[R2D2]

Originally Posted by GTO

I personally can't digest their front-end designs, frankly. Am driving this over the coming weekend. Its face looks like it's from another planet!

As a sci-fi fan since I saw Star Wars and Star Trek as a kid in the 70s, do you know what the grille reminds me off?

The Predator when he's 'snarling'.

And I mean this in a good way. The car looks unusually mean, not 'nice' and 'goodie-2-shoes' like a normal Toyota product. But I see these humongous grille "styling cues" being carried over to some other members of the T family. Check the US 2018 Corolla, Camry and other models. 2018 Toyota Camry

Toyota treats its Corolla & Camry owners so well that I can only imagine how you Lexus folk are pampered.

I can attest to the excellent ownership experience of a humble Corolla Altis. Lexus owners probably get the red carpet treatment from a dealership and the company. I don't even want to imagine the fate of the dealer should there be complaints.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

My cat turns one this coming weekend. One year of trouble free driving, great service and a quiet roll. Also one year of letting the looks grow on you – like marmite or a pint of bitter. A Lexus’s looks cannot be ignored. You can love it, hate it, gawk at it but you cannot ignore it. The smoothness of the ride and the quietness of the cabin are easy to get used to and hard to keep away from. I am like a father who cannot take enough photos of his year old baby.

I really cannot imagine a better brand ambassador than you. In my mind the car was made for someone with your profile. Thanks so much for the 5 star ownership review. It's a treat to read like all your threads. The ones on the IN are special for reasons you already know.

[RoadFiend]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

My cat turns one this coming weekend. One year of trouble free driving, great service and a quiet roll. ...
...Other than this I have little to ask for. Your service levels and attention to customer needs has been top class. After all one reason a man (or woman) spends so much on a car is to feel important and you do that in spades.
...

Congratulations! It's been a pleasure reading your updates about the ES and the XC !

Considering your own experience, and that of friends and acquaintances, how do you think the cost of maintenance for Lexus in India compares with that of other luxury brands in India (i.e., the 3 Germans, the Swede, the British etc.,) - Equal, Half, Third, Quarter, etc...

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by RoadFiend

Congratulations! It's been a pleasure reading your updates about the ES and the XC !

Considering your own experience, and that of friends and acquaintances, how do you think the cost of maintenance for Lexus in India compares with that of other luxury brands in India (i.e., the 3 Germans, the Swede, the British etc.,) - Equal, Half, Third, Quarter, etc...

I am inclined to say a fourth but will be prudent and say a third. It does not seem to me at first sight that Lexus encourage or compel their dealers to find ways to bill the customer and at least my experience thus far has been that very little goes wrong. But at 19,000 kms it may still be too early to say that hand on heart. My cost thus far for the first service at 10k was Rs 10,000 odd. The second service due at 20K is expected to be in the Rs 12 to 14,000 range. Certainly the complaints I have heard, from my neighbours and ex-employees, on Mercedes and Audi seem to indicate that other than cost it is downtime and the irksomeness of dealing with the garage centre and their not so helpful attitude that is more grating. In my eyes cost of maintenance is = Rupee cost+ car down time lost + peace of mind lost. Thus far Lexus scores on all three. When you buy a car this expensive you expect a basic standard of courtesy, responsiveness and engagement from the dealer and his technical employees. You don't want the dealer to treat you as a fool to be tossed between departments or kept waiting. On this Lexus is so far ahead of the other 4 that there is no point even making a comparison. And it seems to flow from the top. Just the opinion of one man. Others might differ.

[Lobogris]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

First Service at 10,000 kms

The brake pads were in (according to the service manager) in very good shape and could last till the 40,000 kms service. I may not wait that long till the last millimeter of pad and change at 30k. But lets see. The pads are about 11mm at new and had worn off by 1mm to 2mm.Lexus' pads may not be different from other makes. I think this is just my style of driving.

.

I drove my Toyota Prius in the US for nearly 200,000 kms over 8 years and it still had original brake pads with about 30% left when I sold it. Regenerative braking shields the brake pads from use unless you brake hard in an emergency. Of course I am a very careful driver who anticipates stops and slows down which is what you need to do in a hybrid (or any car really) to get good mileage. I assume the hybrid system and the brakes are similar on the Prius and the Lexus. Therefore if you drive carefully you might find your brake pads lasting much longer than predicted.

Love your car!! This might well be my next car as well.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Lobogris

I drove my Toyota Prius in the US for nearly 200,000 kms over 8 years and it still had original brake pads with about 30% left when I sold it. Regenerative braking shields the brake pads from use unless you brake hard in an emergency.Therefore if you drive carefully you might find your brake pads lasting much longer than predicted.

Love your car!! This might well be my next car as well.

Dear Lobogris, from what I saw of you in 2014 I have no doubt you will love this car. The newer model is expected with better interiors. My panther will clock 20k in a few weeks and a report will follow. Great for driving long stretches in traffic. Due to my business commitments I have two commutes each of which I do every fortnight - one is 128kms return and the other 108 kms. And I drive myself because the car is smooth on the cabin noise and soft suspension. With warm regards, Narayan

[V.Narayan]

The Lexus is closing in rapidly on the 20k mark and will go in for its second service. I will be posting a report. If members have any questions I'll be happy to try and answer them.

