Prince Bob

Flashback I've attached a brochure with specs which you may find useful. I think the general consensus is to avoid air suspension as it can potentially be expensive to put right, other than that just the usual pre owned car checks RX-450h-(9Mar10)_tcm-3066-452072 (2).pdf

I had a similar predicament. Front tyres needed replacing, do I replace all 4 tyres with all seasons, or do I just fit some summer tyres on the front? I believe the Bridgestone duelers I had were the oem tyre but I wasn't impressed with the wet weather performance so went for the Goodyear Efficientgrip SUV summer tyre. The professional and owner reviewed seemed good (maybe sponsored?) The tyre is much improved in the wet, able to apply full power without torque steer and the traction/stability killing the progress and no more crabbing either. I do live in the South though so we don't get much snow and I don't rely on the car to get work so summer seems ideal, my be different if I lived up north where there is real snow. The average temp in the UK last year was 13c and summer tyres work best in temps above 7c

Road tax is not £630 on a 450 its about £170, emissions are are only 148g km. I agree £630 is a rip off and I certainly would not have purchased a 450 if road tax/ved was that high. The 350 is £630 due to age of car and high emissions (264g km). The 300 is £360, (288g km). 300 was a lovely car but found it slow & thirsty (20ish mpg) Air suspension not avaliable on the 400h, standard on SEL trims on 300/350. Parking sensors were dealer option.

If I were you I'd be considering a 450, you'll appreciate the double pane glass, keyless entry/start, parking sensors, auto fold mirrors over a 400. No cambelt changes to worry about either. You will lose out on a tape deck though! Nothing rides like a Jag so expect a firmer ride than you are used to in the RX... Haven't heard of any issues with the hybrid battery, however the 12v battery is not cheap. Some models do come with air suspension which isn't cheap to fix, however issues do seen rare.

I used to get around 20 in town, and up to 38 on motorway. Making progress on motorway 32. Regularly did over 450 miles to a tank

I had a similar 'check hybrid system' on an Rx450h. New 12v battery problem solved, no issues 2 years later

Look for corrosion on leading edge of bonnet. Many years ago when I was looking many had an issue. Check alloys for corrosion as well. Check 'Y' section on exhaust this is where they typically start to blow. Make sure TPMS is working. That's about it. The 2005 model you are looking at will fall into the 'cheap' tax bracket. SE has plenty of toys for the year, heated/vented electric seats, blinds, etc make sure they all work. Mirror fold switch is hidden in panel where your right knee will rest (took me a while to find it) Great on fuel for 3.0, 38 mpg on motorway, will be 20ish around town and short runs. Boot on 450h is tiny, if you don't care about fuel get a 430 or 460 (if you can find one) Good luck

I had a similar rattle, it was actually the rear seat. Fold the seats, unfold them and make sure they are secured. The rear seats slide and recline and if they aren't locked in place properly you will get an irritating rattle.

Looks to be very good value. Fuel wise low 30s overall, which for a vehicle of the size and weight is really very good, expect less in cold weather. A 300 bhp 2.5 tonne truck will never be great on fuel though, but depends what you are used to. I get better fuel economy in town rather than motorway The seller mentions electric tailgate doesn't work, there is a switch in the glove box, maybe seller accidently knocked it and doesn't realise? Not the end of the world if it doesn't work and could be used to knock money off, although there are soo many for sale might as well get one with everything working.

Many thanks for a detailed response. The rears are down to about 6mm, so can't really justify getting rid of those which is a shame. I'll probably be 6ft under by the time they wear out! The Bridgestones are fine, but are only rated 'C' for wet weather performance, although I don't know if this is an internal rating, or compared to other competitors.

I had my car serviced, all was good apart from the tyres which will be due for replacement soonish. Currently running Bridgestone Duelers 235/55 R19 all round. These are fine, apart from some mild torque steer. The rears have plenty of life so only need 2 front tyres. Cross climates seem to be popular, any other recommendations? The Continental Sport Contact 5 and Dunlop Sport Maxx RT, appear to have good reviews, can anybody here provide any feedback on these tyres? Thanks in Advance

If you have the triple beam headlights, these are LED (SEL/Premier). The DS4 refers to the Xenon bulbs (SE-L).

