Scribe

Mine also has an engine management system, which reduces fuel consumption to zero. It's called an ignition key. Turn it all the way over to the left and the car also becomes even quieter, though the brakes don't work very well.

Because I'm over 50, Saga were by far the cheapest for me this year. All the other quotes I got were between £740 and £820. Some other members say that NFU are reasonably priced, but I think it depends where you live.

These cars are amazing. Mind you, almost every old (N/P reg) car I see driving around is a Toyota of some sort.

You mean a mobility scooter (as used by Madge in Benidorm)? I've already got something similar: a smart cabrio.

Instead of 'brum brum' sounds, shouldn't it be 'whoosh'?

Today was MOT day. My nearside wiper blade was shot so I bought a replacement from Halfords which my mechanic fitted before the test. Result: a pass, with no advisories, total cost £62. I can't say I'm completely surprised but I'm well chuffed. I know fuel costs are a bit alarming, but when you factor in low purchase price, negligible depreciation and the fact that a 13-year old car that's done 141,000 miles can get through an MOT without any work, running an old Lexus begins to look like reasonable-cost motoring. Incidentally, my mechanic believes that the Mk.IVs were the last Lexuses to be built to the original high standard. In his opinion the newer cars are fabulous machines but not nearly as well made. (Sounds like Mercedes?) Which brings me back to the familiar problem: what would I ever replace mine with?

Iain, I've got a Mk.IV and in any case am pretty clueless about mechanical things, but I just wanted to say hello and welcome to the club. I'm sure you'll love your LS as much as we all love ours - I've never regretted buying mine, nor indeed joining the club, which has been a great source of information and reassurance.

I don't use mine much either - only for long journeys (which I haven't done any of recently) - and I must admit that every few days I open the garage door and just look it sitting there, enjoying a relaxing retirement, and think what an amazing car it is for how little I paid for it. And that's without even driving the thing... When I do that, I love it even more. Maybe I'd feel the same about a big BMW or Mercedes if I'd never had that sort of car before, but I doubt it.

Did anyone else see that recent What Car? report on premium fuels? They concluded that none of them is worth the extra money in terms of increased fuel economy.

I've been trying to create an LS400 Tourer with Photoshop when I should have been doing something more useful, but it's quite difficult. You have to stretch the roofline and get the shape of the side windows right. I'll keep trying...

Similarly, I thought it better not to search online for 'free hardcore' (for my garden path) while at work...

I have some play in the upper wishbone on the driver's side (common fault, I understand) and when the car's cold and I drive over speed humps I can hear a faint knocking. The issue at the moment is whether it'll get picked up at the MOT.

Bad luck - there'll be another one along soon. And remember: if it looks like a good one, it's probably worth travelling for.

Hello Pete and welcome. Like others who've replied to your post, I don't look at the new members section on here - sorry to have ignored you till now. I joined the LOC in order to get advice about buying an LS400 and was struck by the friendliness and helpfulness of people on this site, so continue to log in regularly even though I don't have problems with the car (at the moment). One point that other members haven't raised: the Mk.III is the same length as the Mk.II but has a longer wheelbase, which means more space in the back but a smaller boot (in case that matters to you). Prices seem to have dropped a bit recently, despite some people still asking silly money for their cars (which remain unsold), so I should have thought you'd find a decent Mk.II or III for £1000 - at that price I'd buy on condition (particularly maintenance history) rather than age or model, or even mileage. Mine's 13 years old and has done 141,000, but feels as if you could knock off 10 years and 100,000 miles. Good luck with your search and let us know how you get on.

The other problem, of course, is kids who run around a supermarket as if it's a playground, not a shop, while Mum is aisles away looking at pasta. But this isn't anything to do with Lexuses - just one of my grumpy old man pet hates. (Another one is Mum who goes into a congested shop with a double buggy and casually parks it in front of the shelf I want to look at while she wanders off. The message is: I've had children, so you all have to deal with it.) Someone please start a new thread about Lexuses to distract me from all this...

Thanks for this. I renewed my insurance recently, but who knows how different things will be next year, so I'll keep you in mind. On a related note, how many other LOC members park miles away from the supermarket entrance so that their beloved Lexuses don't get knocked by other cars or shopping trolleys?

It may not actually be smoother-riding, just quieter without the creaks - so you think it's smoother. I always feel my car runs better when it's just been washed and hoovered out, even though that can't make any difference mechanically. Maybe in some weird corner of the subconscious, a clean car feels more like a new one, and so less worn? This is probably why I always clean it thoroughly before I put it in for an MOT - so it will at least give the impression of being well cared for! Anyway, I'm pleased you had such good results from your 10 minutes of WD40-ing.

Ouch indeed. (I had my sat nav turned on yesterday, and that wretched women suddenly shouting instructions at me nearly caused me to crash. Now I understand why most people turn her off.) Hope you can find a good (value) repairer for your Lex. If so, you can recommend him (her? - don't want to be sexist) to other members on this site.

When I collected my Lex (its first long journey in ages) the offside rear suspension had started to creak by the time I got home. You could hear it on bumps when trickling along in traffic (because the car's otherwise so quiet) and also when parked if you pushed down on the suspension. A squirt of WD40 cured it - and that was seven months ago. So hopefully that's all your problem is.

It seems to be the same with LS400s. Ones the same age as mine are advertised at anything between £1300 and £4000. (And the expensive ones have remained unsold for months.) Anyway, good luck with your search Victor.

Congrats and welcome to the Lexus owners. Yours sounds like a decent car and I hope you'll be well chuffed with it. I personally like the colour - it's a subjective thing, I know - but ultimately condition is more important than colour. My insurance went up drastically when I got mine, too (six months after renewing) but I had to stay with the AA until the next renewal because they would have charged me for cancelling. All I can say is: bite the bullet for now, shop around carefully at next renewal, and meanwhile remember that every year your neighbours are losing in depreciation on their Picasso what you payed for your Lex.

Sounds like your wife has a special gift. Is she available to do DIY around the home? I'll pay.

Thanks for the advice. I think I'll try replacement rubbers first, assuming I can get them from the local Toyota dealer.

Are the ones you ordered on e-bay 'LEXUS LS400 LS430 95-04 Flat AERO WIPERS Blades 24 16' from Raceparts (£4.99 a pair plus postage)?

Sorry to start up this topic again - I know there was a thread about it a while back, but after re-reading people's comments I can't work out whether there was actually a consensus of opinion. I'm going to need new blades before MOT-time in May, so should I buy: 1) Replacement rubbers (only) from a Toyota garage and cut to fit? or 2) Complete wiper arms? These seem to be available from supermarkets as well as Halfords. Which are easier to fit? Anyone got recent experience of doing the same job? Cheers.