Spottedlaurel

I'm realistic about the economy side of things, and it should be a price worth paying for the overall driving experience. It's for the latter reason that I'm buying it and my mileage has dropped a bit this year for various reasons. Anything above 30mpg is tolerable and circa 35 would be fantastic - I doubt my other cars get much better than that (including the Camry 2.2 which I'm using almost all the time at present, as I prefer it to the Avensis) and it has only been recently when I had an Avensis diesel that I got 40-50mpg. Current Avensis petrol gets around 40 if I've had some decent long runs, otherwise high 30s. It was significantly less than that in France last year, 4-up and full of luggage. My tiddly little 1973 Datsun 1200 is probably the most economical car in my current fleet but that weighs almost nothing and has rather less useability and comfort than an RX. Of the cars I've had which offered a similar feelgood factor due to a bigger engine (Nissan 300Cs, Camry V6, LS400 Mk3 and numerous straight-six Datsuns) I doubt any of them would crack 30, and some were probably nearer 20.

Thanks for that advice Nigel. Haven't tried a full-on acceleration run yet. At present I work on a site which is located along a nice big former WWII runway, so I will have the opportunity to play at some point! From those I've driven so far I can see there is more than adequate 'go' for my needs, and it should be very relaxing driving around well within its limits knowing that it has plenty of power (and traction) to get out of a busy junction or roundabout, safely overtake, etc. Driving in France and maintaining progress on long autoroute inclines and in the mountains will be much better than I found with the Avensis (especially the 1.8 petrol that I'm part-exchanging). Once the novelty of the V6 has worn off I'll be doing my best to keep the MPG up. My usual rural commute is fairly short but not very interesting with some slow stretches past busy junctions, so getting in tune with how to efficiently use the hybrid system will keep me occupied. Herbie, your figure of nearer 400 miles out of a tank sounds good to me and something I'll be aiming for. Everything appears to be in place for me to collect it on Saturday AM. Looking forward to it!

As reported in my own topic, I have now taken the plunge and bought a 2014 Advance with 31k. Even after a bit of smoke and mirrors on the part-ex value of my current car, price was significantly under £25k. What isn't immediately apparent from online ad's is the current availability of 3.9% APR finance at main dealers. I believe this is nationwide and is on offer during January. As it did for me, it could make owning one that bit more achievable and/or allow a higher value model to be purchased.

Alex, when I've picked it up you're very welcome to visit sometime soon and have a play with it (and the other automotive rubbish I have here). You're right, it will be a long week and I must now stop the regular AutoTrader searches which have been filling my time recently. That being said, I don't think I'll find anything else better-suited to my wishes Herbie, thanks for your words of encouragement. I look forward to picking mine up when it's been prepped and it looking as good as yours! Looks like you have the cream interior - in some respects I would have liked that, but for practical purposes black is better for me. The only significant thing I'm missing out on is the M/L stereo, but the standard equipment sounded pretty good to me and better than I'm used to in the Avensis.

Conclusion reached. I didn't end up buying the Premier or F-Sport, but a 2014 Advance instead: 2014 Lexus RX450h Advance by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 2014 Lexus RX450h Advance by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr We headed off down to Tunbridge Wells to look at the attractive 2015 F-Sport they had. It was a lovely example but we just couldn't get the numbers to work out. Nearly gave up with a view to moving onto another dealer (luckily there are a few down that way, so we had options), then they happened to mention an Advance that had just come in. For some reason they thought I was fixed on wanting the F-Sport so didn't offer it as a more affordable alternative. As soon as they mentioned the price and mileage (31-odd thousand) we asked for the deposit to be transferred across as it was clear it would be a more realistic option. I didn't get as much for the Avensis as I'd hoped but the logistics of ending my current finance on it and swapping it over to the RX were much easier than me trying to sell it on myself. Two owners from new, just had a service and MoT carried out with a couple of new front tyres - it now has Bridgestone Dueller H/Ps on the front and Dunlops on the rear. A few little bits and bobs to be sorted but nothing major and I'm hoping it will be ready for collection next Saturday - can't wait! What was good about seeing both cars on the same day was being able to compare the driving experience. No complaints about either of them, I'm sure the Advance will be more than adequate for my needs. Happily my wife seems to be on-board with it. She could see that it offers a rather more special driving experience, there's plenty of room and it's very comfortable. Our 2-hour journey to/from Norfolk gave ample chance to compare it with the Avensis and she could see how much more relaxing it will be. The Toyota is a perfectly capable car, but it's not an RX..... I'm going to enjoy learning how it all works, and I suspect there'll be things I shall be discovering for many months. Going to make sure my 13-year old son comes with me to work out the tech side of things. I ended up breaking one of my stipulations in that it does have a panoramic roof. I was concerned about the possible loss of headroom, but it seemed to be fine. Overall I like the look of it a lot in black, with the F-Sport bumper giving a slightly sharper look and I prefer the 7-spoke alloys to the updated model's 15-spoke diamond-cut wheels (easier to keep clean too). It has the boot liner and rear bumper cover which are good for practicality - the lack of the latter on the F-Sport had given rise to several scratches, and I do tend to use an estate for its intended purpose. More news to come hopefully next weekend......

