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Sounds like he was driving a completely different car to mine, as Flytvr says upshifts are harsher in Sport mode as are a lot of other cars, that aside absolutely no issues with mine. Trashy American journalism in my opinion.

I've really enjoyed the two LS400/ I have owned, and having driven around in a Honda Jazz for the last two years which I am sharing with my son, I think it it is time to get my own car again! I'm 90% sure that I would like to try and find a LS600h as my next car. The only reason I am a little unsure is that I am still toying with the idea of a newer LS460. Budgetwise I won't want to spend more than around £18k on this. Any thoughts on the two models or tip offs on potentially good purchases would be appreciated. Thanks everyone.

Well I agreed to purchase a used Lexus ( about a year old ) a number of years ago. Put a deposit on the car over the phone based on description and pictures. Turned up to pay but inspected car first, massive deep scratch on bonnet, plus smaller scratches. Scuffed wheels. Salesman tried to blame it on a cat. Needless to say I walked away and eventually got my deposit returned. This was about 10 years ago so dealership hopefully would have improved, but I would never go back.

I've been the owner of a 2007 LS460 for over four years. Previous to that I had a 1994 LS 400 which I bought in 1997, and kept for 15 years. I've had no problems with the 460, apart from a corrupt programme in the parking computer, which was fixed by the Lexus garage very cheaply. The car will be 10 years old next year and still looks new. All the various gizmos still work as advertised and I hope to keep the car, at least, as long as the 400. I toyed with the idea of upgrading to a 600 but, in my opinion, it is just a bit too complicated for really long-term ownership. Don't get me wrong, it's a beautiful machine - but I think the hybrid drive has the potential for some very expensive bills down the road. My Lexus 10 year care package runs out in a few months and I have already found a really good Indy with all the kit to look after the car. He did say that the test equipment needed for the 600 was too expensive for his garage. The 400 was, and is, a lovely machine.......but they are getting pretty long in the tooth. I'm sure many will continue to give years of trouble-free motoring. However, if you are thinking of updating, the 460 is a great way to go.

Me neither, it's too stressful to be worth the effort on our UK motorways 99% of the time. Adaptive cruise control (ACC) on the over hand, is brilliant. Set the desired speed and the car will slow down automatically and maintain a gap predetermined by the setting you choose. If the car in front moves out of the way, or you move into an overtaking position the car will speed back up to the speed originally set. I have it on my NX and wouldn't be without it. My wife, who was sceptical in the extreme and not a great motorway passenger now loves it. Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk

I wrote an extensive prognosis on this very subject four years ago when I started looking for a replacement for my Mark1 LS400 . The issues brought up in this thread were the same as I mulled over before I finally opted for the coveted 18k miles 14 year old mint mark 4 that I found for £3750 on ebay. I had already decided that was the road I was taking before I found the ebay purchase,to put it in a nutshell the Mark 4 LS400 is and still is the best car Lexus ever produced simply because it was 17 years in production and the development of that car was never matched anywhere else in either time or money. That being said we are four years down the line and good examples of the Mark 4 are difficult to find as the good ones or staying put just as mine is. So the debate for me lies with others as I am content with situation I am in and as far as cars go that contentment is worth its weight in gold.

Cruise Control, As a disabled motorist on long journeys its manner sent from heaven. I just rest my foot on the floor and without CC I wouldn't be able to undertake any long journeys. If you need to hit the brake pedal your foot moves quick enough to the brake pedal without having your foot hovering over the it. Mike.

Another thing to note is if you extend the warranty to 5 years then that also includes breakdown cover for the extra 2 years - so is actually really good value for money.

Mines pretty standard really. Wasn't a fan of the sat nav on my test drive day and always had Tomtom so happy to stick with that. Standard stereo as this was better than the stereo in my current car and couldn't justify the additional cost. All in all, just happy they've sorted my F Sport out.

