rsdave

Had the plates fitted on Monday at Lexus Hedge End, going to assume they're the revised type. They sent me a video showing what they had done. I requested a printed receipt/invoice for the work, so at least I have an official evidence of it (not that it means much as insurers don't recognise it but good to have for the records) Insurance recently renewed for around the £650 mark - current insurers LV declined to quote for this year (as may others have found out).

Yes definitely not for sale any time soon I'm afraid. There's simply nothing I could replace it with (for the money I would get in a private sale) that would come anywhere near close to the quality, reliability, performance, features, etc. Dave.

The first owner was a retired gentleman from Kensington and I guess he didn't venture out of London too often. When I purchased it in 2021 from Lexus Hedge End it had just 3649 miles on the clock from new.

Hi Chris, indeed yes it is Sonic Titanium. I'm actually back at Hedge End on Monday with my other car, an RX450h for the canbus protection plates to be fitted. Hopefully they take care of her, I'm sure they will. I have a search running on Autotrader for facelift GS450h's, they do pop up from time to time, but usually sell very quickly, often in less than 24 hours. Clearly those who know them snap them up! Auto Express certainly got it right when they voted the GS as "UK’s favourite used car" in 2021.

Just got my GS back from it's annual service and MOT, 7 years old now but still looks and drives beautifully. Total clean sheet from Lexus, no advisories at all. Thought I'd treat her to a full detail to celebrate. Kudos to Lexus Hedge End for their usual spot on service. I was just thinking, what else could you buy now in the Lexus range (excluding LC/RC-F) that can rival the comfort, power and economy of this GS ? It's a keeper for sure! Dave.

Definitely seems to be a huge dip in prices this month, perhaps it's just seasonal?. I have been dipping my toe in the water to sell my LC500 as it's not getting the use it should lo justify keeping it. It's a Red 2019 LC V8 with 3369 miles on it and "better than showroom" condition. I thought I'd start by calling the dealer I purchased it from as they're aware of it's amazing condition and I thought they might like it back. But I hadn't even finished my sentence or got to a price I had in mind when the guy on the other end of the phone said "Nope, don't want it, thanks for calling, goodbye". Hmm, nice. On their website they have just 1 LC in stock across the entire group franchise at the moment. I then tried a number of those "we buy your car now" things and surprisingly many of them didn't want it either. Those that did give prices were ridiculously low and still subject to change on inspection. I tried to P/X at a BMW dealer and they didn't want to touch it "there's no market for big V8 engined cars at the moment, sorry.." Seems like a great time to buy but terrible time to sell so I'll probably keep it for a while to see if things perk up. If the other thread I posted about LC production ending for Europe early next year is true I wonder if that will help prices for low mileage, mint examples. Time will tell.

Saw this on Facebook, can't guarantee it's authentic but have no reason to believe someone would make thus up?? Good morning Thank you for your contact to Lexus UK and for your interest in the LC 500. I am delighted that you are looking to replace this superb car and representation of all things Lexus. However, I do have some disappointing news to share with you. I can advise that production of the LC range and RC-F will cease from early next year. This has meant that no new orders can be placed for these models. I can also confirm that these models will be removed from our New Cars section of our website this week. I can only apologise that I cannot be the bearer of positive news but since 2016 we have sold nearly 600 LC but we have informed our Lexus Centre partners that legislation and homologation changes mean that these models can no longer be sold in Europe. There are some exciting products to come for the Lexus brand over the next few years which incorporate battery technology and sports concepts, which I hope may entice you to continue to invest in the Lexus brand. In closing, thank you for contacting Lexus UK and once again, I am sorry that I am not able to share some positive news re the availability of this LC in the colour mentioned. Kind regards Stephen Hinshelwood Team Manager, Lexus Customer Relations Toyota (GB) PLC - Lexus Division Distributor of vehicles, parts and accessories for the UK

I had this done on Friday to my 2017 GS450h at Poole Lexus. It was booked in for a full service and MOT, and the recall was mentioned at the bottom of the job card. To do all this work (Service, MOT and recall) they needed the car from 8.30am to 5pm. No ill-effects noticed, and they were very careful on removing and re-fitting the rear seat.

It is yes, in the handover room.

