2014 RX450h Premier Buying Advice Please

Spottedlaurel · January 6, 2019

As mentioned in another topic, I'm looking to purchase a 2014/15 Series 3 model at some point this year.

I had a good visit to my local Lexus dealership this morning. It was very quiet, so the helpful salesman had plenty of time to talk it through, let me look at other models etc. An RX is still definitely what I'm after, tempting as a GS450h Sport they had would have been - quick, but sadly no folding rear seat which limited its practicality and when could I use 155mph?!

Jumpingjehovahs kindly let me have a drive of his RX last year and I'm happy from the driving experience and his real world thoughts that it will suit me very well. I have also been considering a Subaru Outback and Mazda 6 with the new 2.5-litre engine, but I think the former would be too thirsty and the latter wouldn't be much of a step on from my current Avensis (although the 6 is an attractive car).

The white 64-reg Premier with 43k miles at Cambridge is what I'm in negotiation over. The optimistic price will be reduced.......

Given that this car breaks two of my three stipulations (I was trying to avoid white paint, air suspension and panoramic roof - at least this one has a sunroof) and it is significantly more than I've ever paid for a car before, I'd just like to satisfy myself on a few things:

I've read of reliability issues with air suspension on earlier models, but are there any issues with the late series 3?

Are there any other unique toys on the Premier which might cause a problem?

What service should be due next?

On some cars I've noticed an additional tax that's payable based on its original list price until the car is five years old, will that apply here? I hope not, I'm looking forward to this being one cost that's less than my current Avensis.

I'd have been quite happy with a Luxury or Advance, so the extra equipment levels on the Premier aren't critical to me. Remember I currently drive an Avensis and have a fleet of various older cars going back to a very basic 1973 Datsun which doesn't even have carpets, so any RX would seem very plush. I'm sure I'll enjoy the ventilated seats, ML stereo etc but I don't really want to pay too much extra for the privilege.

I'd be grateful for any thoughts/comments please.

Thanks.

BlackCat · January 7, 2019

Hi Spottedlaurel,

Having bought a 2013 RX450H Premier with 47k miles two months ago, these are just some of my views.

First off, I couldn't be happier with the car itself, having come up from a 2006 RX400h that I had for 12 years and put over 188,000 miles on. Not that I was unhappy with the 400h - but I find the 450 a big step up in every way. Rock solid on the road - feels heavier but planted. Amazingly comfortable seats, heated working well at the moment - and like you looking forward to warm weather to test out the ventilated cooling! All the info / electrics really upgraded, M/L stereo excellent. Love the heads-up display (speedo now irrelevant), and the LED lights are superb.

On your two stipulations:- Air Suspension, I like you was afraid of this from the little snippets I had read, but with detailed research including Club Lexus USA, the real problems seem to be on 2003 & 2004 RX's and little if no problems from the Air S in the series 3 RX450H. This seems to be confirmed by this forum.

On the question of White; again like you, I initially would not consider them, but every thing else about this car was right, and the more I compared it with other colours, the more I liked it. Having got the car, I absolutely LOVE the colour and I think it is a nicer stand-out colour than any other RX. Mine is Artic Pearl, a type of pearlescent, or metallic white, that seems to change colour in different light.

On services, I believe the next one due is a Major Service at 60k, which Lexus Liverpool kindly carried out pre-delivery (mind you the cost at Lexus would be £750).

Overall, I couldn't be happier with the car and highly recommend it.

Herbie · January 7, 2019

9 hours ago, BlackCat said:

On services, I believe the next one due is a Major Service at 60k

I think it'll be the 50k or 5-year service. Our 63-plate RX450h Advance had 33k miles on when we bought it and has just had it's 50k/5-year done at Lexus Teeside, even though it has just under 42k on the clock now.

Spottedlaurel · January 7, 2019

Thank you both for the advice. John, particularly good to hear from someone who's bought what seems to be an identical model - the one I'm looking at is also Artic Pearl. At least the black interior should be quite practical, and in reality the white exterior won't show the dirt any more than my current black car.

Herbie, I believe the 50k/5yr service is just an intermediate, is that correct? It'd be nice not to have to be confronted with a major cost too early on in my time with it. I'll have a look at the service history.

