RX450h - What to look for ?

[Bl1ng]

Dear RX Owners,

 

I am thinking of buying a 2009/10 RX450h and would like to know what I should be looking out for.

For example, are there any common issues that I should check for ?

Are there any expensive service intervals I should check have been done?

Is there a cambelt that needs changing ?

Thanks in advance for your help

[Prince Bob]

I bought one recently. I avoided an SEL as I wasn't keen on dealing with air suspension issues down the line as replacements aren't cheap. You can identify these by the 'Hi N Lo' in the cluster and a height switch on lower dash.

It is possible to purchase an SEL without air however these are quite rare and tended to sell quickly as you get all the rest of the goodies, Mark Levinson, DAB, vented seats, etc, some even come with radar cruise and head up display.

Replacement LED headlights units are expensive, but you don't hear of them failing.  

According to car wow warranty wise RX450h is the  most reliable car you can purchase

Maybe I should have taken the risk with an SEL... 

Can't think of any specific 450h issues just usual second hand checks, HPI, Mot history, service history

SE-I spec comprehensive you get electric seats/tailgate/folding mirrors, keyless entry start, parking sensors all round, reverse camera, 6disc changer, heated seats, xenons, everything you need, there is a spec below but am not too familiar with what you miss out on.

No cambelts, chain driven. Service intervals every 10k. Main dealer service costs not too bad and includes hybrid Battery check. You can always get the car serviced else where and get hybrid check done separately for £59, this will give you warranty on batteries for year. You can renew the warranty for up to 15 years.

Mpg currently sitting at 36 mpg on current tank, I have eco mode switched off though as I didn't like the throttle response or lack of it rather. Typically seem to get 31-35 around town, and up to 40 on a run. Not had a winter with the car yet so can't comment on winter economy. Bridgestones only rated 'e' for economy so room for improvement 

Seems a really serene drive so you tend to waft and cruise and relax rather than  but your foot down. Gearbox is unusual is an ecvt no gears, no noise unless you hammer it.

Heavy car so rolls a little in corners, does suffer from a little torque steer at times, brakes are quite sharp

Hope this helps

[Spottedlaurel]

There's an expensive service at 60k, when the spark plugs need changing. If yours is beyond that then you'd want to see they were done.

I'm getting similar MPG to Robert with my facelift model (I don't think there were any significant mechanical changes). Economy definitely improves in warm weather.

[hprice1099]

14 hours ago, Bl1ng said:

Dear RX Owners,

 

I am thinking of buying a 2009/10 RX450h and would like to know what I should be looking out for.

For example, are there any common issues that I should check for ?

Are there any expensive service intervals I should check have been done?

Is there a cambelt that needs changing ?

Thanks in advance for your help

What's your new car budget mate?

[Herbie]

10 hours ago, Prince Bob said:

brakes are quite sharp

They shouldn't be.

The whole idea of a Toy/Lex hybrid, is to anticipate the road ahead and brake gently so that you make the most of the regenerative braking system, which does all the braking down to about 3mph and then the conventional hydraulic brakes take over.

This is why brake pads and discs last a lot longer than those on a purely hydraulic system.

[Prince Bob]

1 hour ago, Herbie said:

They shouldn't be.

The whole idea of a Toy/Lex hybrid, is to anticipate the road ahead and brake gently so that you make the most of the regenerative braking system, which does all the braking down to about 3mph and then the conventional hydraulic brakes take over.

This is why brake pads and discs last a lot longer than those on a purely hydraulic system.

Perhaps I should have elaborated about the brakes in my last statement. I can feel the transition between the regen braking and hydraulic brakes. To me it doesn't feel seamless and when the hydraulic brakes grab in my opinion they feel sharper than I am used to

[Bl1ng]

Thank you to Prince Bob for your comprehensive response.

 

11 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

There's an expensive service at 60k, when the spark plugs need changing. If yours is beyond that then you'd want to see they were done.

I'm getting similar MPG to Robert with my facelift model (I don't think there were any significant mechanical changes). Economy definitely improves in warm weather.

Thanks, that's definitely the kind of insightful info I am looking for. Does that mean there would be the same service with spark plugs again at 120k miles ?
Any other things like this to look for based on age/mileage ?

3 hours ago, hprice1099 said:

What's your new car budget mate?

I was previously looking at a 400h but have decided to up my budget a little to go for a 450h, so quite low 😞

I just missed out on a 125k mile SE-I at £7k. It was quickly snapped up by a used car dealer and is now on offer for 9k !

Short answer, I would want to spend between £7k and £9k ?

I guess this raises a related question, am I better off buying a lower mileage 400h for say £5k to 6k or a higher mileage 450h for £7k plus ?

The 450h seems more luxurious to me and I would assume more modern tech and mechanics. What do others think ?

[hprice1099]

6 minutes ago, Bl1ng said:

Thank you to Prince Bob for your comprehensive response.

 

Thanks, that's definitely the kind of insightful info I am looking for. Does that mean there would be the same service with spark plugs again at 120k miles ?
Any other things like this to look for based on age/mileage ?

