I am new here and new to Lexus to take with a grain of salt.
I recently (Dec) sold my 2016 RX450h back to a main dealer as we were not really using it (<1000 miles a year), and took a 2013 GS250 (Luxury or whatever the non F-Sport is) and cash.
I was not that amazed by the RX powertrain - it is fine but growls quite loudly even on mild throttle applications (particularly on low speed inclines), probably due to the CVT which I also did not love. Hence why a GS250 rather than a hybrid.
Anyway, point is other than these two cars I am new to Lexus, so some of what follows will not be new to you.
1) the GS second row is spacious - our young children have enormous car seats (Axkid One and Britax Romer Duelfix i-size) and there is no problem for them at all. In fact they got a pretty good deal because...
2) ...the GS front row is not at all spacious - it feels positively tiny after the RX. It feels very narrow and the windscreen feels close (in the RX it feels about 500 feet away so probably an unfortunate and rare transition that I have made....) The storage is very limited, the cup holders are pathetic. It feels very dated. It is an old car and feels it more so than the IS250 of the same vintage, in my opinion.
3) boot is huge, as much usable space as the RX just about, but the boot lid is quite small so obviously its not as easy getting stuff in and out.
4) the GS250 throttle tip in calibration is easily the worst I've experienced on any car, maybe I have driven around 300 different cars - it is comparable to early generation DSG's. Maybe it is a Lexus 'character point', I don't have the history/context. Looking into the APEXi or whatever, sounded pretty dodgy in terms of heat issues over time - but maybe I need to keep researching. I find it mystifying how such a terrible calibration can come from an OEM but what do I know. It makes the car a pain to drive smoothly and I take delight in that sort of thing and am pretty OCD so it is driving me slightly crazy as I want to like this car.
5) the engine in the GS250 is not new of course, but it is quite interesting to me, it basically generates all its torque down low like a turbo unit (I've not looked at the charts but that is how it drives and I've had a string of C-Class and 3-Series 4cyl turbo petrols), you have to be quite committed to really rev it. So it happily punts along but should you wish to go crazy there is actually nothing much further there - I vaguely remember this sensation from a mates 2013 IS250 F-Sport back in Aus. That is fine and suits me but the 450h, even in the RX which has a preposterous amount of weight, can move when needed.
Not sure if that helps. In terms of reliability the car I got had only done 36,500 miles but they must have been tough city miles. The folding mirrors sound like they have the weight of the world on their shoulders, new ball bearings needed (thankfully picked that up pre delivery) and I reckon the exhaust is rusted to hell - the car sounds dreadful when cold, will need to take it back etc. Suspect lots of short London trips - poor car.
Good luck!
