RX450H Buying Advice - what version

[Rannsachair]

12 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Sounds like a great example so long as the condition is commensurate with what you'd hope/expect at that sort of mileage. Even after you've had it for six years, at the annual mileage you're doing it'll be about 70k so it should be a good car for a future owner.

Les has pointed out the wheel issue, and I'll reiterate my problem with the exhaust and undertray damage I found on mine doe to a careless (or unfortunate) previous owner. Some examples seem to rattle and creak around the rear - possibly the seats, but I think on mine it's something around the tailgate.

If it's one owner from new you'd like to think it had been sold and serviced by the same people from day one, and hopefully find they've part-exchanged it for another Lexus.

Rubber mats and bootliner are good to have, as is the rear bumper protector.

 

Thanks, it is a March 2014 car so should have the older style wheels. The sales person said it was supplied and serviced from new by them and has been taken in part exchange against another Lexus.

Is the rear bumper protector something that sticks over the top of the bumper to protect it during loading and unloading the boot?

[olliesgrandad]

Bumper protector is stuck on to protect the paintwork. Mine has the black plastic version which is great. The stainless steel version needs a mortgage for purchase 😱

[Rannsachair]

Test drive in car today, drives like new and condition was perfect, 28k miles serviced every year, exterior is unmarked as was the interior. Comes with boot protector and full set of rubber mats and boot liner as well as textile mats.Just serviced.

Am delighted, pick it up on Thursday after it is valeted.

[Spottedlaurel]

That's great. It certainly sounded like it should be a good one, pleasing to know it turned out that way.

[olliesgrandad]

Well done Car looks great 👍👍👍👍

[Herbie]

Congratulations Tom, looks the business. Mine's just a few months older (late November 2013) so I know you'll love it. Enjoy 

[Guest]

Good choice,Advance model with Pan roof by the looks of it.Mine is the 2014 advance with the sunroof which we have had for nearly four years now and has been a great car.

We have just been asked if we would like to renew the 2 year extended warranty again for the same price of £995, so its time to decide if i plan on keeping it another two years or if i fancy a change.

Congrats on your new purchase.

 

[Rannsachair]

Drove it home yesterday, about 90 miles of mainly A roads. quite busy so mainly about 50 to 60 mph and managed just over 40 mpg, was impressed by the comfort and quietness.

 

[Spottedlaurel]

Looks like new. Impressive economy! Any thoughts about it in real world use compared to the test drive?

What tyres does it have? They do seem to be sensitive to this. 

[Rannsachair]

8 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Looks like new. Impressive economy! Any thoughts about it in real world use compared to the test drive?

What tyres does it have? They do seem to be sensitive to this. 

I find it very relaxing to drive, comfort is excellent. Though when you need to overtake the acceleration is reasonable for a large SUV. The cabin is roomy and bright plus it has an air of quality in terms of fit, finish and controls throughout the car.

The handling is not sharp, though I never expected it to be after an Alfa Romeo, it is competent and feels safe. The brakes are good for the size of it.

It is fitted with Dunlop SP sport 270's.

[olliesgrandad]

Well done Car looks great 👍👍👍👍

[olliesgrandad]

A set of Cross Climates will transform it. Mine came with Dunlops and whentI put cross Climates on it transformed the car, methinks ideal for Scotland. 

I've just had a week on the North Yorkshire Moors and car performed beautifully. 

[Rannsachair]

Busy day: washed, tar removed, Autoglym super resin polish then HD wax, tyres treated with Meguiar's Tyre gel and wheel cleaned with poorboys wheel sealant.

Changed rubber mats for carpets for summer and cleaned dash.

 

[royoftherovers]

A great Job Tom.

What did you do after breakfast, Superman ?

[Rannsachair]

One slight niggle with my RX: one of the front parking sensors is faulty - it must have a leak as it goes faulty in the wet and then drys out and works again.

It is unfortunate that my nearest dealer is 2 hours drive away, so was in this morning and they confirmed a front sensor is at fault, so will order one and I can return to get it fitted.

