Regretting it already ...

is200 Newbie · January 17, 2022

Last year i sold my IS250 and its the only car i can honestly say i was sad to see go. I retired early (wife already retired), we had two cars, so decided to reduce to one as we don't need two anymore. Wife has bad knees from working years in the NHS so we went looking for something that was easy to get in and out of - her car was a bit low and she would not drive mine (which was the reason for me selling it)! So was looking for something with a bit of ground clearance.

Sadly to say we went back to Vauxhall and bought a 2017 Mokka X. I had a Vx for years and years before Lexus and swore i would never buy another one after major issues i had with the Vx which went unresolved and this was directly before i bought my first Lexis (IS200). The only reason going back to Vx was that the Mokka had the ideal height to get in and out of the car.

Well, 6 months of ownership, although the wife drives it a lot more than me, and i can see the experience of owning a Vx again turning sour after issues last week with it that Vx will not entertain and are requesting we pay for something that should have been applied while it was under warranty (a TSB)

Anyway, i did look at the RX models before the Mokka.

I keep finding ones that are well over 100k miles, and i know theres not a lot that go wrong with them over the 100k, can vouch for that after owning two that exceeded this but not having an RX before are they easy to live with.

What in general goes wrong with them assuming they come with a FSH. The ones i have seen are Hybrid, i dont want a diesel so am looking for Petrol / hybrid etc but want something reliable. Is the mileage an issue providing they have been looked after. Looking at between 2010 to 2014 for a model and will probably do around 4k a year in it and would like to keep for a few years .....

First_Lexus · January 17, 2022

Sorry to hear about your Vauxhall woes…

In terms of the RX, I’m sure those with more knowledge will be happy to help. In the meantime, this thread may be of interest.

https://www.lexusownersclub.co.uk/forum/topic/131341-possible-new-rx-owner-any-things-to-watch-out-for/

The-Acre · January 17, 2022

It's so disappointing when a car doesn't work out. I posted recently about my change from owning a Lexus LS and a Volvo V70 to a Honda CR-V. Although there's nothing specifically wrong with the superbly practical Honda, I miss the quality of the aforementioned so tomorrow morning I'm off to see a Volvo XC60. It's a shame you don't want a diesel as the XC may just be ideal for you. I know there is a petrol version but not easy to find. Having said all that, if an RX450h came along in my search, and within my semi retired budget....

royoftherovers · January 17, 2022

2 hours ago, is200 Newbie said:

Last year i sold my IS250 and its the only car i can honestly say i was sad to see go. I retired early (wife already retired), we had two cars, so decided to reduce to one as we don't need two anymore. Wife has bad knees from working years in the NHS so we went looking for something that was easy to get in and out of - her car was a bit low and she would not drive mine (which was the reason for me selling it)! So was looking for something with a bit of ground clearance.

Sadly to say we went back to Vauxhall and bought a 2017 Mokka X. I had a Vx for years and years before Lexus and swore i would never buy another one after major issues i had with the Vx which went unresolved and this was directly before i bought my first Lexis (IS200). The only reason going back to Vx was that the Mokka had the ideal height to get in and out of the car.

Well, 6 months of ownership, although the wife drives it a lot more than me, and i can see the experience of owning a Vx again turning sour after issues last week with it that Vx will not entertain and are requesting we pay for something that should have been applied while it was under warranty (a TSB)

Anyway, i did look at the RX models before the Mokka.

I keep finding ones that are well over 100k miles, and i know theres not a lot that go wrong with them over the 100k, can vouch for that after owning two that exceeded this but not having an RX before are they easy to live with.

What in general goes wrong with them assuming they come with a FSH. The ones i have seen are Hybrid, i dont want a diesel so am looking for Petrol / hybrid etc but want something reliable. Is the mileage an issue providing they have been looked after. Looking at between 2010 to 2014 for a model and will probably do around 4k a year in it and would like to keep for a few years .....

Have you seen this video Noobie ?

