Usman

12 hours ago, deanflyer said:

Cheers for the advice. 

What do you think of this, not sure what the GS would look like in metallic green though (even though it is my favourite colour).

http://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201612060388631

Also, what is the difference between SE and SE-L specification?

I think it looks pretty good in metallic green, it stands out a bit more IMO.

I would be sure to check the history. As the pics don't show a reg plate, you can't do an online MOT history check.

In terms of spec, I don't think there is a huge difference, other than the ML stereo.

See this link:

http://www.parkers.co.uk/lexus/gs/saloon-2005/specs/

I'm not sure how much of this changed on the face lift.

I have a 2006 GS300 and I absolutely love it. I have had it over a year and it is awesome.

One issue worth pointing out is the air-con. When I bought mine, the AC didn't work, I assumed it would need a re-gas, it turned out to be a leak in the pipes and I was told it would cost around £1,000 to repair. Around half of that was labour. When I called up Lexus for a quote on the pipes, I was told they don't actually make one of the 4 pipes anymore. Its not the end of the world as it rarely gets hot enough to need air con but it is still annoying. So my advice is to make sure the AC works. :-)

When I was searching for a GS, i did consider the 450h. I ruled it out at the end because of the following:

   - The small boot. I have some nephews that like me to lug their bikes etc around so the boot needed to be as big as possible.

   - On my budget, I would have had to get a high mileage example. As I didn't know too much about hybrids, I thought this would increase the likelihood of the Battery pack failing.      The cost of replacing this, in addition to the extra cost in buying it would probably negate any savings I would make in fuel cost.

   - Insurance was also a lot higher for me compared to the GS300. I was 25 at the time.

However, the GS300 costs £500 annually to tax, the 450h is much less (around £250 i think).

The GS300 is no slouch by any means and the V6 engine sounds great but the 450h is a lot quicker and being a hybrid, I assume the power is more immediate. Also, I think the 450h pretty much comes fully loaded as standard.

I have no regrets with my GS300, it still puts a smile on my face every time I drive it. However, when I do decide to change my car (hopefully in the very distant future) I would probably seriously consider going for the  GS450h.

The best I have done in my 2006 GS300 is 43mpg while keeping between 70-80 mph for most of the journey. This was all on the motorway, on a clear run. It is very doable but hard work. I have to constantly monitor my current mpg's and how hard I press on the throttle. Going uphill in particular is a task. It really takes some of the fun out of driving, I would much prefer to enjoy the car and get 37mpg.

Hi Malcolm,

Since you mentioned scrap yards, two options I've tried in the past for used parts are Motorhog and www.1stchoice.co.uk.

However, I have never bought any mechanical parts from here, just items like body panels, side skirts, windows etc. So i cant vouch for the quality of the mechanical parts but 1st choice in particular is very easy to deal with. You put your car details in and what part you need, various suppliers then send you a quote. You then get in touch with them and have the parts delivered.

It was great when I needed some obscure trim parts that no one seemed to stock for my sisters civic. Not sure how useful it would be for a n/s spring or even whether you would trust a used spring for your car but thought i'd add my 2 pennies worth. :-)

Hope you get it sorted.

27 minutes ago, messi said:

Hi Usman 

I do miss my limited edition Gs300. The black gs300 I have is just as good, but I still miss the LE. Anyway stick with 5w30 engine oil. I used to use Toyota own oil. It was cheaper at Toyota than it was at the Lexus dealers. Lexus were charging £52, Toyota charged me £25, I got Denso sparkplugs from the USA as it's much cheaper there

Hi Messi,

I'm still waiting on the pics of your GS. The more I drive mine, the more I love it.

In terms of the oil, I intend to stick with 5w30, but there are some 5w30 oils that claim to be better for the longevity of engines over 75k, I was just wondering if there was any truth to that claim. Also, Mobil Super 3000, claims to help reduce engine deposits and sludge build up (I read that this is an issue with the GS300), Does the Toyota oil help with this. I currently use Triple QX from EuroCarParts. Still 5w30 but is quite cheap. Is it worth spending more on Toyota or Mobil?

I was looking at plugs and Euro car parts are selling Denso's for around £20 per plug and they don't state whether or not they are iridium tips. I had a look on RockAuto as per your advice and they are much cheaper and more choice. They have some Denso TwinTips for £4 which have one iridium tip and a second platinum tip for a bigger explosion. These sound quite interesting. There are also some NGK Laser Iridiums on there for £11.

Hi All,

My car has around 126k on the clock and seems to be burning a lot more oil than I would expect. It goes through around a litre a month, I do around 2000 miles in that time.

Firstly, Is this normal?

Secondly, I have recently been reading up on engine oils specific for high mileage cars, Has anybody tried this, would you recommend using it and are there any brands in particular you would recommend?

Cheers

On 2/9/2016 at 7:48 PM, graham8370 said:

Hi Usman, welcome to LOC. Have a look at these  http://www.amazon.co.uk/LEXUX-GENUINE-PHILIPS-XenEco-GERMAN/dp/B0169QYGO4/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&qid=1455047102&sr=8-7&keywords=d4s+xenon+bulb

Thanks Graham, You've potentially saved me a lot of money. 

