Contemplating IS to RX ... good move?

Sundance · December 10, 2022

I'm a current owner of a very low mileage well kept & maintained '06 IS250 SE-L having jumped ship from Jaguar just over 2yrs ago.

I'm sold on Lexus but I'm not a small guy plus not getting any younger so am finding the low entry and B pillar increasingly tricky to negotiate.

I've been looking around and beginning to really fancy a sub-100k '07/'08 RX400h on a £7,500 budget.

Have researched and there seem quite a few that suffer from sub-frame and structural corrosion (no thanks!). I'm also looking out for sunroof leak issues, ensuring cambelt & water pump change if more than 60k with regular servicing a gimme.

What else can trip me up? Drawbacks? Air suspension (not sure if this is relevant on the 400)? And what is this 'B' gear all about?

Any guidance from you lovely RX owners out there would be gratefully received and thoroughly digested. 🙂

katabrontes · December 10, 2022

Look for a good RX350!

Bluemarlin · December 10, 2022

Just over a year ago I was in a similar position, going from a Jaguar to a Lexus.

I also gave myself a similar budget, and so was initially looking at RX300's and 400h's. I too was concerned about corrosion, leaks and other potential pitfalls, so was looking for cars without a sunroof, air suspension, and away from coastal areas and the coldest parts of the country.

In the end I decided to up my budget by a couple of thousand, to try and minimise any risk, and went for a 450h instead.

Given that I intend to keep the car for a while, I thought it made sense as, firstly I might lose any savings if I was hit with big problems on an older car, and secondly, I could get a few years peace of mind with the 10 year plus extended warranty on something newer.

A year down the road and I've forgottten about the extra initial outlay, and am glad I made the choice I did. It might not be an option you favour, but just thought I'd add a different perspective to consider.

Sundance · December 10, 2022

49 minutes ago, katabrontes said:

Look for a good RX350!

Interesting idea Michael but I flatly refuse to pay £630pa road tax!

The quoted mpg economy figures don't really float my boat either.

Which are two good reasons why my preference is for a 400h.

But thanks anyway 😉.

Sundance · December 10, 2022

49 minutes ago, Bluemarlin said:

Just over a year ago I was in a similar position, going from a Jaguar to a Lexus.

I also gave myself a similar budget, and so was initially looking at RX300's and 400h's. I too was concerned about corrosion, leaks and other potential pitfalls, so was looking for cars without a sunroof, air suspension, and away from coastal areas and the coldest parts of the country.

In the end I decided to up my budget by a couple of thousand, to try and minimise any risk, and went for a 450h instead.

Given that I intend to keep the car for a while, I thought it made sense as, firstly I might lose any savings if I was hit with big problems on an older car, and secondly, I could get a few years peace of mind with the 10 year plus extended warranty on something newer.

A year down the road and I've forgottten about the extra initial outlay, and am glad I made the choice I did. It might not be an option you favour, but just thought I'd add a different perspective to consider.

Hmmm ... 🤔

The struggle with that (if AutoTrader is anything to go by) is finding a 450h under £10k and under 100k miles. They certainly do a lot of miles don't they? 🤨

Spottedlaurel · December 10, 2022

20 minutes ago, Sundance said:

Hmmm ... 🤔

The struggle with that (if AutoTrader is anything to go by) is finding a 450h under £10k and under 100k miles. They certainly do a lot of miles don't they? 🤨

It's because they're so good at what they do! By coincidence I was talking about this with my son on the way home, as I'm using mine a lot more now with journeys of 40+ miles each time replacing the 10-mile trips I used to. But does it matter? It's only warmed-up once per journey, and being a hybrid the engine won't have been continuously running.

The flipside is something low mileage that has only been used on short trips and not often properly got up to temperature. Put it into regular use and then a series of issues come to light.

I wouldn't be too worried by something that has good service history and evidence of owners who've each kept it for a decent length of time.

Prices of them do seem to be dropping a bit, at least compared to a few months ago.

Bluemarlin · December 11, 2022

14 hours ago, Sundance said:

Hmmm ... 🤔

The struggle with that (if AutoTrader is anything to go by) is finding a 450h under £10k and under 100k miles. They certainly do a lot of miles don't they? 🤨

True, but they do crop up. Mine was bang on £10k, with 96k miles, fsh, well looked after (looked almost new) and one owner.

Thing is, you have to be quick, I was the first to call when the ad went up. I wouldn't be too concerned with a little over 100k miles, as that tends to have a psychological effect on prices, and would focus mainly on service history and condition. Obviously I'd still be concerned about corrosion and so would look out for anything beyond any normal surface rust on the underbody. Worst areas to have it would be the sills and wheels arches in my experience. Most other things can be covered by the extended warranty.

Whichever model you go for, check under the front and rear mats for any signs of damp or water ingress, as well as under all the covers in the cargo area.

Sundance · December 11, 2022

Do I need to worry about Battery life on these hybrids? I seem to remember reading somewhere that their life expectancy (or maybe it was Warranty?) does not extend far beyond 100k miles ... and they're not cheap to replace I gather.

