Diesel Do Nicely Brian

I have moved from a GS450h to an ES300h 👍

I had PPF installed on my first IS220d Sport I bought on U.K. launch and when I sold the car nearly 60,000 miles later it was still intact - and I don’t doubt if it was removed and the car 2 stage machined it would have looked like new.

Zero issues with the coating and the sensors. I assume those who have had issues have applied it themselves - although the sensors work through paint etc so a coating should have zero issues. A decent detailer may be able to get that scratch out as they prep the car for the coating. Car beading well (although not yet contact washed after 300 miles of every weather) - and installed a front and rear dash cam today too.

Looks lovely 👍

Superb - saw it on Facebook. Tell me about your experiences and thoughts on it? Having moved from my GS450h, which was brilliant, but loving the new ES a lot too 👍

I will. If it was me, and with your plans, I’d keep the GS450h and get full and complete use from it - it is an extraordinary car.

Thanks ROFTR. Your GS450h is a superb car and will last a very long time if looked after. Mine will be 15 years old this year, and needed nothing doing (although I had decent plans for further renovation work as I was always aiming for back to new standard on it). Whoever gets it next will love it - and I hope they get in touch with me as I have folders full of info, invoices and other info for it (including all the body and undersealing work done to it). I’d keep your GS450h until you find exactly what you are looking for - for me, the ES had everything I needed but at a cost and I am sure I would have loved a 4/5 year old GS450h just as much but I think I have made the right call.

Well, after nearly 5 years with the fabulous GS450h, it was decision time - keep maintaining (absolutely worth it), move into a 5 year old GS450h or look at a newer ES300h. Here is the detailing world thread for the GS450h over nearly 5 years and 60,000 miles of maintenance and restoration: https://www.detailingworld.co.uk/forum/showthread.php?t=382716 I have ALMOST bought a newer GS450h a few times, but other than being a bit newer/more modern/a few nice modern features, nothing got close to the one I had worth spending £20k+ for a 5/6/7 year old car. I also looked at, and seriously thought about a GS-F, which is a dream car, but the prices, rarity (and a lot had 5+ owners) and to a tiny amount, running costs, made this less of a good option, especially as I do drive my cars and it would not be a Sunday driver or garage queen. A chance email to the Lexus dealer replying to a generic sales email which had an obvious finance mistake in it, led to some discussion with the franchise and some thinking, running options and some extra negotiations as we neared the end of the month (and led towards their VIP event on this weekend). Anyway, several cars weighed up including a quite new low mileage GS300h F Sport, a potential RC-F and a few options on new ES models. Long story short, deal worked out, then reworked out to ensure it covered quite a few extras for me that lead to not a lot of cost for the franchise but save me loads - various cars and colours but I loved the combination of Velvet Black NON metallic paint, and the lighter interior, so sorted a deal on an ES300h MY21 Premium Edition Velvet Black with a Sand leather interior, which adds some newer tweaks but also some important stuff - 12.3” screen, wireless charging, Apple Car play, 18” wheels, rear tints, and a pile of other spec including heated steering wheel etc I had already driven plenty of newer Lexus, but the test drive went well and for as long as I wanted, lovely quality, superbly heavy doors, beautifully built, and now I have it and have driven about 100 miles since yesterday, it’s just an amazing car to have and experience. It is NOT an Aston Martin or a Ferrari, but it’s also a hell of a lot better built, will be superb to own, and is plenty quick enough on the road with the newest hybrid system - it has an eco, a normal and a sport mode for economy vs responsiveness and is averaging just under 50mpg since I bought it so far on very mixed driving. As part of the deal, and THE most important part - it left the dealer and went to their (luckily) on site company Detailogy for 3 days for a full new car prep, single stage machine and full ceramic coating. A valeter would have destroyed the velvet black on this so I was VERY clear I would NOT be buying with standard dealer prep on the new car. I also negotiated in various useful (and some gratuitous extras) to bump up value to me to include a Lexus stainless steel entry guard, a Lexus boot liner, a complete spare set of black Lexus mats (it has dark brown ones which looks superb), a Lexus flask mug and lovely Lexus pen, full tank of fuel, as well as GAP insurance and the first service covered too - this was alongside a fair to reasonable enough trade in and a good deal on the car pricing and finance too. All in, I am extremely pleased with the car - it’s simply the most luxurious and high quality car I have ever owned and, although I will miss the GS450h outright performance, and a few of the luxuries (Mark Levinson sound, rear blind, cooling memory seats, auto dipping rear mirrors) there are plenty of other lovely new features alongside a very decent Pioneer 10 speaker sound system which, importantly, still has a sub and centre speaker and can play DVDs too 😄 Anyway, here are some pics after it was pressure washed as it was already looking unloved (parked under trees today at work, collected in the driving rain etc).

