Mandark

43 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

1 - mileage shouldn't be a big concern if serviced correctly. Costly services are 60k, 100k and 150k.

2 - facelift models are normally worth having as they tend to make minor improvements, not that there were really any problems with the earlier ones. Obviously the more expensive the car is the higher the depreciation so you will need to weigh that one up.

3 - F-Sport looks better and has more sporty suspension - you should test drive different grades. If you want comfort then a non F-Sport on 18" wheels may be more suitable. Specs are here:

4 - there are a couple of 3rd party systems that provide retrofit capabilities. They seem beta release products at best so you need to be comfortable with tech and willing to put time and effort in upgrading/troubleshooting etc. Not worth it for the average Lexus owner.

5 - extended warranties are available to take out on vehicles up to 10 year old. 2 years cover is around £1000 which includes AA breakdown and a couple of MOTs. You need to get the vehicle serviced at a main dealer to maintain the warranty.

https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/warranty/extended-warranty/

hybrid health check will get you warranty on the hybrid battery (not the other hybrid components) for £59 or included in a main dealer service.

https://www.lexus.co.uk/owners/servicing-and-maintenance/hybrid-health-check/#health-check

6 - brakes, sliding pins on the callipers can corrode and cause the discs to rust if not regularly greased.

Check for any water ingress in the boot area - more common on series II but could start to happen on series III

Check underside for corrosion - again happens on series II, hopefully better underseal protection on the series III but only time will tell.

7 - Series II RX with air suspension gets unreliable with age so we should assume that same for the series III although at the moment issues are uncommon. Nothing else to avoid from a spec point of view.

Amazing - thanks for the insight.

37 minutes ago, BigBoomer said:

Wouldn't you be better off posting this in the RX section of the forum? This section is for the LS models.

Sorry I thought this is?

Hi There,
We're in the lookout for a new car and somewhat accidentally, the Lexus RX450H appeared on the radar. Originally were were going to just replace our Audi A3 with another A3 but looks like it's possible to get somewhat a older Lexus, that will be more comfortable and spacious at less than 14k which is not too bad.

We're in London and the car would mainly see city driving and some motorway, totaling around 6k miles a year. Whatever we buy, we'd like to keep it for for at least 4 years or longer (depending on the depreciation). As this will be our first non German car, I would appreciate some tips on what to look for in the car etc.

Here's a set of questions that I'd like to start with:

1. Mileage: What's acceptable milage? The cars I see around 14k mark are high mileage, between 75k - 100k. Is that too much? We'll not get anything without full service history obviously
2. Depreciation: We're looking at 2012 facelift models preferably, however won't mind a pre-facelift model at around 10k also. Is it worth going for a facelift model spending 3-4k extra when we're going to keep the car for 4 years at least?
3. Model: What model should we look for? For example, is it worth paying extra for a F-Sport model? Pre-facelift vs. facelift - what are the major differences?
4. Technology: We're very attached to apple CarPaly. Clearly for a car this age, there won't be any factory option, but is retrofitting an option? I've seen some questionable sources claim so, but I'd rather hear from here
5. Warranty: Does Lexus provide extended warranty for older cars? How much does it usually cost and is it worth it?
6. Checks: Apart from doing full RAC inspection or equivalent (feel free to shout if any other service is is preferred) what other things should I look out for? For example Rust or any other known problem areas, e.g. suspension/panaromic roof/tailgate? What items should've been changed/replaced/serviced that general maintenance service schedule doesn't cover for example?
7. Avoid: Obviously not all options in a car are desirable or problematic long term. For example air suspension could be a costly failure. With that in mind, what specs should I look out for that generally should be avoided or if no not possible, ensure that they had been properly maintained/looked after?

That's all for now. Thanks!