GS300h service intervals / running costs

[keiron99]

Hello there

I had in mind that I would get an IS300h. But when I went to look at the dealers, after stepping out of my E Class, I felt it was rather small.

So, naturally I’m now looking at the GS300h. I sat in a couple and was bowled over by the quality.

What’s bothering me is the cost. Not the purchase price – I’m looking at 2 to 3 years old, with about 35k max on the clock, and have a target price of £20k. There aren’t many but they do pop up occasionally.

I do about 20,000 miles each year, mainly made up of an 80 mile round trip commute each day, about 72 of those miles are on motorway. Can anyone advise what sort of mpg I might expect for that? (My E Class does anything from about 39mpg to 61mpg depending on traffic and how much of a hurry I’m in!)

Secondly, what about servicing costs? I can’t actually find the GS service intervals even on the (confusing) Lexus website.

If I got a 3 year old car from Lexus themselves, would I still benefit from the 5 year warranty if I used someone independent to service the car?

Finally, does anyone know of any independent Lexus service specialists around Stockport / south Manchester?

Many thanks

 

[Zotto]

Io own a GS300h. Service is here every 15000 km (probably in UK every 10000 miles), alternatively complete and intermediate, and less expensive compared to a BMW or Mercedes; besides, brakes lasts twice and there are less components that may break. About motorway, it depends by the speed you go, respecting speed limits it's  over 15 km/l , my overall results is more than 16 km/l without particular attention.

[royoftherovers]

Hi Keiron,

Good to hear from you.

Look at the GS450H Third generation too.

I bought mine 3 years ago, with 17,000 miles on the clock for £20k. There are still a good number of these around at Lexus dealers.

I bought a Service Package for £38 per month and have had 3 services including the big 60,000 and have not to pay anything out for consumables in 24,000 miles.

I got 12 months warranty with the car and then took out a Lexus extended warranty for 2 years which I have just renewed. I have not had to use the warranty.

My overall mpg works out at 35 mpg .The range of consumption is 28-39 (brim to brim) depending upon driving style and the performance is exceptional. 

I kept my 13 year old E class diesel estate as it was/is worth a lot more to me than others were prepared to pay.

An independent Toyota garage will service the consumable items for you at much less than Lexus will charge .

Hope this helps.

Regards

John 

[keiron99]

Thanks for the replies.

To me, the GS450h third gen cars are surprisingly expensive to buy given their age, higher mileage and of course running costs. I can't bring myself to spend 16 grand on a 5 year old car ith 80k on the clock.

On balance, although the GS300h may cost a bit more to acquire, over the longer term I think it will be a better buy (I intend to keep the car for 4 or 5 years at least and adding on 20k miles a year).

[Zotto]

My former car was a 2008 GS450h, and the performance was wonderful, comparable to a really fast sport car, but my GS300h is better and less thirsty, and you don't risk your driving license like driving a 450h. Servicing is more expensive too, while mpg is about 10-15 % less than GS300h. I bought 300h just because  speed limits, traffic and taxes it's impossible to use all the power of 450h, but sometimes I miss its 0-100 km/h in 5,9 seconds. For normal use GS 300h is more than sufficient with its performance (better than declared values). 

 

[keiron99]

Thanks again.

One final question (for now!). I haven't actually driven a GS300h yet.

What can I expect in terms of ride quality? My E Class is very good - it doesn't quite waft / float in the way I hoped it would (an old Rover and Jag I had were better in that regard), and there is a bit of road noise through the wheels. 

What could I expect from the GS300h? How does it compare with the competition?

[Zotto]

One single word: wonderful.

[Jamesf1]

On 28/09/2016 at 1:49 PM, keiron99 said:

Hello there

I had in mind that I would get an IS300h. But when I went to look at the dealers, after stepping out of my E Class, I felt it was rather small.

 

So, naturally I’m now looking at the GS300h. I sat in a couple and was bowled over by the quality.

 

What’s bothering me is the cost. Not the purchase price – I’m looking at 2 to 3 years old, with about 35k max on the clock, and have a target price of £20k. There aren’t many but they do pop up occasionally.

 

I do about 20,000 miles each year, mainly made up of an 80 mile round trip commute each day, about 72 of those miles are on motorway. Can anyone advise what sort of mpg I might expect for that? (My E Class does anything from about 39mpg to 61mpg depending on traffic and how much of a hurry I’m in!)

 

Secondly, what about servicing costs? I can’t actually find the GS service intervals even on the (confusing) Lexus website.

 

If I got a 3 year old car from Lexus themselves, would I still benefit from the 5 year warranty if I used someone independent to service the car?