They've come back to me today with some promising numbers, so hopefully I can get this resolved at the weekend and I will soon be driving an RX of my own.

Looking forward to having a big car as my daily driver again. In the past I've had the likes of Nissan 300Cs, Camry V6 and LS400 and enjoyed the relaxed feeling of wellbeing they offer.

jumpingjehovahs · January 7, 2019

Thank you both for the advice. John, particularly good to hear from someone who's bought what seems to be an identical model - the one I'm looking at is also Artic Pearl. At least the black interior should be quite practical, and in reality the white exterior won't show the dirt any more than my current black car.
Herbie, I believe the 50k/5yr service is just an intermediate, is that correct? It'd be nice not to have to be confronted with a major cost too early on in my time with it. I'll have a look at the service history.
They've come back to me today with some promising numbers, so hopefully I can get this resolved at the weekend and I will soon be driving an RX of my own.
Looking forward to having a big car as my daily driver again. In the past I've had the likes of Nissan 300Cs, Camry V6 and LS400 and enjoyed the relaxed feeling of wellbeing they offer.

Can’t wait to see it! It looks like a good one [emoji1303]

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Herbie · January 7, 2019

3 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Herbie, I believe the 50k/5yr service is just an intermediate, is that correct?

Yes, that's correct, the big one is at 60k/6-years. According to my service plan that's £225 and £569 respectively.

Ian M · January 8, 2019

I bought my RX Premier from Cambridge about 16 months ago. If you are talking to Charles, give him my regards. He is a star and it was unfortunate that he was on leave the day I was supposed to have collected my car.

Upon his return, Charles really sorted stuff out for me when some of his colleagues were, shall we say, less than effective and certainly not very customer focused - a surprise at a Lexus dealer. Funnily enough, it is the only time I have ever not had a feedback questionnaire after a dealer visit and I have had Lexus cars since 2006.

Exceptionally poor hand over experience aside, the car itself is perfect. Mine is a 62 plate and has been totally problem free, as I would expect.

Spottedlaurel · January 8, 2019

Thanks for your thoughts Ian. Yours looks great in that colour.

I'm dealing with people at Ipswich, the last time I visited Cambridge was on business when I used to do work for Turners who originally owned the site.

The handover of my last Toyota (not Cambridge) was a little messed-up after they put diesel into a petrol model......

Herbie, those service costs don't sound too bad, not massively more than on the Avensis. Do they offer reduced rates once the car is more than five years old?

Alex, I'm still in negotiation on the price - it might not work out but I'm hoping we'll get there.

Herbie · January 8, 2019

4 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Herbie, those service costs don't sound too bad, not massively more than on the Avensis. Do they offer reduced rates once the car is more than five years old?

Yes, I believe it's called 'Essential Service' but I'm not sure what it entails, so hopefully someone more knowledgeable will be along to tell us shortly.

GSLV6 · January 9, 2019

RE suspension: reason that few problems are reported with the Mk3/4 is that they're too new. It's not until air suspension has many miles under it, and perhaps 10/15/20 yrs old that it gives problems. Unless Lexus have a secret to wear and tear that no other manufacturer knows about, they'll likely need looking at after a decade or more of wear and tear (if you're unlucky) but on the whole, Lexus seem to have had few problems. Earlier LS models did have issues and as already reported further up this thread, 2002/3/4 RX's had a few issues but most of these seem only to have been reported after many years of use bringing us back to the main point....too early to tell for the Mk3! Of more importance, and something most seem to miss are potential corrosion issues with rear fuel pipe and sub frame assemblies.

At 2 years old, I noticed a surprising amount of corrosion (mostly surface) on the rear subframe which was inexcusable for such a premium brand. They leave the factory with little to no corrosion protection here from what I've seen, so what is recommended after you buy one is lie underneath (with goggles on!) and scrub the area with a brass or wire brush to remove any loose corrosion and muck then liberally spray with ACF50 which will convert any remaining corrosion to be inert. Give it a month or so, clean off the underside and liberally re-coat with XCP Professional (£16 per 400ml spray can and one is all that's needed per annum). This coat should be repeated twice yearly and will provide comprehensive corrosion protection for the sub-frame.

