

To be fair, Lexus have never gone the diesel route but still manage to get the running costs down. Mine's a 3.5 Litre petrol engine but this is in effect just a big battery charger, driving the 2 electric motors and keeping the batteries topped up.

I've not done stellar miles in it but it's so far averaged about 26mpg around town, which basically consists of a 3 - 4 mile trip every morning plus the odd mooch around to see people/pick bits up, and I did get 37mpg out of it on a trip last December. This is considerably better than I got out of my last runabout, which was a 5.0 Litre supercharged Range Rover.

Another advantage is that it's £145 to tax it for the year and the insurance is pretty good as well at c£340 p/a.

I'm talking myself into it again here but I know I'll get fed up with it soon as it's a boring car to drive, so another V8 is needed because that power is vital to get my newspaper in the mornings.

 

[jp williams]

To be fair, Lexus have never gone the diesel route but still manage to get the running costs down. Mine's a 3.5 Litre petrol engine but this is in effect just a big battery charger, driving the 2 electric motors and keeping the batteries topped up.

I've not done stellar miles in it but it's so far averaged about 26mpg around town, which basically consists of a 3 - 4 mile trip every morning plus the odd mooch around to see people/pick bits up, and I did get 37mpg out of it on a trip last December. This is considerably better than I got out of my last runabout, which was a 5.0 Litre supercharged Range Rover.

Another advantage is that it's £145 to tax it for the year and the insurance is pretty good as well at c£340 p/a.

I'm talking myself into it again here but I know I'll get fed up with it soon as it's a boring car to drive, so another V8 is needed because that power is vital to get my newspaper in the mornings.

Welcome to the sensible world of Lexus motoring Daveenty. Had mine (GS 450H) for 6 years and no problems at all.

 

[Rory]

I've not done stellar miles in it but it's so far averaged about 26mpg around town, which basically consists of a 3 - 4 mile trip every morning plus the odd mooch around to see people/pick bits up, and I did get 37mpg out of it on a trip last December. This is considerably better than I got out of my last runabout, which was a 5.0 Litre supercharged Range Rover.

Brother-in-Law just got one of these. After his 520d BMW he's pretty dismayed by the MPG - he knows you don't get the official figures, but it's much worse than he was led to believe.

 

[daveenty]

Brother-in-Law just got one of these. After his 520d BMW he's pretty dismayed by the MPG - he knows you don't get the official figures, but it's much worse than he was led to believe.

To be fair, I had a good idea of what I was getting into and, after the Range Rover averaging around 16mpg and the previous SRT Jeep in single figures most of the time, anything over 20 was a bonus, Not as much fun as those two though, the Jeep was just a laugh a minute with a 0 - 60 of just over 4 seconds which was pretty nippy for a car weighing well over 2 tons and with all the aerodynamics of a 3 bedroom semi.

 

[oigle]

I got blown off from the lights by a Tesla the other day. Could not believe the way it just disappeared....