S212 E500 Five Years In

[BrabusPriest]

Weirdly same here .... I first saw my E500 on 25 March 2017 and a picture of it popped up the other day on my iPhoto timeline. Albeit, mine is an A207 rather than a S212.

I've done about the same mileage as you, taken it from 12,000 miles when I bought it to about 33,000 now.

It's had a set of tyres, front pads, discs and rear pads. I bought a second set of wheels with winter tyres so I reckon I have a good few years of tyre life left. Under the extended warranty, it's had a driveshaft, new filler cap and an engine.....

Gonna hang on to my E500 as well. I can't think of anything else to replace it with without spending three times the value of it which just isn't worth it for the 4,000 miles a year I do.

Could also do with a rear bumper respray!

mind blowing

 

[BrabusPriest]

Highest res Spotify dowloaded to my phone.

Traffic was fine unlike the carnage at the tunnel this time last year. due to French passport staff pretending they'd forgotten to come to work. Or something.

Used Google Maps with Waze as an occasional 2nd opinion.

I'm 59. I do listen to lots of modern stuff too but my mrs isn't so keen so classics it is.

so so heartwarming

 

[BrabusPriest]

Brought a Roku stick and some Bose speakers to liven up the TV room....

.....having looked at the forecasts.....

ahead of the curve…

 

[BrabusPriest]

One thing that's been niggling me occasionally is the volume from my otherwise-excellent Android/Apple play system. It's the Integrated Automotive system which connects wirelessly by a wifi connection and so supports the maximum Spotify bitrate; this is near enough CD quality for me. But, whenever I want to REALLY hear what the Morels and sub can do, I still find myself reverting to a CD.

Last weekend I started digging and found two or three non-obvious menu options in my phone. One that did make a useful improvement was changing the Spotify playback to Loud. But, better though it was, there was still a significant uplift when I switched the source back to CD.

I then started asking IA and Comand Online and on Tuesday the latter came up with the solution; a firmware update to my Comand that gives me a Boost option for the Aux channel.

Excellent. Can't wait. It'll sound better than ever.

hope it does…

 

[Londonscottish]

OK so the audio upgrade can wait. I dropped if off for a basic service today (last year's was the biggie) and it quickly got expensive.

I had pointed out that the front discs were very lipped and my The Man had had a look. The car needed pads all round anyway and he reckoned the discs were borderline so I said to replace them.

Then, when prepping for the MOT, he found that the read ARB links/bushes were shot so that went on the list.

Finally I asked him to check out the N/S indicator fault. Turns out that the control module is glued in to the headlamp unit. So that'll be £1k for that alone.

FFS. Still, I suppose it's only the equivalent of three of four mumflies for some drone-o-box

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

OK so the audio upgrade can wait. I dropped if off for a basic service today (last year's was the biggie) and it quickly got expensive.

I had pointed out that the front discs were very lipped and my The Man had had a look. The car needed pads all round anyway and he reckoned the discs were borderline so I said to replace them.

Then, when prepping for the MOT, he found that the read ARB links/bushes were shot so that went on the list.

Finally I asked him to check out the N/S indicator fault. Turns out that the control module is glued in to the headlamp unit. So that'll be £1k for that alone.

FFS. Still, I suppose it's only the equivalent of three of four mumflies for some drone-o-box

Peanuts compared to the depreciation on anything that you'd replace it with.

It's just maintenance, although I'm surprised that you're having these issues at this low mileage.

 

[Londonscottish]

Peanuts compared to the depreciation on anything that you'd replace it with.

It's just maintenance, although I'm surprised that you're having these issues at this low mileage.

Yes exactly.

The headlight is just a random thing.

The pads and front discs lasted 46k so can't really complain. I could have stayed with the old discs if I really wanted but prefer to have things like that as good as possible.

The rear ARB link thingys are due to London speedbumps.

When I drove it home the really irritating quiet clonk was gone. I thought the fronts were shot again but no it was from behind. Clonk-free travel on air with a silky V8 up front is always sublime.

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Yes exactly.
The headlight is just a random thing.
The pads and front discs lasted 46k so can't really complain. I could have stayed with the old discs if I really wanted but prefer to have things like that as good as possible.
The rear ARB link thingys are due to London speedbumps.
When I drove it home the really irritating quiet clonk was gone. I thought the fronts were shot again but no it was from behind. Clonk-free travel on air with a silky V8 up front is always sublime.

But you really ought to downsize.
Let me know when you do....

I know I'm going smaller, or electric , but "I didn't get to where I am today without changing my mind, Reggie."

 

[Londonscottish]

But you really ought to downsize.
Let me know when you do....

I know I'm going smaller, or electric , but "I didn't get to where I am today without changing my mind, Reggie."

View attachment 159246

Maico, my The Man, just keeps saying the word Lexus over and over

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

Maico, my The Man, just keeps saying the word Lexus over and over

Lexus, Schmexus...... But is it you?

 

[E55BOF]

It might be me one day, but I'd have to be be too old to drive if I was wearing a mac like that...

 

[MikeInWimbledon]

It might be me one day, but I'd have to be be too old to drive if I was wearing a mac like that...

And curmudgeonly, like Doc Martin, the fish out of water character he's playing

 

[ToeKnee]

And curmudgeonly, like Doc Martin, the fish out of water character he's playing

If being curmudgeonly was the basis for driving a lexus then this would be the Lexus forum!

 

[ALFAitalia]

Maico, my The Man, just keeps saying the word Lexus over and over

I have a customer who just goes from Lexus to Lexus....must have had 8 in the 20 odd years I've known him. They all seem very well built and engineered and he says that most years it never goes into the garage between services...which is great guess. But to me there is more to cars.....and most Lexus just look so bland inside and out....see Martin above (who my bosses next door neighbour by the way!!). The beige paint of the car world.....but if you want to get to A to B reliably and in comfort, why not I guess.

....and then there is this.....! Shows Lexus drivers to perfection!!!

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[E55BOF]

but if you want to get to A to B reliably and in comfort, why not I guess.

If that's mainly what a driver wants from a car, and it is for many I think, then a Lexus will hit the spot. I could have saved myself a fortune if I was one of those drivers...

 

[DavidL]

I have a customer who just goes from Lexus to Lexus....must have had 8 in the 20 odd years I've known him. They all seem very well built and engineered and he says that most years it never goes into the garage between services...which is great guess.

The garage that looks after a car for me says they get lots of work from LR products (their speciality) but the handful of korean stuff they have just never goes wrong. Nothing done from year to year bar normal servicing. But it would be a bit dull if we all drove Kias but equally why can't the "prestige" European manufacturers make a reliable car?

 

[Londonscottish]

I have a customer who just goes from Lexus to Lexus....must have had 8 in the 20 odd years I've known him. They all seem very well built and engineered and he says that most years it never goes into the garage between services...which is great guess. But to me there is more to cars.....and most Lexus just look so bland inside and out....see Martin above (who my bosses next door neighbour by the way!!). The beige paint of the car world.....but if you want to get to A to B reliably and in comfort, why not I guess.

....and then there is this.....! Shows Lexus drivers to perfection!!!

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Accept third party cookies

Love that sketch.

I've never been particularly drawn to Lexuses (Lexi?) although did enjoy tooling an original GS300 hire car round San Francisco for a week in my late 20's. It was an upgrade and a pleasant surprise. I guess it was a Japanese version of a 5 Series or an E Class. Horrible "leather" though and the plastic "wood" was hilariously bad.