Possibly, but having driven them back to back, at lower speeds they seem reletively on-par. But once you open the throttle, or start playing with those paddles, the V8 is without doubt my favorite, the soundtrack is incomparable. I still have my low-mileage GS450h (same engine as the 500h but without the 'multistage' gearbox) to compare against the 500, I like driving both to be honest.

Well I think my partner and I have really caught the Lexus bug! After getting our LC500h in May we've already traded it in against a beautiful Sonic Red V8! I can't knock the hybrid, it is exceptionally good for what it is, no issues at all with performance or economy, but of course it lacks that amazing V8 noise which you can only appreciate in person. Also the Sonic Red colour is just incredible!

Welcome George, car looks wonderful! I'll give you a wave if I see you, can't be that many LS600H's in the area 🙂 Dave.

Totally stunning in every respect, such a beautiful colour! 😮

I can give a thumbs up for Cambridge. In the past we bought a 2020 RX 450h F sport from them and nothing was too much trouble. A very nice, friendly dealership. Dave.

Dorset, so not a million miles away. Dave.

Hi Ben, We (that is me and my partner) actually test drove your very car at Hedge End on the 6th May. I'd previously purchased my GS 450h from them in 2021. Snows were having a promotional day and we managed to bag a couple of free pizzas! As you say the car is totally immaculate, I could only find a couple of tiny chips on the edge of the bonnet. Dan Palmer is the guy we dealt with and couldn't have been more helpful. It was a difficult decision to walk away, but we really wanted an LC coupe, and that's what we ultimately went for in the end (see thread pick up my new lc500 saturday 21st May 2022) Anyhow, enjoy the car, it's a cracker! Dave.

Well Saturday went very smoothly, after numerous cups of coffee/tea + biscuits the deal was done and we were on our way. As you guessed Graham it was indeed Motorline. Pics below after a good clean, polish and hoover (they never do it to my exacting standards). The new "sustainable materials" wooden box that the keys are handed over to you in is a nice new touch. Didn't get that on the last two purchases. Dave

Well, unexpectedly a last minute change of plans - with a happy ending though! Having asked if there was any damage/marks on the body or alloys (beyond the odd stone chip) we were told no, it's as you'd expect for a Lexus approved used car with just under 5,000 miles. Having then got an invoice and paid the deposit we then suddenly got a call that unfortunately it turns out that two of the alloy wheels have small patches of flaking chrome on the outer rims. Only minor but nevertheless they thought we should be aware. It turns out that virtually no alloy wheel refurbishment company can refinish in this 'Vapor Chrome' finish (they had four companies come on-site to assess), definitely something worthy of note (applies to similar finish LC500 wheels as well). Our options were to accept a refurbishment of all four wheels in a normal powder coat 'flat silver' finish - or live with the blemishes. I didn't fancy either of those so I took a third option to unwind the deal under Distance selling regulations which to be fair they did immediately with zero fuss. We quickly found another approved used LS which I think is even better (and has perfect wheels) - this one is currently in the showroom! It's Sonic Silver, so slightly different colour but fine with me. Collection day is tomorrow morning 😁 so quite exciting really! - some better photos to follow but here's a few to be going on with. Second time lucky I hope! Dave.

Thank you so much Graham, some very useful information there 🙂 I found you post from August 2019 and your car is certainly a stunner! So looking forward to collection day now. Cheers, Dave.

Haha no, definitely not Chauffeuring! My partner and I both love Lexus and big, wafty saloons, having owned Jag XJ's and the like in the past. Lexus did in fact very kindly lend us an LC500h coupe for a week long extended test drive. We found the car to be incredible, with amazing looks but perhaps not 100% practical for us. The LS, running a stretched version of the same platform seems like an excellent alternative, same multistage hybrid system but with the benefit of two extra doors, more space and comfort (air suspension, massage seats, etc.) We should be picking up the LS next weekend, and once we've given it a through once-over, I'll write up a quick report. It will be interesting to see how it compares to the 2020 RX we're trading in, and my GS, which I love to bits and isn't going anywhere 🙂

I'm in the process of buying a 2018 Lexus LS500h Premier in Manganese Lustre with just under 5000 miles on the clock and 1 previous owner. It's a Lexus Approved used car, being sold at roughly 50% of it's new price of £105,595 ! I'll be moving from a current model RX450h, anything to look out for other than the lack of Apple Car Play / Android Auto and the runflat tyres (no spare) - are they noisy ? Also have a 2017 GS450h Premier which I'm keeping. Would be great to hear from real world owners of this model. I know it's kind of on the rare side in the UK. Many thanks, Dave.

