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51000 and change - so it’s still wrong. MOT on December 1, mileage was 49152. makes me question the stds of Lexus UK and the garage I bought the gsf from, if the information is not vetted and checked before posting. I’m very happy with the gsf. Is a much bigger car and on the road is a lot more composed than the ISF. It’s as quick, throttle response in S+ is a lot sharper than sport in the ISF, and on sweeping A and B road you can feel the TVD working to apportion power across the back axle, making the car feel very agile. This feels like the car shrinks around you, giving the impression that you’re driving a much smaller car. Brakes are awesome. Fuel consumption- not that it matters is the same. only niggle is the supplying garage change all 4 tyres to hankook s12 evo2’s - not convinced with them, don’t think they’re as good as the bridgestones on the ISF or the MPSS on my previous M5. I’ll change them for my choice when they wear. the tech is a generation newer, so the driver interface is more pleasing, but really offers nothing more than the ISF - it’s just better packaged. Nav as with the ISF still couldn’t find its own arse with both hands - Waze is a much better option. Overall though, Pleased with the decision to change, still think it will be a better ownership experience than any of the competition (m3/4/5, e/c 63, etc etc) Hopefully it’ll be as reliable as the ISF, which never put a foot wrong. Nothing went wrong or broke. Bang for buck it’s good value too, as such I’ve bought a Porsche 968 CS (3rd one I’ve had) which arrives this week..... mrs is impressed as you can imagine.

.....you don't use the 430 as a daily driver??? You're just missing out all round. Sell the frogmobile and use the cash for fuel for the lexus. Don't bother with l.p.g you'll never recoup the money, just enjoy the superior drive.

Just signing the papers to get my LS 460. Guys, wish me luck. I have really hugr expectations with this car.

Ok, so my Sub has died, and it looks like LexusSparesDirect no longer have any of their replacement Subs for the ML equipped LS430s. I found out that several people on the US Forum have used a Dayton Audio SD215A-88 speaker to replace the OEM one to great effect and it seems to be reliable too. You can get this here in the UK from https://wallofsound.co.uk/p/sd215a-88-dvc-subwoofer/ and it's substantially cheaper than the £140 LexusSparesDirect were charging via Ebay, although this will require more effort to fit it into the frame that mounts it to the LS. It's a dual coil 8ohm+8ohm speaker so can be wired in series to give the 16ohms needed for the ML amp. I've just ordered mine and it came to £56 delivered. Now to wait and see how long it takes to be delivered, and then pray that it was just the Sub that died and not the Sub output of the Amp. 😊

Having read some irritating posts from other(s) who have not driven the '19 ES, let alone owned one, it may be time for a new thread. Has any member taken delivery of this model and would like to share their first impressions and experiences?

Why? The entire Toyota hybrid drivetrain was/is developed to compete with diesels. Our IS300H replaced a diesel, and if you look at what previous cars people had, the vast majority drove diesels. If you want sublime performance you go and buy a IS F/M3/RS4, but most people want economy and cheap running costs, and on those points the 300H engine does what its designed to do. As for not wanting an EV, well all I can say is our 2.5 ton 6 seater EV SUV is as quick as a V8 petrol M3 on a B road, but costs me 2.5p per mile in fuel costs with £0 VED and next to no servicing costs. So if your after cheap running costs AND performance your be mad not to look at EVs.

So... after all the front and rear suspension work was done, there's actually not many more updates to give on this car; I shall post what progress I made between then and now to try and get back to chronological order. Firstly, the car has had a full stainless exhaust system from Tony Banks in Leeds - from the manifolds all the way back, replacing what remained of the original Toyota system (ruined and previously repaired). I don't have any pictures of the fit underneath (it's exquisite) - but a small video of a cold start idle follows below: https://youtu.be/JBwuI6hmQIY With that done, it was time to locate some rather fetching wheels. I went for a design from a company called XXR, with Uniroyal tyres - after a quick test fit: I need to lower the car still further and ensure the coilovers are set up right - after that I think I shall be spacing the wheels to fill the arches out a little more. The more long term issue is that I want a pretty decent stereo in this car - so removing the original non-nav stereo was more or less the first thing I did. I used a double din fascia kit manufactured by Metra (model: 95-8152) - and an ISO adapter harness off eBay. Slight issue is the pins on harness aren't right; I ended up using the pin configuration in this post on ClubLexus: I've installed a Kenwood DMX7017DABS radio, which has Android Auto/ Apple Carplay - so you need to install a USB socket somewhere to connect your phone. I chose to replace the 12v power socket in the compartment under the Centre armrest: Ignore the hole to the right of the socket - that was my first attempt at getting a socket installed - it didn't go well! I'll put a panel blank over that... The double din looks like this when it's powered up: I've also started on replacing the door speakers: Very easy (by comparison to my old BMW e38) to get the door cards off, and was presently surprised by the condition of the doors behind the cards. This is OSF as an example: There's a small scab in the OSR door near the side impact bar, and a seam of rust right at the front of the NSF door - I'll be treating it all and spraying Dynax along with some sound deadening material going on in due course. The plan will then be to replace the factory parts with adapters sold on eBay from this company: https://www.ebay.co.uk/usr/pvcspeakeradapters79?_trksid=p2047675.l2559 I'll likely install a JL audio components up front, coaxials at the rear and 2x 10" subs with their own amp in the boot and call it a day on the stereo; I don't think I'll see the need for a separate amp for cabin speakers. That's all for now..I shall sort through some nice pictures I've recently taken of the car, and post them up for your delectation!

