Lexus GSF Purchase

F.A. · June 1, 2019

Hi

I haven't posted on here for a while, but the after 8 years of almost perfect motoring, I think the time has come to replace our IS250 with a GSF. I just have a couple of questions;

1. I understand that AVS was fitted to cars built post October 2016 (please correct me if this is incorrect). I am hoping to purchase a >2017 car, but how will i know for sure that the car is fitted with AVS and is not just one that was registered in 2017 but was a pre Oct 2016 model.

2. Both our IS 250 and RX 450h have been perfect mechanically and from what I have read about the ISF, I am hoping the GSF will be too. Is there anything specific that i need to look out for when considering a potential purchase?

3. Both our current cars are White, which I love, not only for its appearance but also as light scratches such as swirl marks do not show up anywhere as bad as darker colours such as black. I would be interested in hearing how the Sonic Titanium paint fairs in this respect, as trying to find a 17' plate white GSF with a full black interior and the Mark Levinson plate has proven to be very difficult.

I think that is it for now. Thank you in advance.

Francis

Linas.P · June 1, 2019

Wow... that is quite a step-up 🙂

I was thinking - "it is not like you can choose GS-F colour you want to buy" when there are only 2 at any given time for sale, but as it happens one of them is beautiful white 2017 example, so I reckon it is the same car you looking at.

Anyhow, I cannot advise much about GS-F here, just to wish you happy purchase.

B1RMA · June 2, 2019

As far as the AVS is concerned you could ask the dealer to send you a photo of the engine bay, in particular the top of the struts. If there are wires and a black module on top of the front suspension strut then it has AVS. I wanted a car with AVS too after trying one without, to me it made ordinary cruising very comfortable then when you went into sport or sport + you could feel the car tighten up.

Ashrez · June 2, 2019

As @B1RMA has mentioned regarding the AVS. Easiest way is to look out for the top mount. It will have these if it's equipped with AVS.

Having ownership for almost a year, car has been pretty faultless. Maybe look out for paint condition and make sure there isn't significant paint chips and that tyres are stock Michelin Pilot Super Sport, as they can be indicators if the car has seen rough track use.

F.A. · June 2, 2019

13 hours ago, Linas.P said:

Wow... that is quite a step-up 🙂

I was thinking - "it is not like you can choose GS-F colour you want to buy" when there are only 2 at any given time for sale, but as it happens one of them is beautiful white 2017 example, so I reckon it is the same car you looking at.

Anyhow, I cannot advise much about GS-F here, just to wish you happy purchase.

I always wanted an ISF but I had only just finished Uni and couldn't afford one when we bought our IS250. I was tempted with a late ISF a couple of years ago but then the GSF came out, which with a family is a more practical car.

3 hours ago, B1RMA said:

As far as the AVS is concerned you could ask the dealer to send you a photo of the engine bay, in particular the top of the struts. If there are wires and a black module on top of the front suspension strut then it has AVS. I wanted a car with AVS too after trying one without, to me it made ordinary cruising very comfortable then when you went into sport or sport + you could feel the car tighten up.

3 hours ago, Ashrez said:

As @B1RMA has mentioned regarding the AVS. Easiest way is to look out for the top mount. It will have these if it's equipped with AVS.

Having ownership for almost a year, car has been pretty faultless. Maybe look out for paint condition and make sure there isn't significant paint chips and that tyres are stock Michelin Pilot Super Sport, as they can be indicators if the car has seen rough track use.

Thank you. That is very helpful.

@Ashrez Does yours have the AVS fitted? If not, how do you find the ride?

Ashrez · June 2, 2019

2 hours ago, F.A. said:

I always wanted an ISF but I had only just finished Uni and couldn't afford one when we bought our IS250. I was tempted with a late ISF a couple of years ago but then the GSF came out, which with a family is a more practical car.

Thank you. That is very helpful.

@Ashrez Does yours have the AVS fitted? If not, how do you find the ride?

Mine does not have AVS fitted. But i find the ride very compliant for a performance car with a fixed damper. I have to say they've done a very good job at tuning the damping and quit happy with the ride for a young family car. I'm sure the AVS will greatly improve on this though.

