I am Looking to buy a older Lexus any recommendations

[Kalpesh]

Apologies if I should have posted somewhere else.

Im looking for a car as I havent had one for about 3 years and would appreciate any comments/recommendations please.

1) Infrequent town driving, maybe  a couple of times a week with maybe a long distrance motorway run once a month.

2) Reliabiliy is important.

3) Comfort.

Ive narrowed it down to GS 300/3.5 or IS 250.

My budget is 5k-8k.

I really like the and have seen a GS 300 SE-L, 2005, 78k miles in very nice condition, its currently £5.7k which is in budget but for some reason I keep telling myself thats too much for a car that old.

I havent test drove it yet becaue I want to do more research on things to check when I go and see it.

 

Edited February 16 by Kalpesh
slight change

[Linas.P]

Not sure what you mean by GS300/3.5. In UK we only got GS300 which is 3L. We did not get GS350, which would be better choice of the two. Do you mean GS450h (which is 3.5L)?

I have extensive knowledge of both GS300 and IS250, actually own both at the moment.

GS300 is more comfortable and larger of two cars, but it does feel much older inside and drives more like old car, although extra 50hp does make it feel much better in terms of performance. My main issue with IS250 was that it always felt to me like it is little bit low on power, it is okey, but it is borderline slow. That is not an issue with GS300 - it has plenty of torque and plenty of power, but it is more of a "boat". That said GS300 comfortably seats 4 adults for long journey. That said 3L v6 in GS300 sort of caps out at 36-38MPG and you can expect maybe 24MPG average.

IS250 feels much more modern car, it is sportier, handles better, is sharper, but it is slightly lower to the ground, harder, less comfortable and rear seats are a bit of compromise. They are decent, I have been on long trips with 4 adults in IS250 as well and it was okey, but if in GS300 nobody cars if they sit in front or in the back, then I am quite sure people would prefer to sit in front in IS250 and I also had to sometimes move my seat as a driver little bit forward. IS250 in this case is much more economical, the best I have seen was 44MPG, average over thousands of miles was ~28MPG.

Now the key for this choice is the price, GS300 is just much better value for money... I had 2x GS300 I paid £750 for one (turned out to be for scrap really, but I really bought it for parts and it is still on the road to my surprise) and I paid £1000 for second car which was 80k miles, had few small issues, but generally solid car. So GS300 is unique in this way that you can find real bargains if you spend some time looking, no other Lexus model is so undervalued. So £2000-3000 should easily buy you decent GS300. IS250 automatic - you looking at £1000-£1500 more, so £3000-4500 I would say. Considering they are equally as reliable and good cars GS being more comfortable boaty and slightly less economical and IS being more sportier, more economical and less comfortable... I would say GS is better VALUE. That said I am looking at fixing my IS250 and maybe engine swapping it for 3L or 3.5L as I personally prefer driving IS... but I just can deny amazing value that can be found in GS.

£8000 budget is way too much for these cars in my opinion. For £8000 I would really be looking at GS450h from 2012 (I know they are more like £11,000-£12,000 at the moment, but I would be monitoring if any come in for cheaper). Also you could probably get GS250 for £8000, which would be better car than both GS300/IS250 even if it is little bit underpowered. Basically what I am saying - value in Lexus is getting higher mile, cheaper ones with service history. Buying lower miles later year models is really diminishing returns, cheaper cars will be 99% as good, as long they were maintained. I definitely would not pay £5,700 for GS300, £3500 tops.

[hybridbatterysolutions]

Well for my money it's got to be the GS450h if you want comfort speed & reliability. I regret the day I sold mine for a fling with an SC430 which is not a patch on the GS.

[Mossypossy]

I went from GS450h to SC430 and am pretty happy. I think SC will still be alive at 25 years old. GS would be long dead/ uneconomic.

[Kalpesh]

Thank you all for such a quick response, you have been very helpful.

 

@ Linas.P, yep I did mean the 450. (Watching too many youtube GS vids these last few days, mostly American.)

