Advice needed - used Rx450h in greater London

[Werewolf334]

Hi 

Hoping for a bit of guidance - I've been redirected to this forum for a used Lexus purchase

We are returning to the UK after a 13-yr break and looking for a family vehicle. Previously, we've owned a GS350 and a GS400 in different countries with good experiences

We're settling in the W3 W5 area of London (call it Acton Ealing Wembley) and need advice on the Rx450h

I've been pushed away from the Lexus diesel towards the hybrids with the CT too small and my wife generally preferring an SUV

Common issues / factoids I've read
1) Brake bark
2) 2011 and later have timing chains (vs belts) - this is better right?
3) Lexus maintenance costs can be pricey

Questions

1) Issues from buying from 3rd party dealers vs Lexus dealers?
2) Is there a sweet spot on age/depreciation vs road tax / MOT concerns?
3) Generally I like to keep my vehicles for a long time but my wife tends to bumper bash a bit and I'd expect the Lexus to take a bit of a beat over time. How does body damage affect the MOT approvals if at all?
4) We'd have off street parking and a tiny garage
- Is this size of vehicle appropriate for on-street parking (going to the shops) / this part of London?
- Is this a real bad idea from a theft / vandalism perspective?
- What about insurance costs - garaged vs off street?
5) Any issues with drive-train?  I cannot find anything on repair costs / frequency of the CVT or the hybrid/batteries
6) Is there a way to diligence the hybrid system before purchase? Can I tell if the batteries are in good nick?

Should we find a couple of good candidate cars - can someone pls recommend a good shop for a pre-purchase inspection in the area?  Many thanks

 

Cheers

J

 

 

 

[royoftherovers]

Morning Jk and welcome back to UK and in particular to the L.O.C.

I can answer some of your questions,but not from the perspective of an RX owner living in London.

We have some excellent members with the answers to your intelligent questions and they will be along shortly, I am sure.Watch this space !

[06_400_h_se]

Hi J, size will not be an issue. That area has plenty of much larger cars (Range Rovers, Q7s, etc.) so I wouldn't worry about that. All cars are subject to vandalism/theft, so I wouldn't let that bother you either - I don't think the Lexus is more or less prone (probably less, other than the Cat thefts). 

[Werewolf334]

Random followup question - pls take a look at the pic - Would the damage to the alloys in the pic pass MOT? 

[The-Acre]

All Lexus wheels corrode, it won't affect the MOT.

[Barry14UK]

As always it helps to know what sort of budget you have and the annual mileage and type of motoring it will be used for mainly.  I must say I was impressed with the NX300h which I had as a loan car while my RX450h was being serviced.  The acceleration was not quite so good as my car but still adequate.  It was also not quite so comfortable which could be a minus for long journeys as could a smaller boot.  However, it looks good and is more maneuverable helped by being smaller.  It's also cheaper, slightly more economical to run and I would think to insure.  Might be worth checking it out as an alternative to an RX,450h.  

[olliesgrandad]

The Big road tax change on any car with a total list price (so that include extras when new) of £40000 or over is 1st April 2017.

My car was registered in January 2017 so I pay £115 a year. 

If the car was a few weeks newer I believe it would be around £500..

 

[Bl1ng]

Hi J,

I live in North London and just this week I have bought an RX450h after looking on and off for a few months.

As well as saloon and estate cars, I have previously owned a Range Rover Sport, a Freelander and a Honda CRV.

None of them have been an issue driving around London, even in central London.

Here are some answers to your questions:

Common issues / factoids I've read
1) Brake bark

I have not come across this
2) 2011 and later have timing chains (vs belts) - this is better right?

2009 onwards is the 450h which has chains. The pre 2009 car was the 400h whch had a cambelt. This needed changing every 100k miles or 10 years, whichever is sooner.

3) Lexus maintenance costs can be pricey

I don't imagine they are any worse than other luxury brands such as Mercedes or Range Rover. In fact, Mercedes are not too bad but Range Rover are quite pricey. Lexus offers service plans that allow you to spread the cost of the servicing over 12 months if budgeting is a worry. Alternatively there is always the independent network of garages.