They may be suggesting Dunlop or Michelin as they are often OEM on Lexus. As for tyre makes, any good quality tyres you would expect would do but there is certainly quite a difference between a set of Ling Longs and a set of Dunlop SP Sport.

Couple of teaser shots from the detailer last week as he was working on the new ES 👍

Ah ok - you mentioned in your initial post you changed the tyres already - are you going to change them again?

I am not sure how the TPMS sensors would have any bearing on the symptoms you describe? sounds like a tracking, wheel balance (not tyre now) or other suspension type issue.

I did that on my first IS - needs to be very well fitted and cut but absolutely protects from stonechips (not invisible though)

Will do. Will be hard to tell ceramic/non ceramic but at least the paint won’t have been destroyed with a sponge/brush valeting or some pointless “coating” like Supagard on it 👍

Due to collect mine from the dealer on Monday (after it’s spent 3 days at the detailer first) - all docs signed/paperwork etc and the car will be taxed/registered on Friday 😄👍

I am certainly going to look at a range of options for mine. I assume the ES (as it does not have the same sized front brakes as my GS450h) will pretty much take any alloy from Lexus - I know a set from an IS220d (17’s) fit my GS450h (fitting them to my Avensis in the summer) so I’d imagine any IS etc will fit.

Absolutely - makes me cringe!! I’ll be keeping the new one well protected.

Yeah - should be good. The ES drives well, is modern and quiet, looks and feels great and should be bomb proof reliable, economical (cheap tax) and a good buy. My dealer is also one of the main reasons I am moving onto another Lexus (and why I bought my GS450h too, although I did not buy it from them) - their after sales is excellent, although it’s been 15 years since I bought a car from them. I am sure at points I’ll miss the GS450h performance as it’s simply superb but the ES does not feel like a poor relation. The MY21 updates for Premium are great - big screen, Apple car play, heated steering wheel, wireless charger, rear tints, rain sensing wipers etc plus the other standard spec so, although I’ll miss the Mark Levinson, cooling seats, rear blind, fully retracting steering wheel, dipping rear mirrors on reverse, memory seats etc - that was NOT worth £10k and £2500 extra road tax to me as a private buyer.

I specifically have the Velvet Black (non-metallic) with the Sand leather interior coming, exactly the same paint as my current GS450h 👍 Pic added of the GS outside the shop the other day 😄 The car arrived today at their compound and is due tomorrow to head to the technician side for set up, then it’s booked in Monday to Wednesday at the detailer for a full new car prep/stage 1 machine as needed, and full ceramic coating etc. It will then be back 4 weeks after handover from Lexus for a safe wash/inspection on the coating to check for full sealing 👍 Will look so much better than the dealer’s valeted destroying it before handover - that would not go down well. The dealer principal is aware I was not buying the car if they prepped it, and they already knew I do not let the dealer ever wash my car when in for service! Hopefully be ready for me mid/late next week 😄

Luckily I am incredibly picky about my cars and seal/machine them regularly so I’ll have no issues maintaining the ceramic coating that is being applied properly by a detailing company, with 1 stage machining, before the dealer delivers it. Their valeters will NOT be touching it (I don’t ever let the dealer wash any of my cars).

100% to all of this. My Black GS450h that is going after nearly 5 years and my new black ES300h arriving next week all need serious care to keep them looking good. I NEVER let my dealer wash my car and my ES is being new car prepped for 3 days by a detailer before delivery (including machining) and fully ceramic coated, with a 4 week safe wash/inspection of the coating a month later. The dealer valeters will NOT be prepping the car - they’d wreck it and I’d also spend days with the DA (and Scholl S20 as my favoured compound) getting it back to “scratch”.

About to move from my GS450h after 5 years to a new ES300h Premium so looking forward to it 👍

Helpful review. I am due to get my new ES300h Premier next week hopefully (from nearly 5 years in my superb GS450h) and looking forward to it 👍

Great idea. I am about to move from my brilliant GS450h to an ES300 Premier, due this weekend then it has 3 days of full new car detailing/machining and ceramic coating. I may rob my spare from my GS450h as it’ll be going to auction anyway!

Warranty 1,000,000% worth it. Sunroof was always an optional extra on most cars I think where the Active Cruise was standard on the 06-08 Se-L Great cars though - more than 2 years and 40,000 miles on my 2006 and love it.