Rx400h or Rx350

[adamon]

First post on here so firstly, Hi to you all. 

So I'm a Yorkshire lad who has recently moved to France and I've just booked a flight to London with the intent of driving back in either a Rx400h or a Rx350. I'm looking for a model between 2006 and 2009 for between £5000-£6000. I'm wondering if any one has driven or owned both versions and could give me an opinion on both performance and reliability. I really want the hybrid but my head is telling me that the non hybrid is a safer buy.

Any thoughts 

Cheers Adam

[The Bodyman]

Hello and welcome.

I owned a 2005 RX300. Bought it new and owned it for 8 years. I believe the RX400h has the same body and interior. So the RX400h would be my choice but being a Lexus, you can't go wrong with either. 

Good luck

 

[Herbie]

The 350 is higher road tax here in the UK but I don't know about France.

Whichever one you go for you'll have to change over the headlights for left-hand drive units. I know that people just put on beam deflector stickers for a couple of weeks holiday but actually living there and getting it through a French MOT is quite a different kettle of fish altogether.

Both are built on the same body shell and have the same interior as far as I know, but I'd say the more economical one would be the 400h.

Hope all goes well and you find what you want.

[adamon]

Thanks for the replys guys. In France the road tax is a one off payment when you register the car. It is also half price for cars over 10 years old, this is why I'm looking for a car no newer than 2009. I saw a post mentioning that Xenon lights on the Rx have a flat beam and that they don't need adjusting in France. However I guess it depends on the French chap who is doing the contrôle technique.