I used the cleaner about 2 years ago and changed the pollen filter, no issues since then

The SE-L gains the following over the SE-I: LED headlights Mark Levinson audio Extendable under thigh support on the seats. Heads up display Ventilated seats Illuminated scuff plates Camera on passenger side mirror, I believe Lexus call this 'side monitor' Air suspension. As for for switching seats and audio, with enough money and time anything is possible. Whether it's financially worth it is another question. I have attached a PDF that highlights the changes in more detail, you may find this useful. RX-450h-(9Mar10)_tcm-3066-452072 (1).pdf

Great job, that looks to be a great piece of kit! How long did the unit take to install?

Hello Mick See link to save you having to use the search function as the question has been asked a few times. The cars are very reliable, the most reliable luxury car you can purchase according to carwow & warranty direct. With any preowned car a lot of the long term reliability is down to how well the previous owners have looked after the car, but Lexus seem be more dependable than most. I'm a low mileage driver, (5k ish per year). I did purchase a new 12v battery not long after purchase. However the car was on the original battery, I think 10 years is very good going! The battery didn't actually die,I had an hybrid message on dash and new battery solved issue. Tend to find cars these days when voltage is low you get error messages before the battery dies. The hybrid batteries aren't known to fail, there are some independents that can refurb though. As part of the service at the main dealer a hybrid battery check is carried out and gives a 1 year warranty. On this age of car though I believe you are better off putting money aside for general maintenance, rather than purchasing a 3rd party warranty. Most independent dealers will provide a 1 year warranty then you are on you own and you never know how good the warranty is until you have to make a claim! Good luck

I have a full cream interior and a child. I just bought some black mats, the carpet style ones not rubber. The genuine Lexus mats cover the floor really well

I wish my winter consumption was only 2 to 3 mpg worse! I'm seeing a drop of about 20% on short journeys, but it's to expected, batteries don't like cold weather and the car uses the engine alot more, a 3.5 V6 has to get energy from somewhere. Just grateful I don't have a full EV.

If I were you I'd be looking at a 450, you'll appreciate the double pane glass, keyless entry/start, parking sensors, auto fold mirrors over a 400. No cambelt changes to worry about either. The warranty on the hybrid battery is now 15 years provided you get the checked over once a year at Lexus or 10000 miles whichever is first. Haven't heard of any issues with rhe hybrid battery, however the 12v battery is not cheap. Not had any issues with the tailgate, just the annoying beep when activated and it's not the quickest in the world to open or close. Some models do come with air suspension which isn't cheap to fix, however issues do seen rare. The RX450h was recently rated the most reliable car you can purchase according to carwow and warranty direct. Like all pre owned cars you may have wear and tear issues like suspension bushes, tyres, brakes etc but you can't really go wrong with a Lexus. Just look for full service history and a good overall condition of the car

The RX300 is a lovely motor, however any car that is 17+ years old has potential for issues no matter what the brand. I owned an RX300 and whilst reliable, the car is very thirsty, expect no more than 280 miles from a 72 litre fuel tank. The car is heavy and doesn't have huge torque, so you really need to put your foot down to get a move on. The cambelt is due every 90k or 10 years which ever comes first. Tyres are 18 inch from memory,good brands aren't cheap, it's a heavy car so watch out for worn suspension bushes and worn pads/discs. For a first car I just don't think it's worth the potential hassle and may sour your experience of the Lexus brand. I purchased an SE as I didn't want/need the complication of air suspension. Standard audio was fine but I'm not an a stereo guy. The car isn't that quiet by modern standards.... If the wife insists on an suv for a first and you want reliability I would suggest a Toyota RAV4. Your budget would get you into a 2008/2009 or an older model with much lower mileage. You still get the dependability and reliability and you can always upgrade at a later date.

https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/servicing-and-maintenance/lexus-essential-care/#nextsteps The pads & discs for the GS450h are also £325 all in pads/discs labour. When you speak of not good quality, do you mean braking performance, or feel through the pedal?

£430 seems alot for front pads and discs. https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/servicing-and-maintenance/lexus-essential-care/#nextsteps Main dealer charges £325 for pads, discs, labour, rears are £295. Quite a few independents were unable to source rear discs, looking on ecp they are currently unavailable. My local garage charged me £528 all in pads/discs/labour/vat front & rear

Unfortunately a 3.0 petrol suv will never be economical or cheap to run, just enjoy the car for what it is

Depends on the cost of fuel where you are, but at £1.31 a litre or £5.98 a gallon, £80 is 13.37 gallons. So 240 miles on 13.37 gallons is 17.9 mpg

They are a thirsty beast, when I had mine a full tank resulted in a range of about 280 miles. To be fair the official combined is only 23 and the urban figure 16, felt like I was always putting fuel in it, wasn't very quick either! Apart from that was a lovely car