For servicing, I thoroughly recommend the Lexus service plan which gives you 3 years servicing for around £1100 and covers the big service interval (at least with mine). Lexus have been brilliant to deal with and when I transferred the service plan from my GS300 to my current RX, they even added on an extra year for free, bringing it up to 3 years servicing at no cost to me so I saved about £400. My local independent wanted over £300 per service (intermediate) and closer to £550 (main) so I do consider the lexus plan great value plus they valet the car each time and ply me with coffee and biscuits!

Finally, the Lexus warranty is also worth budgeting for. Free hybrid health checks (or is that provided with the service plan...I can never remember!), free MOTs, full 5 star AA roadside assistance (worth £275 annually on its own) and all parts/labour in the event that something goes wrong. I just budget for it as part of the running costs and have complete peace of mind as a result knowing in the unlikely event anything does go amiss, I'll be looked after well. I initially baulked at stumping up for these things but when you break it all down, you do get a lot of value from them as well as peace of mind...well worth it if you can afford to buy an RX in the first place. I compared my experience with that of a friend who bought a similar aged BMW X3 just out of warranty. His gearbox failed within one year and cost him £3k to mend, and he still incurred similar running costs to me on top of that. With such expensive and complex vehicles, it pays to take no shortcuts with maintenance and warranties. Good Gap insurance is worthwhile too and a 3 year plan with an independant shouldn't cost more than £250 for a good policy.

Overall, our RX has cost us less annually to run than a Skoda diesel hatchback we owned. Mechanical issues and wear and tear cost us dearly with that...over £2000 in repairs alone over a similar timeframe.

Finally, that tax alluded to only applies to new vehicles bought after April 2018 and not to used cars.

rayaans · January 9, 2019

23 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Thanks for your thoughts Ian. Yours looks great in that colour.

I'm dealing with people at Ipswich, the last time I visited Cambridge was on business when I used to do work for Turners who originally owned the site.

The handover of my last Toyota (not Cambridge) was a little messed-up after they put diesel into a petrol model......

Herbie, those service costs don't sound too bad, not massively more than on the Avensis. Do they offer reduced rates once the car is more than five years old?

Alex, I'm still in negotiation on the price - it might not work out but I'm hoping we'll get there.

Yes they do offer Lexus Essential care which is servicing for cars over 5 years old. As far as I can tell the service the car gets is identical to the full price ones. They just dont stamp the book but instead give you a service Certificate as such

Herbie · January 9, 2019

As we know, the extended warranty is only available if you have servicing done by Lexus too, but does it have to be the 'full' service or would the Essential Care qualify for warranty purposes?

ColinBarber · January 9, 2019

2 hours ago, Herbie said:

As we know, the extended warranty is only available if you have servicing done by Lexus too, but does it have to be the 'full' service or would the Essential Care qualify for warranty purposes?

It just has to be performed at an official Lexus retail or service centre and conform to the schedule in the service book. Essentials care would therefore qualify IMO.

Spottedlaurel · January 11, 2019

Going to a view a 2015 F-Sport tomorrow (serious enough about it that I paid a holding deposit), and giving myself time to look at one or two others including the white 2014 Premier at Cambridge on the way home if it doesn't work out.

jumpingjehovahs · January 11, 2019

Going to a view a 2015 F-Sport tomorrow (serious enough about it that I paid a holding deposit), and giving myself time to look at one or two others including the white 2014 Premier at Cambridge on the way home if it doesn't work out.

Sounds promising! Don’t forget to snap pics of the ones you see, never get tired at looking at RX’s! Have a great day out, good luck!

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Spottedlaurel · January 12, 2019

Conclusion reached. I didn't end up buying the Premier or F-Sport, but a 2014 Advance instead:

2014 Lexus RX450h Advance by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

We headed off down to Tunbridge Wells to look at the attractive 2015 F-Sport they had. It was a lovely example but we just couldn't get the numbers to work out. Nearly gave up with a view to moving onto another dealer (luckily there are a few down that way, so we had options), then they happened to mention an Advance that had just come in. For some reason they thought I was fixed on wanting the F-Sport so didn't offer it as a more affordable alternative.

