Update on my LS600h

[jpjsavage]

I thought it might be time for an update on my LX600h. Some of those with good memories will remember that I bought this from Lexus Stoke around 18 months ago. It is a 2008 model and had 100k on the clock when I bought it. It had a full Lexus service history which I am determined to maintain. The dealership included a 3 year warranty in the purchase price. 

It went for its second major service yesterday having just clocked over 130k miles (around 11k since the last service). A grand total of c. £120 was spent on a pair of windscreen wipers (for the MOT) and a service of the air conditioning system (due to the car's age and part of the normal schedule). Not bad for one year's motoring!

The car was cleaned and fully valeted as part of the service. It looks brand new but sadly too dark to photograph now. 

The previous service at 120k was a little pricier with one major piece of the exhaust system that needed replacing. 

I'm looking forward to another 18 months of motoring and then will take stock and see whether I will be selling this car or carrying one with it for a longer period of time. Difficult decisions but I'm very, very happy with my LS600h and the accompanying ownership experience at Lexus Stoke. First class in every aspect. 

[Nick W858]

Good for you Jonathan - I nearly did buy one a while back but the risk of a massive bill put me off - good to see you have escaped serious damage to your wallet here - let me know if and when you plan on selling - may be interested. Thanks

[The-Acre]

I see there are some new air struts on eBay for the 600h, £318 each including delivery......from China.  Sometimes the things they copy are good.  Not that I have one or would want one but I did wonder why they make them for that model and not others.

[twolexii]

Hi. I collected my 2007 LS600h L RSR (dark grey/cream interior, 98.7k miles) on 2 January '20 from the Peak District & drove back to Sussex. Very happy with my purchase, that I'll be driving for touring and charity-local-weddings, about 5k miles a year. My local independent engineer's advice: use the car every day and wash it outside & under frequently (I live close to the sea). Faults: the alloys need refurbishing and there's bubbling on about 1 inch on the leading edge of the bonnet (hood) and the near-side (left) exterior mirror has a crack though works well. RSR all works and I need to investigate an Alpine TV tuner fitted to the rear screen by the famous 2nd owner. I'm the 4th owner,  w/a full service history, the last one (an independent) Nov2018 about 2.5K miles ago. I'm taking the car to Lexus for a hybrid health check and visual inspection in a few days. The hybrid Battery shows 9 out of 10 bars on full charge. After 400 highway miles I'm showing an average 29 mpg (24mpUSg) though I expect this to drop. In summary: a huge amount of luxury for very little investment, though repairs could be eye-watering, even with a whispering engine that's just run-in!  

[Malc]

1 hour ago, twolexii said:

exterior mirror has a crack though works well

Best wishes with your new present to yourself, it's great

if you're happy to just cover the cracked glass with another then there are good suppliers out there too for a '' stick-on ' one

I've had one for my Honda Legend, they bespoke cut to your template ok if they don't have a stock item, not heated glass though but I can give you the number etc of the people that provided for me

you might of course live with it as have prior owners or maybe go through the eye-watering expense of a genuine replacement

Malc

[twolexii]

Hi Malc. Thank you, happy to stay with cracked mirror as MoT has not been affected. But yes please, details of your suppler in case the May20 MoT is an issue. 

I owned a 2009 Legend, very pleasant though quite different to the LS600h, possibly because of the Lexus' long-wheel base and air-suspension. The Legend's radar active-cruise control would be disturbed by high-sided trucks on the inside lane, whereas the LS600h's seems to save fuel! When, at 33 months old, Honda refused to honour the replacement under their standard 3years warranty of the Legend's nearside mirror assembly (£800+) I quickly sold the car to a trade buyer and that was my last Honda. To be fair they were suffering from the after-effects on their business of the tsunami. Happy memories, though, of 4wheel-steering VTi Preludes. The last one had been the late LJK Setright's car, a special import with active suspension - sadly sold when it overnight erupted with rust.

I'm disturbed by broker Adrian Flux' behaviour: having agreed AND emailed me their quote, to insure the Ls600h with Aegeas on 27Dec with mirrored 11years no-claim-bonus, they then upped the premium by £250 as "mirroring costs more" when I phoned on 2 January to pay and start cover. Shoddy. They've lost the business for the soon-to-be rewed SC430 and the LS600h. 