I ran a MyCarCheck on the 62 plate I was looking at (and later bought) in Dec last year. It does list common faults in cars but in this case there was nothing about the gearbox at all. On a lot of IS-Fs there is a small issue - when changing up at high revs and accelerating hard, a lot of us eventually start noticing a squeak coming from the front, which sounds like, and is, a belt slip noise from the auxiliary / serpentine belt. These things are consumables anyway but when I decided to do something about it, I ended up having to replace the tensioner too. Belt, tensioner and labour in a Lexus garage was well over £500, and that's just to get rid of a squeak. I'll think twice about it next time!! But if you want this kind of car and you don't want to spend money repairing it, the Lexus seems like by far the best choice. Links for reference (or evidence of my confirmation bias): http://www.carscoops.com/2014/10/uks-least-reliable-car-would-have-m5.html (shows the M5 and RS6 in a bad light) http://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/bmw/m5-e60-2005/ (" BMW M5 shown to be 2nd least reliable European car more than 3 years old and out of manufacturer warranty") PS - Final advice from me, worry about kerbing the alloys more than destroying the gearbox!

There you go, I've given you a new business idea. Obviously I expect some kind of reward when the country is awash with 18' Civics, Jazz's and Yaris's, and you've made so much from it that you're driving your brand new LS600h special edition+!

I agree with Malc, I've seen several LS600's in London and coveted them every time, but I'd be terrified at the thought of it going wrong. It's a rich man's car that will need rich man's deep pockets to maintain it. For that reason alone I choose an aged limo, if it goes seriously wrong I just scrap it and loose very little money. Good luck with whatever you decide. Maybe spend 18k on having the Jazz stretched, it'll cost you less in the long run!!

...... I'll follow this thread with interest .............. I did toy with the notion of a used Ls600 and or maybe a Ls460 .................. then reading the thread about the guy with the Ls600 and a warning dash light resulted in a new engine etc under the used car warranty, just to have replicated the issues some short time later and a relatively simple fix ( I think ) by an old fashioned ( Lexus ? )mechanic with a spanner etc and maybe zero cost. Then there's the air suspension and the hybrid battery packs longevity question ................. I don't know, I just find it all very very scary ............... then my need for a replacement car for the 22 yr old Mazda 323f came along in my ex-bro-in-laws 56 plate Honda Legend ............. no air suspension etc ....... not so scary ( and amazingly the Mazda just passed this month yet another MOT with zero cost ! ). But you have of course made up your mind and £18k will buy you a choice of a great number of cars ............. good luck ps chatting with another mechanic guy ( from my usual indy ) he's telling me that he's having to yet again upgrade his plug-in diagnostic equipment AND that many of the warning light appearances on dashboards are a result of age related slight deterioration in wire ends corrosion or whatever it's called and there mostly probably isn't anything really wrong with the bits and pieces ( like engines, gearboxes etc ) that the diagnostics tell one there is ! Good Luck whatever Malc

I had Skodas for years but I'm glad to have a Lexus now. Don't think I could drive another make now. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

Recently had a GS300h on 48ht test drive. Felt fantastic and super comfortable. Is very slightly slower than IS. Go drive one it'll surprise you.

As a bit of a bonus, you also get free cover for your spouse or partner for the full three years too! You just need to contact Lexus assistance and they will provide a separate assistance card in their own name.

Hi Andrew, sounds like you got pretty much what you wanted and the Protection pack is what I got thrown in. Very happy for you, what Colour and interior what will it come with? Standard or Premium Nav, Mark Levinson audio (wish I had that) ? To answer you question on the Protection Pack: Mine came with it. Rubber mats as well as the cloth ones, Have replaced mine for the rubber ones and they are so much better than the ones you get in Halfords, actually fit the car properly and lock in. Boot liner, Rear boot protector plate I also had cargo nets and travel kit thrown in but not sure if they are extra's. I had to cut 4 small squares out of the boot liner to get the cargo nets to hook over the little square hooks on the floor of the boot. Roll on end of October then :)

Deposit paid ,all paperwork done and correct. Delivery oct4. Cant wait