As soon as they mentioned the price and mileage (31-odd thousand) we asked for the deposit to be transferred across as it was clear it would be a more realistic option. I didn't get as much for the Avensis as I'd hoped but the logistics of ending my current finance on it and swapping it over to the RX were much easier than me trying to sell it on myself.

Two owners from new, just had a service and MoT carried out with a couple of new front tyres - it now has Bridgestone Dueller H/Ps on the front and Dunlops on the rear. A few little bits and bobs to be sorted but nothing major and I'm hoping it will be ready for collection next Saturday - can't wait!

What was good about seeing both cars on the same day was being able to compare the driving experience. No complaints about either of them, I'm sure the Advance will be more than adequate for my needs.

Happily my wife seems to be on-board with it. She could see that it offers a rather more special driving experience, there's plenty of room and it's very comfortable. Our 2-hour journey to/from Norfolk gave ample chance to compare it with the Avensis and she could see how much more relaxing it will be. The Toyota is a perfectly capable car, but it's not an RX.....

I'm going to enjoy learning how it all works, and I suspect there'll be things I shall be discovering for many months. Going to make sure my 13-year old son comes with me to work out the tech side of things.

I ended up breaking one of my stipulations in that it does have a panoramic roof. I was concerned about the possible loss of headroom, but it seemed to be fine. Overall I like the look of it a lot in black, with the F-Sport bumper giving a slightly sharper look and I prefer the 7-spoke alloys to the updated model's 15-spoke diamond-cut wheels (easier to keep clean too). It has the boot liner and rear bumper cover which are good for practicality - the lack of the latter on the F-Sport had given rise to several scratches, and I do tend to use an estate for its intended purpose.

More news to come hopefully next weekend......

jumpingjehovahs · January 12, 2019

Conclusion reached. I didn't end up buying the Premier or F-Sport, but a 2014 Advance instead:

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2014 Lexus RX450h Advance by Spottedlaurel , on Flickr

2014 Lexus RX450h Advance by Spottedlaurel , on Flickr

We headed off down to Tunbridge Wells to look at the attractive 2015 F-Sport they had. It was a lovely example but we just couldn't get the numbers to work out. Nearly gave up with a view to moving onto another dealer (luckily there are a few down that way, so we had options), then they happened to mention an Advance that had just come in. For some reason they thought I was fixed on wanting the F-Sport so didn't offer it as a more affordable alternative.

As soon as they mentioned the price and mileage (31-odd thousand) we asked for the deposit to be transferred across as it was clear it would be a more realistic option. I didn't get as much for the Avensis as I'd hoped but the logistics of ending my current finance on it and swapping it over to the RX were much easier than me trying to sell it on myself.

Two owners from new, just had a service and MoT carried out with a couple of new front tyres - it now has Bridgestone Dueller H/Ps on the front and Dunlops on the rear. A few little bits and bobs to be sorted but nothing major and I'm hoping it will be ready for collection next Saturday - can't wait!

What was good about seeing both cars on the same day was being able to compare the driving experience. No complaints about either of them, I'm sure the Advance will be more than adequate for my needs.

Happily my wife seems to be on-board with it. She could see that it offers a rather more special driving experience, there's plenty of room and it's very comfortable. Our 2-hour journey to/from Norfolk gave ample chance to compare it with the Avensis and she could see how much more relaxing it will be. The Toyota is a perfectly capable car, but it's not an RX.....

I'm going to enjoy learning how it all works, and I suspect there'll be things I shall be discovering for many months. Going to make sure my 13-year old son comes with me to work out the tech side of things.

I ended up breaking one of my stipulations in that it does have a panoramic roof. I was concerned about the possible loss of headroom, but it seemed to be fine. Overall I like the look of it a lot in black, with the F-Sport bumper giving a slightly sharper look and I prefer the 7-spoke alloys to the updated model's 15-spoke diamond-cut wheels (easier to keep clean too). It has the boot liner and rear bumper cover which are good for practicality - the lack of the latter on the F-Sport had given rise to several scratches, and I do tend to use an estate for its intended purpose.

More news to come hopefully next weekend......

Great choice and it looks fab! Glad to hear you’re all happy with it. I know the “waiting a week” feeling and it’ll be the longest ever!

Weirdly, we’ve got a matching tyre set up.