I guess I was also looking for some external guidance on the 5.7k  pricing which you have kindly confirmed.  I have a history of overpaying for cars as I dont do enough research and am impatient.  I will keep my eyes out for something a bit cheaper.  🙂

Once again thank you ALL for your replies.

[Mossypossy]

Remember GS450h has a tiny boot for a big car!

Not as tiny as SC though!

[Linas.P]

GS450h is great car, but it is much more complicated than IS250/GS300 e.g. if Battery fails on GS450h then it cost as much as whole GS300 to fix. I am not saying they are unreliable, or that they do fail often, but when they do they are much more complicated and more expensive to fix. Also the cars are now getting to 18 years old, so it is kind of inevitable to have some sort of issues and all those issues on GS450h will be more complicated to fix than absolutelly basic GS300. 

2005-2011 GS450h has many great things about it, but cheap to maintain and fix is not one of them, so you just need to pray nothing goes wrong. 2012+ GS450h seems to be slightly more reliable than older model (again I am not saying old model is unreliable car by any means), perhaps because it is not as old yet.

[LenT]

12 hours ago, Kalpesh said:

Im looking for a car as I havent had one for about 3 years and would appreciate any comments/recommendations please.

You haven’t mentioned where you’re looking or how far you’re prepared to travel.  So apart from all the excellent advice others have already provided, might I suggest you look at the Autotrader web site - if you haven’t already done so.

It seems to be well regarded among Members.

Or, of course, the For Sale section here!

My preference would be the IS250 - but as that’s the only Lexus I’ve owned, what do I know!  😊

[hybridbatterysolutions]

I think we will have to agree to disagree on that one.

[hybridbatterysolutions]

There is no reason why a GS in good hands cant last at least as long as an SC & economy wise given the SC's consumption around town I suspect the two models would break even if not even slightly better for the GS 

 

[Linas.P]

6 hours ago, hybridbatterysolutions said:

There is no reason why a GS in good hands cant last at least as long as an SC & economy wise given the SC's consumption around town I suspect the two models would break even if not even slightly better for the GS 

I don't think anyone suggested that GS450h can't last as long as 3UZ equipped GS430 or SC430. That said GS450h was first Lexus hybrid and there were things that Lexus has refined over the time, which makes 4th gen GS450h one of the best cars Lexus has ever made, but makes 3rd generation a little bit of odd car. Not necessarily bad, just different.

Also when we are talking about 18 years old cars, "good hands" are really secondarily importance, because by this point these cars are almost inevitably neglected by one of many owners they had. So whereas it is possible to pick well maintained 10 years old car with maybe 2 owners, it becomes exponentially harder to find such cars after that and their cost usually don't represent good value. This is okey for IS250 and GS300 that are fundamentally simple cars without much to go wrong, but GS450h is not a simple car, there are things that could go wrong and they can cost a lot to get right.

[Kalpesh]

On 2/17/2024 at 1:39 AM, LenT said:

You haven’t mentioned where you’re looking or how far you’re prepared to travel.  So apart from all the excellent advice others have already provided, might I suggest you look at the Autotrader web site - if you haven’t already done so.

It seems to be well regarded among Members.

Or, of course, the For Sale section here!

My preference would be the IS250 - but as that’s the only Lexus I’ve owned, what do I know!  😊

Im near Bolton, ideally looking anywhere in the north west but prepared to travel.

I will take a look at the For Sale Section Thank you 

I have been looking daily on Autotrader to keep an eye out for something of interest.  That 5.7k GS I mentioned in my initiall post now apperas to have dissapeared so assuming its sold.  Both the GS and IS are lovely looking cars imo.

Im trying to avoid looking at the 450h as Im most likely going to pick the lemon due to limited car knowledge.

[LenT]

1 hour ago, Kalpesh said:

Im trying to avoid looking at the 450h as Im most likely going to pick the lemon due to limited car knowledge

You should be safe enough if you’re buying from a Lexus Dealer.  And Autotrader does seem to go into some detail in order to accurately describe the car’s condition.

If you belong to a motoring organisation - The AA, for example - you can arrange for them to inspect the vehicle for you.

