Micholas

Hi all, Due to a change in circumstances I'm selling my silver 2009 IS250 with 83k miles on the clock. This is an SE-L so comes with all the optional extras plus the 18inch sport wheels. All tyres are new Goodyears fitted within the last 2-3 months. Has just had a full service, and everything runs and works as it should. Bodywork is in great condition barring one ding on the rear bumper. Reduced price on here is £4500 and car is located in Sussex. Will put some pictures up asap. Cheers

Okay there’s a lot for me to digest here 😃 So the LS430 was an LPG conversion and cost me 70-90p per litre depending on where I fuelled. So even though it only did 25ish mpg (the same as using unleaded). It was cheap driving. A few years before this I had a 5 series which I was getting 30ish MPG, but we’re talking 2019 maybe. And I remember the 65 litre tank lasting me a while. I mean it’s all incomparable because I’m not in London anymore so my driving is different and fuel was cheaper then. I went into this IS250 thinking 32mpg, that’s not too bad. It’s not like a 20mpg 7 series.. but I guess it kind of irks me to spend £80 a week on petrol and still be conservative about my driving. If i actually drove it like I should and when I should I’d be doing a tank every 5 days. For reference, I’m not doing city driving or motorway. I’m in between doing most of my journey at around 35-40 mph on A-roads, and averaging 31.26mpg (my calculation, not through the cluster). In a nutshell.. I know this car isn’t a gas guzzler like an Subaru Impreza or a V12. Just not sure if it’s right for the amount of miles I do a week (approx 380-400). I’m asking for feedback because I might be stuck in my LPG dreamland, and actually this is what everyone’s paying and doing, I’ve just been spoilt.

I feel your pain, I looked for months. Pretty much all were high mileage and tired. When I was looking, the 'lower' mileage on the market always seemed to be around 80k-ish, but looked like they had done 200k. Found one in Manchester that looked the part and was photogenic, but the trader sounded like he was going to mug me if I went to see the car, so I had no interest in doing business with him. I think if you found a good honest example with actual low miles 40-50k, they'd want a fortune for it, as they don't seem to exist. After around 6-7 months I called it a day and got an IS.

A brief update. I've kind of got one foot out the door with this car now. I think it's the fuel consumption more than anything. We relocated to the countryside a year or so ago, so we have to drive everywhere to do anything, and the fuel costs are getting a lot higher than what I'm used to. I'm getting to the stage where I'm turning down social events because I don't want to do nearly a quarter of a tank driving there and back 😪 (violins please). This week I filled up on Saturday night and said I will only use to drive it to work and back during the week, we're now at Friday and I've got just under a quarter left, which means I'll have to fill it up again on Sunday. You guys who do everything within a 10 mile radius are lucky boys! Seems like such a great car if you want to put your foot down and not care, but unfortunately I'm scared to do it! So I drive like a grandad instead. I'm also now hesitant to spend the money that I had planned (rear wheel refurb etc.) as I don't see it as a keeper. My original plan was a for a phase 3 GS450h, but I just couldn't find one that wasn't tatty with low enough miles. Starting to think I should have held out for longer, even if it took a year. What's everyone's thoughts? Should I persevere with the IS or call it quits?

Thanks all. I’m used to dipsticks that are very obvious. This one is a pain in the arse! But appreciate the answers 👍🏼

Guys, this is going to sound ridiculously amateur.. but basically I topped up my oil today on my IS250 2009 as the low oil message briefly flashed when I was doing high revs whilst on the M25. The dipstick is woeful and was showing empty even though I was putting oil in. Suddenly after about 1.5 litres I started getting streaks further up the dipstick. Now the main oil marker seems fine, but the steaks going up the dipstick are making me think I’ve overfilled it. What are your thoughts? I’m doing a 120 mile trip to Bath on Monday so panicking.

Interesting! I’ll give the PWR button a go in the morning. I’ve got all the books, and there seems to be a lot of them! but couldn’t find the service book just about servicing lol.. I’ll probably buy a new one and start a fresh! Thanks pal

I do find it crazy, but then I have a lot of friends who are not car enthusiasts who really don’t care about tyres. Not that they’re particularly cheap people, but they’re disinterested. So they won’t do anything until they’re told. They won’t service until it prompts them, they won’t change a tyre until it blows or is advised on a service/MOT, and then they’ll take whatever the tyre shop has in stock. Before you know it you’ve got 4 different brands and tread depths on every wheel.

Thanks @Linas.P great to hear that the noise is normal. This was one thing where I thought big end bearing shells might be going or something. Yes I always thought 32mpg was pretty good going, I just forgot how expensive it was since I've been using LPG! Interesting about the diff and gearbox oils. These are pretty easy and quick jobs so I'll just do them. I know a lot of Lexus owners don't like to disturb things in older auto gearboxes but I've never really bought in to that. With the tyres this is something I do every time I get a new car! You can tell a lot about a person by the tyres on their car 😀

Funnily enough when I was looking for a good used one, it was very hard to find one that didn't have that leather wear. I've not really seen that in other brands. After about 40 battered steering wheels I found one that was respectable for £60.