I was hoping not to buy parts from sites like amazon and eBay for this car due to not knowing if they would be the right parts for this car but at those prices it's definitely worth a try.

Thanks again

Usman

2 hours ago, Rob373 said:

Good colour combo - looks nice!

I bought a 4.2 Jaguar in my 20's because I'd always wanted one (I'm 38 now). I genuinely do intend to keep it forever or sell it at a point that it's value assures it will live forever if not with me. I even rent a second garage to keep it in! You could well turn round in 10 years time and find you still have it.

 

Advice I'd give for taking care of a large / premium car like this in your 20's is:

1. Drive it how it is designed to be driven. Waft about in style and leave any top gear antics for the track. Its always tempting to test what it will do but points on the license = insurance pain, and a crash is the last thing you want. It is very easy to run out of tarmac mucking about in a big RWD car on British roads.

2.Budget forward. Large premium cars are less stressed, usually better built, and often go wrong less often - but... they still need consumable parts and servicing, and this is going to cost more than a 1.0 Yaris. Its a good idea to put a bit aside each month for this and anything that goes wrong - it avoids future skimping and allows you to remain objective about the cost of ownership.

3. Avoid modifying it unless you are prepared to spend money and watch the car lose value in the process whilst your insurance premium shoots up or gets invalidated (bad idea). Hunting down and retro-fitting OEM upgrades can increase your enjoyment and the cars value if you are inclined towards tinkering.

Thanks for the advice Rob, I'm sure it will serve me well.

You could well be right about me having this for the next 10 years, I certainly wouldn't complain.

I did look into the price of parts before purchasing it, except for the price of bulbs because, well its just a bulb. Then I found out it takes the D4S bulb which is almost £100. That was a shock. 

16 minutes ago, messi said:

Yeah mine is black with black interior..car is mint, just need wheels refurbed 

Cool, I saw your post regarding the wheels.I hope you get that sorted soon.

It would be great to see some pics at some point.

11 hours ago, Bluesman said:

Hi Usman and welcome to the LOC, we are a friendly bunch and some of us even know how to pull them to bits and put them back together again, with of course the one bolt and washer left over.

What a great choice of car. Love the interior.

We recommend you spend a couple of mins looking over the rules of the LOC, we will be asking questions later.

http://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/terms-conditions/

 

Regards Mike.

Thanks Mike,

Not to worry, I was a very good boy and read them before joining the club.

Cheers

Usman

14 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

Usman, Thank you for that post.

I am considerably older than you and I have both a GS (450H) and an E  Class (Estate, 2.2 diesel Auto with 205,000 miles on the clock).Both are superb vehicles in their own way,

I admire your choice of vehicle and wish you well, but what will you aspire to as you have "the best (Lexus) ?

 

Regards

 

John

Thank you John,

Most of the information I used to make my decision between the Merc and Lexus was on paper and online user reviews. Maybe I should've taken the Merc for a test drive to get a proper comparison. Its good to hear from someone who has both.

In terms of aspirations, there's always something to aspire to in my opinion. I would like to have the GS Hybrid next, whether that's the mk3 GS or a newer shape will probably depend on how far in the future I move on from my current vehicle, and hopefully one day the LS600h.

I would also like to give the Germans a go at some point. You may have noticed my car history is 100% Japanese.  Audi, BMW and Merc all seem like they have something different to offer.

Seeing as my decision was between the GS and E class, I approve of your choice of vehicles very much.

Happy motoring,

Usman  

14 hours ago, messi said:

Very nice. I used to have the exact same one as yours until some drunk guy wrote it off. It's a limited edition model. I've just bought another one in black. Love the car

Thanks Messi. Its a shame someone wrote yours off. My next choice of colour combination would have been a black one with black interior, what colour is your interior? It thought this was a limited edition, but when I bought it the log book states SE, I thought it would have said LE for it to be the limited edition?

Hi Guys,

I wanted to share some pics of my MK3 GS300.

I have wanted one of these since college but my age and lack of no claims bonus has meant I have always had to buy sensible cars, my car history is:

• 1.0 Nissan Micra
• 1.3 Toyota Yaris
• 1.8 Toyota Avensis (R Reg)
• 1.8 Toyota Avensis (55 Reg)
• 2.0 Mazda 6 Sport Diesel

However, in June 2015, my Mazda died (in spectacular fashion mind you). The up side was it was time for a new car. Having graduated uni and been in employment for a while, I thought why not treat myself to something I really want...and I love it.

It came down to the GS300 or an E class Merc of a similar year. The Merc never had a chance. I found the Lexus was better for looks, performance, reliability, comfort, refinement and TOYS. The Merc had nowhere near the amount of kit the Lexus had at the price I paid.

I initially only taxed it for 6 months thinking I would review my decision and either keep it or sell it and get something sensible again, I am 25 years old after all. Last month I taxed it for 12 months and decided it is staying with me till it dies. 

What do you think of my purchase, any advice for taking care of it?

Hi Guys,

I've been lurking on here for almost a year and found the information very useful in purchasing my first Lexus, a Mk3 GS300.

I will post more pics in the GS section of this forum.

Also, the gold membership looks great, I think I might just take one of those. :-)

Cheers

Usman