F.A. · June 2, 2019

Thank you for the info @Ashrez. There appears to be potential GSF at Lexus Newcastle but unfortunately they don't have the car on site to check at the moment!!

B1RMA · June 3, 2019

9 hours ago, F.A. said:

Thank you for the info @Ashrez. There appears to be potential GSF at Lexus Newcastle but unfortunately they don't have the car on site to check at the moment!!

I've just had a look at the advert for the Newcastle car, judging by the registration date and the fact it does say adaptive suspension in the spec, although I'm somewhat sceptical about written specs from dealer sites.

Like I've said I did try one with AVS and then before that a standard one without (nothing at all wrong with the ride) but I decided I preferred the ride in standard mode with AVS. One, because I have found 70% of my driving is in standard mode and I enjoy the obvious softer ride, plus it is smart/quick enough to react should you get a move on. And Two, unlike a lot of cars in my past advanced extras like TVD and AVS won't cost a fortune to maintain, generally don't fail and if they do knowing the excellent Lexus aftercare service they'll probably replace anything without fuss or drama.

Cactus · June 3, 2019

On 6/1/2019 at 10:25 PM, F.A. said:

Hi

I haven't posted on here for a while, but the after 8 years of almost perfect motoring, I think the time has come to replace our IS250 with a GSF. I just have a couple of questions;

1. I understand that AVS was fitted to cars built post October 2016 (please correct me if this is incorrect). I am hoping to purchase a >2017 car, but how will i know for sure that the car is fitted with AVS and is not just one that was registered in 2017 but was a pre Oct 2016 model.

2. Both our IS 250 and RX 450h have been perfect mechanically and from what I have read about the ISF, I am hoping the GSF will be too. Is there anything specific that i need to look out for when considering a potential purchase?

3. Both our current cars are White, which I love, not only for its appearance but also as light scratches such as swirl marks do not show up anywhere as bad as darker colours such as black. I would be interested in hearing how the Sonic Titanium paint fairs in this respect, as trying to find a 17' plate white GSF with a full black interior and the Mark Levinson plate has proven to be very difficult.

I think that is it for now. Thank you in advance.

Francis

Nice. Understand the struggle of getting the right colour etc.

They contacted me as well as i am based in newcastle, regarding the gsf. From the sound of the sales person its gonna be sold before the car actually arrive at the centre.

i can only answer your paint question. I have a nx in sonic titanium and it is a fantastic colour/ i have only had it for over a year but i have found light scratches do show up easier and harder to shift (i am comparing this to my white gs450h).

But i dont think you should factor this into your decision about the car.

Barry

F.A. · June 3, 2019

13 hours ago, B1RMA said:

I've just had a look at the advert for the Newcastle car, judging by the registration date and the fact it does say adaptive suspension in the spec, although I'm somewhat sceptical about written specs from dealer sites.

Like I've said I did try one with AVS and then before that a standard one without (nothing at all wrong with the ride) but I decided I preferred the ride in standard mode with AVS. One, because I have found 70% of my driving is in standard mode and I enjoy the obvious softer ride, plus it is smart/quick enough to react should you get a move on. And Two, unlike a lot of cars in my past advanced extras like TVD and AVS won't cost a fortune to maintain, generally don't fail and if they do knowing the excellent Lexus aftercare service they'll probably replace anything without fuss or drama.

Yes, I am also very sceptical of the dealers description and even information from the Lexus UK site, both these places have proven to be inaccurate in the past. However, the dealer has confirmed that the car does have AVS. Thank you for your thoughts on the AVS. Im the type of person that would always wish I had the feature if i purchased one without it (silly I know) so I think it is a 'must' for me.

7 hours ago, Cactus said:

Nice. Understand the struggle of getting the right colour etc.

They contacted me as well as i am based in newcastle, regarding the gsf. From the sound of the sales person its gonna be sold before the car actually arrive at the centre.

i can only answer your paint question. I have a nx in sonic titanium and it is a fantastic colour/ i have only had it for over a year but i have found light scratches do show up easier and harder to shift (i am comparing this to my white gs450h).

