Spacewagon52

Nah! I prefer the blue!

Interesting to see how long it will be before you come back to the fold!

I would choose either Mesa red or the blue (not sure what you call it?) Lovely colours for an ISF.

Excellent! But ............ try to keep it quiet or even the brilliant 430's will increase in value! Shhhh...............

A friend bought a brand new Golf and handed it back in exchange for a Polo, as she could not get the seat in a comfortable position! She is still not that happy!

Hugh has hit the nail on the head! I had a very brief thought about selling my LS 400. The RX300 is a lovely drive and more practical with a large dog ... but .................. there is "something" about these cars that is very difficult to explain. Yes, many car have a lot more gadgets to play with but for ride comfort, effortless cruising, instant power when needed, it is very hard to beat. The other factor for me is the smell of the leather ........ an LS 400 has a very distinctive smell that gives me a very happy feeling. My previous LS MkIII had the same smell but not the RX!

Looking good to me!

Not sure if any of you have seen this?

Quote Geedub: at the price I paid, it's almost disposable. I'm sufficiently impressed that I would definitely consider buying another one when this one eventually dies. To me they are great value, provided you can handle the fuel costs - but there is always the LPG option. I find very little difference between my RX300 and my new Mitsubishi Spacewagon, (in 2003!)

That would be a good call. The only negative is the Road Tax at £500+

Did not realise you had a RAT plate! Brilliant! But to find RAT AND on a Lexus!

He has bought a 450h!

Looks good to me! Well done.

Was the cutting done on the new struts? When I changed mine it was just a nut and bolt job but they were a bit more expensive than yours £38. I have to do the one on my RX300 but that looks more involved than the LS400 tbh.

What a pun! Batteries on trickle charge! Excellent!

Perfect sense from my experience!

That says it all to me.

I hope, John, you will do a review after you have run the 450h for a while longer.

That looks a nice bit of kit but my phone still uses string and two cans! Surprised your mpg is not better tbh. Mike, how long have you had the 400h and what mileage did it have when you bought it?

I have owned my RX 300 for a few months now, so I thought I would do a review. I appreciate this is an “old” Lexus model and this may not be relevant to the majority of members. My reasons for buying the RX were somewhat muddled and I will not try to justify why I bought it – I have always liked them! My initial “want” was the RX 450h, but I could not justify spending (to myself as well as the wife!) that amount of money on a third car. The wife flatly refuses to allow me to get rid of the people carrier with 7 seats (Oh how I wish Lexus had imported the 7-seat version!). My next choice was the 400h, but that was going to be in the region of £10K. I searched on AutoTrader - the chase is always more fun than the actual purchase. Then a couple of RX 300’s caught my eye. I discounted the SE-L version, to keep clear of the air suspension. The RX 300’s for similar age / condition / mileage were about half the price of the 400h. I am not from Yorkshire but half my genes are from that lovely county. Financially it was an easy choice and one I have so far not regretted. For a saving of £5,000 you can buy 4,000 litres of fuel, 881 gallons at (£1.25 a litre) and travel 17,621 miles at 20 mpg. Alternatively you can buy a SMALL number of Lexus repairs! My thinking was that if I was unlucky enough to buy a lemon, I could “afford” the repairs or even take the financial hit of selling it. There is always a balance between what you pay and the risk of expensive repairs. The younger the car / lower mileage - the less the risk in theory. The compromise with buying an older car is the wear and tear. This was not the case with this RX. It had been cosseted by one owner from new. A retired gentleman, who insisted on it being serviced every year, no matter how low a mileage it had done (one year 1,000 miles). With 53,000 miles on the clock, the car drove like new. I will NOT compare it with my LS 400, as I consider them to be two completely different beasts. My review is based on my limited experience of 4WD SUV’s and my expectations. Likes:- Ride: Ride comfort is very good for an SUV. Handling: Handles really well – very little body roll at normal cornering speeds. Power tailgate: I thought this was just a flashy gizmo and something else to go wrong! It has proved very useful on many occasions but I could live without it. Transmission: Very smooth gear changes. I like the “manual” option but I tend to only use it for long steep descents. The speed of the gear changes seem to be directly related to the pressure of your right foot. If you drive it hard, it will hold the lower gear longer and rev quite freely. Engine: Lots of low down torque and revs easily – really nice V6 growl when pushed. Interior: Very luxurious leather surroundings, a nice place to be. The “ski” small folding section is very useful when transporting long items, wood etc. I like how the centre cubby hole doors open! Door Mirrors: I like the function where the mirrors tilt down when selecting reverse. This feature can be switched off if it proves annoying. Instruments and switches: Clear and sensibly positioned. I like the radio controls on the steering wheel but often forget they are there! Heated Seats: Very warm! I do forget to use mine! Headlights: Excellent – good wide beam range. Sound System: Standard not ML but still very good – no speaker vibrations or rattles. Boot Area: The auxiliary box is very handy, especially if you have the luggage cover (which I don’t) Quality: For a car that is 14 years old there are no rattles or bumps that I can detect. The only annoying sound is the rear leather seats squeak when no passengers are travelling in the back – I can live with it. Exterior Style: To my eye this model does not look dated. Good design lasts and only needs some minor updating. The newer 450h breaks the mould but I would guess that design will be with the Lexus stable for a number of years. On the Road: The RX300 is a large car but it does not “feel” large. Very easy to manoeuvre - with a good turning circle for an SUV. Seating: Very comfortable and rear seats fold flat. Dislikes:- Reversing light: About as much use as a chocolate fireguard! There is a fix on here though! Only have one key and battery in fob flat – not had the inclination to sort it. No reverse parking sensors – I will be getting these fitted as mine is not the version with the reversing camera. I bought the car on its condition rather than the spec. Fuel Consumption: Yes I did realise it would be thirsty! Tank to Tank mpg – Best 28mpg Worst 19mpg Usual/average 22mpg I have owned a new car before but I would be hard pushed to say this was not “nearly” new to drive and look at. What would I replace it with? Almost certainly an RX450h. These are my personal thoughts on the RX300, others on here may have different views.

Rob, you have pushed me to try and finish my RX review, which you may find helpful. I have a friend who is also looking for a 400h. Do not discount the RX 300. Yes they are getting long in the tooth but good ones with low mileage do come up. There is a post here from Sorcerer, I believe, on fuel costs for a 400h vs 300 vs 300 with LPG. That is well worth reading. Many members on here have gone down the LPG road with great success, economy wise. From what I remember of his post:- RX400h = costs 19p a mile on fuel RX300 = 22p a mile RX300 plus LPG = 13p a mile I managed to buy an RX300 with only 53,000 miles / full Toyota/Lexus service history and is immaculate - for half the price I would pay for a 400h. Will try and finish my review tonight and post on the RX forum.

Hen's teeth come to mind ... but that is a steep price. Perhaps one day we will look back and realise it was a bargain! I hope so!!!

If the number plate hides the area just paint any colour after Kurust or something similar. If you are sticking the new number plate, I would run waxoyl down the inside afterwards.

I am inclined to agree with Mike, that grill does not really do it for me. Might be the colour or lack of a number plate to breal it up. I am afraid I am not a fan. Please put it down to age, as I am turning nto my Dad!

They may want it as a demonstrator and offer you a fantastic price to take it off your hands? Let us all know how you get on - this is an interesting thread to read. I enjoy reading stories like this, of running high mileage cars.