Spottedlaurel

Do give it a good checkover inside and out. I bought a 4-yr old Lexus from a main dealer, 30-odd thousand miles, but it still showed signs of damage that I didn't think were appropriate for an approved used car. In my case a lot of muck underneath, undertray panels held on with cable ties and a dented exhaust. I ended up exchanging mine under the 30 days return policy.

My Mk1 LS400 has been sat on SORN since late last year. Got around to taking it to the garage yesterday, a pre-MoT check shows that it just needs a brake pipe and registration plate to get through so they're doing that later this week. It still drove as nicely as ever, reminding me why I want to persevere with it for as long as possible.

I really wouldn't bother with it - if the conditions are right it will run in EV mode anyway.

I'm very interested to hear how you get on with it, as it's something I plan (or at least home) to move onto in a few years. I'm currently in a 2014 RX and when the NX450h+ came out I thought that would be a strong consideration for the future. I had one as a loan car, but somehow it just didn't do it for me Earlier this year I had a go in a new RX450h+ and that was much more like it. My current car should last long enough to get me to a point where secondhand 5th gen RXs are within budget. My preference would be a Premium, as I like the fact it has 19" wheels which would suit the rural area I live. I'm sure it still has more than enough toys....

Well done! My 2014 model is now approaching 80k, and looking at the negligible deterioration over the last 20,000 miles I'm sure it will be just as good at 100k. What model did you get? Just wondering whether you got air suspension or not. In response to your questions: 1. Is the AC on or not? If you're in "Ready" that makes noises even if the petrol engine is not running. 2. Ignore the EV button, let it do its own thing. If you try and use it when it's cold it won't let you, and you'll soon pick up when it kicks in. A bit of a lift or coasting is all it takes much of the time.

Hello Sam. As a fellow early LS400 owner in Norfolk I feel I should come along and give some moral support/encouragement, or at least a second opinion. I'll send you a message....

Looks like a nice example, I'm sure you'll enjoy it. Even when the Relax warranty expires there is an extended one available which would be well worth considering. My Luxury is the same age and only a little bit less mileage, and it feels like it has years of life left in it yet.

Very nice. If I had the cash spare I'd be tempted. Needs the front wheels swapping side-to-side.....

Good to hear that it's still going well for you. Plugs do not need to be changed on a time basis, so if they were done at 60k they'll next need doing at 120k. But otherwise I would imagine the cycle of intermediate/full/intermediate/full etc would be required to maintain the Relax or Extended Plus warranty, regardless of mileage.

If it's a 3rd generation RX in Premier trim level then the big thing is air suspension. @Barry14UK has direct experience, but it does seem to be an issue. Whether the ride quality is sufficiently improved over the steel-sprung models to warrant the potential risk I don't know, but I'm happier that I have one without as a long-term proposition. I don't have any of the features you list, so I can't be of much help otherwise, sorry! Can't miss what I've never had....

In answer to a couple of questions: 1) I don't bother. My 2014 gen 3 is getting around 36mpg at present. I've tried premium, my driving isn't similar enough from one tank to the next to see if it makes enough difference to justify the cost, and it runs just as well wherever I get it from (branded or supermarket). 4) Possibly manual release for the tailgate or fuel filler flap? Too dark and cold to venture outside and checkmine at the moment....

Interesting reading, haven't heard too much yet from owners of the new model on here. I enjoyed my brief drive in a 450h+ last year, and it's certainly what I'm considering moving to from my 3rd gen version in a few years' time (leapfrogging the interim RX, unless the theft/insurance issues have been resolved). The software/tech is my biggest reservation, not so much because I want it to work but more that I'd rather not have it at all. I've done most of my driving over the last 36 years without any of it (maybe half a million miles?), do I need it now? Hopefully by the time I get one most of the issues noted above will have been resolved (and there'll be a way of turning off as much of the tech as possible). My ideal spec is a 450h+ in 'base spec' Premium trim, seems perfectly well-equipped to me and I prefer the idea of its 19" wheels for driving around my rural area plus a wider choice for replacement tyres.