 

Finally, does anyone know of any independent Lexus service specialists around Stockport / south Manchester?

 

Many thanks

 

 

 

GS current model service costs (petrol and hybrid)

Intermediate service £275

Full £445

60k mile £675

I have a GS250 petrol and the service interval is 1 year or 10k miles, I think the hybrids are the same

 

[Jamesf1]

My GS250 is a luxury spec and the ride is very comfortable and composed (18" wheels). 

[rayaans]

Ok so in terms of MPG you should see between 40-55mpg on the GS300H with those mileages. 

Service intervals are 10k miles or every year, however, I believe business users can have 12k miles or every year. 

Cost is £275 for minor and £445 for full. 60k and 100k are more expensive.

Something to note is that these cars are easy on the brakes due to hybrid regenerative braking so its very likely you'll do about 70k miles on one set of brakes. Im on 42k and still have half left.

 

[keiron99]

Many thanks everyone. I'm going to see and test a used GS300h at a Lexus dealer on Sunday. It's the exact spec, colour, age and mileage I'm looking for so fingers crossed I actually like it!

[Ten Ninety]

I will be interested to hear how you find the ride quality and road noise compares to your E-Class, as these are the two things I find least satisfactory about the GS. For me, the ride is nowhere near as comfortable as it should be - the adaptive suspension on the Premier has two settings, neither of which are tuned for comfort, and the Executive Edition I test drove on standard suspension and smaller wheels was no better. And whilst the engine and wind noise are well-suppressed, the tyre roar is disappointingly loud to my ears. I still love the car, but I'm an avowed diesel-hater so I'm prepared to forgive a lot in order to gain access to the fabulous hybrid drivetrain in a vehicle of this size. 

Regarding mpg, like any car this is entirely dependent on how fast you go and how hard you press the accelerator. My commute is very hybrid-friendly so whilst it's still warm and dry I'm routinely seeing high 50s / low 60s with a best average currently sitting at 66mpg over 32 miles. However, my 'worst' run on the same route when I was in a hurry to get home was 36mpg - hybrids are more sensitive to driving style than diesels, hence why binary-throttle journos always end up complaining about how they can't get near the published numbers. You do need to 'learn' the hybrid system to get the best results, if you're bothered about that sort of thing. It's probably also worth noting that I expect to lose 10mpg off those figures when winter comes, as hybrids don't like the cold. If you're test driving this weekend, you probably won't see a representative mpg figure for what you're likely to get in the coming months, but it will improve again in spring!

I also suspect that your commute will be a lot harder to achieve really strong economy anyway - I find relaxed motorway driving at 65-70mph will return around 50mpg depending on conditions. However, if you're an outside-lane barnstormer then forget getting anywhere near that. 

Please let us know how you get on!

[Zotto]

What you wrote is right, but also in diesel cars cold in winter time worsens mpg. About wheels noise, being the GS really well filtered in noise, is very sensitive on noise coming from wheels, ant the type of tyres makes the difference: I notice that  with winter tyres the noise grows, and the brand you choose is important.

Said this, GS 300 hybrid is one of the quietest cars in the world, accordingly with this site:

 http://www.auto-decibel-db.com/

 

[wendle]

Hi, Kieron99, remember if most of your millage is motorway driving then a Hybrid car may not be the car for you as the main advantage of a Hybrid car is the extra miles you do without the engine running which would increase your overall m.p.g, i have read that because the GS is a large and heavy car the m.p.g from the 300h  for motorway driving is worse than the 450h, i had two 450h;s the MK3 and MK4 and on the motorway i was getting a good 46 m.p.g from the MK4 at a steady 70 mph.

[Zotto]

What you say, Wendle, is partially true, as Atkinson engine, and particularly that one in GS 300h, has a very good efficiency of 38% comparable to a diesel, and so mpg is good even in motorways when electric contribution is less important (but not zero). Nonetheless, may be that at high speed, not totally legal, you can have better mpg with a bigger engine like that one in 450h that can go at lower revs with same speed ;-).

Also a difference in mpg is given by tyres dimension, large ones make more resistance so in GS the best results come from thinner 17" wheels compared to 19" .

[keiron99]

Well I'm kind of worried now!

I'm being told the ride ain't that great, it's disappointingly noisy and the mpg might come as a shock!

I am surprised to read about the ride and noise. I thought the brand generally had a fantastic reputation in that regard - which is what attracted me in the first place.

The page that Zotto links to is very interesting. According to that, the GS300h is just about the quietest car on the road. Even quieter than a Rolls Royce!

