Just saying Hi

Vlady · June 1, 2018

Hi everyone, I am not a Lexus owner yet but taking one for a test drive on Sunday (I hope), this is a 2012 GS450h model (facelifted or a new shape) in black and with low mileage.

Can anyone tell me please what is the reasonable fuel consumption I can get out of it? I do about 60% of my commute on motorways if that helps.

At the moment I am driving a BMW an e60 diesel that does about 35-38mpg if Lexus can match it I will be happy.

It would be great if somebody can just say as bulletpoints what to look for before buying the car as I don't have much time to go through all the forum threads and I will I promise if I buy the car.

It's crazy how little I know about hybrids and Lexuses in general but if I get one I hope it will change.

Thanks everyone in advance

Vlady

Farqui · June 1, 2018

Welcome to the forum.

I have the older mk3 GS450H and on a motorway run I can match your BMW mpg. So a mk4 should see an even better return.

I'm not sure about the latest model but the older model had dampers that tend to leak. Exhausts can blow at the rear Y pipe but on older models, so may not be applicable to mk4's. The rear calipers are only used sparingly so calipers can sieze.

Have you seen/driven any?

Vlady · June 2, 2018

8 hours ago, Farqui said:

Welcome to the forum.

I have the older mk3 GS450H and on a motorway run I can match your BMW mpg. So a mk4 should see an even better return.

I'm not sure about the latest model but the older model had dampers that tend to leak. Exhausts can blow at the rear Y pipe but on older models, so may not be applicable to mk4's. The rear calipers are only used sparingly so calipers can sieze.

Have you seen/driven any?

Hi Farqui, thanks for input, no I have not driven any hybrid or any electrical car, I stay in Glasgow and the car is in Edinburgh so I am travelling tomorrow to test drive it. I see why I won't like the car, just feel like I need a change from BMW, this is my 3rd one!

If I get average about 40mpg that should be fine, I like to accelerate fast but then usually just set to a cruise at 65-70mph. MK4, so this is how it's called :) , should be more economical, we will see.

The-Acre · June 2, 2018

1 hour ago, Vlady said:

Hi Farqui, thanks for input, no I have not driven any hybrid or any electrical car, I stay in Glasgow and the car is in Edinburgh so I am travelling tomorrow to test drive it. I see why I won't like the car, just feel like I need a change from BMW, this is my 3rd one!

If I get average about 40mpg that should be fine, I like to accelerate fast but then usually just set to a cruise at 65-70mph. MK4, so this is how it's called 🙂 , should be more economical, we will see.

Good luck for today, keep us posted, it's always good (and helpful) to know how others get on.

Vlady · June 2, 2018

50 minutes ago, The-Acre said:

Good luck for today, keep us posted, it's always good (and helpful) to know how others get on.

The-Acre I will do a test drive tomorrow, Sunday. 🙂But I will keep you all updated! 😉

Thanks

Vlady · June 4, 2018

Hi all, well I had a test drive yesterday, not the best one as it was on streets in Edinburgh with speed mostly limited to 20mph not the roads surface quality was not the best at all, what does council do will all the road tax we are paying?! Anyway, here are my thoughts, tbh honest I was left in such a mixed feeling, usually I know straight away if I like the car or not, very rarely when I can fell in love with the car and the older I get the harder to get that feeling! 😞

Good points: Comfy, quiet and with plush interior, fantastic Mark & Levinson sound system, more spacious than I expected and adjustability of these front sits are crazy, also I think the car looks good and the rarity factor present, I still have to see one GS since I have been looking at this one! Almost forgot, the car is fast and the engine sounds distant but has nice sound to it.

So, all these points tell me go and buy it but let’s get to the points I didn't like or these that will be annoying me (maybe) later in ownership.

Bad points: I know this is this particular car but on a test drive the car kept pulling left, something I experienced with run flat tyres, the tyres looked like had the right pressure, so not sure what the cause. The ride I bit crashy, thanks God it’s not noisy but as I mentioned above the roads condition is atrocious and it felt like the car designed more for highway than dealing with potholes. The car has a very light steering, not sure if I like it or don’t, it’s just different to my BMW tbh every other car steering is lighter than BMW I think. I couldn’t get an average mpg as OBC was showing graphs and I couldn’t figure out how to read it so infotainment system is totally different to Germans, everyone says I should get out of it about 35-38mpg.