I realise I have bought a second hand car, though am a little disappointed at the hassle to get this minor fault sorted. I have bought a few main dealer cars in the past: Landrover and Saab -never had to take a car back with a fault, Not even a Discovery 2 😉

Still love the car, just a niggle paying so much for a second hand car then having to make two 4 hour round trips to get sorted.

[Herbie]

1. Look on it as an opportunity to sit in luxury and just enjoy the drive. I used to get annoyed at traffic jams but now I just sit happily with a big grin on my face. I also have a four-hour round trip to Lexus Teeside - not my nearest but my preferred dealership.

2. You're obviously a man who's at ease with spanners and suchlike, so can they not just post it out for you to DIY if you don't want to employ point No. 1 above?

3. If a faulty sensor and a four-hour round trip is all you have to worry about, I'll take that 

[royoftherovers]

1 hour ago, Herbie said:

1. Look on it as an opportunity to sit in luxury and just enjoy the drive. I used to get annoyed at traffic jams but now I just sit happily with a big grin on my face. I also have a four-hour round trip to Lexus Teeside - not my nearest but my preferred dealership.

2. You're obviously a man who's at ease with spanners and suchlike, so can they not just post it out for you to DIY if you don't want to employ point No. 1 above?

3. If a faulty sensor and a four-hour round trip is all you have to worry about, I'll take that 

I had a pal who received a phone call from Land Rover inviting him to a LR experience.

They collected him at 7.30 sharp the next morning, dropped him in the nearest lay-by and collected him 8 hours later!!

[Rannsachair]

11 minutes ago, Herbie said:

1. Look on it as an opportunity to sit in luxury and just enjoy the drive. I used to get annoyed at traffic jams but now I just sit happily with a big grin on my face. I also have a four-hour round trip to Lexus Teeside - not my nearest but my preferred dealership.

2. You're obviously a man who's at ease with spanners and suchlike, so can they not just post it out for you to DIY if you don't want to employ point No. 1 above?

3. If a faulty sensor and a four-hour round trip is all you have to worry about, I'll take that 

I did enjoy the drive, and I tied the trip with a hospital appointment for a CT scan, so only 70 minutes out of my way. I have tied the return trip to seeing my consultant next week(will get my CT scan results to see if the chemotherapy has been successful).

The cocktail of drugs I have been on, has made me a bit short tempered.....

I do enjoy working on vehicles, my dad was a mechanic and i have rebuilt motorcycles and cars all my life: my garage is possibly over-equipped: everything from a lathe and milling machine to a MIG welder and plasma cutter....

[Herbie]

OH MY GOD!!!

I would kill for a proper man cave like that 

Sadly, due to a back injury I can hardly do anything physical like this anymore but I mentioned in another topic a few days ago that since the age of about 7, when my dad used to work on his car and ask me to "hold this" or to "pass that spanner" or "pull this", I've spent many, many happy hours working on my own cars. I'm now 61 and would still be happily doing the work if I could, but over the years I could only dream of a garage like yours. Most of the work I've done has been on the driveway because my garages have never been big enough to take tools, workbench and car together.

I wish you well my friend, keep spannering as long as you can!

And don't be silly - a man's garage can NEVER be over-equipped 

[BlackCat]

On 6/10/2019 at 6:06 PM, Rannsachair said:

"One slight niggle with my RX: one of the front parking sensors is faulty - it must have a leak as it goes faulty in the wet and then drys out and works again."

The very same happened my 2013 RX last November. Every time I put the car in reverse, the rear left sensor activated, even though there was no obstruction behind the car.
I ordered a replacement sensor online (from China - eBay !)

Whilst waiting for the new sensor to arrive, I read a tip online, and it may help someone out with a similar problem

- smear vaseline gently over the faulty sensor, and rub off any excess.

It cured the problem for me, the new sensor arrived - and I have never had to fit it - as the existing sensor has worked perfectly since, despite power-washing the car (carefully) several times !