    

[Malc]

13 minutes ago, twolexii said:

I'm disturbed by broker Adrian Flux' behaviour:

I would NEVER use them again, I found their behaviour totally unacceptable too

I'll find my  mirror stuff for you

Malc

[jpjsavage]

4 hours ago, twolexii said:

Hi. I collected my 2007 LS600h L RSR (dark grey/cream interior, 98.7k miles) on 2 January '20 from the Peak District & drove back to Sussex. Very happy with my purchase, that I'll be driving for touring and charity-local-weddings, about 5k miles a year. My local independent engineer's advice: use the car every day and wash it outside & under frequently (I live close to the sea). Faults: the alloys need refurbishing and there's bubbling on about 1 inch on the leading edge of the bonnet (hood) and the near-side (left) exterior mirror has a crack though works well. RSR all works and I need to investigate an Alpine TV tuner fitted to the rear screen by the famous 2nd owner. I'm the 4th owner,  w/a full service history, the last one (an independent) Nov2018 about 2.5K miles ago. I'm taking the car to Lexus for a hybrid health check and visual inspection in a few days. The hybrid battery shows 9 out of 10 bars on full charge. After 400 highway miles I'm showing an average 29 mpg (24mpUSg) though I expect this to drop. In summary: a huge amount of luxury for very little investment, though repairs could be eye-watering, even with a whispering engine that's just run-in!  

Congratulations on your purchase! I bought mine with 100k on the clock (now 131k) and, as you say, it is just run in. I do a lot of travelling up and down the M6 from Sandbach to Manchester. I routinely get just over 30mpg which I am constantly amazed at. But, as we all know, it is not so much about the numbers as the quality of the ride and that is outstanding in these cars. It is the best car I have ever owned (and I had a couple of LS400s before which I also adored). People who get the chance to ride in it are blown away by the whole experience. 

[Malc]

2 hours ago, Malc said:

I'll find my  mirror stuff for you

Jan 2018 £20.49 incl postage etc

bespoke made to my template by ................. Car Door Mirror Shop 0208 810 8586        email: orders @cardoormirrors.com

brilliant quick turnaround and just purrfect too

Malc

good luck but better than putting up with a misted door mirror glass or worse still, broken

 

[royoftherovers]

4 hours ago, twolexii said:

Hi Malc. Thank you, happy to stay with cracked mirror as MoT has not been affected. But yes please, details of your suppler in case the May20 MoT is an issue. 

I owned a 2009 Legend, very pleasant though quite different to the LS600h, possibly because of the Lexus' long-wheel base and air-suspension. The Legend's radar active-cruise control would be disturbed by high-sided trucks on the inside lane, whereas the LS600h's seems to save fuel! When, at 33 months old, Honda refused to honour the replacement under their standard 3years warranty of the Legend's nearside mirror assembly (£800+) I quickly sold the car to a trade buyer and that was my last Honda. To be fair they were suffering from the after-effects on their business of the tsunami. Happy memories, though, of 4wheel-steering VTi Preludes. The last one had been the late LJK Setright's car, a special import with active suspension - sadly sold when it overnight erupted with rust.

I'm disturbed by broker Adrian Flux' behaviour: having agreed AND emailed me their quote, to insure the Ls600h with Aegeas on 27Dec with mirrored 11years no-claim-bonus, they then upped the premium by £250 as "mirroring costs more" when I phoned on 2 January to pay and start cover. Shoddy. They've lost the business for the soon-to-be rewed SC430 and the LS600h. 

    

"The last one had been the late LJK Setright's car, a special import with active suspension - sadly sold when it overnight erupted with rust."

Ah, LJK a motoring journalist from Mount Olympus. What he and Neville Cardus could write cannot even be copied today.

[jpjsavage]

Here are a few quick snaps of her as she is today:

[royoftherovers]

13 minutes ago, jpjsavage said:

Here are a few quick snaps of her as she is today:

Do preserve your anonymity Mr Bond, as it is too outstanding a vehicle to lose !!

