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Hi, Here is my lexus isf that I bought in england a few weeks ago: year 2008, 107000 miles. Here are some pictures: cleaning of the seats with soap of marseille, complete cleaning of the body, plastidip of the emblem and the front grille

So I promised a write up of my adventures into searching for a vehicle to replace my 3RX. Nothing wrong with it, just fancied a change and thought it was a good time to buy after 5 years. Initially, I was thinking of changing brands and spending the next few years with something new but I didn't rule out the vehicles from Lexus. There were 3 categories the replacement would have to fill: 1) Had to be an SUV 2) Had to be different to the norm 3) Had to fall within my budget of £45k From some quick research, the initial contenders were the Volvo XC90, Jaguar F-Pace, BMW X6, Mercedes GLE, Lexus NX and Lexus RX. I excluded the Porsche Cayenne as the interior was too busy and the Range Rover Sport as it was more expensive and had well known reliability issues. The Q7 was also excluded as I just didn't like the bulbous look it has even though a good example was available within my budget. Additionally, I deliberately drove the 4RX last so I got an idea of all the other vehicles before it and therefore I could compare better. The next step was to find any vehicles I fancied by trawling through Autotrader and Manufacturer Used sections of their websites. The Lexus NX was the exception here as I didn't find anything I particularly liked and it would have come within my budget new, so I would have taken the new option of Mesa Red/Red with Premier pack. Volvo XC90 The first vehicle I looked for was the Volvo XC90. I found one in Sunderland with the D5 2.0l diesel engine and in Inscription trim. I liked the colour and it was in my budget so went to test drive it. Initial impressions were that it looked classy but was also quite boxy. It looked great it the Luminous Sand colour but would have preferred another interior colour other than black but it wasn't a huge issue. The boxy shape obviously led to a huge amount of interior space and the boot was cavernous. The XC90 was also the only 7 seater I looked at - didn't really need a 7 seater but it would have come in handy when the in laws were around. Spec wise, it was OK. Didn't have many optional extras and no panoramic sunroof either but it had huge side windows so the interior was fairly airy. The interior quality was good yet there were some cheaper feeling gloss black plastics scattered around and whilst the infotainment screen was very simple to use whilst stationary, it was a nightmare whilst driving and I missed dedicated buttons from my RX for certain functions. Driving impressions - This is where the XC90 fell short. Yes the wind noise is suppressed well but the engine makes itself noticeable and being a 2.0l diesel, it does sound rough at times, especially compared to the buttery smooth 3RX. There is some road noise due to its wide tyres as well. The spec sheet also read 0-60mph in 7.4s or something like that - no chance! It felt heavy and realistically, it must have been around 8.5-9s as the engine seems to run out of puff over 3.5k rpm. The mid-range acceleration was pretty mediocre compared to the 3RX as well. Having said that, in town it was perfectly acceptable and if driven sedately, should be fine for most people. The handling was OK for a big bus, it did roll a bit in the corner but only slightly but this was the result of relatively firm suspension. The gearbox (an 8 Speed Aisin unit used in some Lexus vehicles) was jerky when pressing on a bit and overall, it just needed to be driven sedately to enjoy it. Conclusion - in the end, I felt the XC90 wasn't for me. It gets rave reviews from the press and I can see why - its built very well and suppresses noises from the outside very well. However, the engine remains its weakest point and ideally, it needs around 270hp. The fuel economy was dismal as well (30mpg) and when Volvo have downsized to a 2l for that very reason, it makes you think that Audi's strategy of "right sizing" is a much better option as it seems to get better fuel economy with a lot more power and refinement. Jaguar F-Pace After deciding the XC90 wasn't for me, off I trawled to Jaguar Preston to see this car! First impressions - a good looking vehicle - certain angles looked funny (the front looks odd IMO) but overall not bad and certainly not a vehicle you see everyday (although they are getting more common now). I haven't see one in Black yet so thought that was probably the one to go for if I did decide on a Jag. This particular example had two tone red/black leather as well but also had a 2.0l diesel engine. Spec wise, it was OK. It had a pan roof but it didnt open, tinted windows and memory seats (all optional extras). Apart from that I think it was fairly stock. This basically meant that there were no LED headlights, no reversing camera, no adaptive cruise control etc. The biggest difference when getting into the F-Pace after testing the XC90 was the reduced cabin space. There was less headroom and shoulder room in every seat and reduced boot space. The greatest problem was the rear seat foot space. Its