I don’t think you’ve mentioned how many passengers will regularly use it.  When I saw my IS250 it was to replace a similarly sized Honda Accord.  As there’s rarely more than two of us in it, it’s the perfect size.

Since buying it, Lexus MK has regularly tried to interest me in a newer Lexus.  But the IS300 is bigger than we need and anything that looks like an SUV MrsT finds more difficult to climb in to.  So the choice almost makes itself!

 

[Mr Vlad]

Hi Kalpesh. If you're Rochdale side of Bolton and you see a car you fancy and want an experienced Lexus owner to come along and advise then feel free to message me.

You've had excellent response to your enquiry. And you have a healthy budget.

Since 8k is your top number I suggest look at a 6k car with a very good body and service history and you'll have 2k to make it perfect. 

[Malc1]

Kalpesh hi,   Are you looking for a 2 person or a Family size car or SUV, big boot maybe ?  …… Older cars might have far less electronicory  to go wrong  🤔 and reading here of more modern Lexii costing shed loads £££££ to keep going, maintenance whatever ……. Older Lexus, the older the better, if still on the road, might last you a very long time and huge miles ……. Later models could never replicate the sturdiness of the original models …… there’s still some around that would last you for as long as you wished AND hold their value too probably ….. and give you great reliability  too 

Malc 

[eric skerritt]

Have a look at Good Motors in Bury who seem to have a regular stock of various Lexus models at any one time. Never used them myself but I would think they are picking up p/ex cars from main dealers. Obviously main dealer is preferred but just an option.

[steve2006]

On 2/16/2024 at 9:22 PM, Mossypossy said:

Remember GS450h has a tiny boot for a big car!

Not as tiny as SC though!

Funnily enough I still remember the launch evening at Lexus Derby for the GS450h when one of the invitees suggested they try to fit the Lexus branded golf trolley and clubs in the boot. That was a viral YouTube moment missed 😀

[Kalpesh]

On 2/18/2024 at 6:07 PM, LenT said:

You should be safe enough if you’re buying from a Lexus Dealer.  And Autotrader does seem to go into some detail in order to accurately describe the car’s condition.

If you belong to a motoring organisation - The AA, for example - you can arrange for them to inspect the vehicle for you.

I don’t think you’ve mentioned how many passengers will regularly use it.  When I saw my IS250 it was to replace a similarly sized Honda Accord.  As there’s rarely more than two of us in it, it’s the perfect size.

Since buying it, Lexus MK has regularly tried to interest me in a newer Lexus.  But the IS300 is bigger than we need and anything that looks like an SUV MrsT finds more difficult to climb in to.  So the choice almost makes itself!

Thank you for your post. 🙂

There are 2 of us who would use the car, though my wife has a Polo that shes uses to cummute.  I work from home 90% of the time and its easier/cheaper to trvel by train when I do need to go to the office.  The car I hopefully buy will be mainly for longer trips we do, e.g maybe a once every 2 month 500 mile motorway round trip,  I will probably use it to get out of the house once or twice a week locally.

Ill keep my eyes out on Autotrader.

 

 

 

[Kalpesh]

On 2/23/2024 at 1:45 PM, Mr Vlad said:

Hi Kalpesh. If you're Rochdale side of Bolton and you see a car you fancy and want an experienced Lexus owner to come along and advise then feel free to message me.

You've had excellent response to your enquiry. And you have a healthy budget.

Since 8k is your top number I suggest look at a 6k car with a very good body and service history and you'll have 2k to make it perfect. 

Very good advice and thank you so much for your kind offer.

Thankfully Im not in a rush so am trying to watch as much on youtube and reading up to become a bit more savvy myself, plus the guidance and tips you wonderful people is proving invaluable.

Thank you once again.