Questions

1) Issues from buying from 3rd party dealers vs Lexus dealers?

You would normally expect a Lexus dealer car to be better prepared and generally a better car otherwise they should put lower quality cars through an auction or sell it off to some independent dealer they know. Also Lexus dealer cars will come with a good 12 month warranty that is as comprehensive as the new car warranty.

I would always treat a second hand dealer car like a private sale in terms of the checks and inspections I would do on the car. Any recourse via the warranty may offer is a bonus but not be relied upon.
2) Is there a sweet spot on age/depreciation vs road tax / MOT concerns?

If it is a 450h, make sure it has had the 6 year service where the spark plugs need changing. If it is a 400h, make sure it has had the cambelt changed as all will be over 10 years old now.

3) Generally I like to keep my vehicles for a long time but my wife tends to bumper bash a bit and I'd expect the Lexus to take a bit of a beat over time. How does body damage affect the MOT approvals if at all?

Scuffs and bumps won't fail an MT. The MOT is mainly mechanical safety and structural safety eg rust which you shouldn't expect on these cars. Other MOT areas would include lights, seat belts etc

4) We'd have off street parking and a tiny garage
- Is this size of vehicle appropriate for on-street parking (going to the shops) / this part of London?

As mentioned at the start, no problem at all
- Is this a real bad idea from a theft / vandalism perspective?

The only thing to worry about in London is theft. Vandalism not so much unless you are unlucky. I am not sure how popular Lexus are with thieves but I don't imagine they are worse than Range Rovers which are highly targeted. My main worry about these cars is not theft of the car but theft of the catalytic converter. Apparently they are worth quite a bit of money and quick to steal so are a prime target.
- What about insurance costs - garaged vs off street?

Insurance is highly variable so you should get some insurance quotes beforehand using comparison sites such as confused.com, moneysupermarket.com etc
Try variations of on street, driveway and garaged. Garaged should be cheaper but you may find that on street is cheaper than driveway.
What I will say is that I have found these cars more to insure than saloon or estate cars.

5) Any issues with drive-train?  I cannot find anything on repair costs / frequency of the CVT or the hybrid/batteries

I believe these cars are pretty reliable hence not much information on failures. I would imagine a failure is quite rare and therefore you would be unlucky if it did happen. A Lexus extended warranty would cover it though.
6) Is there a way to diligence the hybrid system before purchase? Can I tell if the batteries are in good nick?

If the car is serviced by Lexus it will automatically undergo a Hybrid System Check. If it passes, it receives a certificate and the batteries are then covered under warranty for the next 12 months. Alternatively, you can pay just for the Hybrid System Check at any Lexus dealer. I believe it costs £75.

Should we find a couple of good candidate cars - can someone pls recommend a good shop for a pre-purchase inspection in the area?  Many thanks

I would imagine your best option for a pre-purchase inspection is Lexus Edgeware Road/Jemca

[royoftherovers]

26 minutes ago, Bl1ng said:

Hi J,

I live in North London and just this week I have bought an RX450h after looking on and off for a few months.

As well as saloon and estate cars, I have previously owned a Range Rover Sport, a Freelander and a Honda CRV.

None of them have been an issue driving around London, even in central London.

Here are some answers to your questions:

Common issues / factoids I've read
1) Brake bark

I have not come across this
2) 2011 and later have timing chains (vs belts) - this is better right?

2009 onwards is the 450h which has chains. The pre 2009 car was the 400h whch had a cambelt. This needed changing every 100k miles or 10 years, whichever is sooner.

3) Lexus maintenance costs can be pricey

I don't imagine they are any worse than other luxury brands such as Mercedes or Range Rover. In fact, Mercedes are not too bad but Range Rover are quite pricey. Lexus offers service plans that allow you to spread the cost of the servicing over 12 months if budgeting is a worry. Alternatively there is always the independent network of garages.

