JDM-Fiend

Just to check, I assume you mean the Mk4? As you mentioned Premier? Or did you mean the Mk3 too?

Thanks for the suggestion, I will have a look.

I should have said - I reckon up to £5k-£6k. Will update the post!

Hi guys and gals (also 'they' if appropriate), So, I sold my IS250 today sadly and I've been on the hunt for a different car. Initially, I was looking for something a bit more practical - i.e. a hatchback or a dreaded estate (I must be getting old!). Since having a Lexus, it's difficult to look at other cars if I'm honest. I think they are that good, despite being a lifelong Honda fan. The truth is - I absolutely love saloons and coupes. I'm just a big fan of the style of them, it's just a personal thing. I've owned a lot of saloons and coupes in my time and it is purely because I like them so much. My favourite cars that I've owned are as follows - an EJ8 Civic Coupe, an E86 BMW Z4 3.0 Si, an E39 M Sport manual and lastly a CL9 Honda Accord 2.4 manual. I shouldn't need to worry about practicality, I'm in my 30's, no kids and no plans for them and I have use of another saloon (the seats at least fold down in my Accord) The things I'm after in a car: Waftability - I know this is a made up word, but a car with nice supple/compliant suspension. I've owned a lot of Honda's and I feel that has been one of the biggest downsides with their stock suspension. Admittedly, I shouldn't compare as they are not supposed to be as luxurious as a Lexus (excluding perhaps the Legend) Reliability - Extremely important, this is a personal thing having owned 6 Honda's and 2 Lexus's in my time - I'm used to reliability now and if it can be done, why not have it! Comfort - I found over time that the IS250 seats although comfortable, were too shallow for my rather 'portly' frame 😆. So, the GS seats appear to fit the bill on this front. I'll be viewing some this week to get an idea Decent boot space - I know the boot space isn't huge in the MK3 GS but apparently it's decent. This is another thing that puts me off of the GS450H. Apparently the MK2 boots are huge, so I will have a look at one. Decent acceleration - hence the GS300 / GS430 consideration I'm currently seriously considering a MK3 GS300 or GS430 (GS460 I understand are pretty much unicorn status these days!). The fuel efficiency isn't a concern for me at all as I don't drive a lot and I'm used to spending money on petrol (better than money on repairs!). So, my queries are as follows: Can any current owners chime in regards their overall experience of their GS300 / GS430? I've read lots of comments on the forum, but it's always good to hear current comments rather than historic I've heard of engine issues with the GS300 regarding carbon deposits, but I'm unsure if this was a common issue or something stateside specifically As an extreme outside contender, I'm considering a GS450H - but I'm put off by 2 things - lack of boot space which is important for me and the engine/drivetrain being more complicated and therefore 'somewhat' less reliable. I see it as another thing to go wrong and considering fuel consumption being a non-issue for me, it seems to be a false economy (no pun intended). I'm right in saying based on these points, it's probably not for me? (on paper anyway) Am I right in saying the GS430 has a cambelt and the GS300 / GS460 has a timing chain? What are the common faults on these models? I've noticed suspension mentioned a fair amount, is it a complicated suspension setup? I've seen the switch for the suspension on these models. I'd also try and aim for a pre March 06 model to avoid that extra tax bracket if possible, although I think the GS460's were 06 onwards (I could be wrong). My budget is reasonable (I think) at around £5k, I could stretch to £6k for the right car! Thanks all

I've only had 2 in my time and I definitely feel less urgency when driving. Makes you look at the world with a different lens. Really highlights how chaotic and angry some people are when driving. Yes, Audi drivers are definitely the new rulers of idiots on the road. Not all Audi drivers in fairness, but the odd idiot is more likely to be an Audi driver (in my personal experience). Funnily enough, I had an Audi owner (with Candy red wheels) come to view my car yesterday! I'm confused as to how you go from an A3 Turbo Quattro with a manual gearbox to an IS250 auto....😆 Very, very different cars.

As mentioned below, a nicer sound and also feels a bit more responsive/free revving. For me, well worth it purely for the sound. I think it's a niche preference, most people won't feel it's worth parting with the money. I'd pay it again if I had to 😁

I bought one of these recently and it was about £350 to have it imported from the US, brand new. Just to give you a heads up.

I can't comment on the RX300, but I've now owned 2 IS250's. If you can get an IS250 with the 17 inch alloys and the SE-L trim, it should be pretty comfortable. I've had a 2010 IS250 F-Sport with 18 inch alloys and the ride was quite firm, but I didn't mind it day to day. I currently have a 2008 IS250 SE-L on 18's, this is definitely softer due to different springs I believe.

The seller really doesn't have a clue. I'm guessing he is used to German cars and has counted up every 'optional' extra and come up with a silly figure 😂 Also, 5+ owners!