probably the worst design Ive ever come across in an SUV - the footwell is extremely narrow and my wife's IS has a bigger footwell. The quality of materials in the Jag was also poor in comparison to the Volvo. The main bits that I noticed was that some of the stitching on the dashboard was not straight, some of the buttons felt a bit cheap and components moved more i.e steering wheel, armrests etc when giving them a vigorous shake. The door panels had a tinny sound when tapped too (something I just do in all cars I see now, sounds stupid but gives you a good idea of how the car is built). The infotainment was easier to use on the move compared to the Volvo but overall, just a slower system. The audio system was crap compared to the ML in the 3RX so this was off-putting. Im also not sure on the leather - it didn't feel like real leather. Driving impressions - what the F-pace lacks in interior quality, it makes up for in driving experience. It handles very well and feels connected to the road. Again, the weakest link is the diesel here. For a great handling car, there's just not enough power to exploit the handling characteristics. The engine is also less refined than in the XC90 and there is more tyre roar and wind noise. Of course, the 3.0l is available but this was out of the budget! Conclusion - The F-Pace left me feeling cold. Whilst the F-pace is a brilliant handling SUV, I realised I would hardly exploit its handling capabilities and therefore, preferred the more refined option which was the XC90 after testing the Jag. The XC90 had better interior quality and was ultimately, a more solid feeling vehicle and at this point, the XC90 had gone to the top of the list. Now I realise that the F-Pace was cheaper than the XC90 but it feels that way - the real question is, would I rather have a newer, cheaper feeling car or a 1 year older, expensive feeling car for similiar price and I would go for the older, better quality car everyday of the week. BMW X6 Off I went to BMW in Rochdale to see a Flamenco Red X6 M-Sport. Initial impressions - Personally thought it was a great looking car. I loved the colour and quite a rare one too with only 15 being sold in the country in Red. This particular one had a decent spec with a heads up display, heated steering wheel, heated rear seats and surround view. It was also the 40d version. Interior quality was very good. Everything felt solid and was functional but it was slightly boring in that the same sort of interior has been used on BMWs for the past decade. There was enough interior space although rear headroom was limited due to its sloping roof line. This car also had the nappa leather which was very nice to the touch. This particular car was missing tinted windows but this could easily have been sorted. The infotainment system was the easiest to use IMO, even on the move and the car itself felt solid on the road. Driving impressions - This is where the BMW shines. Its a very good handling car. Its not as good as the F-pace but it has an extremely potent 3.0l diesel engine and every time my foot planted the floor, there was a huge smile on my face. Having said that, it fell short in other areas. Whilst wind noise was well suppressed, there was a huge amount of tyre roar from those massive tyres and the engine still sounded slightly gruff despite being a 6 cylinder. Smoothness of the engine however, was exceptional and the torque was very addictive. Conclusion - I really liked this one. The road noise was a problem but I think the current tyre choice wasn't helping. This was now on the top of my list followed by the XC90 and then the F-pace. Merc GLE The next vehicle to test was the GLE350d. I'd seen a white one on the road a few weeks earlier and it had huge road presence and is a fairly rare sight so it was on the shortlist. Initial impressions - yes, huge road presence from that front end. The vehicle itself is very large. I thought it looked brilliant in white as well. Interior space was not an issue although it had the same problem as the X6 with the rear headroom but it wasn't too bad. Same with the boot, it was bigger than the X6's. Interior quality - This is where the Mercedes was let down. The interior is extremely aged. The centre console seems to have been lifted straight from a W204 C class with the addition of a modern screen. Just looks odd in my opinion. This car also had the nappa leather which was nice but the seats were poor in both support and comfort in comparison to the X6 and Volvo. Driving impressions - The Mercedes felt the most tank like to drive. The way it drove just felt solid - it was genuinely like driving an indestructible behemoth on the road with the added benefit of everyone just moving out of the way. The ride was firm, almost jarring and the handling was rubbish but it was quick in a straight line. Nothing much to say here apart from wind noise was fairly well suppressed but road noise, again due to massive tyres was the biggest thing upsetting the refinement. Lexus NX This one was tested at my local dealer. Nobody had a Red/Red NX300h with the Premier pack to see or test so it would have been ordered new as it fell within the budget but my dealer had a white/black F-Sport with Premier