Going to a view a 2015 F-Sport tomorrow (serious enough about it that I paid a holding deposit), and giving myself time to look at one or two others including the white 2014 Premier at Cambridge on the way home if it doesn't work out.

Thanks Paul. I'll send a reply to your message shortly.

Really interesting comments in your post. Until now I haven't been considering the Sport model as strongly in my quest for an RX, wondering whether its firmer suspension would be slightly at odds with the general RX driving experience. However you seem very happy with it. I mainly drive on rural East Anglian A- and B-roads, which can be a bit lumpy. With lots of miles behind me in the likes of Avensis and Camry I'm not used to nor looking for the ultimate in roadholding, but it would be interesting to know whether the Sport offers a good compromise between ride and handling (within the limits of a big, tall car). There are several examples out there at present available with good spec and in may favoured colours at a decent price, I think I need to get some viewings organised.

Thanks for your thoughts Ian. Yours looks great in that colour. I'm dealing with people at Ipswich, the last time I visited Cambridge was on business when I used to do work for Turners who originally owned the site. The handover of my last Toyota (not Cambridge) was a little messed-up after they put diesel into a petrol model...... Herbie, those service costs don't sound too bad, not massively more than on the Avensis. Do they offer reduced rates once the car is more than five years old? Alex, I'm still in negotiation on the price - it might not work out but I'm hoping we'll get there.

Thank you both for the advice. John, particularly good to hear from someone who's bought what seems to be an identical model - the one I'm looking at is also Artic Pearl. At least the black interior should be quite practical, and in reality the white exterior won't show the dirt any more than my current black car. Herbie, I believe the 50k/5yr service is just an intermediate, is that correct? It'd be nice not to have to be confronted with a major cost too early on in my time with it. I'll have a look at the service history. They've come back to me today with some promising numbers, so hopefully I can get this resolved at the weekend and I will soon be driving an RX of my own. Looking forward to having a big car as my daily driver again. In the past I've had the likes of Nissan 300Cs, Camry V6 and LS400 and enjoyed the relaxed feeling of wellbeing they offer.

As mentioned in another topic, I'm looking to purchase a 2014/15 Series 3 model at some point this year. I had a good visit to my local Lexus dealership this morning. It was very quiet, so the helpful salesman had plenty of time to talk it through, let me look at other models etc. An RX is still definitely what I'm after, tempting as a GS450h Sport they had would have been - quick, but sadly no folding rear seat which limited its practicality and when could I use 155mph?! Jumpingjehovahs kindly let me have a drive of his RX last year and I'm happy from the driving experience and his real world thoughts that it will suit me very well. I have also been considering a Subaru Outback and Mazda 6 with the new 2.5-litre engine, but I think the former would be too thirsty and the latter wouldn't be much of a step on from my current Avensis (although the 6 is an attractive car). The white 64-reg Premier with 43k miles at Cambridge is what I'm in negotiation over. The optimistic price will be reduced....... Given that this car breaks two of my three stipulations (I was trying to avoid white paint, air suspension and panoramic roof - at least this one has a sunroof) and it is significantly more than I've ever paid for a car before, I'd just like to satisfy myself on a few things: I've read of reliability issues with air suspension on earlier models, but are there any issues with the late series 3? Are there any other unique toys on the Premier which might cause a problem? What service should be due next? On some cars I've noticed an additional tax that's payable based on its original list price until the car is five years old, will that apply here? I hope not, I'm looking forward to this being one cost that's less than my current Avensis. I'd have been quite happy with a Luxury or Advance, so the extra equipment levels on the Premier aren't critical to me. Remember I currently drive an Avensis and have a fleet of various older cars going back to a very basic 1973 Datsun which doesn't even have carpets, so any RX would seem very plush. I'm sure I'll enjoy the ventilated seats, ML stereo etc but I don't really want to pay too much extra for the privilege. I'd be grateful for any thoughts/comments please. Thanks.