First_Lexus · January 17, 2022

1 hour ago, The-Acre said:

It's so disappointing when a car doesn't work out. I posted recently about my change from owning a Lexus LS and a Volvo V70 to a Honda CR-V. Although there's nothing specifically wrong with the superbly practical Honda, I miss the quality of the aforementioned so tomorrow morning I'm off to see a Volvo XC60. It's a shame you don't want a diesel as the XC may just be ideal for you. I know there is a petrol version but not easy to find. Having said all that, if an RX450h came along in my search, and within my semi retired budget....

As much as I love a Volvo - the design and the comfort are almost unrivalled - recently I’ve heard some slightly worrying things. My brother had one (which he loved) as a company lease, and almost every major component was replaced under warranty for one thing or another. It never left him stranded, but something was always going wrong…

A close friend has a new XC40. Again, it’s a lovely car but…lots of minor issues. Nothing major, but why a car was allowed to leave the factory - and got the through a pdi - with poorly fitting bumpers, doors and tailgate, not to mention trim rattles ‘cured’ by the dealer fitting a soft tape around the dashboard? Certainly wouldn’t inspire confidence longer term! The good news is that in both cases the dealer service to resolve the issues was excellent.

Personally I’d take a reliable Japanese car with a lower spec interior over the alternative every time, especially if I was planning to keep it beyond expiry of the warranty. Although tbh I do lust after a mid 2000s V70 or S60…

royoftherovers · January 17, 2022

7 minutes ago, First_Lexus said:

As much as I love a Volvo - the design and the comfort are almost unrivalled - recently I’ve heard some slightly worrying things. My brother had one (which he loved) as a company lease, and almost every major component was replaced under warranty for one thing or another. It never left him stranded, but something was always going wrong…

A close friend has a new XC40. Again, it’s a lovely car but…lots of minor issues. Nothing major, but why a car was allowed to leave the factory - and got the through a pdi - with poorly fitting bumpers, doors and tailgate, not to mention trim rattles ‘cured’ by the dealer fitting a soft tape around the dashboard? Certainly wouldn’t inspire confidence longer term! The good news is that in both cases the dealer service to resolve the issues was excellent.

Personally I’d take a reliable Japanese car with a lower spec interior over the alternative every time, especially if I was planning to keep it beyond expiry of the warranty. Although tbh I do lust after a mid 2000s V70 or S60…

There writes a sensible man, me thinks.

rayaans · January 17, 2022

Theres not much that goes wrong with the RX in general. Parts are fairly expensive mind

I think if you buy one with a good service history, and bypass the highest specification models with the air suspension, then youll be fine.

The-Acre · January 17, 2022

31 minutes ago, First_Lexus said:

As much as I love a Volvo - the design and the comfort are almost unrivalled - recently I’ve heard some slightly worrying things. My brother had one (which he loved) as a company lease, and almost every major component was replaced under warranty for one thing or another. It never left him stranded, but something was always going wrong…

A close friend has a new XC40. Again, it’s a lovely car but…lots of minor issues. Nothing major, but why a car was allowed to leave the factory - and got the through a pdi - with poorly fitting bumpers, doors and tailgate, not to mention trim rattles ‘cured’ by the dealer fitting a soft tape around the dashboard? Certainly wouldn’t inspire confidence longer term! The good news is that in both cases the dealer service to resolve the issues was excellent.

Personally I’d take a reliable Japanese car with a lower spec interior over the alternative every time, especially if I was planning to keep it beyond expiry of the warranty. Although tbh I do lust after a mid 2000s V70 or S60…

I understand that fully, and I believe Volvo are now owned by the Chinese? Being a man of meagre means I'll be looking for an 8-9 year old which is more old school Volvo.

royoftherovers · January 17, 2022

5 minutes ago, The-Acre said:

I understand that fully, and I believe Volvo are now owned by the Chinese? Being a man of meagre means I'll be looking for an 8-9 year old which is more old school Volvo.

