lucky4some

I love my little Lexus – This little Lexus is a gem. I traded a 2021 Toyota Camry SL Hybrid for it in October 2023. Cabin comfort: The Lexus has narrower front seats than the Camry but more headroom and…

just as much leg room. The higher seating position helps to easily get comfortable and makes ingress/egress much easier. I have the white faux leather trim and it lifts the presentation of the otherwise all black cabin (including head liner). Little luxury touches are appreciated like the electric seat adjustment, ambient lighting, electric windows that slow down before they fully close so they don’t “thunk” shut and the kick sensor on the electric tailgate that makes loading shopping easier. The back seat accomodation is quite tight, but ok for adults for short trips. Freezing cold Toyota/Lexus air conditioning works well in QLD summer heat. Large touch screen stereo system has excellent sound. Boot space is not huge, but adequate for my needs. A road trip to Byron with three adults, our luggage and a wheelchair was easily managed with the 60/40 seat folded down on one side.

Driving: The ergonomics are superb. You don’t realise at first but it soon dawns on you just how intuitive all the controls are, how simple yet functional the driver display is and how easy this car is to live with. The driver assist and safety features are really helpful - I love the radar cruise, lane centring function and lane keep assist features. The reverse auto emergency braking has saved me more than once when reversing blindly out of a car space with a large SUV or ute blocking my view. Compared to the larger capacity hybrid system in the Camry the UX250h feels a little underpowered. This results in the engine protesting loudly when pushed hard but it still zips out into traffic and gets up freeway on ramps and steep hills just fine. It has had no trouble on road trips heading up the range to Toowoomba or up mount Tamborine. There is a very slight thump when the system goes in and out of EV mode so it’s not imperceptible like the larger hybrid system - not annoying but I just noticed the difference. The ride is soft and bumps are absorbed really well. The cabin is very quiet and it does feel like a luxury vehicle to drive.

Economy: I am thrilled that this little Lexus will happily drink e10 petrol and as at today’s date with only 5900km on the odometer it is showing 5.6 litres/100km avg on the dash readout. My experience with my two previous Toyota hybrids is that over time this will reduce. I anticipate that with my usual driving style this will eventually settle at 5.2 litres/100km. I drive with the hybrid system in “normal” mode.

I would definitely recommend this car to a single or couple as there’s plenty of room in the front but the limited rear seat room and boot space means it’s not really suitable for use as a family car.

Quite Uncamrylike – Update 12/03/2023: I have had the car in at the Toyota dealer three times for a rotten odour in the cabin that occurs after rain. Last time they had the car for five weeks,…

confirmed that the odour was present but could not determine the source or fix it. I’ve given up, traded the car and have now joined the 2 year waiting list for a Rav4. Very disappointing experience that took the gloss off my initial love for the car.

I have had my 2021 SL Camry Hybrid for 12 months now and am loving it. This is my third new Camry and by far the best.

The most marked improvement over my previous 2015 Camry Hybrid is in the driving characteristics. The ride is super limo soft yet body roll is much more controlled and it glides over bumps. The tyres grip the road and the rear doesn’t skip over mid corner bumps like the previous one did.

This model Camry is much lower than previous Camrys and the cabin is not quite as spacious. There is a transmission tunnel as overseas has an awd version. The roofline is also lower so I have had to adjust my driving position to suit. The cabin finish is elevated far above previous versions and is almost luxurious with leather seats and trim and soft blue ambient lighting at night.

The super cold Toyota air conditioning is appreciated in our Queensland climate as are the seat coolers that I leave permanently on all summer. I did also get ceramic window tint on all windows and reflective tint on the sunroof to help keep the heat out. On a recent 36 degree day I found the Camry cabin to be very pleasantly cool without the climate control fan having to blast to try to maintain it.

The hybrid drivetrain makes city driving easy - the Camry can swiftly zip into a space in traffic and zooms up freeway on ramps with ease. The winding mountain roads in the Gold Coast hinterland are fun for a weekend drive. I have also driven the Camry up to Toowoomba and Stanthorpe and didn’t find it wanting for power and the smooth ride and quiet cabin meant I arrived relaxed and fresh.

This model Camry Hybrid fuel usage is rated at 4.5l/100km but according to the computer my usage has settled to 5.2l/100km so I am happy. I drive using “normal” setting as I find the “eco” setting sucks all the fun out of the driving experience, dulling the acceleration and responsiveness. “Sport” adds weight to the steering and makes the tyres easier to chirp when taking off but doesn’t really add anything worthwhile to the driving experience.

For anyone who does not need an suv this is the perfect car - lovely to drive, spacious, comfortable and economical.

Basic Workhorse – A basic machine that does what it says on the box. Quick cycles, great energy rating - better than any front loader (cold wash) The machine washes well and the 1000rpm spin cycle…

leaves the clothes almost dry. I haven’t had any issues with the machine going out of balance or splashing like other reviewers. Here’s hoping I get the same 15 years of service out of this Thai built machine that I had from the previous Australian one.

Update 12/03/2023: I discovered rust spots on my sheets and shone a torch inside the drum and could see rust all around the base of the stainless steel drum where it joined the plastic base of the tub. The machine was out of warranty but F&P replaced the drum free of charge out of goodwill.

Powerful and cheap to run – I have the air conditioner installed in the living room of my apartment with the outdoor unit on the balcony. I looked at a few options when purchasing but due to the compact size…

of the Fujitsu outdoor unit I chose it so that I wouldn't have to sacrifice too much space on my small balcony. The Fujitsu cools down the combined living/dining/kitchen swiftly and quietly. Even on days approaching 40 degrees it seems to cope well. I run the unit most days from December through until march and it's a godsend with dealing with the high humidity here on the Gold Coast. My summer electricity bills have only been $60 higher than the winter bills for the two summers I have had the air conditioner, so It seems to be very efficient. I don't use the energy saving modes at all - just leave it on cool at 23 degrees. The "powerful" mode is great for cooling the room down quickly when arriving home and gets the place cool in less than 10 minutes. I have never bothered with the timer to cool the place before I get home as I find that the powerful mode works so well.

Fantastic service - exceeded expectations. Well done Bridgestone Select Bundall! – I visited this location yesterday after suffering a puncture the night before while dropping a friend to the airport. After a friendly greeting the technician made a quick…

assessment of the damaged tyre in the boot and I was informed that unfortunately the tyre was not repairable, so a replacement would be required. I opted to get both front tyres replaced as a pair as they were going to need replacing within 6 months anyway.

The price I was quoted for the tyres was reasonable and they were fitted and a wheel alignment carried out in 20 minutes while I waited. The waiting room was clean, comfortable and well stocked with reading material and a television. A staff member made me a flat white to enjoy while I waited.

When the job was finished I found that the spare tyre and the tools that I had hastily thrown back into the boot in the dark the night before had all been replaced neatly in their compartments. The car was brought around to the front entrance and parked nose out so I could easily drive out without reversing. These little extra touches made a great impression on me. They were unnecessary and unexpected but definitely noticed and appreciated.

Well done Bridgestone Select Bundall. The grudge purchase of tyres was made into a pleasant experience.