2nd Lexus GS300 or 450h, am I mad?

whimsey

I keep seeing 6 or 7 year old Lexus GSs for around 10k but am wondering would I be mad to buy one. I commute around 100Km a day half in heavy traffic. Also the high tax is putting me off. I currently drive a 10year old Skoda Superb TDI.

Help convince me it's either nuts or a good idea.

Thanks
Whimsey

colm_mcm

If you can live with the tiny boot, then the 450h is a hoot
Either will be miles off your skoda mpg wise

mullingar

whimsey wrote: »

I keep seeing 6 or 7 year old Lexus GSs for around 10k but am wondering would I be mad to buy one. I commute around 100Km a day half in heavy traffic. Also the high tax is putting me off. I currently drive a 10year old Skoda Superb TDI.

Help convince me it's either nuts or a good idea.

Thanks
Whimsey

The high tax is the reason they are very cheap.

The CVT gearbox in the 450h is weird but ultra reliable.

whimsey

Thanks for the feedback, how bad are they on fuel ?

Whimsey

Atlantic Dawn

whimsey wrote: »

Thanks for the feedback, how bad are they on fuel ?

Whimsey

I would say 15-20mpg would be optimistic in heavy traffic, double to triple your current Superbs consumption.

mickdw

Serious car for small money now if you go for the pre 08 reg and the crazy tax.
If considering a gs, the 450h is the only option.
I was considering one so got a lend for a weekend.
serious power. High 20s mpg driven hard with mixed driving.
Not really a drivers car and the drivers seat is a bit of a pain in that its lowest setting is very high and I felt like I was sitting on it instead of in it.
It will surely leave must things for dead from a standstill or pretty much at any speed in a straight line. Handles perfectly well on bends too but it's not the type of car you would be sliding around.

tw0nk

OP, I was in the same boat as you, saw them around, read up on the spec the power etc, if you are prepared to pay the tax, the cost is ridiculously low for the car.

So I decided to go for a test drive, I drove the 300 and the 450h, I recommend driving them in that order, you will never buy the 300 after driving the 450h.

What I love about it:
- Unbelievable list of toys (radar cruise control, heated and ventilated seats, satnav, auto rear-blind, 6 disc DVD player, bluetooth phone, keyless entry and start, parking sensors, reverse camera etc etc)
- Fantastic power, 0-60 in sub 6 seconds
- So comfortable, electric seats, lots of space in front and back, plenty of head room
- Aged well compared to the LS from same period and other cars from that period
- Complete sleeper, respectable looking car but can pull away from most cars on the road with ease
- Economical enough for its performance and size/weight

What I dont like:
- Small boot size (hybrid batteries take up a lot of space) but can still fit 2 full sets of golf clubs
- Tax, 1800 per year, or 500 every 3 months is tough to take, but a LOT cheaper than buying an inferior new car on HP

If you have any specific questions, let me know!

Eric Cartman

ls460 done.

PurvesGrundy

A big mark against the GS300/450h for me is the interior. Horrible plastic and the nastiest wood of recent memory.

mickdw

PurvesGrundy wrote: »

A big mark against the GS300/450h for me is the interior. Horrible plastic and the nastiest wood of recent memory.

There is a piano Black option i think which makes it reasonably acceptable but you are correct, I don't know what they were thinking.
The materials are pretty reasonable though in my opinion.

mickdw

Eric Cartman wrote: »

ls460 done.

Undone by Ls600h

Padraig Mor

I have a 2005 GS300 for the last 4 years / 100,000 km so can give some informed comment! Love mine. I get 27 - 28 mpg (long term average) with a good mixture of driving, including a lot of heavy traffic. Car is smooth, with decent power. Reliability is superb - only non-routine thing I've done is change a bulb! Easy car to work on yourself if you fancy it. As far as possible, get one with all the kit. If the central dash only has two buttons on the left side, it doesn't have sat nav. If there's a little flappy paddle type fob hanging down from the right of the steering wheel, it's got radar cruise. Neither are standard on the Executive model (some, such as mine, have nav). Radar isn't standard on Sport model, but most seem to have it. Sport model GS300 can be identified by 5 spoke alloys (Exec has 10) and boot spoiler. GS450H (both models) has its own alloy style. Boot isn't great on the 300 (it's an OK size, but awkwardly shaped) and the rear seats don't drop (just ski hatch); very small boot on the 450H. New, higher res, nav screen was introduced with the 450H in 2006 IIRC - this may not have come to the 300 until later.

I would definitely consider a 450H over a 300; having driven a couple, they are a beast for power! Mileage should be similar. However, 300's are considerably cheaper to buy (I wouldn't be paying more than 8k for one, and even that would be a good condition 2008; 2005/6 should be available from €3k up) and a few hundred quid cheaper to tax. Worth it IMO, if you can live with the boot.

Oafley Jones

mickdw wrote: »

Undone by Ls600h

Toyed with the idea of a 07/08 LS for a while there. I do tiny mileage (7K) a year and I could swing the tax. Unlike the GS, I kept hearing that the hybrid LS isn't worth it. The gains aren't there for it. Still love the look of them, such presence and much, much nicer than the revised model.

whimsey

Thanks everyone great advice

Whimsey

rai555

Neither someone who buys octavia or gs450h is mad, just different maths