Herbie · December 11, 2022

30 minutes ago, Sundance said:

Do I need to worry about battery life on these hybrids? I seem to remember reading somewhere that their life expectancy (or maybe it was Warranty?) does not extend far beyond 100k miles ... and they're not cheap to replace I gather.

Many people, both in here and in the Facebook group, are well over the 200k-250k miles mark without problems, so don't worry about that. Even if it does go it would be unlucky for the whole Battery pack to be faulty, so you can buy and replace individual cell blocks for about £30-£50 on eBay.

Bluemarlin · December 11, 2022

Warranty is 15yrs/150k miles, as long as you get an annual health check, which is free with a dealer service, otherwise about £60.

As Herbie says though, there are now third parties who can supply and/or replace faulty cells. I don't really worry about it anymore than I would about transmission or any other mechanical failure on a non hybrid.

Prince Bob · December 11, 2022

19 hours ago, Sundance said:

I'm a current owner of a very low mileage well kept & maintained '06 IS250 SE-L having jumped ship from Jaguar just over 2yrs ago.

I'm sold on Lexus but I'm not a small guy plus not getting any younger so am finding the low entry and B pillar increasingly tricky to negotiate.

I've been looking around and beginning to really fancy a sub-100k '07/'08 RX400h on a £7,500 budget.

Have researched and there seem quite a few that suffer from sub-frame and structural corrosion (no thanks!). I'm also looking out for sunroof leak issues, ensuring cambelt & water pump change if more than 60k with regular servicing a gimme.

What else can trip me up? Drawbacks? Air suspension (not sure if this is relevant on the 400)? And what is this 'B' gear all about?

Any guidance from you lovely RX owners out there would be gratefully received and thoroughly digested. 🙂

If I were you I'd be considering a 450, you'll appreciate the double pane glass, keyless entry/start, parking sensors, auto fold mirrors over a 400. No cambelt changes to worry about either. You will lose out on a tape deck though! Nothing rides like a Jag so expect a firmer ride than you are used to in the RX...

Haven't heard of any issues with the hybrid Battery, however the 12v Battery is not cheap.

Some models do come with air suspension which isn't cheap to fix, however issues do seen rare.

Lex_utor · December 11, 2022

I also just bought my first Lexus a little over a year ago. IS250 as well. Loving it. Don't know when I will replace it But I'm sticking to saloons. But loving it so much that I'm thinking of moving my wife to a Lexus too. For her it would need to be one of the SUVs. But I haven't seriously looked into any yet. So I will be watching this thread. 😉

Sundance · December 11, 2022

5 hours ago, Prince Bob said:

If I were you I'd be considering a 450, you'll appreciate the double pane glass, keyless entry/start, parking sensors, auto fold mirrors over a 400. No cambelt changes to worry about either. You will lose out on a tape deck though! Nothing rides like a Jag so expect a firmer ride than you are used to in the RX...

Haven't heard of any issues with the hybrid battery, however the 12v battery is not cheap.

Some models do come with air suspension which isn't cheap to fix, however issues do seen rare.

As I implied earlier Robert, I consider £630pa road tax a complete rip-off so the 450 is not for me.

I have a feeling that parking sensors are included as part of the 400h pack and that air suspension was a not overly popular feature of the 300 (or was it the 350?) and not the 400h.

I'm sure others more expert than me will correct me if I'm in error.

Prince Bob · December 11, 2022

3 minutes ago, Sundance said:

As I implied earlier Robert, I consider £630pa road tax a complete rip-off so the 450 is not for me.

I have a feeling that parking sensors are included as part of the 400h pack and that air suspension was a not overly popular feature of the 300 (or was it the 350?) and not the 400h.

I'm sure others more expert than me will correct me if I'm in error.

Road tax is not £630 on a 450 its about £170, emissions are are only 148g km. I agree £630 is a rip off and I certainly would not have purchased a 450 if road tax/ved was that high.

The 350 is £630 due to age of car and high emissions (264g km).

The 300 is £360, (288g km). 300 was a lovely car but found it slow & thirsty (20ish mpg)

Air suspension not avaliable on the 400h, standard on SEL trims on 300/350. Parking sensors were dealer option.

GSLV6 · December 11, 2022

Just do it. Read this from today:

In 35 years of motoring, the 450h has frequently lulled me into a false sense of security in terms of how outright capable, comfortable, rapid when needed, load hauling, mile munching, reliable and thoroughly enjoyable car it is. I chose the F-Sport model for better handling at the expense of plusher suspension due to far less body roll but that aside it is without a shadow of a doubt one of motoring's all time classic gems of a car. It handles well enough to make a lie out of the number of journos taking one for a 10 mile spin who say otherwise and whilst no sports coupe, it can be pushed with some rapidity on B roads, cruises effortlessly, all day, in relative silence at motorway speeds, carries a shed load of cargo with the rear seats folded down and offers rear passengers legroom and comfort like few others. It's quick off the lights if that matters, overtakes with relative ease thanks to huge torque on tap and (relatively speaking) sips fuel at 30mpg which betters some 3 litre diesel competitors in fuel cost/mile. The question is "why wouldn't you?", and not "why would you?". It does all this in luxury with all the usual gadgets and the best seats in the business.