[Malc]

she looks a super car 

Malc

[DAN@ADRIAN FLUX]

14 hours ago, twolexii said:

Hi Malc. Thank you, happy to stay with cracked mirror as MoT has not been affected. But yes please, details of your suppler in case the May20 MoT is an issue. 

I owned a 2009 Legend, very pleasant though quite different to the LS600h, possibly because of the Lexus' long-wheel base and air-suspension. The Legend's radar active-cruise control would be disturbed by high-sided trucks on the inside lane, whereas the LS600h's seems to save fuel! When, at 33 months old, Honda refused to honour the replacement under their standard 3years warranty of the Legend's nearside mirror assembly (£800+) I quickly sold the car to a trade buyer and that was my last Honda. To be fair they were suffering from the after-effects on their business of the tsunami. Happy memories, though, of 4wheel-steering VTi Preludes. The last one had been the late LJK Setright's car, a special import with active suspension - sadly sold when it overnight erupted with rust.

I'm disturbed by broker Adrian Flux' behaviour: having agreed AND emailed me their quote, to insure the Ls600h with Aegeas on 27Dec with mirrored 11years no-claim-bonus, they then upped the premium by £250 as "mirroring costs more" when I phoned on 2 January to pay and start cover. Shoddy. They've lost the business for the soon-to-be rewed SC430 and the LS600h. 

    

Hi.

I'm sorry to hear about the issues you've been having with ourselves. If you wanted to PM me your details I'd be happy to take a look into what happened.

Regards,

Dan.

[twolexii]

Hi Malc. Thank you, happy to stay with cracked mirror as MoT has not been affected. But yes please, details of your suppler in case the May20 MoT is an issue. 

I owned a 2009 Legend, very pleasant though quite different to the LS600h, possibly because of the Lexus' long-wheel base and air-suspension. The Legend's radar active-cruise control would be disturbed by high-sided trucks on the inside lane, whereas the LS600h's seems to save fuel! When, at 33 months old, Honda refused to honour the replacement under their standard 3years warranty of the Legend's nearside mirror assembly (£800+) I quickly sold the car to a trade buyer and that was my last Honda. To be fair they were suffering from the after-effects on their business of the tsunami. Happy memories, though, of 4wheel-steering VTi Preludes. The last one had been the late LJK Setright's car, a special import with active suspension - sadly sold when it overnight erupted with rust.

I'm disturbed by broker Adrian Flux' behaviour: having agreed AND emailed me their quote, to insure the Ls600h with Aegeas on 27Dec with mirrored 11years no-claim-bonus, they then upped the premium by £250 as "mirroring costs more" when I phoned on 2 January to pay and start cover. Shoddy. They've lost the business for the soon-to-be rewed SC430 and the LS600h. 

    

[twolexii]

LV= covered me yesterday, fully comp, on all 3 Lexii, mileage of up to 4k on each, with legal expenses, parked in drive, dash cameras, one driver, for the annual equivalent of £998 per annum, with no need for mirroring (i.e, just 2 11years of NCD). And experience has shown me that LV's claim handling is civilised. 

[Malc]

1 hour ago, twolexii said:

Legend's nearside mirror assembly (£800+)

and I thought the Honda quote at @£400 for the glass alone was a tad too expensive 😠

Malc

[twolexii]

First impressions of the '07 99k LS600h L RSR I bought 2 Jan '20, as compared to my GS450h bought Feb2019. The former's long-wheel base and air-suspension and quiet running and superlative surround-sound audio, all compare very well to a friend's 1980's Rolls Royce (w/LPG for sane mileage). However, I"m conscious when driving the LS600h that it's a 5,000lbs machine whereas the '08 73k GS450h is more of a driver's car and feels younger than the LS. I won't sell the GS.

As for the '03 75k SC430, it's in a class of its own and compares well to a 2012 M-B SL350 I drove a couple of years ago.

I need to replace the SC430's bass door speakers. Can anyone advise if it's simpler to bring originals back from the USA on my next holiday? The nearside folding mirror won't retract back to the body any longer, after moving a bit: any ideas? Thank you for any help.      

