Faults:

The engine started knocking at 40,000-miles.

We took it in and Lexus Replaced the engine for free under warranty. They gave us a brand new loaner.

The car has had oil changes on time and still failed. They said a part came loose in the engine and caused excessive wear and heat buildup.

The telescoping steering wheel became loose and had to be tightened.

The automatic climate control goes crazy sometimes and we have to turn the car off and restart it to make it calm down. Dealer can't find the problem.

Paint is dulling out way too fast.

Traction control must not work right as the car can't seem to take off well when the pavement is wet.

Many bulbs have burned out.

General Comments:

This is a very costly car that doesn't seem to be living up to what they promised.

Our Accord cost about one third of what this Lexus cost and held up much better.

Most everyone on our block drives a Lexus and seems to have some of the same problems. Not the engine though. The dealer told us that our engine failure is very odd.

I don't think we will be buying another one.

We are going to Acura or Lincoln this time.

Faults:

Key-less entry card system became erratic at 8000 miles, sometimes car wouldn't open, card was replaced and all is perfect now.

General Comments:

I purchased this car from Lexus Coventry in July 2002 after selling my Volkswagen, which I think was a lemon, as it didn't have the so called Volkswagen longevity and reliability.

It is my third and favorite car. It is in a nice Amberly Gold color with Suffolk (beige) leather and when coupled with the 17 inch alloys, it looks sensational; the only luxury car that looks better in my opinion is the BMW 7-Series.

The 4.3 liter V8 has exceptional performance and I feel a great sense of satisfaction when I obliterate the boy racers souped up Corsas and Saxos at the traffic lights. The steering is accurate and gives a good amount of feedback. It even attains good acceleration when the wife and 2 kids are in the back and the boot is fully loaded.

The interior is almost perfection in itself. The seats are the most comfortable I have sat in; the buttery soft and smooth beige leather even topping the seats of my friend's Mercedes S500, which in my opinion are slightly too hard for my liking. In the winter, when I used the heated seats, my backside was warm in a couple of minutes. I recently had to travel 450 miles and I felt relaxed when I stepped out the car. The interior has a nice walnut wood trim which adds to the ambiance of the car. The satellite navigation is easy to use, responding to a very slight change of direction even on the windiest of roads.

The dealers are also very helpful; I recently took it in for a routine service and they were very pleasant and friendly.

Petrol consumption is OK, with an average of 24 miles per gallon, in heavy traffic it can go down to 17mpg.

All in all, Lexus could become a very real threat to Mercedes and BMW in the luxury car market and I definitely would buy a Lexus again!