2nd May 25 Easy Friday

Most weeks, and it doesn't happen often at the moment. I like to make Friday an easy day. Many reasons for this. One obviously is to stretch out the weekend and start it earlier. For those of you thinking of doing this work. That stretch can be as long as you want it to be.

My unfortunate lifelong work ethic is struggling to slow down so I don't get this pleasure often.

But today was a simple job to collect a Lexus RX450h bought by an independent trader in Hull, where the car was going on Monday.

He was buying it from a private individual in Ash Vale Surrey. So the train from Aylesbury into London and out from Waterloo to Ash Vale was simple enough.

Aylesbury to Ash Vale

The house was just a few minutes walk from the station. Again the sun was shining. (What's happening, this is now nearly two months of sunshine. It can't last)

The seller gave me instructions to walk there and I realised why when I turned into the road.

You couldn't actually see any houses. The tree lined road was a private road with large, very expensive looking fences, walls and gates.

I found the gates to the house I was looking for an these were large electric and very secure metal gates. I could see the Lexus waiting on the other side. And the man who came to hand the car over explained he was here to help his friend. Who, for tax reasons was now on some Carribbean tax haven for six months and the car was his daughters who's staying with them in the sun.

Selling it because it was surplus to requirements.

Sitting next to this Lexus was a brand new BMW M4 . And a Maserati GT.

The house was huge and this person was staying here to lock down the place for the six months. Apparently the owner was in logistics too. But I can't imagine him trecking up and down the country with trade plates in his £25 rucksack.

The Lexus was sitting under a tree and had obviously been there a while. It was covered in tree droppings of all kinds.

This was obviously an unwanted gift for a spoilt brat of a girl.

My late wife had a saying.

"What you get for free, has no value"

I live by this and many other wise sayings I will share along the way.

The V5 for the Lexus showed a different address so the spoiled daughter obviously had a separate address too.

Normally when I bought cars in my previous life. A different name and address on a V5 means I need something in writing from that person to say the car is theirs and it is ok to buy. Along with proof of id of the person on the V5.

Today. This is not my job or problem.

I just collect and deliver.

So car appraisal done. Money transferred to the seller. And I'm off to drive the hour and forty five back to Aylesbury. Thinking about what life lessons the daughter has taken from her Lexus experience.

My Lexus experience is limited but I've driven a few. I know Toyota are ultimately amazingly reliable cars and I believe now they have a ten year warranty. Which is incredible really.

But I just don't get the appeal. I know people use them for various reasons and those reasons are they need something to get them from A to B and they know the car will do that journey one hundred percent of the time. Whether it's an Uber across London or a HiLux across the Sahara.

Lexus. Being the luxury brand of Toyota will have those properties too, I imagine.

But as a luxury car when compared with the German brands or even Land Rover, Ok not for reliability in the latters case.

They just don't give you the class these brands give you.

They are very badly designed inside and out. The interior looks like someone has thrown a bucket of switches in through the sunroof and fitted them where they landed.

The media and tech looks typical Japanese but doesn't have the simplicity of the rest and to be honest I just looked at it and used my phone and Google maps to get home. The centre console is way too big and full of switches I can't work out why they are there.

The driving experience was even worse.

This was a hybrid. Meaning it drove off using EV power. When the engine kicks in finally it's typical of a hybrid revs too high and doesn't get you going fast enough for a luxury car..

The handling is just non existent. But I guess these are not for people like to drive anyway.

So, what are they actually for??

Expensive pieces of jewellery for rich mens wives.?? I just don't know.

Having said all that. For those that want them I imagine they are perfectly good.

I'm not looking forward to driving it to Hull on Monday.

Relaxing weekend ahead.

Driving home I was stuck on the M25 as usual and saw these two really good examples of Italian 70s cars. In the header photo. The noise of these two was incredible. So air conditioning off and windows open to listen to the Lamborghini and Ferrari go past multiple times in the queue.

Photo taken while stopped before you ask. Still naughty but I never use my phone while actually driving.