I was previously looking at a 400h but have decided to up my budget a little to go for a 450h, so quite low 😞

I just missed out on a 125k mile SE-I at £7k. It was quickly snapped up by a used car dealer and is now on offer for 9k !

Short answer, I would want to spend between £7k and £9k ?

Couple of decent options with some haggling

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202002046924253?advertising-location=at_cars&radius=1500&year-from=2010&maximum-mileage=125000&postcode=l149lr&price-to=9500&body-type=SUV&make=LEXUS&sort=relevance&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&page=1

 

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202003078119480?advertising-location=at_cars&radius=1500&year-from=2010&maximum-mileage=125000&postcode=l149lr&price-to=9500&body-type=SUV&make=LEXUS&sort=relevance&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&page=1

 

[olliesgrandad]

2 hours ago, Bl1ng said:

Thank you to Prince Bob for your comprehensive response.

 

Thanks, that's definitely the kind of insightful info I am looking for. Does that mean there would be the same service with spark plugs again at 120k miles ?
Any other things like this to look for based on age/mileage ?

I was previously looking at a 400h but have decided to up my budget a little to go for a 450h, so quite low 😞

I just missed out on a 125k mile SE-I at £7k. It was quickly snapped up by a used car dealer and is now on offer for 9k !

Short answer, I would want to spend between £7k and £9k ?

I guess this raises a related question, am I better off buying a lower mileage 400h for say £5k to 6k or a higher mileage 450h for £7k plus ?

The 450h seems more luxurious to me and I would assume more modern tech and mechanics. What do others think ?

Spark plugs will be due every 60,000 miles so yes is the answer. 

If you can find a good 450h Within budget I would go for it as will be that much more up to date technically. Having said that the condition of the car would be my first consideration. 

Always remember that expensive cars were expensive to repair when new and that doesn't tend to diminish with age 

[Prince Bob]

12 hours ago, Bl1ng said:

Thank you to Prince Bob for your comprehensive response.

 

Thanks, that's definitely the kind of insightful info I am looking for. Does that mean there would be the same service with spark plugs again at 120k miles ?
Any other things like this to look for based on age/mileage ?

I was previously looking at a 400h but have decided to up my budget a little to go for a 450h, so quite low 😞

I just missed out on a 125k mile SE-I at £7k. It was quickly snapped up by a used car dealer and is now on offer for 9k !

Short answer, I would want to spend between £7k and £9k ?

I guess this raises a related question, am I better off buying a lower mileage 400h for say £5k to 6k or a higher mileage 450h for £7k plus ?

The 450h seems more luxurious to me and I would assume more modern tech and mechanics. What do others think ?

I had a similar dilemma. You won't ever regret going for the newer car with more tech and stuff you don't really need. If you bought the 400 you will always think what if... Depends how long you intend to keep the car.

The road tax/ved is half the price on the 450......

No cambelt to change

Keyless start, entry, Bluetooth audio (400 has tape deck)

Double paned glass

Mirrors auto fold when locking

You can get radar cruise, heads up display.

Maybe try both and see which you prefer, you might prefer the drive of the 400. I told myself the 450 will cost less to run in the long term it's more refined, more tech better safety and be easier to sell when it's time to move on. 

Plenty of deals to be had, I would imagine traders would be biting your hand off after a few quiet months

 

 

 

 

[Stefan213]

I have the air suspension and yes it can be expesive to fix but its not known to have issues. The mpg is usualy around 32 and the only problem i had was a sized calipper but was fixed with rebuilding it.

[Bl1ng]

5 hours ago, Stefan213 said:

I have the air suspension and yes it can be expesive to fix but its not known to have issues. The mpg is usualy around 32 and the only problem i had was a sized calipper but was fixed with rebuilding it.

Good to hear it is reliable but as my budget will only get me a high mileage car, say 100k to 150k miles, I would imagine that wear and tear may mean the air suspension will need refurbing / maintenance ?

22 hours ago, hprice1099 said:

Couple of decent options with some haggling

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202002046924253?advertising-location=at_cars&radius=1500&year-from=2010&maximum-mileage=125000&postcode=l149lr&price-to=9500&body-type=SUV&make=LEXUS&sort=relevance&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&page=1

 

https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/202003078119480?advertising-location=at_cars&radius=1500&year-from=2010&maximum-mileage=125000&postcode=l149lr&price-to=9500&body-type=SUV&make=LEXUS&sort=relevance&onesearchad=New&onesearchad=Nearly New&onesearchad=Used&page=1

 

Thanks for looking. A couple of interesting suggestions I hadn't seen before at the top end of budget

19 hours ago, olliesgrandad said:

Spark plugs will be due every 60,000 miles so yes is the answer. 

If you can find a good 450h Within budget I would go for it as will be that much more up to date technically. Having said that the condition of the car would be my first consideration. 

Always remember that expensive cars were expensive to repair when new and that doesn't tend to diminish with age 

Thanks for the info on servicing. Good point on the maintenance costs. I am aware hence trying to find one that at least has a full Lexus history which may mean it has been maintained properly

9 hours ago, Prince Bob said:

I had a similar dilemma. You won't ever regret going for the newer car with more tech and stuff you don't really need. If you bought the 400 you will always think what if... Depends how long you intend to keep the car.

