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Hi

I am a newbie around here and am in the market for a GS450h. Just wondering how is it to live with everyday and is it as economical as it is made out to be.

What is the servicing like and the road tax/

Plus are there any tips or hints to keep in mind when looking around for a second hand one?

Thanks

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I understand the real benefit is quick acceleration and you don't save that much on petrol. If you live in and drive to central London, you don't pay the day light robbery congestion charge

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I test drove one at the Open Road day, was very impressed all around with the exception of the ride. I felt it was very bumpy on just normal roads that all models of the IS and RX were able to just glide over. Just my opinion but worth a check in this area.

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Hi

I am a newbie around here and am in the market for a GS450h. Just wondering how is it to live with everyday and is it as economical as it is made out to be.

What is the servicing like and the road tax/

Plus are there any tips or hints to keep in mind when looking around for a second hand one?

Thanks

Very fast, very smooth, very comfortable (except on pot holed roads when an unexpected thud tends to intrude)....but has a boot size that makes a brief case look like a suit case. So not too practical for me.

I averaged 30mpg over 1,000 miles. That is seriously economical for a car with that much power.

I would suggest you have it for a week end before you jump if you're not sure.

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Thanks guys. How do I have ot for a week end to decide what it is to love with.

Also some of you mentioned the bumpy ride, does the suspension switch from normal to sport mode

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Hi

I am a newbie around here and am in the market for a GS450h. Just wondering how is it to live with everyday and is it as economical as it is made out to be.

What is the servicing like and the road tax/

Plus are there any tips or hints to keep in mind when looking around for a second hand one?

Thanks

I have had a 450h SEL since the end of Jan. My previous car was a SC430 and I can only say this one is fantastic. The performance leaves even the SC standing. Forget the figures, when you accelerate and the electric motor cuts in the power and the power band is amazing. It is seamless and you watch the car behind you fade away in a flash.

I drive motorway up to London and then in and around London and I am constantly averaging 30mpg. On a straight motorway run it is up in the higher 30's.

The spec on the car is awesome. I have not felt that the ride is harsh but perhaps coming from the SC, I wouldn't notice it.

I am 101% over the moon with the car. I cannot think that the new LS600 will be that much better to warrant the price difference. Try this one. I am certain you will be amazed.

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I have had a 450h SEL since the end of Jan. My previous car was a SC430 and I can only say this one is fantastic. The performance leaves even the SC standing. Forget the figures, when you accelerate and the electric motor cuts in the power and the power band is amazing. It is seamless and you watch the car behind you fade away in a flash.

I drive motorway up to London and then in and around London and I am constantly averaging 30mpg. On a straight motorway run it is up in the higher 30's.

The spec on the car is awesome. I have not felt that the ride is harsh but perhaps coming from the SC, I wouldn't notice it.

I am 101% over the moon with the car. I cannot think that the new LS600 will be that much better to warrant the price difference. Try this one. I am certain you will be amazed.

Wow, after a write up like that, it makes me wanna go buy one :)

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Hi

Thanks for your reply. I currently drive an Evo8 320, so I will notice a drop in the performance. What I am actually looking for is an everyday luxury car which can take me from one place to the other in style, fun and comfort.

I think this is it.

I have my mind set on it and look forward to buying it. The only concern is the road tax and the servicing. What are they like and how much would you pay for them. Also, does it have an electric mode only, like the Prius for city driving?

I really appreciate your replies and do find them very helpful so please keep them coming.

Regards

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Hi Jazz,

My mate has a Evo 8 FQ300 MR running around 400 bhp and that is stupidly fast, so you will deffo notice the difference.

I maybe wrong, but as it is a hybrid I think road tax is cheaper as it pumps out less crap.

As for servicing, Lexus rates are high, but it will not need servicing as oftern as your evo does,

HTH

Paul

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I've got one...

Fantastic cars... Its a little strange to get used to the CVT gearbox... (its like an ON OFF switch next to the brake pedal)...

At the moment, around town I'm averagin around 27 MPG... I don't push it at all so keep that in mind.. If you buy this thinking your going to get Diesel economy.. DONT BOTHER!!... Otherwise it has amazing MPG compared to similar cars... (E500 etc)...

Any questions, give us a shout... Mines on a 56 plate... May also consider selling it at the right price ;)

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Hi

I am a newbie around here and am in the market for a GS450h. Just wondering how is it to live with everyday and is it as economical as it is made out to be.

What is the servicing like and the road tax/

Plus are there any tips or hints to keep in mind when looking around for a second hand one?