Good luck, Phil....https://www.honestjohn.co.uk/carbycar/volvo/xc60-2017/good

Spottedlaurel · January 17, 2022

4 hours ago, is200 Newbie said:

What in general goes wrong with them assuming they come with a FSH. The ones i have seen are Hybrid, i dont want a diesel so am looking for Petrol / hybrid etc but want something reliable. Is the mileage an issue providing they have been looked after. Looking at between 2010 to 2014 for a model and will probably do around 4k a year in it and would like to keep for a few years .....

At that age you'lll be going between pre- and post-update cars - from memory they changed a few things in 2012. I don't anything too significant was revised, so gor whichever is in better condition.

Try to avoid air suspension as noted above, make sure the power tailgate works OK (cold/damp weather seems to bring on a spate of failures each year), otherwise I suppose just look out for the normal things on a used car. Good history, sensibe number of owners who've each kept it for a while, etc.

Watch out for the 12v Battery if it'll go for periods of time without being used.

Will a Lexus approved car be within budget? That'll get you a decent year's warranty, but I believe the Relax warranty will cover you if you have it serviced by a main dealer up to 10 years old, and there's an additional product available at 10+ years old and under 150k miles.

I don't believe mileage should be an issue on a well-maintained example. My 2014 Luxury is admittedly relatively low mileage for its age at around 52k, but I'm planning on keeping it for some years to come and I have no najor concerns about that.

plastic orange · January 18, 2022

Make sure you check for rust underneath and interior water leaks. Try and buy a car from as dry and salt free location as you can find.

Pete

royoftherovers · January 18, 2022

16 minutes ago, plastic orange said:

Make sure you check for rust underneath and interior water leaks. Try and buy a car from as dry and salt free location as you can find.

Pete

Sahara & Patagonia Autos, maybe Peter ?👍👍

plastic orange · January 18, 2022

23 minutes ago, royoftherovers said:

Sahara & Patagonia Autos, maybe Peter ?👍👍

Yes, if possible lol. Seriously though, cars parked beside the sea and cars in areas with heavily salted roads are much worse than those from drier regions. Not too many folk bother to wash down the underside to clear the salt after a drive, and the RX's aren't well protected underneath. Water ingress to interior shouldn't be a thing with modern cars, but our RX leaked like a sieve.

Pete

The-Acre · January 18, 2022

23 minutes ago, plastic orange said:

Yes, if possible lol. Seriously though, cars parked beside the sea and cars in areas with heavily salted roads are much worse than those from drier regions. Not too many folk bother to wash down the underside to clear the salt after a drive, and the RX's aren't well protected underneath. Water ingress to interior shouldn't be a thing with modern cars, but our RX leaked like a sieve.

Pete

You're spot on with that. My Honda was 6 years old when I bought it last year and I was really disappointed to see how much rust had already taken hold underneath what is an immaculate body. I didn't occur to me at the time but after the event I discovered it had spent its life in Scotland! However, I'm pleased to discover in our very strange times that it's worth more now than I paid for it 8k miles ago!

Initial P · January 18, 2022

Guy at work has a Mokka with lots of injector re-placements prior to his ownership, surly its some sort of PUG underneath it all?

As for Volvo I saw on the BBC a few years back that nobody has died in a XC90 RTA since 2002 so at least they really are safe.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-43752226

JamesIS220 · January 18, 2022

Relatives lease their Volvos a XC60 and also a V90. Wife has had 4 XC60 and Husband has V90. Had a few BMW's in their day and Jag E pace. Come back to, or stick with Volvo. Great if you can afford to lease, or new under warranty, then buy another. Say's not had a problem. Owns his own company and has covered 40k a year in the Volvo's at various times when out bringing in new clients.

He loves his Volvo. First owned Volvo was a 1999 V70. I like the models that are rear wheel drive. 240, 740, and 940. Owned all 3 models since 2002. Cheap, under £400 and reliable. Currently have a 1996 Volvo 940. Run in at 207,000. As new as I would go with Volvo is a phase 1 V70.

I also have a Toyota Auris Hybrid.

James.👍