Looks and sounds like a great car for that price. I am visiting my local Lexus dealer tomorrow..... Sadly they don't have an RX I can test drive, as they've just sold the one they had at Ipswich and looking online it appears that a few of the ones I'd seen over Christmas have gone. But I can at least get a valuation on my current car and have a chat about others they have within the group. Sidcup appear to be quite aggressive in their pricing, with several examples around £22-23k. Cambridge are quite the opposite, with a pair of Premiers both priced significantly above what anyone else is offering. One of them is the most expensive series 3 on AutoTrader, at a price that's only £1500 less than 16-plate series 4 models with less mileage on the clock.

When the roof closes does it stop at the midway position where there is no buffeting? My 1993 Camry does that, and I'm pretty sure my old LS400 did it too. Mildly strange that they don't stop at the same position when opening.

Out of curiosity, how much difference do the higher spec systems with increased speaker count make?

I wonder if that deal applies to all Toyota/Lexus dealers? I had something similar come through from SLM Toyota who I've bought several cars from and also use for servicing. The small print on the SLM offer suggests it's for two years only and requires 25% deposit.

Sounds like a good price. What mileage? I presume that wasn't through a main dealer. Steven Eagell have what appears to be the perfect example for me, even down to it having a sunroof and just down the road at Ipswich, and their interest rates seem to have dropped even lower in the last week, but it's white and that's one thing I am definite on not wanting. I think I'll be having a chat with them soon, I'm sure they'll have the right one turn up soon enough as people move onto the new model.

Sounds like there's a lesson there, sorry to hear it didn't work out. It did seem cheap compared to others at main dealers. Looks like £22-23k will still be the figure I'm working to.

Interesting to read these thoughts on RX pricing. I'm the former owner of a cheap LS400 and have owned numerous Toyotas over the years (currently have Avensis, Auris and Camry on the driveway as well as several Datsun/Nissan), but I'm now looking to move onto a 2013-15 RX sometime next year. Fellow LOC member Jumpingjehovahs kindly let me have a drive of his RX recently and it did nothing to dissuade me..... I'm hoping that as the current model becomes more widespread on the used market then values of the previous-gen RX will soften. Maybe it's the time of year and customers are spending money elsewhere, but on my regular search I've noticed main dealer examples starting to drop a bit, with Derby now advertising a 2014 Advance with 44k miles for less than £21k and Sidcup having a 2014 Sport for £22,400 (listed at £400 higher on AutoTrader). Just noticed they've added a 2013 Luxury at less than £22k. I'm picking up some useful info from reading this forum, which should put me in a good position when I get to the point of visiting dealers sometime in February/March next year. Looks like there should be enough around at the right price/mileage to give me a bit of choice (not white, no panoramic roof, no air suspension). A quick question: Do Lexus dealers have the ability to adjust their interest rates on finance? Some, like Steven Eagell, quote lower figures than others, but as far as I'm aware they all go through Lexus Financial Services? I wish Toyota/Lexus offered a bit more choice in the large estate sector. An RX wouldn't necessarily be what I'd go for, although having now driven one I can see they are a fine thing and would suit me well. An estate version of the IS or GS would have been fine for me as a more interesting replacement to my current Avensis, but of course there is no such thing, and I believe the forthcoming Camry is only coming here as a saloon. A shame, especially when the Germans and Volvo offer so much choice in this sector.

