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About right although a service won't hurt

Hi all, So have been reading up on filters and found an interesting article as to why you should avoid the cheap brands such as Blueprint/FRAM - even K&N (can you believe it!) and others, when compared to the original Toyota filters commonly made by Denso. If you look a couple of posts down on the thread, you'll see lots of filters opened but none of them match the Toyota filter for quality (even the TRD branded one!) - then a few more posts down, you'll see a filter element unrolled on the floor (K&N vs Toyota) - what would you rather have filtering your oil? I'm sure the tests would hold true for the air filters as well. It's a shame most of the filters are American brands (although you can get some here in the UK) - it would be useful to know which euro/UK brands were horribly cheap or good value, but for me, I'll be sticking with the Mr T items... Hope you find this interesting: http://www.spyderchat.com/forums/showthread.php?27947-Oil-Filter-Exposed Chris.

I never experienced problems with the sunroof in my 400h. I wonder if issues are related to where your car is parked, i.e. near trees... I did use the sunroof fairly regularly, but mainly to let the heat escape quicker after the car was parked in the sun for a while. Also I liked the additional light it let into the car on dull days. I would have loved a 450h with the panoramic roof for that latter reason, however my two teenage sons disagreed because of the reduced headroom at the back.

Hi. I have a sunroof in mine and never had any issues with it. Still got plenty of head room too. The only observation i have is the RX 450 with the panoramic roof seems have a lot less Headroom I've noticed. Sent from my Nexus 7 using Tapatalk

I don't wish to veer too far off topic, but of course how you buy depends very much on circumstances. I bought four cars pre-reg and swore I'd never buy brand new. But in the current market (though probably more so here in NI, where car sales are notably slower currently than in England), there are deals to be had which effectively mean you can order new and pay pre-reg (as my wife has just done). Mine goes through my business anyway, so the lease suits as it makes it easier to see what is taxable and what isn't, which is another consideration. That said, if you want a particular precise spec or a particular colour, you're always going to find it trickier to get the deal you're looking for. That's not to say you shouldn't insist on those things - it's the individual's choice. Anyway, back to the point - Lexus IS300h or BMW 320d? The former, all day long :)

Mine was similar to that and sold for 18,500 but had had a full paint correction, not a single mark on it, h&s exhaust, takeda intake and 2 years Lexus warranty. Based on that 17,500 may be more realistic. I'd pop it up for 18 though. Lots of interest in them at the moment.

Sympathies on that ... its bloody annoying. Had my drivers door dinged in a car park at xmas (usual inconsiderate opening by the twerp next to my car) but got a chap out who does paintless repairs. Amazing job ...cant see a crease line or anything. I was flabbergasted how good it was ... you would never know. All done with forming rods and mirrors. I'd expect Cellulose Thinners would work fine. Try a little mixed into a screw top bottle top or similar. See if anything is written on the container you have. If it instructs to clean your brush with Cellulose Thinners then you know that is a solvent of the paint within. It won't be White Spirit, Meths or Turps Substitute.

Thanks for all the useful feedback.. it has had 60k major done with sparks etc at 54k (at 6 years). MrW: that car is in NI - wonder if that has an impact - less market / more hassle?

Just my opinion, but if you are thinking about spending some more money for a IS 300h Premier, try a GS 300h, it is more refined and it has rear camera and other comfy features also in base version.

Cheers. Yes, dry weather is exactly what I need. Tired of the constant rain!

Hi Rayann, Some years ago I had a similar unfathomable problem with the wipers on my Volvo V70. A process of elimination brought me to the tension of the wiper arm against the screen. No reason why it should have changed, it just did ! Took it all off, cleaned it up and re-assembled, (with a new blade,) and all was well. Just a thought .

I also think the facelift model has Bluetooth and on some cars you may find adaptive radar cruise control. I also believe they added cornering headlights. The 6 speed box increased the torque so the 0-60 time went from 6.7secs to 6.3secs. Fuel economy was also slightly improved. Pre facelift cars are obviously going to be cheaper than facelifted ones. I don't think either disappoints though, to me condition and service history will always win out. In other words if there was a good facelift car and a REALLY good pre facelift, I'd take the pre facelift. Also, when checking the bonnet struts, check the boot ones too. I had to replace mine but they only cost £25 on eBay and an easy 5 minute DIY job to fit. As others have said go over the car carefully and don't rush, check all the gadgets and electrics (there's lots on these cars!!!). I too had many problems with my Rover 75 which is a shame because they are nice cars. You really can't beat the quality, fit and finish and refinement of the Lexus LS though in my opinion. I also love the attention to detail these cars have such as lights under the mirrors that automatically illuminate the pavement as you approach the car, illuminated interior door handles, even the storage box under the armrest is illuminated. There is a tiny 3rd sun visor above the interior mirror, they have soft closing doors and much more. One thing I would suggest is look at a couple because even ones that are a bit rough can still easily seduce you, they are that good. The engines and gearboxes on these things are pretty much bombproof and will run forever with regular servicing. These cars are over engineered but there are some weaknesses as pointed out in posts above, I don't think the problems with these cars is that anything is unreliable as such it's just if things like the air suspension, steering column motors etc do go wrong they are very expensive to fix. I've decided to enjoy my car as it is and not worry about something that may never go wrong, I'll cross that bridge if and when I may come to it. Good luck with the search, just don't rush and remember to check everything.

We had ours changed before Christmas. 75k. Clutch was never brilliant and we bought the car at 45k. Clutch plate was to the rivets but only slipping in 3rd and 4th under load. £650 for the complete job. Has made a big difference to pulling away. Always juddered unless in was 2k plus revs but now is a lot smoother.

I would ring a few local trusted garages and get some quotes to compare,mine has the labour times quoted from Autodata, I would guess with the correct tools the job would take 4-6 hours at whatever their labour rate is per hour ( for comparison I think Lexus charger £125.00/hour mine charges £50.00). Obviously price will also depend on if you chose to use OEM Lexus/Toyota parts but pretty sure there will be OEM quality aftermarket ones from the likes of Bork and Beck or Sachs, it may be worth checking out Eurocarparts for prices. Another concern is if the car is fitted with a DMF (Dual Mass Flywheel) which may be an additional cost if it is also defective.