I probably should have clarified, I don't believe it should open itself purely by the button. Mine now opens by pressing the open button and a slight touch to allow it to open itself. It's more of a preference I think. Unsafe was a bit strong 😁

Thanks for this, makes sense now. Odd that the luxury doesn't have it, not very 'Luxury' is it 😂 I'm also concerned about catalytic converter theft on the hybrid models, there has been a few thefts locally on both petrol cars and also hybrid cars.

Thanks for this, I take it this should mean all trims will have it? I'll look out for it as I saw a great video showing the actual features yesterday:

This is something I'll definitely be doing, I'll possibly nip into a dealer I saw selling one somewhere near Thurrock (not a Main dealer, just a used car dealer) Is there any reason specifically you'd go for it? Yes, comfort and bit more practicality would be nice. The 6 cylinder is definitely a huge bonus, especially while we still can!!

I'm not sure about which particular models have it, but I have seen it on F Sport's mainly. My car choice isn't an argument, it's more of a carefully thought out decision and this discussion forms part of that larger process. Isn't the GS250 206bhp vs the IS250 204bhp? Being pedantic, I wouldn't call it 'exactly' the same. Very similar, yes. I wouldn't consider the GS450h as per my original reasons, because the boot is smaller and ultimately more to go wrong. Shouldn't but I'd rather not take the chance if I don't need to. Did you read my original post?

Hi there, Sorry, I made an assumption as I thought the GS250 only came in from 2012 onwards. Thanks, that's exactly what I'm looking for.

Good evening all, I'm currently deciding whether to change from my current IS250 SE-L. It really is a great car and there's a couple of small things that bother me, funnily enough it's not the cars fault it's my own (being tallish and ahem 'portly' 😁). I may end up giving it to my wife as we will be selling our Honda Accord soon too. I'm starting to find the seats in the IS250 a bit too short, in terms of the seat pan not being deep enough. In other words, the part of my leg closest to my knees isn't supported as well as it could be. The only other issue is the need for a larger boot, but that's more of a want than an outright need. So, my question to current owners are: Have any of you owned an IS250 and upgraded to a GS250? What's the seat comfort like? Ownership costs and reliability? (I know these cars have a slightly uprated IS250 engine, so I don't imagine much difference there!) Anything else to say about the car in general? I'm not buying the car for speed, more for comfort whilst doing short and long journeys. I love the feature for the extending seat base on the F-Sport model (other models too perhaps?!) Thanks in advance.

So, I received my F-Sport intake from the States this weekend and installed it today. It was a much simpler job than I was expecting. Probably was about half an hour, taking is slowly with a bit double checking: (had to tighten the clip for the breather hose, so it sits flush compared to the picture) The sound is fantastic and adds nice deepness and throatiness that was otherwise lacking. It's not for everyone as it's not a cheap mod, but looks the part and sounds great. I also got my key glove, which I am also very happy with:

What cleaner did you use to clean the throttle body and MAF? I'm considering doing this before fitting my intake kit.

If I was in this position, I would get the car serviced annually regardless. I'd have the same approach with a car, pretty much irrespective of the value. It's peace of mind and in the grand scheme of things, it's not much money saving is it really? If you think saving money on a service is a good idea, wait until you think about owning a cheaper car and selling your current car. You'll get back thousands of pounds 😎

@Admin - Thread can be closed, thanks.

Ah, didn't know that. The same genuine Lexus one do you mean? Do you have a link or item number to one? It was more to save on costs for forum members, IF there was interest (which looks unlikely currently).

The reason I have already written 😉, read my first post again! I already have a Faraday cage 'box' that I use to store my key, due to hearing about the wireless key thefts in my area. (admittedly, sounds like it's always JLR group cars).

Ah, didn't know if I was allowed but good to know if true. Yes, true about the hole but doesn't bother me that much as the overall looks will be nice. As far as I can remember - in my last stint in the automotive industry, Lexus has an extremely small market share - so maybe there isn't much call for merchandise.

Hi fellow LOC members, I'm not sure if this post is allowed, but I'm hoping I'll be told soon enough if it isn't! I'm in the process of importing the F Sport Induction kit from the US and I saw it as an opportunity to get another small but niche item for our IS250's. It's a key glove to protect the key fob from getting scratched up, also looks rather cool in my opinion: Normal Lexus version: F Sport version: How it'll roughly look (regular Lexus version): To my knowledge, these are suitable for IS250 and IS-F keyfobs. I wanted to check if any forum members wanted to purchase them through me, once I place an order in the coming week? I'm not sure on the exact cost, but I believe it'll be in the region of £20-£30 for a pair as pictured plus postage (I think £2.25 or £2.69 via 1st Class recorded). I'm hoping they are less, but I won't know until I buy and import them, pay taxes etc. I like them just because they look quite classy and will match my Orbitkey (A bit OCD maybe?!) Reply to this post and we'll see if there's any interest. I'm looking to place my order for the induction kit within the next week. Any questions, please let me know. Thanks,

Google for me too, what a forum!