Sundance · December 12, 2022

10 hours ago, Prince Bob said:

Road tax is not £630 on a 450 its about £170, emissions are are only 148g km. I agree £630 is a rip off and I certainly would not have purchased a 450 if road tax/ved was that high.

The 350 is £630 due to age of car and high emissions (264g km).

The 300 is £360, (288g km). 300 was a lovely car but found it slow & thirsty (20ish mpg)

Air suspension not avaliable on the 400h, standard on SEL trims on 300/350. Parking sensors were dealer option.

Thanks Robert, so I stand corrected on road tax, not sure where I got my facts from.

But then glancing through some 450's currently on sale I can't seem to find one within my budget that's travelled less than 150k miles and whilst they may indeed be well maintained "they'll go on forever" types I really don't want to buy any car with that sort of mileage.

royoftherovers · December 12, 2022

18 hours ago, Herbie said:

Many people, both in here and in the Facebook group, are well over the 200k-250k miles mark without problems, so don't worry about that. Even if it does go it would be unlucky for the whole battery pack to be faulty, so you can buy and replace individual cell blocks for about £30-£50 on eBay.

Our Member is Richard of Hybrid Battery Solutions near Northampton.

https://www.hybridbatterysolutions.co.uk/

royoftherovers · December 12, 2022

On 12/10/2022 at 9:34 PM, Sundance said:

I'm a current owner of a very low mileage well kept & maintained '06 IS250 SE-L having jumped ship from Jaguar just over 2yrs ago.

I'm sold on Lexus but I'm not a small guy plus not getting any younger so am finding the low entry and B pillar tricky to negotiate.

I've been looking around and beginning to really fancy a sub-100k '07/'08 RX400h on a £7,500 budget.

Have researched and there seem quite a few that suffer from sub-frame and structural corrosion (no thanks!). I'm also looking out for sunroof leak issues, ensuring cambelt & water pump change if more than 60k with regular servicing a gimme.

What else can trip me up? Drawbacks? Air suspension (not sure if this is relevant on the 400)? And what is this 'B' gear all about?

Any guidance from you lovely RX owners out there would be gratefully received and thoroughly digested. 🙂

Is NX too small Sundance ?

Sundance · December 12, 2022

19 minutes ago, royoftherovers said:

Is NX too small Sundance ?

I've not considered an NX John, mainly because even the oldest would be well over my budget and even then, looking at the model, it looks very much as if that B pillar may be an issue, as previously explained.

Bluemarlin · December 12, 2022

4 hours ago, Sundance said:

Thanks Robert, so I stand corrected on road tax, not sure where I got my facts from.

But then glancing through some 450's currently on sale I can't seem to find one within my budget that's travelled less than 150k miles and whilst they may indeed be well maintained "they'll go on forever" types I really don't want to buy any car with that sort of mileage.

I think you'd struggle to get a 450h on your budget of £7.5k. I just had a look on Autotrader and the cheapest ones under 120k miles (which would probably be my limit, were just under £10k.

Sundance · December 14, 2022

I think I may have found my RX 🤞 so my much loved and well maintained lovely IS250 is now in the 'For Sale' section.

Sundance · December 19, 2022

The deed is done. Never thought it would happen so quickly but I'm now the proud owner of a 2007 RX400h SR (and an IS250 ... that's for sale). I'm not a dealer, honest! 🙃

Good history (but not all Lexus), 83k miles, 'green' MOTs for last 5 years (no advisories - BIG plus - no corrosion!); new plugs ... done; new cam belt & water pump ... done; new rear brake pads ... done; no sun roof (👏); collection drive 80 miles (mainly motorway) ... 34mpg. Can't complain at that.

It drives beautifully and is very comfortable. Bodywork is excellent for a 15 year old car. The leather front seats need some attention and the top of the headlight glasses need a refresh but my pet detailer will sort all that and bring the RX back to life.

Thus far I'm a happy bunny. But what have I missed? Time will tell. 😊

Spottedlaurel · December 20, 2022

Well done! Look forward to seeing photos.

Sundance · December 20, 2022

13 hours ago, Spottedlaurel said:

Well done! Look forward to seeing photos.

I collected the car from 80 miles away yesterday and the weather was wet & windy plus the motorway spray was significant - when we were moving that is 🙄 ! After that it doesn't look pretty and won't be detailed for several weeks at which time a few photos may sprout forth. 😉

katabrontes · December 20, 2022

Hi Rowley

I hope the 400 is a great success and you are happy with it.

As to the road tax after noting that e-card are now to be taxed I wonder how long the reduced rates for " low emission" cars will last. I note that the first year premium on " expensive cars" (most e ones) also applies to electric cars. As the road tax take continues to fall it is likely that more concessions will be withdrawn.

When I bought my 350 it would have cost about £8K more to buy a 450. So far the saving has easily covered the extra tax and small extra fuel cost. I will keep it a few more years and will then have to change it for a 450 but I think the only benefit will be the redesigned door cills and the convenient camera in the wing mirrors. I will still use my TomTom for navigation.