bill jarvis

I can't see a single valid reason why anyone would buy a GS430 in preference to the GS450h, apart from the boot space, a minor issue to most. Personally, I'd say the 430 is doomed and will shortly be deleted. bill

I have conceded the boot space already, although I find it more than adequate for a weekend away's luggage, the GS really isn't meant to be a family car. The handling is in fact improved by the weight of the batteries, giving an almost perfect front/rear ratio of 50/50. something only previously acheived by a few mid-engined cars. Lexus states: "The new GS 450h has ideal 50:50 front-to-rear weight distribution and also a better moment of inertia compared to the GS 430 model, as the 3.5-litre V6 is 17 per cent lighter than the 4.3-litre V8. These aspects contribute to the car's more dynamic, agile handling" I have had 2 LS400s and 5 LS430s, I agree it is a fantastic engine (and car), but no more so than the 450h engine. The technology in the GS450h is more advanced than the RX400h (I had one for 8 months), the difference is like chalk and cheese. I must admit I'm struggling to get anywhere near the Lexus fuel consumption figures, I get around 29-30mph around town and 32-33mph on motorway runs. still excellent for a big powerful car. I'm sure I could get more but with such a powerful car, the temptation to use the power, is overwhelming. Regarding the "complete package" scenario, what car is complete? All have their strong points, as well as their weak ones. The 450h just seems to have more than the 430 in my book. bill

So the fact the GS450h is quicker, better handling, quieter, more economical and above all, cheaper, is outweighed by the sound of an engine you can hardly hear and a slightly larger boot? Strange, to say the least. bill You won't notice, neither are intrusive, bill

Why did you buy a GS430, in preference to a faster, more tax efficient, less polluting, more economical, quieter, better handling and cheaper car.........the GS450h? I cannot see a single advantage in buying the GS430, apart from a larger boot. bill PS No rattles, either.

Apparently not. bill

Surely the sort of rattles being talked of here, wouldn't affect reliability. bill

The boot is small, enough for a couple of small suitcases and not too much else. Apparently Samsonite do a set of luggage that is designed to fit every crevice. As far as I'm concerned, this is a price well worth paying for the rest of what's a superb car. bill

Looks like we're not getting one. bill

Erm, the 450H is nice .... but looks like an Aston ? From the rear and slightly to the side, it does a bit. bill

What use would a rev counter be in a car in which you have almost no control over the revs, ie, it reaches a peak and uses the CVT to accelerate. There's no possibility of over-revving and peak power is computer controlled, changing gear isn't an option. bill

I've had two strangers comment "nice car" in a week, nobody in 8 months of ownership commented on the RX400h, perhaps there's too many about. bill On the contrary, I've had several comments on the RX400h ... though admittedly a few of them have been from RX300 drivers. Can't be all THAT many about because since November I've only seen three others, and two of them were parked in a car park -- the other followed me through Kempston. L. Sorry, you misunderstood me when I said there are a lot about, I meant RX's in general. As the RX400h looks almost identical to the RX300, most assume them to be the same car, only the knowledgeable know differently. bill

Strangely enough, someone said today, he thought my GS450h looked like an Aston DB9. bill

I've had two strangers comment "nice car" in a week, nobody in 8 months of ownership commented on the RX400h, perhaps there's too many about. bill

Had the first long run in my GS450h today, I went 210 miles 95% motorway, mostly at 75-80mph. There was also about 25 miles of 40mph roadworks and of course a few slow sections due to heavy traffic. The car returned 32.5mpg for the journey, not bad for a car with such high performance. Also feels a lot more nimble than its weight would suggest. All in all, a great car my best all round Lexus yet (LS400, LS430, RX400h) bill

Picked mine up last week, I previously had the RX400h, the difference is like chalk and cheese. It handles like a true sports car and has the performance that would shame many of them. Compared to the RX400h, this is a much more refined car and hardly any of the engine roar that accompanies the acceleration with the RX. bill

