Sundance

I'd be interested to hear forum views as I'm new to the 400h. Given that it's 2 tons of car is it sensible to just use 'P' when parking even on a flat surface or should the (foot) parking brake always be used? My IS250 was much lighter and I felt OK not using the brake unless on a gradient, but I recall reading that the physical mechanics of locking the drivetrain using 'P' is wear on relatively flimsy components which I assume, if put under too much pressure, can fail and be expensive to repair. I often cringe when I see film clips of cars, mainly old American films it must be said, that are rammed into 'Park' and you can see the car physically rock back. Makes me wonder if this is 'fair wear & tear' or were/are their cars more robust? I guess what I'm asking is how flimsy is the gearing lock that holds the 2 ton load? And whilst on this subject, having owned the car for just 3 weeks, there is more play on this 'foot' parking brake pedal than I would wish so can it be easily adjusted?

Looking good Mo. But I'd very much like to see the same picture in 6-12 months time as there seems to be no mention of replacing the UV protection in your product description. As others on here have already stated it is a replacement layer of UV protection that appears to be the key after cleaning, a view that I readily support.

Clearly the topic reaches a far wider audience than simply those at the pumps ... 😉

That's a rather questionable statement regarding accuracy Linas, some might even say misleading, but whilst I realise that you have attempted a caveat in a secondary post I do think that further clarity would not go amiss, more particularly aimed at those users concerned about prolonged exposure to ethanol ... https://www.bali.org.uk/help-and-advice/equipment/e10-fuel/

I'm guessing that would be The Elite Motor Company John. They purport to be "The UKs largest independent Lexus specialist" and have reasonable reviews so I shall be interested to see how you get on there. The only other Croydon area outfit are called "Budget Motor Sales", a name that to me doesn't immediately inspire confidence in their products. Between them they seem to have 10x400h's all under £7k so a bit of homework required on your behalf I think. Good hunting. 🤞

Hi John, only just picked up your thread but still hope to contribute. Hope this helps. I've just purchased an RX400h (07) and when looking I found my best guide was to check MOT history using the 'Vehicle Smart' App. When looking I found so many 'yellow' passes that had advisories relating to corrosion. Needless to say these were all dismissed outright. I also became wary, through research, of those with a sun roof (leaks can apparently be an issue) and also those around the 110-120k mileage mark because it is recommended (so I'm told) that drive belts and spark plugs should be changed every 60,000. So I think I was lucky to find one well within my budget (£7k) with no sun roof, 11 'green' MOTs out of the last 14 years (last 5 consecutive), recent belt and plugs changed around 65k and it's still only done 83k. Interestingly I bought it privately and it does not have a full Lexus service but has clearly been very well looked after so I would not necessarily place too much importance on Dealer service history but, obviously, if it comes with it then all to the good. My final two criteria were to not spend a ridiculous amount on Road Tax and to not have a model with air suspension. I managed to tick those boxes too. So all in all I'm a very happy bunny. PS ... If you want to buy mine then tough, 'cos I ain't selling! PPS ... Good luck with your search, I'm sure there's one out there with your name on it. Happy New Year.

Of course if you prefer you can pay full price, but to me all discounts add up and it beats constantly getting kicked in the plums on the forecourt 😉. EDIT ... BTW, I don't have any supermarket fuel option near me 🙁 .

Also don't forget that ESSO are included in the NECTAR shopping points scheme so when you have an accumulation of shopping & fuel points (don't know how many ) you can fill up with a discount of 5p per litre 👏 !

I collected the car from 80 miles away yesterday and the weather was wet & windy plus the motorway spray was significant - when we were moving that is 🙄 ! After that it doesn't look pretty and won't be detailed for several weeks at which time a few photos may sprout forth. 😉

The deed is done. Never thought it would happen so quickly but I'm now the proud owner of a 2007 RX400h SR (and an IS250 ... that's for sale). I'm not a dealer, honest! 🙃 Good history (but not all Lexus), 83k miles, 'green' MOTs for last 5 years (no advisories - BIG plus - no corrosion!); new plugs ... done; new cam belt & water pump ... done; new rear brake pads ... done; no sun roof (👏); collection drive 80 miles (mainly motorway) ... 34mpg. Can't complain at that. It drives beautifully and is very comfortable. Bodywork is excellent for a 15 year old car. The leather front seats need some attention and the top of the headlight glasses need a refresh but my pet detailer will sort all that and bring the RX back to life. Thus far I'm a happy bunny. But what have I missed? Time will tell. 😊

I think I may have found my RX 🤞 so my much loved and well maintained lovely IS250 is now in the 'For Sale' section.