The road tax/ved is half the price on the 450......

No cambelt to change

Keyless start, entry, bluetooth audio (400 has tape deck)

Double paned glass

Mirrors auto fold when locking

You can get radar cruise, heads up display.

Maybe try both and see which you prefer, you might prefer the drive of the 400. I told myself the 450 will cost less to run in the long term it's more refined, more tech better safety and be easier to sell when it's time to move on. 

Plenty of deals to be had, I would imagine traders would be biting your hand off after a few quiet months

Some excellent comparison points, particularly the potentially lower running costs

On the point of deals, I wonder how open dealers will be to lower offers. They seem to have held on to their stock during lockdown without lowering prices

[Stefan213]

Milage on my rx450h from 2011 is 122k but in my opinion is that the overal condition and history its more important than the milage

[Spottedlaurel]

5 hours ago, Stefan213 said:

Milage on my rx450h from 2011 is 122k but in my opinion is that the overal condition and history its more important than the milage

Indeed. A low miles car can be neglected/abused, and a high-miler honest and well-maintained.

Before my current RX I had a 14-reg model with relatively low mileage (30-odd thousand from memory), but that had some issues with damage to the underside from a less-than-careful previous owner. The dealer wouldn't fix it so I exchanged it for what I have now.

[F.A.]

On 6/3/2020 at 11:27 PM, Prince Bob said:

I had a similar dilemma. You won't ever regret going for the newer car with more tech and stuff you don't really need. If you bought the 400 you will always think what if... Depends how long you intend to keep the car.

The road tax/ved is half the price on the 450......

No cambelt to change

Keyless start, entry, bluetooth audio (400 has tape deck)

Double paned glass

Mirrors auto fold when locking

You can get radar cruise, heads up display.

Maybe try both and see which you prefer, you might prefer the drive of the 400. I told myself the 450 will cost less to run in the long term it's more refined, more tech better safety and be easier to sell when it's time to move on. 

Plenty of deals to be had, I would imagine traders would be biting your hand off after a few quiet months

 

 

 

 

Double pane glass? I never realised that an RX 450h was available with that opinion. Was it only the SE-L PrMeier that was spec’s with this? 

[Prince Bob]

29 minutes ago, F.A. said:

Double pane glass? I never realised that an RX 450h was available with that opinion. Was it only the SE-L PrMeier that was spec’s with this? 

I have it on my SE-I, so would assume an SE-L premier would have it... Roll the window down half way and run your finger on the edge of the glass and you will feel a ridge, if you look closely you will see 2 panes of glass. It was my pdr guy that pointed this out me. The video link probably explains it better than I can.

 

 

 

[ColinBarber]

All series III RXs have laminated front windows.

[F.A.]

Thank you, you learn something new everyday! 

[Bl1ng]

Having read a bit more, I have decided to up the budget slightly and look for an SE-L without air suspension. I realise they are fairly rare but I am not in a hurry, although I just missed out on one last week. Sods law. That was before I realised what I wanted and to change the budget 😞

[Bl1ng]

Another question, what is the difference between 450h cars pre and post the late 2012 face lift other than the trim changes highlighted in the sticky such as the front grill and a changed in the trim line up ?

Where there improvements to the Hybrid system, the Nav etc ?

[Bl1ng]

Another question related to facelift.

 

Assuming price, condition and servicing are equal, is it worth buying a facelift car with a higher mileage (say 150k) or a pre-facelift with lower mileage (say 100k) ?

[Farqui]

Spy, I'd say that maintenance is key rather than age/mileage (within reason) so check on each vehicles service history or MOT's as they will give you a good idea of the level of care a vehicle has received.

[Bl1ng]

48 minutes ago, Farqui said:

Spy, I'd say that maintenance is key rather than age/mileage (within reason) so check on each vehicles service history or MOT's as they will give you a good idea of the level of care a vehicle has received.

Thanks. Yes, agreed. If both cars were serviced by Lexus annually, except one was pre-facelift and the other post facelift with 50k more miles, would you buy the facelift ?

[hprice1099]

51 minutes ago, Bl1ng said:

Thanks. Yes, agreed. If both cars were serviced by Lexus annually, except one was pre-facelift and the other post facelift with 50k more miles, would you buy the facelift ?

What’s your budget mate? Personally I’d go for the pre-facelift with 50k less miles. I recently made that decision and got a 60 plate with 106k on. With the higher miles you wouldn’t be able to get a Lexus warranty unless bought from Lexus. 

[Farqui]

1 hour ago, Bl1ng said:

Thanks. Yes, agreed. If both cars were serviced by Lexus annually, except one was pre-facelift and the other post facelift with 50k more miles, would you buy the facelift ?

It's up to you if you put credit in the dealers abilities and both are being sold by dealers.

I would also take a close look at the condition as not all owners treat vehicles the same.

Online ads are a great guide but you really need to see the vehicles in person to make a judgement.

If the face lift worth the extra premium to you?  If may/may not give you back a few £'s when you sell if on later (unless you intend to keep it).