We have a forum for the LS460, a car that isn't yet available, yet we have no forum for the GS450h. bill

I have had an RX 400h SE-L since February. Totally agree with the comments about fuel consumption .... very disappointing so far .... 27.5 overall over 4000 miles .... BUT it has been cold .... it is still new ..... large percentage on high speed motorway driving .... SO I'll reserve judgement. More disappointing is the range. I'm getting just about 300 miles on a full tank, 100 less than on my SAAB 9-5 SE. Very annoying! A bigger tank would be nice but I guess there's little room left after adding two electric motors? I get around 32mph around town and 28-29 on motorways, more if I keep the speed down, and almost 400 miles on a tank. Perhaps you're heavy on the accelerator And what about the indicators? Mine refuses to self cancel on leaving roundabouts, etc. Lexus Leicester tell me it's a recognised Lexus quirk but not regarded as a fault and there's no remedy. Is this correct or does anyone know better? I don't have this problem. Generally, I'm still delighted but there are some things I miss from the SAAB Information system, notably Distance to Empty; Estimated Time of Arrival; Speed Warnings. Doesn't the Satnav give ETA? And why oh why do the wretched windows and Moonroof open if you hold the remote button for too long? What is that all about? I didn't know about this and came back to find a very wet interior on one rainy day. The only way you could have done this, is to have held the unlock button down, hardly what you would do if you were leaving the vehicle. Sound system is great but why is there a cassette player and no MP3 option? Very dated! I agree about the casette, sound system is good though. Mostly minor niggles. It's still a super car. Yup.

Perhaps they consider their cars to be adequately discounted already. They're certainly good value up against a fully loaded Mercedes or BMW. Some people just aren't happy unless they can get what they consider a "bargain", ie a negotiated price. bill

This idea was tried years ago in Devon. Somebody stole the figure after a few weeks, it was never replaced. bill

I won't pretend to understand the finer details of how it works, however my accountant assures me that although it is an asset, the entire amount can be set against tax. Hence the saving, in my case, of over £8000 in this tax year. Perhaps someone more knowledgable, could explain this more fully. bill

My accountant tells me that I can claim the entire cost of my RX400h SE against taxation. This gives my company a tax benefit of over £8000 (corporation tax at 19%). Coupled with huge savings on company car tax over my previous LS430, seems I've made a good saving. This apparently only applies if you buy the car from new, not sure why that should be. bill

Nope... look up http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/taxation.htm and it shows Band E 166-185 ! So band F....over 185 (and now under 225) and it was £165...but went up £25 today so £190.......unless it comes under the "alternative fuel banding...is which case it will be £185.....??? Nope... a manual is250 is 231 (g/km)..so yes now in band G at £210...however if you got an is250 auto it is 214 (g/km) so band F and "only" £190... Rx400h is band F but is an alternative fuel car, therefore duty is £180. http://www.dvla.gov.uk/vehicles/Changes_to...vehicle_tax.htm bill

I believe the reason for this particular car attracting so much criticism, regarding fuel economy, is this car was sold mainly on its economical hybrid system. I do not drive in a "spirited" way, yet still struggle to get anywhere near 30mpg on a long run. In fact the car returns better mpg in town conditions, where the electric motors are used more. bill

Hi Bill, I have owned the Lexus hybrid since July of 2005. We are only getting 23-24 mph on the highway and the same in town, so you are doing much better. How do you get such great mileage? Steve I have no idea why you are getting such low MPG. The worst I've had is 27mpg on a run. If I keep to 60mph I can get 32mpg. bill

I have owned an RX400h SE since October last year. My one criticism is the petrol consumption is nowhere near Lexus quoted figure, I get around 31mpg on my journey to and from work and around 28mpg on a motorway journey. This is still very good for a vehicle of its type, but I do wonder why they don't make a diesel hybrid, surely this would be the true fuel saver. bill