Hope to see it at some point and have an RXoff [emoji16]

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Herbie · January 13, 2019

Well done Nigel, I know you won't be disappointed because I've got exactly the same.

Strangely, our car had exactly the same tyre combination when we bought it last year but within two days I got a puncture in one, so close to the sidewall that it couldn't be repaired, so I took the opportunity to change all of them to Goodyear Vector 4Seasons Gen 2. Maybe I'm paranoid or OCD, I don't know, but I've always liked all four tyres to match.

Spottedlaurel · January 13, 2019

Alex, when I've picked it up you're very welcome to visit sometime soon and have a play with it (and the other automotive rubbish I have here). You're right, it will be a long week and I must now stop the regular AutoTrader searches which have been filling my time recently. That being said, I don't think I'll find anything else better-suited to my wishes

Herbie, thanks for your words of encouragement. I look forward to picking mine up when it's been prepped and it looking as good as yours! Looks like you have the cream interior - in some respects I would have liked that, but for practical purposes black is better for me.

The only significant thing I'm missing out on is the M/L stereo, but the standard equipment sounded pretty good to me and better than I'm used to in the Avensis.

jumpingjehovahs · January 13, 2019

Alex, when I've picked it up you're very welcome to visit sometime soon and have a play with it (and the other automotive rubbish I have here). You're right, it will be a long week and I must now stop the regular AutoTrader searches which have been filling my time recently. That being said, I don't think I'll find anything else better-suited to my wishes

Herbie, thanks for your words of encouragement. I look forward to picking mine up when it's been prepped and it looking as good as yours! Looks like you have the cream interior - in some respects I would have liked that, but for practical purposes black is better for me.

The only significant thing I'm missing out on is the M/L stereo, but the standard equipment sounded pretty good to me and better than I'm used to in the Avensis.

That sounds great! Once you’ve picked it up and you’re free give me a bell [emoji16]. I did the same thing with autotrader ads and searched and searched all week. I had my doubts until I rounded the corner of the dealership, when I saw it sat outside I was sure! Love at first sight and all that. I think it was to do with it being the most expensive car I’d ever bought - you want to be sure.

Yours looks like an absolute cracker, the drive home will be something else!

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olliesgrandad · January 13, 2019

48 minutes ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Alex, when I've picked it up you're very welcome to visit sometime soon and have a play with it (and the other automotive rubbish I have here). You're right, it will be a long week and I must now stop the regular AutoTrader searches which have been filling my time recently. That being said, I don't think I'll find anything else better-suited to my wishes

Herbie, thanks for your words of encouragement. I look forward to picking mine up when it's been prepped and it looking as good as yours! Looks like you have the cream interior - in some respects I would have liked that, but for practical purposes black is better for me.

The only significant thing I'm missing out on is the M/L stereo, but the standard equipment sounded pretty good to me and better than I'm used to in the Avensis.

If you have a rumble sounding like a worn wheel bearing its guaranteed it will be be the rear Dunlops which are according to my service advisor known for wearing in a 'stepped' way although with plenty of tread. My car had the noise which increased gradually untiltI changed the tyres at 35,000 miles.

GSLV6 · January 13, 2019

Congrats Nigel, good choice.

It's a shame that they couldn't do anything for you on the F-Sport but I'm sure you'll be happy with the Advance which gives good bang for the buck. I'd shed the Dunlops as I found them awful in the wet, noisy and not to my liking. A change to Avons saw improved handling, a smoother rise, less noise and amazing improvements in grip, especially in the wet. Know what you mean about the rear bumper protector...still haven't fitted one and do have a few scratches but easily rectified and I'll be fitting one later this year. It's worth buying a rubber reat mat (the one with the raised edge all round) as this keeps the interior nice and clean.

The centre seat if folded is prone to having scratches along the plastic protector near the top if you use the car in full estate mode often (I do) so I learned to keep a blanket in the back which covers the parts prone to scratching. Also worth pointing out that rear (and front) bolster parts of the seat are prone to scuffing or being scratched if people slide around to get out and are wearing coats with zips or jeans with studs. Had my rear seat scuffed with a nasty 6 inch scratch when a rear passenger moved sideways to get out a few weeks back and inadvertently was sat on their coat's metal zipper....I was not best pleased! There are decent leather repair kits available for about £30 though so not the end of the world. I'll post a few details of my repair if it works out well.