Questions

1) Issues from buying from 3rd party dealers vs Lexus dealers?

You would normally expect a Lexus dealer car to be better prepared and generally a better car otherwise they should put lower quality cars through an auction or sell it off to some independent dealer they know. Also Lexus dealer cars will come with a good 12 month warranty that is as comprehensive as the new car warranty.

I would always treat a second hand dealer car like a private sale in terms of the checks and inspections I would do on the car. Any recourse via the warranty may offer is a bonus but not be relied upon.
2) Is there a sweet spot on age/depreciation vs road tax / MOT concerns?

If it is a 450h, make sure it has had the 6 year service where the spark plugs need changing. If it is a 400h, make sure it has had the cambelt changed as all will be over 10 years old now.

3) Generally I like to keep my vehicles for a long time but my wife tends to bumper bash a bit and I'd expect the Lexus to take a bit of a beat over time. How does body damage affect the MOT approvals if at all?

Scuffs and bumps won't fail an MT. The MOT is mainly mechanical safety and structural safety eg rust which you shouldn't expect on these cars. Other MOT areas would include lights, seat belts etc

4) We'd have off street parking and a tiny garage
- Is this size of vehicle appropriate for on-street parking (going to the shops) / this part of London?

As mentioned at the start, no problem at all
- Is this a real bad idea from a theft / vandalism perspective?

The only thing to worry about in London is theft. Vandalism not so much unless you are unlucky. I am not sure how popular Lexus are with thieves but I don't imagine they are worse than Range Rovers which are highly targeted. My main worry about these cars is not theft of the car but theft of the catalytic converter. Apparently they are worth quite a bit of money and quick to steal so are a prime target.
- What about insurance costs - garaged vs off street?

Insurance is highly variable so you should get some insurance quotes beforehand using comparison sites such as confused.com, moneysupermarket.com etc
Try variations of on street, driveway and garaged. Garaged should be cheaper but you may find that on street is cheaper than driveway.
What I will say is that I have found these cars more to insure than saloon or estate cars.

5) Any issues with drive-train?  I cannot find anything on repair costs / frequency of the CVT or the hybrid/batteries

I believe these cars are pretty reliable hence not much information on failures. I would imagine a failure is quite rare and therefore you would be unlucky if it did happen. A Lexus extended warranty would cover it though.
6) Is there a way to diligence the hybrid system before purchase? Can I tell if the batteries are in good nick?

If the car is serviced by Lexus it will automatically undergo a Hybrid System Check. If it passes, it receives a certificate and the batteries are then covered under warranty for the next 12 months. Alternatively, you can pay just for the Hybrid System Check at any Lexus dealer. I believe it costs £75.

Should we find a couple of good candidate cars - can someone pls recommend a good shop for a pre-purchase inspection in the area?  Many thanks

I would imagine your best option for a pre-purchase inspection is Lexus Edgeware Road/Jemca

QUITE SIMPLY, A BRILLIANT ANSWER.I GIVE IT AN A++.

[Mindthegap]

19 hours ago, royoftherovers said:

QUITE SIMPLY, A BRILLIANT ANSWER.I GIVE IT AN A++.

I've got the "brake bark" problem on my 2013 at the moment and it is going into the dealer this week for them to investigate. I posted the problem on here and no one else seems to have come across it but a quick Google shows it to be common but seems to be more in the US for some reason?

Will update once my car has been looked at.

[flookyk]

12 minutes ago, Mindthegap said:

I've got the "brake bark" problem on my 2013 at the moment and it is going into the dealer this week for them to investigate. I posted the problem on here and no one else seems to have come across it but a quick Google shows it to be common but seems to be more in the US for some reason?

Will update once my car has been looked at.

What exactly is this parking brake problem?

[Mindthegap]

58 minutes ago, flookyk said:

What exactly is this parking brake problem?

It is the foot brake rather than parking brake and appears to be do to with the "brake actuator" which also happens to be a very expensive part.

My thread is here -