Hi, thanks for that. I did pour over my Lexus warranty document as supplied in March and I am just within 3 months and it does unfortunately specifically exclude any battery other than the HV traction battery. (see scans below). There's also a similarly worded document on the official Lexus site: Lexus Web Page TC's Dec 2019 (d3rvezpmgp265q.cloudfront.net) I sadly could not find any reference to a 3,000 mile wear and tear cover clause, so perhaps that's unique to Listers. Shame.

Hi Robert, Glad to say 100% perfect with the battery replaced. Unfortunately the previous owner was unaware that you can't leave the car for extended periods without maintaining the battery. Now that it's been replaced, I'll be sure to regularly check it. Cheers, Dave.

Seems like a common topic so I thought I'd share my own story. My car is a 2017 GS 450h but with very low mileage (less than 4000 miles). It appears the previous owner may have allowed the battery to completely discharge on more than one occasion. The factory fitted Panasonic S65D26L AGM battery does not take kindly to allowing it's voltage to drop much below 12v too many times. Doing this too often permanently damages the battery. Unfortunately the Lexus warranty appears to specifically exclude the 12v aux battery, at least here in the UK. Seems like mine has bitten the dust, I was first alerted to this as the car would open up, but would not go into READY mode. You'll also get a myriad of system failure messages on the dash. I already had a CTEK MXS 5.0, a charger specifically designed for AGM batteries so I recharged it. The battery lasted about a week before it was dead again. 😬 I took the battery out of the car. It's actually quite straightforward, all you need is 10mm spanner and undo one nut and two bolts which secure the battery bracket. First make sure that the car is turned OFF. It's probably wise to leave the driver's door open ajar and keep your key with you, don't leave it in the car (in case the alarm goes off when you reconnect the battery, it didn't happen in my case but the Owner's Manual says it's a possibility.) You also need to undo the the two large power cables, starting with the negative one FIRST. You also need to remove the water drain tube (just pops out) and unclip the battery temperature sensor. You can then remove the battery, it has a useful carrying handle which you can use to gently remove it from the car (it's heavy-ish, so be prepared!). With no possibility of parasitic load as it's now off the car, I recharged it again, using the MXS 5.0 in AGM mode. This completed all the way up to Step 7 (which is 100% charged/float stage) but upon disconnecting the charger and allowing the battery to 'rest' (in other words, nothing connected) the battery measured 12.7 volts using my digital volt meter). That is not bad, but still not quite right. The fully charged AGM battery should read just a smidge over 13 volts when fully charged). I then left it to 'rest' overnight, by all accounts the battery should still read around 13 volts, but, unfortunately not, as you can see in the attached photo the voltage dropped overnight to 10.75 volts. That's a 100% sure sign the battery is toast. I suspect a shorted cell which is generally unrepairable. (There are generally six cells of 2 volts each in a car battery which gets you your 12 volts-ish. A shorted cell accounts for the 2 volt drop). I know it's possible to fit an aftermarket battery but with my car being such low mileage and original I opted for a replacement S65D26L. At the moment LexusPartsDirect are doing it on Special Offer for £215.39 inc VAT which is cheaper than my local dealer could do it for, and of course it's delivered right to your door within 72 hours. Lexus GS Phase 4 Auxiliary Battery | 28800-31410 | Lexus Parts Direct It ships in a cardboard box inside another cardboard box, I advise you open it outside, as one of the plastic bags is full of an absorbent material, best described as wood chippings or cat litter, assumedly to absorb any leakage should the package be damaged, but as it was the packaging is super strong and mine arrived undamaged. The battery does come about 90% charged, but before fitting I charged it with the MXS 5.0, again using the AGM specific mode. Once that finished, I allowed it to rest overnight and was pleased to see it measured just over 13 volts in the morning. Fitting was of course reversal of removal, and nothing odd happened during re-connection, a few settings like the auto-fold in mirrors and HUD position were reset to defaults, but everything else was exactly where it was previously. I will probably take the failed battery to Halfords, as apparently they will take and recycle old car batteries even if you're not making a purchase. Local council tips generally take them as well. Hopefully someone will find this guide useful, it should apply to all 2012-2018 GS's, and possibly the previous ones too. Dave.