[V.Narayan]

Lexus are conducting an in person feedback interview with every customer in India who has bought their car and is willing to be met with. The survey is being conducted privately by their head office. The aim is to cover ownership experience and suggestions. I will be meeting them in first week September and will share the proceedings with our readers.

[V.Narayan]

Second Service at 20,000 kms. 18 months old now

Highlights: average maintenance cost Rs 1.70 per kms.

Inclusive of taxes 2nd paid service at the 20,000 kms mark came to Rs 26k. This included deep cleaning and leather treatment for the interiors and waxing for the exteriors. The service included the usual suspects - oil change, aircon filter change engine air filter clean, wheel balancing & rotation, brakes check and fluids change. A new one at the 20k mark is replacing the air filter for the cooling mechanism for the lithium batteries stored under the rear seat bench. The hydrid part of the car needed no servicing other than the electronic diagnostic check. The brake pads were in in very good shape and could last till the 40,000 kms service or longer. The regenerative factor helps the pads last longer than on a regular automatic transmission.

Car in at 1100 - car out at 1630. I went to pick her up as I almost always do. Time spent on review, payment & collection about 15 minutes. Since the previous time in Jan'18 they have built a lounge for customers and bring the credit card swipe gadget to you - nice touch. I gulped down fruit juice. My driver wolfed down the chips.

In 18 months and 20,000 kms the total spent on the car including the waxing and special interior scrub and shine is Rs 56,000. If I drop the extra shoe shine packages [and stay with normal cleanship] the cost drops to about Rs 34,000 ballpark inclusive of taxes. That's a maintenance bill of Rs 1.70 per kms or ~Rs 1900 per month. With the extra lipstick the cost of maintenance is Rs 2.80 per kms. I don't know how this compares to a Mercedes or BMW.

So far the OEM has fulfilled its commitment of pleasant and fully satisfactory after sales service. The engineer told me this was one of the best maintained Lexus's he'd seen. Good lad - he knows how to make grey hairs smile. I'll give him 10 on 10 on the feedback site :-). Some of the vehicles sold are touching 30,000 kms and one has come in at 40,000 kms too.

As mentioned in an earlier post [#128] ground clearance is the one thing that needs improvement. Almost every fortnight I self drive to places like Sohna and Palwal with atrocious roads and I feel like a helpless Mercedes driver there ever so gently creeping up and down the broken road. On all other aspects he is a beauty queen.

Apologies, folks I have been a bit lazy about photos this time.

[honeybee]

Wonder why Toyota didn't think of adjustable suspension?

Is it on the cards?

[rosh_aveo1.4]

Was just viewing all the reviews of the 2018 Lexus ES. Man that car is brilliant! I mean in a way, if you own that car, you would actually stand out from a sea of Mercedes or BMW or Audi. It has loads of character. Yes it does not drive like a BMW but it can glide on bad roads like anything and the perfect peace of mind that the Germans can never match! When ever I have the cash to buy a luxury car, this would the first one on my list.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by honeybee

Wonder why Toyota didn't think of adjustable suspension? Is it on the cards?

They brought in with the Lexus LS500 but it isn't there in the ES.

[Ithaca]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Second Service at 20,000 kms. 18 months old now

Narayan Sir, You have excellent ownership reviews of your Volvo and the Lexus on this forum.
Have read through both of them and I must commend you on the love and care you take of your vehicles.

With the benefit of hindsight now, would you have purchased the Volvo and Lexus or would you have gone in for safer and/ or better options at both instances.
The reason for the query is that you must be the one of few enthusiasts who has paid good money for vehicles that were untested in our market.

Thank you in advance.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by Ithaca

Narayan Sir, You have excellent ownership reviews of your Volvo and the Lexus on this forum.
Have read through both of them and I must commend you on the love and care you take of your vehicles.

Thank you very much for your courtesy and reading both reviews.

With the benefit of hindsight now, would you have purchased the Volvo and Lexus or would you have gone in for safer and/ or better options at both instances. The reason for the query is that you must be the one of few enthusiasts who has paid good money for vehicles that were untested in our market.

Thank you for your question. I would have gone for the Volvo XC60 and the Lexus ES primarily because both were picked after a significant amount of homework and talking to existing customers especially in the case of the Volvo. In case of the Lexus I spoke to few owners in Singapore & Dubai. I have spent a long time in my career purchasing or testing a certain other more complex type of machine and maybe some of that habit of step by step checking crept in. Hope this helps. I would be pleased to answer any other question as far as my knowledge permits.

[GTO]

So cool & incredibly classy . Just got this email from Lexus. Instead of the usual Diwali greetings that all manufacturers send out, here is a brand that is truly "thinking different".

@ V.Narayan: Yours is the best Lexus thread on the forum so posting it here .

From Lexus India:

In September 2017, we kickstarted a tree planting initiative designed to help Lexus guests take a step towards carbon neutrality, by planting trees on their behalf, helping them become Lexus Ecopolitans – visionary individuals who inspire a sustainable future.

In keeping with the spirit of new and joyous beginnings that Diwali signifies, we’re happy to make you a Lexus Ecopolitan. We have planted an orchard of trees on your behalf, and attached an e-certificate with this mail.

[chinmoysc]

Thank you Mr Narayan for this fantastic review and the regular updates . I have owned all the German marquees in last 10 years . It is because of this review I have now finalised Lexus ES . It would be added to my stable soon . Once again thanks !!!