[Zotto]

About ride, don't expect a sport car, the real mission is comfort, in total safety.

About noise, it's really quiet, but eCVT can be found noisy because people are accustomed to speed proportional to engine revs, and in Hybrid it's not so, if you request all the power engine have high revs and keep them till you ask power, think to a motorboat, you can like or hate it.

Mpg, no other car with these performance makes better (or may be a diesel but for sure NOT in city driving).

[keiron99]

Well, I'm now the proud owner of a 2014 GS300h.

Downsides after my test drive (and these are not real "downs"): not quite as floaty and quiet as I'd hoped, I'd say perhaps a tad better than my E Class, which sets a high bar. But obviously, the silence when you are stationary is very nice.

Also, I really struggled with the mouse on the sat nav/stereo. I guess I will get used to it. Is there perhaps a way to adjust the sensitivity of it, as I kept overshooting? (I note the newer versions have proper clicky buttons on the steering wheel.)

There's also a noticeable drop in power compared to my 2.2 Merc. There's no "kick down" if you want  a burst of power.

But, on the upside, the quality is lovely. Mine's a Mercury Grey - much easier to keep clean than my current black Merc! - and a lovely, light and classy ivory interior. There's not as much space as the Merc (even though, as I understand it, the external dimensions are even a bit bigger). The touch and feel of everything is first class.

The stereo was much better than I anticipated. I tested the stereo out in a IS300h a while back (and it was a Mark Levinson one) and I was disappointed. Maybe it was set up wrong to be fair. So that was a pleasant surprise. The connectivity is very good too.

By the way, this one apparently has a "Navigation" upgrade. Anyone know what that means?

There are a few stone chips and a little bit of damage on some leather and they have promised to fix them.

So, it's being delivered to me on Friday, and of course I'm looking forward to it very much!

So far so good, and a very pleasant experience with Lexus Sheffield.

[rayaans]

2 hours ago, keiron99 said:

Well, I'm now the proud owner of a 2014 GS300h.

Downsides after my test drive (and these are not real "downs"): not quite as floaty and quiet as I'd hoped, I'd say perhaps a tad better than my E Class, which sets a high bar. But obviously, the silence when you are stationary is very nice.

Also, I really struggled with the mouse on the sat nav/stereo. I guess I will get used to it. Is there perhaps a way to adjust the sensitivity of it, as I kept overshooting? (I note the newer versions have proper clicky buttons on the steering wheel.)

There's also a noticeable drop in power compared to my 2.2 Merc. There's no "kick down" if you want  a burst of power.

But, on the upside, the quality is lovely. Mine's a Mercury Grey - much easier to keep clean than my current black Merc! - and a lovely, light and classy ivory interior. There's not as much space as the Merc (even though, as I understand it, the external dimensions are even a bit bigger). The touch and feel of everything is first class.

The stereo was much better than I anticipated. I tested the stereo out in a IS300h a while back (and it was a Mark Levinson one) and I was disappointed. Maybe it was set up wrong to be fair. So that was a pleasant surprise. The connectivity is very good too.

By the way, this one apparently has a "Navigation" upgrade. Anyone know what that means?

There are a few stone chips and a little bit of damage on some leather and they have promised to fix them.

So, it's being delivered to me on Friday, and of course I'm looking forward to it very much!

So far so good, and a very pleasant experience with Lexus Sheffield.

Very nice! Mercury grey with ivory interior sounds great.

The sensitivity of the mouse can be adjusted depending on how you like it, same with the stereo! The thing with the stereo is that its source dependent therefore  the radio will usually be rubbish and USB or CD is best IMO. You'll probably have to play around once you get the car.

The power is dependent on the mode you are in, Sport mode should be better for getting that kick down effect as it keeps the revs higher.

[Ten Ninety]

3 hours ago, keiron99 said:

Well, I'm now the proud owner of a 2014 GS300h.

Downsides after my test drive (and these are not real "downs"): not quite as floaty and quiet as I'd hoped, I'd say perhaps a tad better than my E Class, which sets a high bar. But obviously, the silence when you are stationary is very nice.

Also, I really struggled with the mouse on the sat nav/stereo. I guess I will get used to it. Is there perhaps a way to adjust the sensitivity of it, as I kept overshooting? (I note the newer versions have proper clicky buttons on the steering wheel.)

There's also a noticeable drop in power compared to my 2.2 Merc. There's no "kick down" if you want  a burst of power.

But, on the upside, the quality is lovely. Mine's a Mercury Grey - much easier to keep clean than my current black Merc! - and a lovely, light and classy ivory interior. There's not as much space as the Merc (even though, as I understand it, the external dimensions are even a bit bigger). The touch and feel of everything is first class.