But i dont think you should factor this into your decision about the car.

Barry

Thanks Barry, I think we would be very happy with Sonic Titanium. It is interesting to hear that they contacted you about the car. Are you tempted? They do sound very sure that it will sell before the end of the week, although I do wonder if this is classic salesman talk!. Frustratingly the car is still not at the dealer and although it does sound like it is the perfect spec for us, I have little time to make the trip up to Newcastle to take a look at it when it does arrive and for them to value my car as a part exchange. Newcastle also mentioned that due to distance selling law (????), they will not deliver the car so that is another trip up from Bristol. Very frustrating. It is a shame that Bristol Lexus AND Newcastle Lexus are not part of the same group!

F.A. · June 3, 2019

Does the radar cruise work at all speeds and can bring the car to a stop? I read on the US forum that it was only the 18MY cars that could do this and was hoping that it was different for the UK cars.

hockeyedwards · June 3, 2019

50 minutes ago, F.A. said:

Yes, I am also very sceptical of the dealers description and even information from the Lexus UK site, both these places have proven to be inaccurate in the past. However, the dealer has confirmed that the car does have AVS. Thank you for your thoughts on the AVS. Im the type of person that would always wish I had the feature if i purchased one without it (silly I know) so I think it is a 'must' for me.

Thanks Barry, I think we would be very happy with Sonic Titanium. It is interesting to hear that they contacted you about the car. Are you tempted? They do sound very sure that it will sell before the end of the week, although I do wonder if this is classic salesman talk!. Frustratingly the car is still not at the dealer and although it does sound like it is the perfect spec for us, I have little time to make the trip up to Newcastle to take a look at it when it does arrive and for them to value my car as a part exchange. Newcastle also mentioned that due to distance selling law (????), they will not deliver the car so that is another trip up from Bristol. Very frustrating. It is a shame that Bristol Lexus AND Newcastle Lexus are not part of the same group!

I don’t trust salesman as far as I can throw them, I could be totally wrong and it may be ready for sale, but it does sound all too convenient. I had the old run around when I purchased by GSF, it was most definitely going to be sold if I didn’t agree to their price, it sat for a further 2 months until they approached me with my price 😂.

When I originally looked, Lexus Guildford were willing to get a car from Derby for me, unsure if they are the same group but that’s a decent distance... sounds silly that they wouldn’t deliver if it’s a guaranteed sale?

Best of luck either way, the GSF is a cracker!

Martin F · June 3, 2019

34 minutes ago, hockeyedwards said:

When I originally looked, Lexus Guildford were willing to get a car from Derby for me, unsure if they are the same group but that’s a decent distance...

Yes, they are in the same group.

Interestingly I noticed that the GSF is not listed on the used car section of Lexus website tonight. I wonder if this is a change or just the fact they have none for sale at the mo.

F.A. · June 3, 2019

1 hour ago, hockeyedwards said:

I don’t trust salesman as far as I can throw them, I could be totally wrong and it may be ready for sale, but it does sound all too convenient. I had the old run around when I purchased by GSF, it was most definitely going to be sold if I didn’t agree to their price, it sat for a further 2 months until they approached me with my price 😂.

Time will tell if this is the case I guess!

F.A. · June 3, 2019

38 minutes ago, Martin F said:

Yes, they are in the same group.

Interestingly I noticed that the GSF is not listed on the used car section of Lexus website tonight. I wonder if this is a change or just the fact they have none for sale at the mo.

For some reason the one I am referring to is not on the main Lexus Used site but it is listed on the Newcastle site under 'GS' and not 'GSF'. It is listed under 'GSF' on the Auto Trader site.

hockeyedwards · June 4, 2019

8 hours ago, Martin F said:

Yes, they are in the same group.

Interestingly I noticed that the GSF is not listed on the used car section of Lexus website tonight. I wonder if this is a change or just the fact they have none for sale at the mo.

VW in Guildford have a GSF for sale 😂, literally next to Lexus Guildford, kinda funny.

Ashrez · June 4, 2019

Odd that they wouldn't deliver to a potential buyer. I had my GSF delivered to my doorstep by Lexus Liverpool 😊 my part exchange vehicle was valued by them through pictures i sent to them via email. Great service by the dealer and hassle free purchase.