Hi guys, I'm new to IS250's but not new to the forum. I was an LPG LS430 owner for a number of years until the road Gods decided to take him away. I toyed with the idea of getting an GS460h but at the time I was looking they were all a bit worn and tired... So I settled on a one owner IS250 SE-L 2009 with 80K miles. Not much history but I'm putting that down to the previous owner being careless with his paperwork rather than it not being looked after. Do these cars have service books? I only have a handful of Lexus invoices. To tidy the car up I've had the headlights and the front two wheels refurbished. I've also put 4 new Goodyears on as the existing tyres were budgets, mixed treads and dated 2021. And I fitted a good second hand steering wheel as the original was a bit worn. I am planning to imminently carry out a full service inc sparks, gearbox and diff. So my impressions after the first 1000 miles. The car handles very well as I expected, it's not super fast but it's more than adequate for civilian driving like me. The engine does sound a bit tapety from the outside which I feel I may need to investigate. My LS430 was extremely quiet, and although from the inside the 250 is silent, if you're outside the car it's not as quiet as I would expect. Is this normal? I'm assuming this isn't the type of engine to have a bottom end go or something! The gearbox is also a bit clunky at times. When I'm at a junction and I pull off quickly it does hesitate before shooting off. I've heard the adaptations can need changing or adapting to your driving style and the car learns in time once the battery has been discharged. I guess my only other qualm with the car is the economy, I remember in years gone by thinking 32mpg was quite efficient, but I guess in modern times with the extortionate price of fuel, it's not! I've been driving very carefully and my OBC is showing 34mpg but calculating in real time I'm getting 32.2mpg. This is working out at about a full tank in just over a week for me. I probably need to cut down on the miles!! But I do dread to think what economy I'd get if I drove it with my foot a bit more down around town. I can't be the only one noticing how quickly that fuel gauge goes down! Other than that I'm very impressed with the car, it's certainly aged well compared to a BMW E90, E60 etc. The shape is very modern and you'd be pushed to find these creature comforts in a modern base car. Just not quite sure if she's a keeper yet though! I like to keep cars for a good few years, but this might go after a year or two. I guess time will tell.

He's right about the MPG.. I'm doing a full tank a week on mine 😪

What an idiot. I’m looking 2006/07 era.

So I’m actively looking for a low mile GS and have narrowed it down to a couple. What should I be looking for with these? I’ve owned an LS430 before which was super reliable but did still have things that were common to fail.. Mark Levinson subs and amps, radiators, window regulators etc. Is there anything I should look out for on the GS? I’m gonna pay strong money as I’m looking at sub 60k mile cars, but want to make sure I don’t have to do any work on it once bought. Any help appreciated.

Would love to but ULEZ says no 😔

So I sold my LS430 about 1.5-2 years ago and I’ve actually missed it a lot. I felt it was getting a bit leggy and with parts and labour being an issue I moved it on. The last 6 months I’ve really regretted it, especially since it was an LPG conversion so I didn’t have to pay the horrific fuel costs that are usually associated with them. I’ve been keeping an eye on the market with a view to buying one after my wedding in September and there doesn’t seem to be a lot out there at all. And there seems to be no middle ground between absolute pigs that no one wants, to a stunning overpriced minter. I’m thinking a 460 is probably more realistic considering how thin on the ground 430’s are now? Any advice or thoughts?

Thanks it does make you wonder about spending money on the car though seeing as there’s little to no resale value. I’ve always broke even or made a profit on the cars I’ve owned (older BMW’s) and always maintained to a high standard.. however I was expecting a bit of a loss on this as it’s not very well viewed outside of LS430 circles. Including the cost of the car I’ve spent about 7-8k on it, so thought 4K was realistic.. but if the most I can get is 2 to 2.5k then it can just be a spare for when I need ULEZ free motoring!

Well I never thought it’d be so hard to sell a LS430. I know it’s quite a niche car but I had mine up for 2.5 months and have just removed it from sale and will probably just keep it as a runaround. I had mine up for £4K, it’s a very good example with a lot of money spent and a good ad to accompany it.. yet pretty much the only attention I had was from other LS430 owners enquiring if it had sold 😀 There’s another good one for sale for £2500 that’s been up for as long as mine has and that hasn’t moved either… So goes to show where the values are at for these cars.

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/125895782517 This should answer your questions. It’s now live. Although I’ll get some better pictures over the weekend.

I’d like 4.5k considering I’ve probably spent about 7 on it since owning it.. but that’s probably wishful thinking this side of the Atlantic. So I’ll be going for 4K. It’s got 155k to its name.

Hello all, I’ve just got a new job with a company car, combine that with my summer BMW and I’d be on the verge of a fleet. So it’s with a heavy heart that I’m now selling my LS430. If anyone perusing the forum is interested in buying let me know as it’ll be going on the usual sites in the next week or so. Obviously I’ve spent thousands on this car in the last 3 years so you’ll be getting a gem.

You might need to get medieval!

£400 for just the cam belt. £900 for cam belt and waterpump. They don’t do any pulleys or tensioners unless worn/damaged. Ask my wallet how I know that.

I am also down to one key, and it’s the master key. My key & smart lock system is very temperamental. I’ve queried getting a new key every time I service the car, but always get told there’s huge delays with spare key orders due to the microchip issues in the world. They quoted me approx £300-£350 and said I might see it in 4-6 months. I’ve never taken them up on that offer!

I got my windscreen replaced by the main dealer via the insurance. Cost £900 fitted, had to pay for it and the insurance company sent me a cheque for £800, minus my £100 windscreen excess. It’s got a lovely little Lexus badge in the corner of the glass.