The stereo was much better than I anticipated. I tested the stereo out in a IS300h a while back (and it was a Mark Levinson one) and I was disappointed. Maybe it was set up wrong to be fair. So that was a pleasant surprise. The connectivity is very good too.

By the way, this one apparently has a "Navigation" upgrade. Anyone know what that means?

There are a few stone chips and a little bit of damage on some leather and they have promised to fix them.

So, it's being delivered to me on Friday, and of course I'm looking forward to it very much!

So far so good, and a very pleasant experience with Lexus Sheffield.

Congratulations on your purchase! It's interesting to hear that you feel the GS is marginally better than your E-class, in terms of ride and interior noise. I suspect that my own disappointment was perhaps more down to unrealistic expectations than any real failings with the car. I also note that Zotto is non-UK which perhaps means proper road surfaces instead of the surface-dressed trash we have to put up with in this country. That may explain any difference of opinion on interior noise. I must admit, there are a few short stretches of new tarmac on my commute where the car is indeed close to silent when in milkfloat mode, but sadly they are few and far between and the roar of tyres on chippings soon returns.

Regarding the mouse, it can be adjusted - at first the settings may seem to range between 'impossible' through 'infuriating' to merely 'irritating' but you will probably get used to it. I think I actually prefer it to prodding at a touch screen, now. I'm not sure what your navigation upgrade entails - maybe an upgrade to the full-width 12.1" screen? I think some models had a smaller screen originally. I wouldn't expect too much from it, either way. I also have a 2014 car and the nav is virtually identical - and similarly useless - to the one I had in a 2010 Prius.

Anyway, enjoy the car. However much I might give the impression that there's lots of things I don't like about mine, I do actually love it and I'm sure you'll love yours, too. If you want some entertainment whilst you're waiting for it to be delivered, try downloading the manuals online. If you start reading them now, you might just about finish before Friday!

[Zotto]

Congratulations! At the moment avoid using ECO mode, too much slow the response , it makes feel the car sleepy, use Normal, and if you need more power  Sport mode; if  you have adaptive dampening you can use also Sport+, same throttle response but steering wheel and dampers get stiffer.

Remember that, at difference with usual cars, you don't ask for revs pressing the right foot, but you ask for power, so, don be afraid to press it even if you hear engine at high revs if you need;  kick down exists :), under the power pedal there is a switch that tells to ask  car logic all the power it's capable, but you will not notice any change  in gears as there are not gears.

When braking, remember that if you press brake pedal not too hard you recover energy (and spare fuel), usual brakes begin to work only if you exceed pressure and you can notice it because the CHG indicator is totally down.

About holes in roads, alas we have many  too here in Italy; many people trying hypemiling use to overinflate tyres, if you don't care about this be sure the proper inflation pressure is set, you can read it opening driver door on the side.

 

[Zotto]

Oh, missed to answer about nav update... It is a update in software of navigation, NOT maps, I can't tell more about it as I am waiting to have it done at next service, it is a TSB very recent, and it should fix some uncomfortable features (but I don't know which ones).

Just a nice feature, the more you drive "eco" the more you see blue light in dash tachometer, and if you set Sport mode light becomes red :)

[oraman]

I really like the look of the GS300 or the RX450....can any garage service these vehicles. I really don't like nor trust dealers having worked in the motor industry. I want to be able to take my car to my local mechanic Ive known for 20 years. I understand the hybrid system may require more specialist knowledge. Looking for the support network before i commit.

[rayaans]

1 hour ago, oraman said:

I really like the look of the GS300 or the RX450....can any garage service these vehicles. I really don't like nor trust dealers having worked in the motor industry. I want to be able to take my car to my local mechanic Ive known for 20 years. I understand the hybrid system may require more specialist knowledge. Looking for the support network before i commit.

Yes you can providing its not under Lexus Extended Warranty. 

Just remember to take it to the dealer for the £59 annual hybrid healthcheck

[oraman]

OK 

1 hour ago, rayaans said:

Yes you can providing its not under Lexus Extended Warranty. 

Just remember to take it to the dealer for the £59 annual hybrid healthcheck

OK thanks ...good point. The key things I regularly get done on any car I have is 

Oil change

Air Filter 

Sparks (not sure what the interval is on Lexus but its 45K on my Toyota with iridium ones)

Transmission oil change

Pollen filter

 

Is the transmission oil change straight forward on the GS300h and RX450h? just unplug, flush, refill from top and plug up with new washer?

I know the spark plug change is a major job on the RX.