Cactus · June 4, 2019

14 hours ago, F.A. said:

Yes, I am also very sceptical of the dealers description and even information from the Lexus UK site, both these places have proven to be inaccurate in the past. However, the dealer has confirmed that the car does have AVS. Thank you for your thoughts on the AVS. Im the type of person that would always wish I had the feature if i purchased one without it (silly I know) so I think it is a 'must' for me.

Thanks Barry, I think we would be very happy with Sonic Titanium. It is interesting to hear that they contacted you about the car. Are you tempted? They do sound very sure that it will sell before the end of the week, although I do wonder if this is classic salesman talk!. Frustratingly the car is still not at the dealer and although it does sound like it is the perfect spec for us, I have little time to make the trip up to Newcastle to take a look at it when it does arrive and for them to value my car as a part exchange. Newcastle also mentioned that due to distance selling law (????), they will not deliver the car so that is another trip up from Bristol. Very frustrating. It is a shame that Bristol Lexus AND Newcastle Lexus are not part of the same group!

I am not aware of distance selling law/ more like lazy, want more money for less work law to me. I may be wrong of coz and things might have changed.

i bought both of my lexus from a distant lexus dealer. One at Stoke and the other at hedgend. Both dealers delivered the car to my doorstep. I didnt even travel down to look at the cars (that is how much i trust lexus 😑). I recall the hedgend one needing to set off at 2am the morning so he can reach newcastle by 8am to give me the car.

I just sold my cars at the time via arnold clark and we buyanycar.com.

my details are registered with newcastle lexus/service/mot date reminders etc and my interest for gsf so that is why they rang me.

i will probably test drive it if it hasnt been sold by then to satisfy some craving, may i can test drive it on your behalf haha.

I dun think i can do with two sonic titanium cars in my drive (as my wife wont give up the NX) + Ideally i want the blue/black Gsf

i am in no hurry to change car, unless there is a strikingly good deal with a 16 gsf or 13 isf, then i might make an impulsive move.

All the best with your purchase.

barry

F.A. · June 4, 2019

10 hours ago, hockeyedwards said:

VW in Guildford have a GSF for sale 😂, literally next to Lexus Guildford, kinda funny.

Yes, It looks to have been on there for a few weeks. The price has come down a bit as well since they initially posted it. i am surprised Lexus Guildford didn't snap it yup. It is the perfect colour for me but I would really like a black interior instead of the red. Nothing against the red leather, just personal preference I guess.

9 hours ago, Ashrez said:

Odd that they wouldn't deliver to a potential buyer. I had my GSF delivered to my doorstep by Lexus Liverpool 😊 my part exchange vehicle was valued by them through pictures i sent to them via email. Great service by the dealer and hassle free purchase.

I was surprised as well. Lexus Hull delivered our RX and picked it up again when we discovered that the windscreen wasn't fitted correctly!

Newcastle valued my IS250 today over the phone but the figures were far from ideal so I think I may consider selling it privately.

6 hours ago, Cactus said:

I am not aware of distance selling law/ more like lazy, want more money for less work law to me. I may be wrong of coz and things might have changed.

i bought both of my lexus from a distant lexus dealer. One at Stoke and the other at hedgend. Both dealers delivered the car to my doorstep. I didnt even travel down to look at the cars (that is how much i trust lexus 😑). I recall the hedgend one needing to set off at 2am the morning so he can reach newcastle by 8am to give me the car.

I just sold my cars at the time via arnold clark and we buyanycar.com.

my details are registered with newcastle lexus/service/mot date reminders etc and my interest for gsf so that is why they rang me.

i will probably test drive it if it hasnt been sold by then to satisfy some craving, may i can test drive it on your behalf haha.

I dun think i can do with two sonic titanium cars in my drive (as my wife wont give up the NX) + Ideally i want the blue/black Gsf

i am in no hurry to change car, unless there is a strikingly good deal with a 16 gsf or 13 isf, then i might make an impulsive move.

All the best with your purchase.

barry