pack. Initial impressions - Sharp styling and I liked the DRLs separated from the headlights. Wasn't a huge fan of the rear, felt it looked too upright TBH. Would have liked some larger wheels - 19"s would have done nicely but the diamond finish on the F-Sport was nice. The interior quality was great. It was closer to a GS than an IS but overall, the interior space was quite compact. It felt more like the IS whereas my 3RX was more open. Rear legroom was similiar to the 3RX but the headroom was reduced slightly, especially with the panoramic sunroof. The quality was definitely better than the F-pace and GLE but not at the same level of the other vehicles which is understandable due to the price tag. The tech on this car was amazing - it beat the spec of every other car I'd tested. It had the pan roof, head up display, mark levinson and the surround camera system. It also had the adaptive cruise control etc. The spec was genuinely impressive when equipped with the Premier Pack. Driving impressions - The NX handled well enough. It was flatter than my RX and rode less firmly. However, road noise and wind noise were certainly more evident, albeit only slightly. The car felt much more agile than my 3RX and didn't exhibit the same bouncy behaviour at the rear axle. I also preferred the size, much more manageable in town than the others that I tested. Having said that, the drivetrain was the weakest link. Whilst adequate in the IS, the NX needs a more powerful engine. It felt slow in almost every situation apart from in town and at low speed. The engine would make itself heard almost all the time when going up hills near where I live so it was a disappointment. If only the 200t was available with the Premier pack - thats what I would have gone for (despite @Linas.P's views on it being trashy ) Lexus RX Left the most familiar option to the end so that I could compare it to the rest of them. I was initially looking at the one in Cambridge which was White/Black with Pan roof and HUD. It was also slightly out of my budget. Anyway I couldn't be bothered going 130 miles just to test drive it so I had a quick test drive with my local dealers demo - a Black/black F-Sport with pan roof only. Initial impressions - Looked impressive. I liked the angles but the black paint didn't work on it as the wheels blended in etc. The first thing I noticed was that the panel gaps were very tight and paintwork, extremely smooth - none of that orange peel stuff you get with the German brands. I also noticed that it demanded a lot of attention from pedestrians - they all seemed to be working out what it actually was! The interior quality was great - up there with the Volvo. The weakest link was the infotainment system - more complicated and something you have to learn to use rather than use straight away unlike the Volvo or BMW. The seats deserve a special mention. They fit me like a glove and are very supportive, yet also comfortable. This was an issue on the NX which had narrower seats. The infotainment screen is impressive and the panoramic roof let lots of light into the cabin despite the interior being black. The spec list was great too apart from the absence of the HUD which was fitted as standard to the 3RX F-Sport. It didn't have the ML but this didn't bother me as the standard sound system is as good as the ML in my 3RX. Driving impressions - It felt familiar to the 3RX but improved in every way. The ride was more composed (non of that rear axle bounciness of the 3RX). Its better than the NX F-Sport in terms of ride comfort and the AVS did a good job. Its firmer than the XC90 but then, it handles better as well. Its not a car which you can throw into bends like the X6 or F-pace but it handles well, better than the 3RX but you always know that the weight is there. Wind noise and road noise is NON EXISTENT! I found myself on the motorway thinking I was doing 60mph, looked down and it was doing 90mph (oops). In terms of the drivetrain, I don't care what the journalists are saying but for me, its great. Its refined all the time, even when flooring it, its relatively quiet compared to the diesels in other brands. There's also nothing that compensates for the V6 burble in the background too. Oh and lets not forget, this drivetrain is very quick in the mid range. Conclusion - In the end, it was a fairly simple decision to make. The 4RX has very little in terms of flaws and a part of me knows that it would sell like hotcakes if it had a German badge on it. Through 4 generations (ive owned 3 of them now) its been improved constantly and it shows. Yes, it has some annoying characteristics but overall, as a package, its absolutely brilliant. In the end, I didn't get the car from Lexus Cambridge. I eventually bought from Lexus Cheltenham who had exactly the same spec as Lexus Cambridge but with 1500 more miles and the red leather instead of the black for almost 10% less. Having said that, Lexus Cheltenham did offer the lowest P/X value from anyone. I was offered £18k for my 3RX whilst BMW, Volvo and Jaguar offered £19.5k. However, my local dealer also offered £18.5k so I think its mainly the book that Lexus dealers use (Ive consistently found they offer the lowest p/x value of any main dealer).