I think I like the car but the garage was not willing to negotiate on price at all and paying £20k for a 6 years old car not ideal, I found I can get 15plate 3 series in x-drive form with 3.0ltr diesel engine with half the miles this Lexus has! But Lexus is so rare and it’s Lexus!

I also have noticed that rear tyres have enough thread just now but before wet season starts you will need a new pair.

What shall I do?! My wife suggest to try couple more cars before I make my decision, like Jag, Merc or another BMW. Not 100% sure I want to stay conventional!

Vlady · June 4, 2018

One more thing that was annoying, the car had couple squeaks, one I managed to trace to seat belt adjustment push button and was really really surprised how cheap it's made and how shaky and wobbly it is, another one was coming from front passenger side but I could not spotted it. This things would drive me mad!

Vlady · June 7, 2018

Paid my deposit on Lexus GS450h! :)

I hope it will be as good as everyone says it is!

bobmc · June 7, 2018

On 6/4/2018 at 6:42 AM, Vlady said:

One more thing that was annoying, the car had couple squeaks, one I managed to trace to seat belt adjustment push button and was really really surprised how cheap it's made and how shaky and wobbly it is, another one was coming from front passenger side but I could not spotted it. This things would drive me mad!

2 hours ago, Vlady said:

Paid my deposit on Lexus GS450h! 🙂

I hope it will be as good as everyone says it is!

Congratulations 🙂 I really hope you will enjoy. Although you haven't had chance to try, I'm told the GS450h is quite fast if you put your foot down 🙂

Squeaks and rattles are quite common on IS and GS and it's a big shame. Dashboard rattles are usually cured by foam or rubber strips between windscreen and dash

Vlady · June 7, 2018

3 hours ago, bobmc said:

Congratulations 🙂 I really hope you will enjoy. Although you haven't had chance to try, I'm told the GS450h is quite fast if you put your foot down 🙂

Squeaks and rattles are quite common on IS and GS and it's a big shame. Dashboard rattles are usually cured by foam or rubber strips between windscreen and dash

Thanks bobmc, I hope I will enjoy the car and I think I will!

Re squeaks and rattles, it's not good, my BMW e60 doesn't have any and this is one of the reason I probably kept it for so long! I hope I won't end up fixing one after another, the car comes with Mark&Levinson audio, I guess I will be listening to that beautiful sound a bit more louder! 🙂

I can confirm - the car is fast, quite fast if that makes sense and picks up almost instantly, although I only tried it in a city and hope at motorway speed it will be picking up as quick, I got spoiled with my 3.0ltr diesel! 😉

The-Acre · June 7, 2018

Congratulations! Mine had the dash creaks when I bought it but I've managed to sort them without too much effort. I recently drove nearly 2,500 miles on a road trip without a single bum ache!

Vlady · June 16, 2018

Hi everyone, I picked up my 1st Lexus today and drove it from Edinburgh to Glasgow. I love it! Honestly, so far I like everything about the car!

Here are a few pictures guys, I hope you like it too. I am still discovering all the toys he has and how to use them!

I like this forum as well, very easy to navigate (almost identical to BMW forum) and very very interesting to read!

rich1068 · June 16, 2018

Lovely stuff

Farqui · June 16, 2018

Well done. Enjoy your new ride

bobmc · June 17, 2018

Congratulations, looks great. I do think they nailed the styling on the Mk4. Enjoy!

Vlady · July 20, 2018

Picked up the car from Lexus Glasgow today as the garage I bought it from (not Lexus) agreed to pay for a TPMS sensor issue! The good thing is - it is fixed now and all is working!

The garage was supposed to pay for work but as always there is something - this time (today) they didn't have any managers in the shop to authorise the payment, managers will be back on Monday so I had to pay myself, so the story is not over, need to get money from the garage now!

I had to pay £158 to rectify the issue, the garage I bought it from put new tires on rear and changed one of the sensors, Lexus said if it is not genuine part they will replaced with the genuine part and overall repair will cost just under £300! Luckily the sensor was genuine but I still had to pay almost £160! I think it needed to re-coded and probably the tire had to be removed to check the sensor!

