GerryS

Thanks all - appreciate your comments. The ES I drove had Dunlop tyres, so interesting that @peniole swapped them over. I started looking for something "interesting" and comfortable and probably older quite a few months ago - including keeping an eye out for what LS's were available online. Also v interested in the GS450h, but facelift post-2016 models are really rare. There's only one currently on Autotrader - £32k for a 2017. I think the facelifts look significantly nicer and more modern. It was the inflated used car prices that have made me start looking at new. Unfortunately, I've been scanning cars for about 18 months, so very aware of how much prices have increased in that period. In some ways there's no rush - I could wait and see if used prices settle again, but who knows where they're going. There's a (very) long thread on PistonHeads about used car price increases and people's views on where they'll go in the future. I did go on CarWow for some quotes, but nothing's come in below £35k at the moment. I suspect RX450h is way above my budget, even with deals. Anyway, lots to consider. Thanks for the advice.

Sorry - slightly long first post. Firstly, a bit of context. I have (I think) a slightly different car buying model. I tend to buy (outright, no finance) a fairly decent car at 2 or 3 years old and keep if for quite a long time - assuming it's still going well and not costing too much money. So, I currently have a Volvo XC90 D5 diesel 2006, which I've owned for about 13 years and is now at 142k miles - this is well maintained and always has decent quality tyres, etc. We still use it as our main car for long trips and it's currently running as well as ever. But obviously there's always a risk with an old car, plus I woud be considering some more expensive maintenance this year, like changing the timing belt for the second time (changed it based on age rather than mileage first time round, possibly too early). Now kids have grown up and left home we no longer need a 7 seater and think it might be the right time to change. So, I've always admired Lexus cars for their engineering quality and slightly different approach. Ideally, I would have liked something like a low mileage GS250 with the lovely 6 cyclinder engine (we don't do a massive mileage, so could justify). However, as people know, used car prices are actually bonkers at the moment. GS250s which I guess would have been around £10k a couple of years ago are now being advertised at £13k to £15k. We actually looked at a lovely low mileage GS250 last summer, but thought it was overpriced at £13.5k (Hindsight suggests it wasn't - it's probably worth even more now.) And these are 9 - 10 year old cars... So, for the first time I thought it might be worth looking at new, in this case the ES300h, and buying it on PCP. Especially since Lexus have a scrappage scheme running unti the end of March - this doesn't seem to be well advertised on their website, but does does state a £4k scrappage towards a new ES300h. I suspect most ES buyers aren't actually going to be scrapping anything, but it would work well for us. The Premium Edition looks good value for spec vs price. Definitely want to stay below the 40K luxury tax threshold. So, we went to the local Lexus dealer yesterday and had a chat about the ES300h. I guess it's not one of their top selling models - no new ones available for test. However, they did have a 21 reg used model, which they let us take out for a drive. Salesman wasn't actually sure what model it was, thought it was a Premium Edition - it wasn't an F-sport. Went along the motorway for a few miles because motorway comfort and refinement are pretty high up our wish list. Positives were - as expected - lovely build quality. Like the interior and the space. Ride was decent enough on 18" wheels with 45 profile tyres. However, I came away with a slight sense of disappointment about refinement. Maybe my expectations were too high, but I was expecting more of a quiet wafting experience. As I say, it was fine, but for some reason I expected more. Not engine noise, but probably road/tyre noise. Also, it may be the way I drove it, but when I pulled out to another lane to overtake, it did seem to put the engine revs up far too much - yes, I realise that's a characteristic of the CVT (I've driven CVTs before). Is that a case of learning how to modulate the accelerator so you can get acceleration without over the top revs? When pushed (e.g. coming down the motorway slip road) the performance was absolutely fine. I just left it in normal mode. Is there the possibility of controlling things more with a paddle shift? So, all the reviews I've read talk about the refinement and comfort (apart from one which mentioned road noise). Could this be affected by tyre choice? Are owners pleased with the refinement? Am I expecting too much? Driving home in my XC90 was obviously far more rumbly at low speeds (5 cylinder diesel), but on the motorway I wasn't convinced it was much different. I fairly frequently use hire cars, so familiar with quite a range of average new cars. So, I'm in a quandary. I think I could get a good deal on the ES300h with the finance and scrappage. However, delivery not likely to be until August. Also we were told prices are going up on 22nd Feb, so would need to make a quick decision. It struck me that the ES would be absolutely superb with a 6 cylinder engine (I know that's available in other markets) or even a turbo 4 cyclinder with more mid-range torque - but yes, I know that's not the way Lexus are going. Do any of those concerns make any sense to current owners? I'd be interested in your thoughts. Many thanks, Gerry