I'm now the very proud owner of a 2008 Lexus GS450h with around 59,000 miles on the clock. I've been hankering after one of these for quite a while (see this post in January) The one I've bought is in velvet black with ivory leather, and all the SE-L toys including ACC/PCS and a sunroof. I bought it from Lexus Edgware Road, so have a full warranty which hopefully I won't need to use, but is nice peace of mind. Admittedly I've driven less than 100 miles so far but I was highly impressed with the 36.8 mpg I achieved driving back up the A1 to Cambridgeshire. I have some immediate questions concerning how to switch the clock to 24 hours format and why on earth it doesn't have a sunglasses holder which I assume are better addressed in the proper forum, but I wanted to say hello all the same. Pictures of the car here... Looking forward to contributing here, thanks for looking.

Mainly beacsue i needed a daily drive car, the GS300h got the nod. Great on MPG, next ro nothing tax, cheap servicing etc etc. Reason i miss the ISF is because of its character on the street.. you can drive it like a normal IS and not make too much noise, go unnoticed, unlike like the AMGs or Ms or RSs are in your face. But knowing you have a V8 breathing under the bonnet. The thought of that was comforting alone, the looks, rarity, confortable, so no, it wasnt just speed i miss.

Ok Guys - filled up earlier and this time paid attention to the inside of the filler cap cover and YES it does have a slot for the cap to be temporarily hanged - the designers didn't miss anything - brilliant!

Thanks for the warm welcome and the kind comments. Responding to the quesitons in order: Previous car: 2007 Mazda3 MPS (traded it in for the Lexus + cash, wanted a "long range highway bomber" for commuting in style), FN2 Civic Type R before that Colour: "Blue" (Sorry I don't know the Lexus paint codes as yet) Pics: None taken as yet, but grabbed a pic off the Autotrader ad. Immediate plans are timing belt change (96k and no evidence of being changed), respray (some corrosion), side skirts, black housing headlights. And that's about it other than maintenance / restoration. Not sure about a Japspeed cat back exhaust...would hate to ruin the car's natural smoothness.

Worth a Look!

Pity he doesn't know there's a cradle for the filler cap.

Mad max loves LS :)

@Etienne Good job there, nothing better than giving the car a really good clean, get to know the car! Last time I did mine it was well overdue..... 😉

Well... you can probably have it in paper form... soft cover, hard cover etc.

I suggest you read your own post again, because it doesn't make much sense. IS300mk1 was 1490kg and had more power (217hp) - whereas IS250 was 100kg heavier and had less power (204hp). So to sum-up you comparing lighter and more powerful car with heavier car and trying to make sense out of it. IS300 had official time of 7.5s 0-60... I don't know what was real, but based on pure physics it was faster than IS250. That as well makes sense in line-up which superseded mk1. IS200 was replaced by IS250, whereas IS300 was replaced by IS350. Now in terms of IS250 vs IS200t... mk3 is heavier and it seems 8-speed auto is a bit confused from stand still... all in all making IS200t just a bit faster. But that is "a bit..." and not "IS250 would not know which way IS200t went from any gear".. - that is not true.

Yeah but a snail for a modern 2 litre turbo. Infact I can't think of a slower 4 pot turbo. To say it's quite a bit quicker than my 250 is total garbage. I've drove both and it's slightly quicker.

Most people would agree that the original post was well written, informative, a good read and pretty objective in the eyes of the person doing the testing. Well everyone apart from Linas.P of course

The blue models are worth more as well................oh and they are faster than the others..........its true.............

Funny to see the comments re old school as my first thought was that they reminded me of the wheels I had on my 90's Supra. I really now prefer the more modern multi spoke wheels. Really liked the new wheels I saw on the white RCF at Goodwood last weekend. Also as an aside I think I prefer the RCF interior to the LC's I sat in which surprised me. Have to say the RCF has really grown on me.. Considering the price of the LC, it makes the RCF a lot of car for the money!!

They suit the car plus much easier to clean all that brembo dust off every five miles.

I love the fact that it says after pressing the fuel filler door button it may take up to 10 seconds to open. I would love to see the messages on the console After 1 second - We have registered your need to open the fuel filler door After 2 Seconds - We are okay to open, but can see it is cold, and am now giving you time to put on your jacket After 5 seconds - we have checked your credit card and can see your credit limit is exceeded and will be closing the filler door After 5.5 seconds - we have spotted that your paypal account is fine, so we are now resuming the opening of the filler door After 7 sconds - the door is open, we are now heating the filler cap so as not to freeze your digits After 10 seconds - ready to fuel

David, some belters in that vid. I felt sure that the microlite was doomed... Back to the filler cap, it sounds like some folks would benefit from a scan of the manual e.g. http://www.lexomans.com/manguide-619.html

Filling an LS is a chance to observe the people who have no idea how to park near a pump, cannot remember which side their filler is on, and those who know where the filler is but have not worked out that the pump line can stretch across the boot, and those desperate to make sure they only put a fivers worth of fuel in as that is all they have (been there myself a few times). Life in the LS, fast on the road, slow at the pump, just the way it should be.