Sorry to interrupt the flow, I thought I'd just slip in a post relating to the thread title. 😄 Sadly my beautifully kept and well maintained low mileage IS250 SE-L will soon join the 'For Sale' list. 😔 I've recently started a thread on the RX400h forum as that is the direction in which I'm now heading car wise. Why? In simple terms I'm not a short guy, have had some recent back issues and am finding the situation of the B pillar increasingly difficult to navigate around as my preferred seat position is perhaps further back than most. 🙄 I left my X type for Lexus just over two years ago, transferring from diesel to petrol (thanks ULEZ!), have done around 6300 miles in it and it's still only on 36,000. It's been fabulous in all respects, absolutely no regrets but my body is telling me it's time for a change. 🤷‍♂️

I've not considered an NX John, mainly because even the oldest would be well over my budget and even then, looking at the model, it looks very much as if that B pillar may be an issue, as previously explained.

Thanks Robert, so I stand corrected on road tax, not sure where I got my facts from. But then glancing through some 450's currently on sale I can't seem to find one within my budget that's travelled less than 150k miles and whilst they may indeed be well maintained "they'll go on forever" types I really don't want to buy any car with that sort of mileage.

As I implied earlier Robert, I consider £630pa road tax a complete rip-off so the 450 is not for me. I have a feeling that parking sensors are included as part of the 400h pack and that air suspension was a not overly popular feature of the 300 (or was it the 350?) and not the 400h. I'm sure others more expert than me will correct me if I'm in error.

Do I need to worry about battery life on these hybrids? I seem to remember reading somewhere that their life expectancy (or maybe it was Warranty?) does not extend far beyond 100k miles ... and they're not cheap to replace I gather.

Hmmm ... 🤔 The struggle with that (if AutoTrader is anything to go by) is finding a 450h under £10k and under 100k miles. They certainly do a lot of miles don't they? 🤨

Interesting idea Michael but I flatly refuse to pay £630pa road tax! The quoted mpg economy figures don't really float my boat either. Which are two good reasons why my preference is for a 400h. But thanks anyway 😉.

I'm a current owner of a very low mileage well kept & maintained '06 IS250 SE-L having jumped ship from Jaguar just over 2yrs ago. I'm sold on Lexus but I'm not a small guy plus not getting any younger so am finding the low entry and B pillar increasingly tricky to negotiate. I've been looking around and beginning to really fancy a sub-100k '07/'08 RX400h on a £7,500 budget. Have researched and there seem quite a few that suffer from sub-frame and structural corrosion (no thanks!). I'm also looking out for sunroof leak issues, ensuring cambelt & water pump change if more than 60k with regular servicing a gimme. What else can trip me up? Drawbacks? Air suspension (not sure if this is relevant on the 400)? And what is this 'B' gear all about? Any guidance from you lovely RX owners out there would be gratefully received and thoroughly digested. 🙂

Not clear as to whether or not you've referred to your purchase contract Ts&Cs. Might just give you a bit more direction going forward don't you think? As before mentioned, legal action might be contingent on the cancellation terms. Good luck all the same.

Given the state of our roads, especially the minor ones, we need all the money we can get off ALL vehicle owners!

Which I'm afraid, if you want to claim, is more than likely to be the direct opposite of legally minded opinion. Clearly you're out of pocket for a service/product that for whatever reason is no longer available and you may well deserve your money back. However nobody, least of all those on a car forum, will be in any position to help you unless they are in possession of all the facts. I simply suggested insight into your contract and also when money changed hands because those would almost certainly be the very first things any discerning lawyer would ask you before they agreed to represent you in support of a claim. I too hope you find a solution but with only half the story I find it difficult to be of any plausible help. Sorry.

Let's be clear. You booked a cruise in 2019 and what, paid for it then? Or when did you pay for it? Whenever you did secure the cruise presumably you were provided with a contract plus Terms & Conditions within which (ie. the small print) there would be a clause or clauses explaining cancellation by either party. You haven't mentioned this but surely it is relevant.

Driving back from London last night I passed a 171.9 then through Croydon it became 174.9 and approaching the M25 Jct6 it was 179.9. Most certainly depends upon area and yet I'm still paying 193.9 for E5. Scandalous. The price differential between E5 and E10 seems wider now than ever before.

You can't beat old fumes eh John? 😷