[twolexii]

Progress on my "new" '07 LS600h L RSR: passed its Hybrid health check & visual check apart from wiper blades. Front discs/pads (last replaced 10k miles ago) getting very thin. Pirelli Zeros 12 years old but still legal. 120k miles service quote inc. discs/pads & 8 Platinum spark plugs - a tear-inducing £1,150. Refurb'ed alloys this week £200, looking good. Full bonnet respray (tiny rust bubbles at leading edge) this month then cream leather full valet. All inside toys work except to refit internal TV antenna (an Alpine unit added by a Mr R Atkinson) and add DAB. Did I mention the out-of-this-world audio? Average mixed-useage mpg after 700 miles now 25. Not at all bad for a 5,000lbs example of Japanese masterclass engineering. Offered & declined £4k by Lexus for my '08 73k 2-owner GS450h: a keeper, as is '03 75k FSH SC430.            

[Malc]

I guess you might save some on the £1150 Lexus servicing costs if you went to an indy, that's if there was one you could find and wanted to use

Maybe as a 3 car Lexus family the eye-watering bills are ok 

Well done with your new purchase, glad you're enjoying her

do you find the Pirellis ok btw ?

I find them hopelessly hard on my Honda Legend

Malc

[Herbie]

3 hours ago, twolexii said:

Pirelli Zeros 12 years old but still legal

May well be legal, but most likely not safe.

Rubber hardens over time and it loses grip, also cracking can occur. Even if you're not bothered about your own safety, please get them changed for the safety of others.

[twolexii]

Hi Herbie, Hi Malc

My trusted tyre man agreed with you and Lexus today: the Pirelli Zeros' sides are now hard and they're almost illegal so I'm getting a new set tomorrow for £670 all-in. These are the quietest tyres for the LS600h, he advises, and is also a Lexus fan. I certainly find the Zeros very quiet on A-roads.

Malc, my local independent is servicing the car next week, 15 months and 3k miles since the last oil change service. He'll remove a spark-plug to see if they need replacing; and says that I should stay with the front discs and pads for this year, given my planned 4k useage. I do find the car very quiet on the Zeros, on A- & M-roads.

To be fair to Lexus, they suggested the best way to sell the GS450h is privately on Autotrader, at £5,995. Not tempted.  

Thanks again. 

    

 

 

[twolexii]

Hi Herbie, Hi Malc

My trusted tyre man agreed with you and Lexus today: the Pirelli Zeros' sides are now hard and they're almost illegal so I'm getting a new set tomorrow for £670 all-in. These are the quietest tyres for the LS600h, he advises, and is also a Lexus fan. I certainly find the Zeros very quiet on A-roads.

Malc, my local independent is servicing the car next week, 15 months and 3k miles since the last oil change service. He'll remove a spark-plug to see if they need replacing; and says that I should stay with the front discs and pads for this year, given my planned 4k useage. I do find the car very quiet on the Zeros, on A- & M-roads.

To be fair to Lexus, they suggested the best way to sell the GS450h is privately on Autotrader, at £5,995. Not tempted.  

Thanks again. 

---

The '07 100k LS600h L RSR was serviced yesterday by my independent, without needing the new spark plugs recommended by Lexus, and with filters for the 2 aircon units. The expensive item was the 9 litres of synthetic oil. For such a complex car not serviced since Nov18 and 3k miles ago, quite acceptable. Today 4 new Pirelli Zeros. Next week the bonnet resprayed to get rid properly of a few bubbles. Then full valet with American Once A Year Wax, Autoglym leather cleaner and care cream.  

 

 

[twolexii]

New Pirelli Zeros today £670 total. The ride has materially improved: more composed on our rough Sussex B roads and quieter: feels like the car's driving on shag carpet. 

This texted to me by the previous owner, from Cannes (!) Probably known to most LS forum readers...

https://www.carandclassic.co.uk/magazine/lexus-ls400-engineered-like-no-other/

 

 

 

[Malc]

that's a superb write-up, thank you for including it here, first time I've seen that one 

Malc