WoodcotePark

You may have been just looking on EBay UK. It's worth thinking about whether you want to use EBay worldwide - both to get the correct bit, and to sell your unwanted bit. A few years ago I had a '99 GS300 with a broken CD mulitdisk. It was impossible to find a cheap replacement in the UK, but I found one in seconds in the US - at a very low price. OK, it cost some money to get it posted and to pay import duties, but it still came out MUCH cheaper.

Absolutely agreed on this one. a) Talk to an auto locksmith first. Absolutely, certainly cheaper than Lexus, and they spend their whole lives thinking about this stuff, and have the resources to find a solution. At heart this is a locking problem. B) As regards cause, it might well be linked to the unusual heat. Worth trying again first thing in the morning. Something must have caused this - and the obvious thing that's changed is the extreme weather. c) You've probably already done this, but try posting on US websites to see if anyone else recognises it. d) And describe this as a GS 450h / 300 problem. This isn't a hybrid problem - there are more GS300 owners around.

Although I've had Lexus GS before, I'm only halfway through my process of buying a GS450h myself. However, here's some thoughts from the viewings I've done so far. 1) Cars aren't selling quickly. I've seen and test driven five (main dealer) cars over the last eight weeks, and every one of them is still for sale, as of today. And I'm pretty sure that other cars are still stuck on forecourts. To state the obvious, large engined executive cars don't sell quickly. I'm pretty sure that no private cars have been successfully sold - they just sit there, at the same asking price. (For some reason, Lexus private sellers think they can ask dealer prices, which is insane because they can't offer the Lexus warranty, nor the cheap financing that everyone seems to want these days) 2) The new 450h starts being delivered next month. Inevitably many will be sold to existing 450h users, which will result on more used cars hitting the used market in July. 3) Compared to Mercedes and BMW, GS450h cars ALL seem to have diligent service records. So main dealer history is the norm, not the exception. For BMW and Mercedes, users generally stop using main dealers once the warranty expires. 4) Creaking interiors are a cause of irritation amongst existing users. Part of this must be because of the overall quietness of the drive-train and suspension. But it's clear that some cars do have this problem. The dashboard is the usual problem area, but leather interiors are another problem - I rejected one car just because of this. 5) Ride quality varies. I don't know why, it might be tyre wear or suspension set up, it might have been the roads I've used. But there are differences. 6) Despite what you might expect, the hybrid drive train doesn't seem to be any problem at all. There's no discussion of problems. (The one exception might be occasional jerkiness, but that's a characteristic of a new car, not a used problem). Oh, and to state the obvious perhaps, these cars are incredibly reliable overall compared to their competition. 7) Fuel economy is fantastic for the power of the car, but not for the size of the vehicle, so there are some daft comments around about individual cars not being as frugal as a 525d diesel. These are ridiculous because the 450h performs more like a 535d, which produces less than 30mpg, especially on short trips. (Diesels are incredibly inefficient on short trips when the engine is cold). There are some daft comments around about fuel economy - my car does 40mpg on motorways going downhill - that kind of thing. The important thing is just to understand the average number for your kind of driving. 8) Although the 450h is extremely attractive, it's clear that the GS300 is a neglected bargain. Although hardly known, she's just as beautiful, just as reliable, and is ridiculously cheap. You get comparable real world performance for 25% less. 9) Finally, don't lose sight of the fact that new 450h's can be bought for just over £30k from Lexus, and three year old cars are retailing for less than £20k. It might be worth thinking about going for a 2007 car, or a 2008 (revised) car, as it might only be a little bit more than a 2006 price. Bottom line - I reckon these cars are a great bargain compared to BMW & Mercedes - the challenge is finding the right deal. Just a few, admittedly contentious, thoughts. Obviously I'm not an existing owner, but I thought you'd be interested in my perspective as a buyer like yourself.

A different perspective on your note. From where I stand, you've spent £17k to jump from a 7 year old car to a more sophisticated two year old. In the grand plan of car ownership, picking up a 40 grand 2010 car for roughly £25k has got to be a good deal. According to my calculator, you're looking at less than £3k a year depreciation over the next five years. Yes it'll cost a grand or two more than your seven year old car, but you'll have all the pleasure of running a much younger car. According to Tom T Hall, when a man gets older and wiser, he goes for "Older Whiskey, Faster Horses, and Younger Women." But WE know it's much less hassle to just have younger 'n faster "Horses."

This week I looked at a five year old / 40k car which was extremely nice, but had what seemed a LOT of leather / interior creaks, which seemed to worsen as I test drove the car further on my 10 mile test drive. (I'm comparing this to the interior of my same age 325i and my wife's SAAB). I'm struggling with whether this was a) my imagination; B) the result of driving a car whose engine and road noise is very quiet; or c) a particular problem with this car. Any thoughts? Obviously there's always the answer: just try more cars - but life is short, and there aren't actually that many suitable GS450h's around ! Thanks in advance.

This week I saw a very nice one owner GS450h which had been owned by Lexus Financial Services. I was told that this means that its first owner (for five years), was a member of the Lexus management team in Financial Services. This doesn't sound right to me, at all - surely staff always drive the new cars, and never for more than the first couple of years. Surely this car must be an ex-lease or ex-PCP vehicle? Can anyone comment? I'm really just trying to get my head around whether there will have been more than one, possibly MANY more than one, drivers. Thanks in advance.

I've just sold my BMW, so I'm looking to pick up a GS450h within the next 2-3 months, as prices soften with the deliveries of the rather spiffy new model. I'm trying to do some price research on what people are actually paying, as I'm a bit shocked at what these things to be selling for. Yesterday a Greater London Lexus main dealer offered me a one owner 2006 GS450h with 40k on the clock (4 Lexus MD services) for £11k, including a year's warranty, which seemed quite a bargain to my innocent eyes. Has anyone got any real world knowledge of deals that are being done at the moment?

I am hoping to pick up a GS450h over the next couple of months, as used prices soften before the deliveries of the new model in June. I want to stream podcasts and music from my iPhone, using bluetooth, so I'm drawn to getting the 2008 model because of the Aux input. But this "feels" an expensive option, as the 2008 car is maybe £5k more expensive than the 2006 model. I'd love to know if anyone has a kit installed that works for bluetooth music streaming, and whether there are any pitfalls to avoid. (It's worth saying that I know that Bluetooth phone calls and contacts are straightforward - my point is that I actually want to stream podcasts and music WITHOUT docking the iPhone - I just want it to remain in my pocket.).

Argh..... My local specialist HiFi installer reckoned that this wouldn't be a problem - that the so-called security was just that it wouldn't fit in anything else but a Lexus GS300. Would be very grateful if anyone knows whether this is an issue? Or if there's a workaround....

Thanks for the lead on Ebay, I'll keep an eye on it. Has anyone got a view on what they might be worth, or where I might get a price to compare - I thought I might be able to find one from an accident damaged car but no luck yet. Needs to be a good 'un. Thanks!

I need a new head unit for my '99 GS300 radio/cassette/CD (not the amp or CD changer, which are still OK). Lexus new prices are great value.... but I'd like to find a secondhand unit in excellent condition. Does anyone know a good supplier? Or does anyone have one they no longer need? And how much do you reckon I need to pay? They seem to be over £600 (huh) new?