Mister Rockets

An update! I shall not be thwarted by the best efforts of White Van Man (actually, Grubby Faded Grey Van Man would be more accurate) and Hastings Insurance (a more detailed report on shenanigans will follow in due course) whose attempts at a 'market value' offer are in equal parts laughable and insulting. Apparently, there are loads of late 2009s available and I just need to find the one whose owner is willing to accept a 40-50% reduction in the asking price. In whichever 'market' (and universe) that exists. Anyway, attempt no.2 at Lexus ownership is currently underway...can't leave two years of Gold membership to go to waste !!

I have a temporary hire car, a Mercedes C300, and whilst newer, (much) quicker and with even more bells and whistles, I really want the Lexus back ! For me this Lexus offers a unique driving experience and whilst the Merc, on paper at least should smash it, somehow it doesn't - the IS250 has a character all of its own. I've already had a quick look at what's about and it appears that I will struggle to find similar or same spec vehicle to replace it.

Well, my first foray into Lexus ownership didn't last very long due to a nice gentleman 'driving' a Mercedes Sprinter box van (N.B. if anyone was curious about Mercedes Sprinter vs. Lexus, I can tell you the Mercedes won...). Took out the Peugeot parked in front of me too just to show it wasn't personal. Friday 13th indeed 🤬

Yes, 1GO

Yes, 18". It still seems to ride okay with these but I have no other reference. It came with 4 new 'nasty' tyres but I will run with them for now. At least they are all the same brand. To be honest, I'm not sure you buy one of these to rag about but by the same token I'd prefer to stay out of ditches if possible...

Date of first registration is 21 October 2009

MY = Model Year

Well, folly or not, I bit the bullet and collected the car from Buxton on Saturday and drove back to Bristol with my eldest riding shotgun and playing with the infotainment. A 2009 MY SE-L. Not completely without issue. A front parking sensor appears to be duff (parking sensors were switched off) and the o/s wing mirror behaves slightly erratically and clicks ominously suggesting an expensive repair is looming. However, I am not too disheartened and following a 3 hour return journey (better than the 8 hours it took to get there via public transport 😡), I emerged from the car feeling fresh-ish and pain-free which is always a bonus. Comfy car. It's my first Lexus experience and so far so good. There's a small PDR 'opportunity' otherwise the car appears to be in overall good mechanical order. Plenty of history (although do Halfords an KwikFit count🤔) and previous keeper had it for over 8 years. Hopefully it will last another 8.

The car I'm looking at is a 2008 car registered early 2009 so would hopefully escape any ethanol related fuel issues.

Thank you, All for your prompt and informative responses! Sure makes a change from other fora. Based on this alone, I'm even more tempted to jump in and buy one...

Yes, the one I'm looking at is a face-lift model. I am fully aware that the same car in 2019 would probably be around £2K cheaper (85K miles, auto SE-L in very good order even if the original purchaser was a bit shy with ticking the options list - less to go wrong I guess @ £6K from a dealer)...but I'm prepared to swallow the shortage 'tax' if it can still hold its own today. You only need to check out spares 'n repairs on eBay to these are littered with 'modern' VAG and BMWs.

As in the title, is this a sensible proposition in 2022? Yes, I realise that 2nd hand prices have been somewhat boosted by World conditions (global pandemic with 'chip shortage' en croûte, an outbreak of war on Europe's doorstep...) so is this a sensible pursuit? Does an old IS250 still make sense in 2022?