Just bought a 2006 RX350 from a Lexus Dealer complete with 12 month Lexus warranty. The car is in v good condition, and is well set up for another 50k miles. Have had it up on ramps, no problems found, and had the six plugs changed. Only rust is on n/s rear door at base where a stone chip has clearly been ignored for too long but it is cosmetic and will survive with a coat of WD40 until the summer. We bought the car to do the Scotland NC500 next month, including some suitably gentle off-roading. Avoided the RX400 because it’s drive train is recognised for being not as good as the 350 in the sticky stuff. Love the car, so much that it is now at risk of becoming a keeper. 25/27 mpg is ok for the size and weight, and having the 3.5 V6 AWD is great fun! hth

My 06 RX350SE has now 60k miles and no rust whatsoever. Each summer I put it up on a lift and inspect underneath and it resembles a two year old car. The history of the car looks like southern England although not always far from the coast. Strangely the underside is only partly covered with a thick goop and much of the metal appears to have minimal surface protection but it is simply pristine. Also water had been entering inside the cabin at the very back and was only apparent when the plastic storage bins were removed but there again the metal had no rust. I would inspect any RX for rainwater ingress caused by a variety of reasons documented on this site. Have heard of RXs suffering from rust but do not know if salt on the roads up north is the culprit. This is a big subject but I have come to the conclusion rust can affect two identical cars with similar usage to very differing degrees. I had a very low mileage '95 LS 400 and no Lexus enthusiast could believe the excessive rust under that car. I believe you need to crawl underneath with a strong torch and inspect each car on its merits.

Interesting reading this. My father in law was happy when I got a Lexus as he is a lifelong Toyota owner (being old and asian lol), so was happy for me to "join the club" after deciding to stop leasing ( skoda octavia Vrs 2 years and Polo GTi 2 years). Here a Lexus LS is seen more an understated "Captain of industry" car where as i suppose in Germany if you aren't buying a VW i.e. peoplescar, its almost offending someone. Each to their own I say. Enjoy wafting around in silence while they look weirdly at you.

I have a 350 (56 plate) which is a fantastic car. When I bought it in 2011 it would have cost about £8000 odd more to get a similar year 450. You get a lot of petrol for £8,000! All I have had to do is to upgrade the main beam headlights to HID (cost about £120), change the useless reversing lights to high output LED (about £15) and replace the rear level sensor (about £80). I get about 24 mpg ( same as any car I have had for the past 20+ years) and love it. I understand that the 400 has problems with the battery if it's not used regularly but this was solved on the 450. Good luck with your search.

I do 400+ miles per week in mine. It's what I bought it for. 3 days a week I commute from Wickford to Crawley and back and the rest is incidental running around, so I spend around 12hrs per week in the LS. The LS is a very nice place to be, even when stuck in the traffic queueing for the Dartford Tunnel. 😎 I average about 24Mpg which is better than my 98 Honda Legend that never got over 22Mpg so cost is about £85 per week on petrol. I also spend £12 per week on the crossing tolls. So, you should get a months motoring out of your LS at a cost of £85 per month. LPG conversion would have to be super cheap to compete with that.

I do about 100 miles per week commuting (approx 12K per year for all driving), (400, not 430), never had LPG, not too keen on filling boot with LPG tank or losing spare wheel. I assume the citreon will be cheap to run until it starts to go wrong, where as 430 if looked after will be going for another decade or so. To me a no brainer, keep the LS, and just make sure you take it for a motorway burn very now and again to remind the car what it was built for.

Reversing lights are without doubt a warning to others that you are indeed reversing but, equally without doubt, they are a driving aid. If you live in a town/city then perhaps not such a problem but, driving in the very narrow lanes of Dartmoor on a stormy moonless night, things can and do get very difficult when you have to reverse for an oncoming vehicle. I still maintain that the decision to fit only one reversing light was idiotic.

Of a sort... The S90 T8 is a FWD car on an FWD platform, with an entirely separate (not mechanically connected) electric motor driving the rear wheels. Thus when operating in "EV" mode the T8 is RWD, when operating in "Save" (charging mode) it's entirely FWD and in "power" mode is primarily FWD (AWD but with significantly more power available at the front axle). The RX450h works similarly in that it is an FWD car/platform (Camry) with an EV motor on the rear axle, but the difference comes from the RX450h also having electric motors on the front. The ICE in the RX450h can not mechanically drive the rear wheels. FWD cars may have improved, but our Volvo V70 (2011 D5 Geartronic Polestar, 225bhp 470Nm) was horrific for torque-steer. There were a few really frightening occasions. I have no doubt that the new generation of volvos (S90/V90/etc) are a significant improvement with their MUCH more sophisticated suspension setups. However, we're much happier with the setup of our GS450h and probably would not choose an ES when it comes to replacing it - but the replacement for the GS will probably be EV and thus RWD/AWD anyway (since RWD will be the "default" for EVs, just as FWD is the "default" for most ICE vehicles).