Of course it is. My mistake, I actually went to Vision Express, and now I'm paying the price!

hahahahaha............., I stand and fill mine, watching all the others that come and go in the time it takes to put 70+ ltrs in the tank Malc

He's got one just like mine - I'm Ashamed to say despite owning it over 4 years I don't know there is a cradle?

Yep, but it's great to have the caravan as a base and the camper to travel round every day. This was us at Tredegar house caravan club site, in Newport, before I fitted the bar to the LS.

Well I've recently got my F sport back. Had its first MOT today at 28,500 miles. Over the past few days I noticed my dealer in Cheltenham had a 2015 GS300H Luxury for sale with 11,000 miles. To cut a long story short drove it this morning and did a deal on it. . was pleasantly surprised to find that although not advertised it had the Mark Levinson sound option. Hopefully picking it up Friday. Must say the ride and seats are much softer than my IS which is my main reason for changing now and not in a few months time. I have been getting backache for a while and am hoping the softer seats and ride will help.

Well my first day with the GS. The first comment I must make is that the build quality seems to be up a level from the IS300h. The car is like new having covered 10000 miles in its first year and surprisingly only 950 miles in the last year. I'm told the rear privacy glass is factory option but haven't seen another car with it fitted. So far very impressed.

Great informative post, probably one I will need to refer back to in about 6 years when I can afford any of the options and fancy a nice SUV! Glad to see you made the correct choice in the end

No the noise is only audible through gears 1-3. The engine however is really noiseystationary after a 20 mile run however returns to the standard Lexus 220d tick over with the clutch depressed. Thanks really appreciate your responses! Helps me sleep better lol!! What ever it is still want to keep the car, I thought my Stype was comfy but surpasses it for comfort, half wish I brought the petrol though although mpg scared me right off!

How old fashioned!

That is especially true if you looking at HTML page ripped from CD.

The manual isn't the most intuitive of things. You can find the pictures if you look under Transmission - Clutch - Clutch Pedal - Components.

Maybe you have more than just a foot dysfunction after all. Somewhat not surprising if you are trying to deny entire internet stating IS250 is ~7.6 0-62MPH.

I wont lock the thread as there are obviously members who would still like to leave a comment but I will keep my eye on it. Come on people we are all here because we love Lexus.

Yes... and tens of thousands other owners, worldwide. In fact you had 2 yourself. I am starting to suspect right foot dysfunction for you...

Looking forward to further writeups about your time with the new car rayaans. Hope you enjoy it

They look really good on a white ISF!

0w30 Castrol SLX is the oil Lexus Edinburgh used for the Essential services I've had. I believe SLX is the trade equivalent of EDGE.

Gawd is that really how much the total bill could come to? Ah yes, the zoorst is pricey. I hope nobody clicks all the options, which then forces@ls400lpg to pay for the lot...

Refund received and the second set of struts are now working fine, so I've essentially got them for free (minus postage costs) as their admin doesn't seem to realise they'd sent me another pair, but such is life. Pete

I got the ball joints from Lexus Birmingham for £75 each as it gave me a discount compared to Bolton. Here is the link from Bolton. I am sure it will work on internet. https://video.citnow.com/vtsSZ5QYn-P I cant install them. Not enough courage or skills or equipment. Thanks

hey, neither did they 22 years ago Malc

Ah okay, some info here http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/84541-aux-hack-test-points/ with links to several options over on the US forum. Good luck.

Should have gone to specsavers, it's the white one.

I've always used my petrol cap to put between the trigger of the petrol pump and the casing, so that I don't have to stand for what seems like hours filling with 80 litres of fuel. The pumps have an automatic stop when the tank is full so no overflow or potential fire hazard,.

That's impressive, where's the buffet car though? I can't see it in the photo!

can't you leave the kids somewhere ? like a cattery or kennels maybe Malc

Agreed it would be nice for Lexus to have a presence on Piston Heads, however on the other hand any post made on another forum for Lexus based subjects is a post that would have ideally have been made on here to keep this forum as busy as possible, less activity and posts is the last thing this forum needs!

I think white is the holy grail of ISF's but i dont think i'd swap my blue one. I love that colour even in the rain where i think it glows brighter. Now a white GSF hmmmmm

This is the new ride