Advice before purchasing.

[TheSalmon]

Hi all you smart people!

I have been active without an account on this wonderful forum for years, and now i need your advice.

 

I am from Sweden, and to be Frank, Lexus is not a big deal here (not so smart people!), and i can not decide what model to purchase.

 

It stands between the following models:

 

Lexus GS450h 2013 (12"3 inch audio system, leather seats etc) with 80778 miles on the clock. The car is being sold by a Lexus dealer with SELECT guarantee (which is til the car is 10 years OR 125K miles)? 

It was listed for 17800£ but i managed to get it down to 15400£. Is that price fair for a 11 year old GS450H?

Or:

IS300h 2.5 executive 2015 with 67k miles. Price is 14600£.

And lastly:

Lexus IS250 f-sport 2014 with 59k miles for 14400£.

 

I took a short drive in the IS250 and 300, and i really liked both cars. I think the 300 was a bit nicer, but the 250 didnt disappoint. A bit on the small side maybe.

I have not been able to test drive the 450h since there are only 12 on the market in the entire country, but i have basically read every review, watched every video and talked to a employee at Lexus who said: "i cant tell you what car you should choose, they all have their own identities".

Now, since i cant test the 450h, how much am i missing, especially coming from a 2019 fully equipped Seat Leon Cupra? Is the price good, and is it worth it, considering its an older car with more miles on it? 

Any feedback would be greatly appreciated! Drive safe!

 

 

 

[Mr Vlad]

Hi Thimmy and finally welcome to the best Lexus forum there is to which I know you know it is.

I'm a little surprised that you think the is250 is a little small because you have a Seat Cupra. 

If you feel that then surely the is300h felt a little small yes?

Which leaves the GS450h. If physical size is important the the GS is the one to go for. To put it bluntly it'll wipe the floor with the Seat hands down. 

[TheSalmon]

1 hour ago, Mr Vlad said:

Hi Thimmy and finally welcome to the best Lexus forum there is to which I know you know it is.

I'm a little surprised that you think the is250 is a little small because you have a Seat Cupra. 

If you feel that then surely the is300h felt a little small yes?

Which leaves the GS450h. If physical size is important the the GS is the one to go for. To put it bluntly it'll wipe the floor with the Seat hands down. 

Puh, thank you for your response. The Cupra and IS are different cars, obviously, since my Cupra was a station wagon, but it felt more spacious than both IS.

 

We do take several road trips each year and comfort, speed and audio are three important boxes that needs to be ticked, in that order.

Im just curious about the age and miles of the cars (even though Lexus runs forever) and the price tags. 15400£ is alot for a 11+ year old car with 80k miles, no?

I have a poor understanding of the used prices for Lexus, so i dont want to pay an overprice for an older car, thats why i am asking if the IS who has run less and are a bit newer is a wiser choice, of the expense of comfort and speed.

[Mr Vlad]

Hi Thimmy. I didn't know your cupra was a station wagon (estate here in England).

Sweden must charge more for used Lexus. Have a look in the UK version of Auto Trader for comparison. 

Both IS cars are great for long distances. As for audio best go for Premier trim. They have Mark Levinson system and it's outstanding. 

The GS450h would be the one to go for. You've knocked the price down quite a lot. Plus it's oh so relaxing to drive and shifts when you press the gas pedal. 

Of the 3 models you've highlighted only the is250 has a proper automatic gearbox. The other 2 are CVT. So bear that in mind.

[TheSalmon]

2 hours ago, Mr Vlad said:

Hi Thimmy. I didn't know your cupra was a station wagon (estate here in England).

Sweden must charge more for used Lexus. Have a look in the UK version of Auto Trader for comparison. 

Both IS cars are great for long distances. As for audio best go for Premier trim. They have Mark Levinson system and it's outstanding. 

The GS450h would be the one to go for. You've knocked the price down quite a lot. Plus it's oh so relaxing to drive and shifts when you press the gas pedal. 

Of the 3 models you've highlighted only the is250 has a proper automatic gearbox. The other 2 are CVT. So bear that in mind.

Thank you so much for your response!!!

 

I just talked to the dealer for the GS450h and he said that the Lexus SELECT expired last year in september, so its weird that they had it in the ad. 

 

I want the GS, but without any warranties and 80.000+ miles, 11 years old, it worth the risk? How expensive can it become? The car has always been served at Lexus and the Battery had been checked every service but never replaced.

[Mr Vlad]

It's ok. I suggest you look in the GS section of the forum. There you'll find great people to advise you on the GS450h. As for a Battery change. Only the 12v one would need charging around 5-8 years. The main traction Battery should be fine for decades. 

Go to the GS section for much more information than I can give.

[TheSalmon]

40 minutes ago, Mr Vlad said:

It's ok. I suggest you look in the GS section of the forum. There you'll find great people to advise you on the GS450h. As for a battery change. Only the 12v one would need charging around 5-8 years. The main traction battery should be fine for decades. 

Go to the GS section for much more information than I can give.

Thank you again, Vlad!

I really appreciate the feedback.