Welcome Jag. I own pretty much what you'll be looking out for, a late 2014 3rd generation model. It's now on 76k, I've done over 50,000 of that since I bought it in 2019. It just works, it's reasonable on fuel, decent to drive and doesn't have too much 'in your face' tech but what is there is good quality. It's not the top-spec model so it doesn't have the occasionally troublesome air suspension. I use mine driving around muddy country lanes, in town and on holiday in France. It's equally capable for all of those things. The loadbay isn't as big as some large estate cars, but it can take a fair bit of weight. The ride isn't quite as cosseting as you might expect (nothing like my older LS400), but I suppose it has to fairly firmly sprung to give reasonable handling on what is a heavy car. I suspect you'll find fewer toys than on the BMW. For me it's more about quality and you might find it takes a while for some of its good points become apparent. There are two other local ones that I see, both have also been with their owners for a long time. The lower-spec SE 'base model' is rare, you could almost dismiss ever finding one. The nav system is fairly basic whatever model you get. The only really common fault is the power tailgate mechanism, it seems to be affected by cold/damp weather and every winter there'll be a fresh round of people suffering with it. Hasn't happened to mine (yet?!) despite it living outside. In common with other Lexus hybrids the 12v battery is small and it doesn't like being left for long periods without being run. Replacement options are limited, but it's nothing to do with the hybrid battery I personally wouldn't worry about higher mileage if it has good history - mine is doing just as well now as it was when I bought at 23k miles. I'm planning to keep mine for another 5+ years, maybe longer if it's still doing a good job. It goes to the main dealer for servicing plus I've had other visits there for brakes and the 12v battery (it suffered during Covid lockdown). My view is if I treat it like a nearly-new car then it will behave like one. A 2015-16 model as you're looking at will qualify for the no-cost Relax warranty until it's 10 years old (and 100k miles I think?), so ong as it's serviced by a main dealer. After that Lexus offer an extended warranty, about £500/yr which includes full AA cover (including European cover). Again it's dependent on servicing at the dealer, and I shall probably keep going with it on mine. Services there will also give warranty cover on the hybrid battery up to 15 years old.

I think that's the low mileage car that was up for sale last year at around £16,000. Sold new by a dealer local to me.

I notice the same thing about the fan noise on my slightly older, previous-gen model. Sometimes I press the button to knock it down a speed, but it's already as low as it can go. I suppose the rest of the car is so quiet that its more noticeable than it might be, especially when I'm sitting/dawdling along in traffic and the petrol engine isn't running.

Exchange it. You don't have to get a replacement from them within the 30-day period, but you do need to declare that this is what you'd like to do. I bought an approved gen 3 model back in 2019 and it had damage to the exhaust system and undertrays that suggested a harder life than normal. They wouldn't do anything about the exhaust so after a tetchy conversation with the branch manager it was agreed that I would exchange it. Luckily the right replacement came along and I haven't needed to go back there since (it wasn't my local dealer).

Interesting question. My daily driver RX replaced an Avensis estate. The latter was a 1.8 petrol and just didn't feel special enough to justify its cost, that really hit home when travelling 4-up around France on holiday. The RX fully met my expectations and I've now had it for almost five years, with plans to keep it for at least that long again. Unfortunately the theft/insurance issues with the 4th gen RX have meant that isn't something I'm keen to move onto as a replacement, and the new model is somewhat out of my price range at present (the money is better going into my pension that to Lexus). I like big, Japanese estates and there is sadly very little choice nowadays - I considered Mazda 6 and Subaru Outback, but I doubt either would have the feel of the RX and I wouldn't have kept them for so long. Both of the LS400s were cheap, opportune purchases that didn't replace anything, they ended up being additions to my fleet. The second, current one I kept when I did a downsize a couple of years back and I let my beloved Toyota Camry estate go instead, so it could be said it replaced that. In my motoring past I've had the likes of V6 Nissan 300Cs and straight-six Datsun/Nissan Laurels* plus various examples of Toyota/Honda/Mazda, and my preference is always for something Japanese and usually on the larger side for the relaxed feel. *Still have one now.

Near St-Antonin-Noble-Val in the Tarn-et-Garonne department,so quite a way down south. It's possible that it belonged to someone from outside the country who had perhaps brought the Lexus with them, there were Dutch and Norwegian people in the area.

Was very surprised to see an LS400 Mk1/2 in France back in 2019: I certainly can't recall any 430s from my French holidays.

Or replace the ignition switch? I did it once on a Camry, wasn't complicated. If it happens at night then I think you may lose the lights, don't want it to happen at the wrong time....

I was going to suggest the same thing, reguarly happened on my Mk3. Usually about 14-15 miles into a journey, I presume something warmed-up just enough to break contact. I just flicked the key round and back again and everything came on again.

I drove an NX450h a while back, thinking that might be the way I would go when my Gen 3 RX eventually needs replacing. At the time the new RX hadn't come out, so that was the only PHEV Lexus option. My personal view was that it felt a bit too 'car-like', if that makes sense? Seemed like I was sitting lower, and it didn't have the solid feel of the older RX. I also felt the tech was a little overwhelming, but oddly I didn't think the same when I drove a 5th gen RX. Would be interesting now to drive current NX and RX back-to-back, I might reconsider and think the NX is the right car for me. To be honest, until the security/insurance issues work themselves out I'm not rushing to change.

Self-healing car, wonderful! On the exterior mirrors, have you recently played with the switches and left one of them pressed-in? That's what is required to make them auto-dip.

But even without hopefully it would be significantly better than 28mpg? Given I can get low-mid 30s out of 3rd gen RX with its V6 hopefully with newer tech and the 4-cyl engine they'd be 35-40mpg without charging?

Interesting to hear your thoughts after a decent run in each, and to compare it with your previous-gen model. The 500h does seem a bit of an odd thing, I wonder if it will remain on sale here? I enjoyed my drive in a 450+ earlier in the year, all being well then that's what I'd eventually like to replace my current 3rd gen model with in a few years.