Thank you very much, will do. Drove back 250 miles from Cheshire to West Sussex in the 2008 GS45h with the tyre pressure light showing and correct pressures all-round. Wonderful car. 250 motorway miles at 67mph and 37mpg in real comfort and strong handling. Outstanding mid-range acceleration to avoid cretins. Superb FM classic music from MarkL.

Not sure why your obsessed with RWD, Linas? I don’t know about where you live but up here in Yorkshire I’m governed by either the speed of the road or the volume of traffic on it and I’m pretty sure at 60 or 70 mph I’m not discerning that the car is FWD. Sure, wringing the cars neck around a track (yes, I do track days) I’d be wanting more grunt and AWD or RWD but driving normally within the volume of traffic we have on the roads, who cares, as it’s more than up to the job of being smooth, quiet and comfortable. Yes, we all get it - you hate it but please stop droning on.

Have you got the money earmarked for something shiny on the ISF by any chance ? I can think of no better use to help get over the loss.

Forget the other cars, what’s the breakfast like?

A very similar (but even cheaper) one which I use and which works on Android with an app 'Torque' - there's a free version and a paid for one (£2.99 I think) which gives more data. https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Autool-C1-V1-5-Bluetooth-OBD2-EOBD-JOBD-Scanner-Code-Reader-Diagnostic-Tool/112544094038?hash=item1a34269756:g:RRMAAOSwkWNZpRQN:rk:3:pf:1&frcectupt=true These things work brilliantly giving loads of information and work with any OBD11 car. Only engine codes, though. A 'must-have' for Lexus owners is Tech-Stream - that's a Toyota-specific cable and software which works on Windows (so you need to get your laptop out) - that gives access to lots of information - codes for all the systems on the car and all the settings listed in the handbook which it says are dealer-settable. This is what Lexus dealers use to do a diagnostic scan and for which they charge £80 or more. Check it out on eBay..

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/WiFi-OBD2-ELM327-Bluetooth-Car-Scanner-Android-iOS-IPhone-Torque-Auto-Scan-Tool/401620435469?epid=10026998390&hash=item5d8271820d:g:eDkAAOSw4MRbmi2C:rk:1:pf:0 That's what I use with an App called "Car Scanner" (blue & white engine icon) and it's been spot on. I use it with my iPhone, so cannot vouch for Android use.

Ditto. The Cross Climates transform the car.

I was considering , driving a GS 300h, to wait and buy a new ES 300h, but at the end of my mumbling I bought a RX 450h, for 3 reasons: I wanted to try a SUV I thought that a ES, compared to my President GS, is more or less equivalent, some tech aids more and some finesses less I missed a v6 engine and its power. Before GS 300h I had a 2008 GS 450h, and the passage from v6 to 4 banger engine with much more less power at the beginning was a bit shocking, it seemed to me that new car was "slow" , and actually it's not true, it moves decently and with a massive spare of fuel ( from 12,5 to 16 km/l), so, be conscious that you will not find the "wow" effect you have pressing right pedal with GS 450h , if you don' t care much about this you will have a big smile for all the rest and when fueling. Said this, I now drive a RX 450h and like it very much, but a used ES 300h (or a LS? ) could be my next car , let's say after 2022, or may be an electric vehicle too...

If you actually listened to the whole review instead of listening to the bits you want to hear, you'll see he actually said yes

New owner had the old MR2 picked up today. Had a tear in my eye as it drove off....

Reyland Motorsport

Well done John, all credit to you.

Forget the factory nav and just use Waze on your phone. The Waze users update in real time so if, for instance, someone gets snarled up in a traffic jam that's only just started (truck wedged under a bridge or whatever) then someone with Waze can update the system and the info is live within two minutes. Couple Waze with What Three Words and you've got an unbeatable navigation tool at your disposal.

My other project car is a '98 BMW 740i in Mora Metallic. There's a chap on the E38 facebook group who runs a registry and appears to have access to some interesting production data for the E38; he claims mine is one of three pre-facelift 740i's in this colour: Great car. Purchased, as with the Lexus, for less than a grand. Lots of money put in it since then, definitely a fun way to sratch the v8 itch. That said, had I known how much fun it would be to work on a GS, I would probably have looked out for a GS430. It fits perfectly in the garage, where the E38 is a squeeze.

my son-in-law is a professional bodyshop repairer and the Ls600 one of these cost some £4000 when they had one in for some front-end knock a while back the total repair cost @ £7000, bumped up by the cost of this part alone Malc