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I wrote this in response to my previous post, and then realised that I had gone off at a tangent, so decided on a separate post. I am in a position in which I can afford a really nice new car but having been out of the market for a few years, and driven a few new cars recently, they seem to have moved backwards. This after many years of not being able to afford a nice new car, having wasted most of my money on children etc. These newish cars seem unrefined, don't ride particularly well, a spare wheel is unheard of (expensive insanity in my view), and research (of which I do a lot), uncovers what seem to be relatively common horror stories of dpfs, egrs, dmfs, gearbox failures, turbo failures, diesel contaminating oil and increasing oil content to destructive levels and so on. I'm talking about cars that include some that cost 30 grand upwards. I have considered various petrol engines, but they are not available in many models and come with their own issues including failed turbos, coil packs, stretched timing chains etc. The last car that was as satisfying as my 400 was my 1989 Audi 90 5 cylinder. It was a wonderful car, with a briliant engine. It was incredibly well engineered and lovely to drive. I wish I could find a mint example, I would abandon my search for a newish car. My daughter just paid just over 2 grand for a 2003 vw beetle convertible with around 50 k on the clock,, a full vw history and a set of winter tyres. I'm starting to think that buying new or even newish is insanity,unless it is something very special. Some of the new smaller petrol engines seem brilliant, with incredible power for their size -including the vw / audi 1.4 tsi 150bhp, but ever increasing fuel pressures, turbos and superchargers strapped to a small, highly stressed engine do not seem to me to be a recipe for a long and reliable life (the opposite approach taken by the LS 400 of a large , unstressed engine). I suspect that many of these little time bombs will be kept for three years only, for fear of ruinous repair bills when problems start to surface (as they already have). So here is a caveat for potential Lexus LS 400 owners. Seriously, Don't, on any account, buy one, because you will probably never find a satisfactory replacement, and will be doomed to spend the rest of your motoring life regretting the one you sold, and cursing the car you currently drive, because it fails to live up. This is my quandary in deciding whether to sell my Mk 4

My Steering wheel was looking a bit tiredand I thought it was a bit thin like cars of old lol. I had it refurbished and made 1mm thick by Jack at http://royalsteeringwheels.com/ he did a great job let me know what you think. Before and after pics below :)

If as soon as you start it, you hit the EV button....... And the battery has enough charge...........and it's not tooooo cold, then it will run in EV mode up to about 30mph.......provided you don't accelerate too hard. it is normal but annoying.

All the more reason, Hugh, to keep the LS400 and then you can easily justify spending the money you have saved by not buying a newer car on restoring your Mk2 Jag!!

Thanks all, that would make sense. The thing that had me wondering was a chap at work has a Prius and whilst I've not driven it for a while I'm sure that it moves off entirely on battery before the engine kicks in. No doubt I'll have more questions as time goes by but for now I'm simply staggered at how comfortable and quiet the thing seems to be (makes you wonder what the hell a GS and LS must be like!).

yes for sure .... my now 188k miles Ls400 cost me £1400 5+ years and 65k miles ago, cost very little in repairs , mainly just the one single UCA at £250 15 months ago and then tyres and a battery and servicing, oil and filters, wiper rubbers and a headlamp bulb about £6 .................. depreciation, well, zero, maybe it's worth that £1400 still eh ! BUT worth a great deal more to me. ( from an ex car dealer , me ) Buy and keep the car you really really want and forget the " need " to part with loadsa dosh from time to time in the pursuit of total imperfection ....... hang on to your Ls400, it's money in the bank Malc

Hi Doog, Been on hols so couldn't comment but Great choice done a few thousand in mine now and just cant stop smiling, if you cruise at 60 in eco you can get a staggering 50mpg but then why would you buy the 200T and have it in ECO? LOL, enjoy :)

Once you've owned an LS you've got the disease, it's sadly incurable, even with therapy, you'll be back!

Finally pulled the trigger on an IS200t Sport in Celestial black good to be back in the fold