New Lexus Owner

[ant1973]

Hello,

Have just managed to do a deal on a MK 3 2005 plate GS430 for - wait for it - the knock down price of £9800! Sensational value for money if you ask me. Car has only done 58k and has every toy known to man. I am coming from nearly 10 years of BMW cars (and indeed will be keeping my current M3 as a second car). When I test drove a GS300 around a month ago, I was expecting to find a big wallowing americanised car. I can't tell you how wrong I was. I did not think there was an appreciable difference in handling between this car and my wife's old e39 5 series. The motoring press in this country are doing the public no service by perpeuating the myth that the Lexus does not handle as well as its German cousins.

Anyway, getting the car tomorrow and I am just wondering whether to put the lexus warranty on the car. Any thoughts?

Regards,

Anthony

[wendle]

Hi, and welcome, as they want £6 each for a valve dust cover, £6 each for a wheel nut & £125 for the Lexus badge on the boot, I would consider it, Ok I now these aren’t warranty items but it does show the price of parts. Saying that you have brought, in my opinion, from one of the most reliable car manufactures .( he says waiting for his valve spring recall ) I have a friend with a 20 year old, LX 460 with just over 200k miles on the clock, the car drives like new & other than the normal wear & tear items all he has had to buy are 2 batteries. I normally keep mine until they are 4 years old then change it & as I cover less than 5k a year I have so far taken the chance & not taken out a warranty for the 4th year. I think you would be looking at around £1000 for a warranty

[dave1]

I bought my 09/2002 GS430, 46k miles, in May 2008 with 12 months Lexus approved warranty as it was from a dealer. At 49k miles the osf upper suspension arm, upper mount and the alternator belt pulley & tensioner were replaced at around £850 under warranty. I purchased a further Lexus warranty for £885 but did get 15 months cover for the price of 12. A couple of months ago the headlamp washer relay and pump were replaced under warranty which I believe would cost around £300+. Also of course you get the top AA cover (was RAC until earlier this year) which is worth around £150 ish. The current price for Lexus warranty is around £900 for 1 year.

Are you buying privately or dealer?

Just checked.....12 months £935 24 months £1740

[knitware]

The motoring press in this country are doing the public no service by perpeuating the myth that the Lexus does not handle as well as its German cousins.

Anyway, getting the car tomorrow and I am just wondering whether to put the lexus warranty on the car. Any thoughts?

Regards,

Anthony

The trouble with the motoring press is that they assume all drivers want to throw themselves and their wives around a bendy road or race track in every car that they happen to be in. This is maybe an ok assumption to make for a 911 driver or similar but the press seem to want to test extreme cornering in saloon cars too, extreme cornering as in tyres smoking, wheel spinning aka 'Top Gear' style pointless testing. I once read that the 'Lexus's traction control cuts in too early', in who's opinion? I would hope that if I wanted to thrash my GS around a corner the electronics would kick in stopping me from eating a hedge sandwich, I would also expect 'Doris' my satnav to say 'hey as5hole, who do you think you are, a journalist'.

When I read reviews on cars I skip past the section of how many G's the car pulls on a bend and take a look at the things that matter to me, the wind noise or how much road noise emanates through to the cockpit. If it's quiet and smooth then to me it's probably an ok car. If the car won't keep up with a 911 turbo and doesn't make my wife sick, I really don't care.

[GOLO]

But it will out brake one!