Having enjoyed the last Marham trackday so much in my LS400, I thought I'd do another one! Cheap and Cheerful Trackday Toys by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Pictured here with my friend's Rover 218 Vi (quick, but suffering the inevitable K-series cooling/HGF issues it would seem). No action photos of any sort I'm afraid, too busy driving. Managed about 150 miles again, having great fun at 12-13mpg. Had a front brake smoking at the end of the morning session, maybe a sticky caliper? Was fine in the afternoon however. PAS system also a bit noisy until it was topped-up (the fluid was low, I suspect mine does leak a bit). Found somewehere locally who sold me a couple of part-worn Falkens, which I put on the rear. They seemed to give less grip than the Chinese-made budget tyres I had on before, but within the limits of the "no drifting" rule they did make for some extra entertainment in the tighter bends. During the day a couple of lads in a BMW came up and were admiring the old thing, saying how they'd been hoping to get one themselves. One of them has a GS300 on the road. Hopefully they'll have one in time for the next time the RAF run this event in September. As an aside, I bought this one-owner, low-mileage Sunny earlier this year: New Addition to the Fleet by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr A bit of difference to the Lexus or anything else in my fleet, but just as satisfying in its own way.

I’ve had my 1996 LS400 since late 2014 and until this May it was with RH. However, they did charge more for it than the other ‘classics’ I had with them (and would have done this year, even though it had reached 20 years old). I’m now with Footman James and it’s one of four older cars I have with them on an unlimited mileage, multicar classic policy which comes to about £350/yr (without breakdown cover). I can use it for commuting and work visits too.

Indeed :-) What I find strange is how much bigger it looks than mine. Maybe the colour, or the standard wheels compared to the 18's on mine? Or perhaps just that it's clean, whereas the coating of mud on mine makes it blend into the background....

Seen at the weekend, looked very smart: 1997 Lexus LS400 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr 1997 Lexus LS400 by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr I should have been driving my own LS400 to meet a group of car friends - and it would have been good to get a shot of two Mk3s together - but as the weather was decent I used my Datsun instead. Mine is going in for its MoT next week - fingers crossed. If nothing else the exhaust is going to need attention as the flanges at the back of the cat's have rotted away and it's sounding a bit fruity....

What incredibly versatile cars these are eh?! Use them on track days or for carrying heavy loads and they take it happily. A shame they never did an estate version, or gave them a fold-down rear seat back (my Camrys had that, a useful feature). Some years ago I had 35m2 of laminate wood flooring to collect. To make a bit more space I stripped the rear seat out of the big Nissan 300C saloon I had at the time and managed to fit it all in there and the boot (and had my pregnant wife on board too!).

Still do. The Laurel flew through its MoT earlier this month and I used it for work yesterday. Here's the other one, with a bonus Lexus that isn't mine: #6 On the road again by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr After three years of being stored in the previous (and only other) owner's garage it also went straight through its MoT. Free tax too! It does need a clutch and tyres ideally, and a service, but I use it every so often. And all of my non-daily drivers together: Toys by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Horses nothing to do with me! Camry estate was written-off with rear end damage, I have a tailgate and bumper to get it repaired as it was such a handy old thing, but while the Lexus is on the road as a second car to my Avensis Tourer daily driver there's little point. And I have another Camry as a project/spares car....

Thanks for the comments. Of course it was never going to be as capable in the corners as the Caterhams, hot hatchbacks etc, but there were a couple of large radius bends where I could put full power down in readiness for the straight and the way it hung on was very impressive. Not sure on speed there, whatever full rev’s in 2 equates to. A RWYB on the quarter-mile would be interesting. From experience at the track day I reckon initial pick-up would be a bit slow but the V8’s ability to keep producing power in the upper half of the rev range would see it run a decent time. A Mk4 with its VVTi and extra ratio would be even quicker. Having owned five Camrys and a Carina E I’m firmly of the belief that 1990s Toyota (and Lexus!) build quality is about the best there is. I previously used these, they did a couple of events each: 1997 Toyota Camry 2.2 Sport - Marham trackday by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr Camry, 924S and Rover 200 trackday toys by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr So, by rights the Lexus needs to do another one! They’ve already suggested they will be holding it again next March/April and I’m thinking how to prioritise the work needed, go back to 16” wheels for the winter so I can conserve the 18’s, etc. There’s a limit to what I can spend as I purchased another Datsun this year which needs a few jobs doing on it, but I’ve got to get it out there again…