Hello everybody.
I joined a couple of days ago, and have been browsing the forum since.
I'm based in Leeds, semi retired at 41.
I owned a 2nd hand book business and sold it last summer due to my wife's health.
I'd just like to say that I've become a total convert to Lexus - despite never actually driven, or even been inside one - the combination of price, reliability, economy(!) and level of refinement makes the choice a "no-brainer" in the 2nd hand executive car market.
In the next couple of months I'm going to be looking at buying a sportcross (probably IS300) for my wife to drive, and then myself a LS400.
My wife is taking lessons as an auto-only driver, and I am planning on getting the sportcross when she passes her test, then the LS400 3-4 months later (maybe January/Feruary - it's a good time to buy stuff, terrible time to sell)
I always promised myself a big executive car when I no longer needed a load-lugger for work - planned on either a big Merc, 7-series BMW or a Jag XJ#.
I've not been able to justify the expensive upkeep that these cars seem to need tho, whereas the Lexus seems to be much more reliable, and the parts seem cheaper (relatively!).
Labour charges aren't neccesarily an issue -
I've always had Vauxhall Carlton (then Omega) estates, plus I run a 15 y/o transit - so I am quite familiar with both ends of a spanner. I've quite happily changed timing belts, head gaskets, wheel bearings suspension parts, alternators etc.
How DIY friendly are the Lexa?
I noticed a significant proportion of people on here talk about using garages.
Is that because Lexus require a lot of specialist tools? or that they are a driver's car, rather than a tinkerers?
The maintenance guides lead me to believe most things are relatively straightforward - although the starter motor change seems a long job, although no worse than changing the oil filter on a smart car :.)
I'm sure that I will have LOTS more questions, but this seems like a nice friendly forum and am looking forward to a long happy relationship with it, and Lexa in general.
I will be signing up for the gold membership once I start seriously shopping for the cars.