Thanks

I took delivery of a GS450h SE L with wood pack in October last year. My previous car being the current shape Jaguar XJ6, in fact I had been a Jaguar owner for the last 10 years having had two XJs and two S-Type 4.0 litres. I would agree with the comments about the ride which is certainly quite harsh around town, but given the state of our roads particularly in and around London mean that in any car you will feel the bumps to some extent, even my previous Jaguar felt harsh at times partly as a by product of the cars Air Suspension which at slower speeds isn’t so good at reacting to poor surfaces.

When running on electric motor alone the Lexus is absolutely silent (its also excellently refined when the petrol engine is running - except during warm up when the petrol engine always runs for the first five minutes or so, where its a little more noisy than you would expect), and with a very gentle right foot you can get a fair bit of driving on Battery and see some incredibly good mpg figures from the rather optimistic trip computer. However as has already been said this is not an economy car, rather its sold as a performance hybrid, hence if you get caught in very heavy traffic it wont take long for the traction Battery to run flat, and then on petrol alone it becomes as thirsty as any other V6 executive saloon. The worst I have seen is middle teens and best low thirties mpg averages.

If like me you like gadgets, and spend the time reading the handbook there is an almost endless list of features, one example is the rear parking camera, which can be set to either bay or parallel parking and then by means of guidelines on the screen direct you into the space.

As for any problems, my chosen colour -Velvet Black- is a nightmare to keep clean, and my dealer had to polish out some light surface scratches visible on delivery. All cars pick up light surface marks but the non metallic black shows everything, particularly under the fluorescent light in my garage.

The voice activation is a little hit and miss, although I find by talking quite softly seems to achieve better results.

The only other issue is a trim rattles - I have a tick from the dashboard and more occasionally a squeak which will need attention. Trim rattles seem to be a known issue with the GS range in general, somewhat at odds with Lexus image for quality.

All in all, I am pleased with the car, and in the colour combination chosen black with beige interior certainly looks very eye catching, in fact I have had a fair few people come up and ask me about the car when filling up at the petrol station, and finally given the way the car tax and congestion charge rules for London are changing I think the will certainly be real advantages for having a hybrid.

Regards

Keith

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Hi Keith

Thanks for your excellent report. Perhaps black is not a great colour anyway. I will go for silver, I think.

How much do you pay on road tax and how much on servicing?

Regards

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Hi Keith

Thanks for your excellent report. Perhaps black is not a great colour anyway. I will go for silver, I think.

How much do you pay on road tax and how much on servicing?

Regards

I think Road tax is £190 for the year.. This was put on by the dealer so can't remember the exact figure... It was also before the recent budget so it may have changed... I've never had it serviced but expect typical stealer prices...

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I've had mine since November (it was a demo).

Very comfortable, very fast, fuel consumption is in the low 30s doing 250 mile motorway / a road runs twice a week and town driving in between.

Road Tax is either £180 or £190 per year, 20k service was 280 (70 less than originally quoted!).

It does go through tyres though, the factory fit Yokohamas only lasted 17k on the rear but they are very soft and the tread rating is rotten anyway - 160 iirc, I've replaced them with Goodyear F1s with a considerably higher tread rating.

I also have had the rattle / squeking problem on the passenger side dash, in fact it's in a second dealer today to be fixed (hopefully). The rest of the car is so quiet that it's really annoying. All other comments made here by owners I agree with.

Overall, it's a very good car and I'm definitely seeing more of them on the roads.

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Never really noticed... Im getting 27-28mpg on a warm day... been told its not very good... But also consider that I don't drive it much, Alot of cold starts and short journeys!

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Thanks guys. What is the range on the tank?

I must confess although I have owned the car for six months I have only done barely 1,000 miles, and as such have only needed to fill the car twice....!!!!!!!!

But in awnser to your question on the current tank which now needs re-filling a little over 300 miles, but this off course depends on the average mpg over the tank. According to the trip computer its showing an average of just under 26 mpg, in reality I would thing its nearer 23.. the trip computer being a little too optimistic. That reperesents a mixture of driving biased towards town driving in some cases in very heavy traffic.

One thing, even when the range shows '0' miles in common with most cars there is still about a gallon left in the tank.

Regards

Keith

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  • 2 months later...

I just bought 450H to replace my Saab Aero. performance is generally a little better with a much quiter and more comfortable ride. Uncanilly quite at low speeds. Fuel economy is very good when driven with light foot especially around town, but this quikly shrinks to around 28mpg or less if the full performance is used cross country. also in some relatively rare circumstances the Battery charge can become depleted, reducing max acceleration, when driven very enthusiasticly on some types of road.

It sometimes feel a little less shurefooted in high speed hard cornering, possibly too much interferance from electronics or my be I have to get used to rear wheel drive again.

