JT88

1 hour ago, steve2006 said:

They look quite advanced given the spread, are they all on the same panel?

A touch up pen would be no good, sure it would make the areas looks better cosmetically for a short while but would not prevent the rust from spreading under the paint and would soon flake off.

A “Smart” repairer may do better but by the time the rust has been removed down to good metal the size is going to increase significantly. Applying filler and smoothing down will again increase the area and then you need to get a perfect colour match and finish.

I would get a few quotes from reputable body shops, you may be surprised by the price but the job will be good and permanent.

That's what I was thinking. I got a few smart repair guys who advised not to fix it. Rather touch it up with an OEM touch up paint as it won't be worth repainting the whole thing. It's on a few panels around the car. 

A detailer said the detailing would get rid off the rust but not recover the paint and the wax finish will provide protection to prevent the spread.

I'm going to go see a body shop and have a look at some quotes.

Hi All,

I was washing my car and noticed a few rusted spots on my paint. I know these can be very costly if i let them be and it spreads. Wondering what my options are -

1) I tried to locate OEM paint repair pen for my model and only found Chipex products. I will call the local lexus dealership see if they can locate/sell me one.

2) Chip repair service ( Car Doctor or Chips Away)

3) Detailer who may possibly do this as part of their service

4 Body shop (I assume will be the most expensive out of the list)

I want to know what would be the best option. I don't want to spend an arm and a leg but at the same time I don't want a really bad job done (risk of it if i DIY it?)

How difficult is this?

Ideally I want to protect from further damage first. I had good advice from reddit where the person advised me to just clear the rust, use OEM pain corrector first to protect and can sand it down later on. Which makes sense since I have lack of experience.

Appreciate any help,

Thanks,

J

Thanks! Really happy with this car it was very well taken care off. The car came it felt so much better inside than I expected for a 10 year old car. If has aged so well! 

I was not disappointed with the drive or aesthetics.

These are the pictures from the advert , Its rained a little and haven't had too much time to admire the car yet. This weekend will be me and the lexus 😄

This is an SE-i not the SE-L so missing 2 or 3 things from being fully loaded but I'm not phased by that  

2 hours ago, Werewolf1976 said:

GS body is bigger than IS to a substantial degree - it's a longer wheelbase (smoother ride) but harder to park -- dimensions very similar to a 5 series I think

I err to the bigger, more expensive car (GS over IS) b/c the build quality, level of std equipment tends to be better

The road tax is a consideration for a non-hybrid 

Have a look at the 4th gen GS250 - I find it fast enough and not a popular choice (i.e. I would think you'll get a good price)

Hey yeah, the GS line does seem really well built. I am under the impression that yo get a GS - you either get one that doesn't leT you down or one that will cost you around 1k a year or so to maintain.

I bought the IS250 as I found one that was in such a good condition! 

2 hours ago, Mossypossy said:

Boot space is awful for a huge car. Had to buy a roof box!

That's actually a good shout I didn't think of that. You don't always need boot space. Even with a boot I sometimes put quick groceries in my back seats 

4 hours ago, Rameez said:

Hi

I have driven a gs450h since January and approx 2500 miles, mostly locally. In winter I got around 20mpg and summer around 24 odd. The back is way bigger than the is250 as I have driven that a few miles, so for me the is250 is not an option with child seats ruining it for other passengers. The mpg is similar. The sound as lexis200 sport is nice in the 250 due to actual gears as opposed to the cvt in the gs. The the gs is quite good ina a straight line and feels much faster than the is, and the sound is still nice. 

One big thing for me on the gs is the hybrid. Its nice to sit quietly in traffic with the engine off so frequently, it's like an amazing stop-start system. The torque fill is really good with the electric motors as well. It does feel really really heavy though, and also the ride isn't amazing with the 18 inch alloys. 

Hope that helps 

That's the thing the size is a massive bonus. However the lack of boot kills it. My kids pram will fill that space up. 

It must be so sweet having all that power for the same MPG as an IS250.

Have you had any expensive repairs come up now ?

3 hours ago, Mossypossy said:

Also had gs450h since early this year.

Averages about 36mpg mixed driving. I find I drive it to max the mpg now, knowing it can do the business if need be. Just wants to be driven lazily.

That is really decent MPG for a car that size and 3.5 litre v6. I guess it's more of a cruiser

11 minutes ago, LexIS200Sport said:

The GS450h has superior straight-line acceleration compared to the IS250, but I found the IS250 to be more engaging to drive. In fact, the IS250 was plenty fun to drive (especially in 3IS form), and having a "normal" automatic transmission also added to the aural thrills  🙂

  

Sorry, not too familiar with the difference between the two. Hopefully someone can chime in on this.

  

Good luck with your search!

Thank you! This has been very insightful! I most likely get the IS250 from this. Tomorrow is the test drive day! 😧

Hi Ganesh,

Great to be here! Hopefully I'll be a legit member with an IS250 or GS 450 in the next few days!

Thank you for your input! Appreciate the point of view from a GS owner.

Looks like the IS250 seems a lot more rounded and practical for London roads (i drive around some tight streets!). What would you say you experienced in terms of performance between the two. I do know the GS is far superior in regards to pick up with its 3.5 litre V6 - but is the IS250 sluggish or fast enough for it to be a little fun too?

Finally 2/3 IS250 I have found are SE-I whereas the 2007 model I have found is SE-L. I found a forum post and seems to be not much of a difference between the two. As a Lexus owner - are you familiar with the difference between the two?

Hi All,

Fantastic community here and loads of great information. I did read through as many posts as possible regarding this but I was hoping a little more advice since it's 2020 (makes the cars I am eyeing up even older) 

I had to scrap 2003 E46 BMW 330D due to ULEZ kicking in! That car has been the most reliable car I have ever owned not needing a single repair in 7 years of ownership.

Looking got a second vehicle I have found Lexus to be the best option for another reliable ride but with added luxury.

I am torn between the following:

GS450h 2008 with 125k on the clock

IS250 SE-L 2007 with about 90k on the clock

IS250 SE-L 2009 with about 100k on the clock 

I live in Ilford, essex but always driving to and from East London. Driving around London too.

I am looking for which car would be most reliable.

The GS offers so much power but I am concerned about real world MPG. From the posts here from 3 years ago it seems that you get mid 20 mpg. I also read here of several expensive maintenance repairs that occur.

A car this age I doubt will have any lexus warranty. I am particularly scared of the hybrid repairs - especially Battery ( I think maybe more because I am not familiar with hybrid)

Hybrid + 3.5 lite V6 sounds amazing on top of al the luxury comfort.

The IS seem safer to me due to it not being an old 12 year hybrid with a bigger boot. But my concern here is comfort - I am sick of feeling the bumps on the road in my lowered 15 year old BMW!

What would you advice from your experience? Is the real world MPG that different between the two? Do you feel all the bumps on the roads in a IS250? Would IS250 have far cheaper(less?) Problems?

I am not extremely car savvy but I do like a bit of power and a bit of luxury. My main think is reliability - I can really do with a car that won't cost me a fortune at this moment in my life. I would say I got 30mpg on my BMW.

I guess a GS300 might be another option? 

I do appreciate any help or advice

Thanks

J