[Kalpesh]

23 hours ago, Malc1 said:

Kalpesh hi,   Are you looking for a 2 person or a Family size car or SUV, big boot maybe ?  …… Older cars might have far less electronicory  to go wrong  🤔 and reading here of more modern Lexii costing shed loads £££££ to keep going, maintenance whatever ……. Older Lexus, the older the better, if still on the road, might last you a very long time and huge miles ……. Later models could never replicate the sturdiness of the original models …… there’s still some around that would last you for as long as you wished AND hold their value too probably ….. and give you great reliability  too 

Malc 

Hi Malc,

Might seem odd given my previous post, but have to say family size car, as we volunteer once a month and need to carry quite a lot of food and boxes to Manchester, so need a bit of space in the boot and back seats.   (The polo handles this fine with the back seats down.)  Plus would need space as my wife likes to do a lot of that food shopping whiles on our 500 round trip.  So Im discounting a 2 person car.

 

[Malc1]

Well you know I’m an older Ls400 aficionado 🤣  …… go test drive one maybe 🤔

Malc 

[Kalpesh]

23 hours ago, eric skerritt said:

Have a look at Good Motors in Bury who seem to have a regular stock of various Lexus models at any one time. Never used them myself but I would think they are picking up p/ex cars from main dealers. Obviously main dealer is preferred but just an option.

Thanks I will have a look at their site.

[Malc1]

3 minutes ago, Malc1 said:

Well you know I’m an older Ls400 aficionado 🤣  …… go test drive one maybe 🤔

Malc 

There’s maybe a 95 car coming up for sale at Lytham St Anne’s shortly ….. if that’s close’ish to you 

see the posts on here about it if you’re interested 🤔

Malc 

[Kalpesh]

Just an update to my search if anyones interested (probably not! :))

Went out today to have a look at a few 250 IS just to remind how they felt to sit inside.

The front seating is amazing, so comfortable and stylish.  Its amazing how Lexus managed to put this amount of luxury in cars 17+ years old and the fittings look almost like new.  The right passenger door inerior arm rest probably the only thing I didnt feel 100% comfortable with.  I tend to rest my arm on it whilst driving.

The back although comfortable for 2, not so much for 3 (although thats not a n issue for us for 95% of the time).  I sat in the back and felt I had enough leg room with the driver seat quite a way back.

Unfortunately I didnt get to drive one as seemed no point with out the OH and didnt make an appointment, besides the first was a cat S and I was only going to have a reminder to how it felt, the 2nd was a Advance from 2012 and over my budget at 8.7K, 73k miles, not particularly well looked after imo, seems like its been in the courtyard for some time and overpowering dog blanket smell despite the dealers effort to wax it out.  Lovely colour though.

I got a video of a IS 250 SE L which was in Essex, nice blue colour and looks spot on but it didnt sound too healthy, you can hear a humming almost like a iffy flymo as the engine is idling.  Im no carexpert  but it definitley didnt sound healthy, also felt like way too much smoke from the exhaust.

I wanted to sit in a GS 300 but the nearest I could find was a 450h but couldnt find the owner, didnt manage to get inside the car but I am pretty sure Im not going to be able to go for the bigger car anway, too big for my wife, given she thinks the IS 250s are too big aswell!  At least its narrowed down my search a bit.

What are peoples thoughts on Maxton kits on the IS 250?  Do you have to be extra careful on speeds bumps with them?

 

 

 

[hybridbatterysolutions]

Hi Kalpesh - I have a lovely Canterbury Blue GS450H SEL in for repair at present this is the the model with the excellent Radar Cruise & sunroof fitted, it has @90,000m on the clock which is very low with the cream leather interior which is in good condition. The owner wishes to sell it after repair (As soon as the AA give their go ahead!) I last repaired it in August of 2022 at that time the owner only selected a 6 month graded repair - that was 19 months ago!! not bad aye?

Early diagnostics reveal at least 2 cell modules are down but the full extent of what is needed will not be known until I have taken the hybrid Battery pack out of the car and carried out full discharge testing of each of the 40 modules over time, I can see that the tpms sensors need doing & there is a scuff/scratch on the N/S/R I would estimate @£100 to repair. I think (dont quote me) that the owner is asking in the low £4Ks for it, I think it would be a good buy for someone. If  you or anyone else are interested feel free to message me & I will give you his phone number.

Best Regards

Richard