[Rannsachair]

On 6/12/2019 at 12:58 AM, BlackCat said:

The very same happened my 2013 RX last November. Every time I put the car in reverse, the rear left sensor activated, even though there was no obstruction behind the car.
I ordered a replacement sensor online (from China - ebay !)

Whilst waiting for the new sensor to arrive, I read a tip online, and it may help someone out with a similar problem

- smear vaseline gently over the faulty sensor, and rub off any excess.

It cured the problem for me, the new sensor arrived - and I have never had to fit it - as the existing sensor has worked perfectly since, despite power-washing the car (carefully) several times !

I have tried this and it has now worked for a few days!

 

Thanks

[Lost it]

On 5/7/2019 at 12:17 PM, Rannsachair said:

It looks great, I like black, though my wife hates white cars, so will be any colour but white,I had an Audi A6 with a banana yellow leather interior, it looked great,but was needing cleaned regularly. and I learned from one waxed cotton jacket experience....

I have had a few cars with sunroofs and never used them, my current Landrover was the worst: though fitted with a cheap basic sunroof:

it irritated me so much,i changed the roof: 

 

lucky they just bolt on.

I would not intend subjecting an RX to what my Landrover does though, i have rebuilt the Landrover on a galvanised chassis with a galvanised bulkhead, so intend keeping it for some time ( I have had it for 13 years):

i have fancied an RX for years, but never driven one. I have been getting chemo for the last 4 months and get my last session tomorrow, so will head back to the dealers in a few weeks when i am over the last session for a test drive 0 -  though based on reputation and reviews I am pretty sure it will be an RX. The wife likes the look of the NX, I was not keen on it, she said I looked cramped in the drivers seat - so will try an NX too, though I prefer larger cars.

Ah. The dreaded chemo... I've had bowel cancer twice now, and realised there's no point not enjoying life, go and do what you want. It's all about attitude.

So I bought a V8 Jaguar, a new motorbike, Should have bought a bog hopper though. Just bought an RX300 because the last cancer op pretty much messed up my lymphatic system and my leg keeps swelling up. So if I'm sat in the Jag for more than 3 hours, I struggle to lever myself out of the car because of the swollen leg. I figure with the Lexus, if it happens I can just open the door and fall out..

 

To be fair I've had Lexus cars before, I had a GS300, boiught my wife an IS200 because of how reliable the GS was, so getting something like that so that I could get in and out easier, well it had to be Lexus, not some other eastern vehicle. You know where you are with Lexus.Unless you rely on the satnag of course...

[Rannsachair]

Was just washing the RX today and noticed one tyre with sidewall cracking, I have emailed Lexus to see what they say as to whether it is covered under warranty as have only had the car 3 weeks. I had similar cracking on my Landrover when the tyres were about 10 years old and had done 60k miles... so replaced them. Though I run Mud Terrains on the Landy

 

My wife and I are loving the car, it is so relaxing and comfortable to drive. Pity I only noticed now as it was back to Lexus last week to have the faulty parking sensor replaced.

 

 

 

[Spottedlaurel]

I had the same with a pair on mine, also a low mileage example - I imagine they were probably the originals as they were on the rear so don't do much work.

I just bit the bullet and replaced them myself, giving me the choice of what tyres I could select. Some sort of all-seasons would suit you well?

Good to hear you're enjoying it otherwise.

[Lost it]

Tyre cracking wouldn't be a warranty failure, it's what tyres do and unless it is through to the inner braiding it's not an MOT issue either, presumably would have been cracked in June when you got the vehicle, would have expected that it would have been visible during inspection?.

So personally I think unless they are really going to push the boat out, you have bought a 2nd hand vehicle with normal wear and tear features for a car of that age. Never seen a warranty that covered wear items the seller had no control over. And the fact you have covered them with tyre "enhancer" probably wouldn't help either. Wonder what the MSDS sheet says for the tyre cleaner? Besides petroleum distillates at up to 30 BV?

Never understood why people think spraying petroleum based products onto essentially rubber tyres is a good thing...