The small boot is easily compensated by twisting the salesmans arm to throw in a removable roof rack. Auto gearbox is great with virtually undetectable operation. Minor Niggles. When idling behind slow vehicle and overtaking slot apears the is a very slight lag in power delivery as the hybrid system fires up the engine however this is easily anticipated with a little practice. Some surfaces generate noticable tyre noise.

A great allround car, but possibly less of a hard drivers car than say a bmw 550 but a lot less thirsty. The reversing camera is great.

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  • 3 weeks later...

I have a 450H while Lexus are fixing my LS. It is SERIOUSLY quick but not hugely economical (25-30mpg). The boot is unbelievably small! Makes the old GS boot look spacious...

Not hugely roomy inside (please get rid of the "moonroof", Lexus...some of us have long backs!).

A great car but I also played with an LS460 recently and there is no competition, the LS is magnificent.

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  • 2 months later...
H

I am a newbie around here and am in the market for a GS450h. Just wondering how is it to live with everyday and is it as economical as it is made out to be.

What is the servicing like and the road tax/

Plus are there any tips or hints to keep in mind when looking around for a second hand one?

Thanks

I took delivery of a GS450h SE L with wood pack in October last year. My previous car being the current shape Jaguar XJ6, in fact I had been a Jaguar owner for the last 10 years having had two XJs and two S-Type 4.0 litres. I would agree with the comments about the ride which is certainly quite harsh around town, but given the state of our roads particularly in and around London mean that in any car you will feel the bumps to some extent, even my previous Jaguar felt harsh at times partly as a by product of the cars Air Suspension which at slower speeds isn’t so good at reacting to poor surfaces.

When running on electric motor alone the Lexus is absolutely silent (its also excellently refined when the petrol engine is running - except during warm up when the petrol engine always runs for the first five minutes or so, where its a little more noisy than you would expect), and with a very gentle right foot you can get a fair bit of driving on Battery and see some incredibly good mpg figures from the rather optimistic trip computer. However as has already been said this is not an economy car, rather its sold as a performance hybrid, hence if you get caught in very heavy traffic it wont take long for the traction Battery to run flat, and then on petrol alone it becomes as thirsty as any other V6 executive saloon. The worst I have seen is middle teens and best low thirties mpg averages.

If like me you like gadgets, and spend the time reading the handbook there is an almost endless list of features, one example is the rear parking camera, which can be set to either bay or parallel parking and then by means of guidelines on the screen direct you into the space.

As for any problems, my chosen colour -Velvet Black- is a nightmare to keep clean, and my dealer had to polish out some light surface scratches visible on delivery. All cars pick up light surface marks but the non metallic black shows everything, particularly under the fluorescent light in my garage.

The voice activation is a little hit and miss, although I find by talking quite softly seems to achieve better results.

The only other issue is a trim rattles - I have a tick from the dashboard and more occasionally a squeak which will need attention. Trim rattles seem to be a known issue with the GS range in general, somewhat at odds with Lexus image for quality.

All in all, I am pleased with the car, and in the colour combination chosen black with beige interior certainly looks very eye catching, in fact I have had a fair few people come up and ask me about the car when filling up at the petrol station, and finally given the way the car tax and congestion charge rules for London are changing I think the will certainly be real advantages for having a hybrid.

Regards

Keith

Hi,

I have the rattle problem too. Passenger side dash I think. Annoying the hell out of me. Anyone know a solution?

Cheers,

Diarmaid

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I have a GS450h. I have done 13,000 miles so far. On the whole its a pretty good car, depending on the use you intend. Firstly it is very comfortable and quiet with the exception of a slightly brittle ride - something you dont really notice after a few days (a recent change from Yokahama to Dunlop 2030 tyres has made a big improvement to the ride).

Performance is effortlessly brisk depending on what you are used to - rather like a big diesel without the rattle. Because of the CVT transmission it feels slower than it actually is.

The boot is quite small, which may be an issue for some people.

As a drivers car it is sort of middle of the road - not completely boring, but not very stimulating either - you tend to arrive at your destination having completely forgotten the last 3 hours. Handling is well balanced but feels top-heavy, and its not well suited to really quick driving - the handling becomes a bit ponderous and the engine/transmission combination starts to sound a bit like a flymo.

The mobile phone kit has fairly poor sound quality, the satnav and other commands are very annoying as almost everything is disabled if the car is moving.

The car has several irritating trim rattles - passenger door, left hand side dash, along the front end of the cowling and somewhere around the mirror - which pretty much ruin the car. The fabled Lexus build quality is simply not apparent. I have never suffered with this sort of problem from Jaguar, BMW or Mercedes.

Economy is good for the performance - I average around 29mpg - 30-32 on constant motorway journeys, dropping to around 24mpg for urban. if its a company car then you only pay 21% tax. The reason I chose the car is I wanted a low tax, high performance non-diesel. And that is probably its niche market.

Mark

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