Nigel-Lexus Owner · January 16, 2019

On 1/12/2019 at 10:46 PM, Spottedlaurel said:

Conclusion reached. I didn't end up buying the Premier or F-Sport, but a 2014 Advance instead:

2014 Lexus RX450h Advance by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

2014 Lexus RX450h Advance by Spottedlaurel, on Flickr

We headed off down to Tunbridge Wells to look at the attractive 2015 F-Sport they had. It was a lovely example but we just couldn't get the numbers to work out. Nearly gave up with a view to moving onto another dealer (luckily there are a few down that way, so we had options), then they happened to mention an Advance that had just come in. For some reason they thought I was fixed on wanting the F-Sport so didn't offer it as a more affordable alternative.

As soon as they mentioned the price and mileage (31-odd thousand) we asked for the deposit to be transferred across as it was clear it would be a more realistic option. I didn't get as much for the Avensis as I'd hoped but the logistics of ending my current finance on it and swapping it over to the RX were much easier than me trying to sell it on myself.

Two owners from new, just had a service and MoT carried out with a couple of new front tyres - it now has Bridgestone Dueller H/Ps on the front and Dunlops on the rear. A few little bits and bobs to be sorted but nothing major and I'm hoping it will be ready for collection next Saturday - can't wait!

What was good about seeing both cars on the same day was being able to compare the driving experience. No complaints about either of them, I'm sure the Advance will be more than adequate for my needs.

Happily my wife seems to be on-board with it. She could see that it offers a rather more special driving experience, there's plenty of room and it's very comfortable. Our 2-hour journey to/from Norfolk gave ample chance to compare it with the Avensis and she could see how much more relaxing it will be. The Toyota is a perfectly capable car, but it's not an RX.....

I'm going to enjoy learning how it all works, and I suspect there'll be things I shall be discovering for many months. Going to make sure my 13-year old son comes with me to work out the tech side of things.

I ended up breaking one of my stipulations in that it does have a panoramic roof. I was concerned about the possible loss of headroom, but it seemed to be fine. Overall I like the look of it a lot in black, with the F-Sport bumper giving a slightly sharper look and I prefer the 7-spoke alloys to the updated model's 15-spoke diamond-cut wheels (easier to keep clean too). It has the boot liner and rear bumper cover which are good for practicality - the lack of the latter on the F-Sport had given rise to several scratches, and I do tend to use an estate for its intended purpose.

More news to come hopefully next weekend......

Congratulations on the new Advance RX450h. Great car.

Please make sure you close the fuel cap properly when refuelling( every 300miles) otherwise you will get hybrid system messages on the screen. I think they have a sensor and if not closed properly makes the petrol to evaporate.

Have you tried the acceleration from standing still or from any speed on a motorway for example?

It goes like very smooth and powerful. Great car. Well done Lexus.

Good choice and long and problems free driving.

Herbie · January 16, 2019

18 minutes ago, Nigel-Lexus Owner said:

when refuelling( every 300miles)

Depends how you drive it - I've often had 390-400 out of a tankful

Spottedlaurel · January 16, 2019

Thanks for that advice Nigel.

Haven't tried a full-on acceleration run yet. At present I work on a site which is located along a nice big former WWII runway, so I will have the opportunity to play at some point! From those I've driven so far I can see there is more than adequate 'go' for my needs, and it should be very relaxing driving around well within its limits knowing that it has plenty of power (and traction) to get out of a busy junction or roundabout, safely overtake, etc.

Driving in France and maintaining progress on long autoroute inclines and in the mountains will be much better than I found with the Avensis (especially the 1.8 petrol that I'm part-exchanging).

Once the novelty of the V6 has worn off I'll be doing my best to keep the MPG up. My usual rural commute is fairly short but not very interesting with some slow stretches past busy junctions, so getting in tune with how to efficiently use the hybrid system will keep me occupied. Herbie, your figure of nearer 400 miles out of a tank sounds good to me and something I'll be aiming for.

Everything appears to be in place for me to collect it on Saturday AM. Looking forward to it!