I have asked Lexus Glasgow to code my windows so I can operate them from the key fob, many people here said Lexus can do it for free but LG charged me for it, not much just £13 but common!

Also, just begore paying I showed the GoldMember card and the guy behind the desk was really surprised - he's never seen it before! I know he works in this garage at least for 4 years! Is there no members from Glasgow in this forum?!

Anyway, I asked for a discount and he refused by saying that everything was printed and invoiced and nothing he can do now and that I should tell them about the card way before! I thought I had to show the card just before paying! Well, luckily the garage will reimburse (fingers crossed) the money but it could be me paying, you know what I am saying?

Also the car was not washed and not hoovered, I am a bit disappointed to be honest with the so praised Lexus service. The guy apologised for car not being washed as the put a new concrete where they wash cars but said it was hoovered, when I opened the door the car WAS not hoovered, he looked shocked and asked if I wait until they clean it inside, I was ****** off at that point and just said NO and left asking him to pass a message that I am not happy!

Anyway, this is my experience with Lexus Glasgow!

But boy was I glad to have the car back! I am happy now! 🙂

The-Acre · July 20, 2018

We look forward to hearing about your experiences with the car! What colour interior do you have?

Vlady · July 20, 2018

13 minutes ago, The-Acre said:

We look forward to hearing about your experiences with the car! What colour interior do you have?

Phil, the car has black leather interior, I never wanted to go for a black car (my 1st) with black leather interior but this one has cooling seats that I tried and liked them so no worries there anymore. Will see how black paint will be as I have little OCD regards cleanless and paint quality of my car! 🙂

So far I like the car a lot, quite, very very comfy and can be quick, love Mark Levinson audio system, cooled seats and presence of the car on the road. With colder and darker period I hope heated seats will perform well (BMW seats were great, really warm) and also looking forward to Xenon lights, never had Xenon before! On my previous BMW I had to install an HID kit as manufacture lights were rubbish!

OldTrout · July 20, 2018

Vlad,

The Xenons on the Mk3 are not great. I hope yours are much better for your long winter nights. Do tell us when you have used them.

John

Vlady · July 20, 2018

12 minutes ago, OldTrout said:

Vlad,

The Xenons on the Mk3 are not great. I hope yours are much better for your long winter nights. Do tell us when you have used them.

John

Will do John!

The-Acre · July 20, 2018

2 hours ago, Vlady said:

Phil, the car has black leather interior, I never wanted to go for a black car (my 1st) with black leather interior but this one has cooling seats that I tried and liked them so no worries there anymore. Will see how black paint will be as I have little OCD regards cleanless and paint quality of my car! 🙂

So far I like the car a lot, quite, very very comfy and can be quick, love Mark Levinson audio system, cooled seats and presence of the car on the road. With colder and darker period I hope heated seats will perform well (BMW seats were great, really warm) and also looking forward to xenon lights, never had xenon before! On my previous BMW I had to install an HID kit as manufacture lights were rubbish!

Glad you're enjoying it. I had an LS with black leather and I have to say it was the easiest colour to care for, plus I really grew to like it.

Vlady · January 30, 2019

I am driving my wife's Citroen for last couple of days as it has winter tires and we have snow forecast - I miss my Lexus! 😞

Vlady · April 19, 2019

Passed MOT today with no advisories, well apart from 2 front tyres that slightly worn on outer sides but I know about it and thinking to swap them over later this year.

OldTrout · April 19, 2019

On 7/20/2018 at 9:20 PM, Vlady said:

Will do John!

You must have had some long nights now. How are headlights?

John

Vlady · April 20, 2019

8 hours ago, OldTrout said:

You must have had some long nights now. How are headlights?

John

Hi John, totally forgot about it, I mean to update the thread.

I think the light are great to be honest, I can't recall a moment thinking I need brighter lights.

Heated seats are a joke but better than nothing I guess, heated mirrors not as powerful and I have noticed dampness/condensation inside on rear window, do not where that came from but was almost all winter using a demister pad ti minimise it and a few times I had to actually wipe it off!!!