Lexus GS300 - bangernomics-lite

[anonymous-user]

Picked this up at 61,000 miles for only £2.5k. It is one HELL of a car for the money - bags of toys, everything works perfectly, it drives superbly and is unbelievably quiet even at high speeds. I was going to run it as a cheap-ish commuter and do just the basic maintenance, but it's in such good nick that I'm already thinking of tidying up some of the bodywork scratches. If anyone is looking for a cheap-ish barge to run then I'd highly recommend one.

[Altrezia]

Looks lovely. I need a tow-car - whats the rating on one of these?

[williamw1987]

Nice! Is that the 2JZ Turbo engine from the Supra in there?

[aspirated]

Brings back memories of Midnight Club 3: DUB Edition

[MGZTV8]

That is one awesome machine.

Well done!!!

[sgtbash]

That looks like a 2jz VVTI?

[Mr MXT]

Great choice sir!

I'm about to advertise mine, struggled to pick a company car that was anywhere near as comfortable and quiet. Really lovely place to be.

[anonymous-user]

williamw1987 said:

Nice! Is that the 2JZ Turbo engine from the Supra in there?

Possibly the same engine, but this one is NA - 220 bhp.

[harry kular]

Symbolica said:

Possibly the same engine, but this one is NA - 220 bhp.

Same engine, non turbo by the looks of it. My dad has a turbo one for the last 15 years and it goes like stink!

[anonymous-user]

Altrezia said:

Looks lovely. I need a tow-car - whats the rating on one of these?

According to the handbook - 750kg unbraked, 2000kg braked.

[anonymous-user]

3 month update:

This is a very, VERY good car. That is all.

[MGZTV8]

Say no more!!!

[anonymous-user]

12-month update:

So far, it's been supremely reliable. The total maintenance requirements were:

• A battery, which I think was the original.
• I had the cambelt changed just after I bought it, more for peace of mind than anything.
• Changed the autobox fluid, which has really smoothed out the gear changes.
• It also seems to chew through brake pads, which I assume is because it's big and heavy. The suspension components - which can be fairly expensive - have held up fine so far.

Still no rattles or squeaks and all of the gadgets still work perfectly. It's whisper-quiet on the move and the seats are superb, it makes a brilliant mile muncher. I've stuck about 12,000 miles on it, which leaves it at a youthful 73,000 in a 12-year-old car. It averages about 24mpg, which I think is acceptable given the size, weight and autobox - the 4.3 V8 probably wouldn't have done much worse on fuel, but they were comparatively rare and the few examples around were quite tatty - going for the straight-6 gives you a lot more choice and you can buy on condition.

If anybody is looking for a dirt-cheap and reliable barge to cruise around in then I would highly recommend these; prices are at rock bottom right now and I maintain that they're one of the biggest bargains out there, it's very difficult to get more car for your money.

[TotalControl]

Yours looks to be in a very nicely kept order. Having driven one long distance I can vouch for its comfortability. The thing that puts me off on ownership terms is the fact that there is always potential for a big bill in the event anything (if ever) goes wrong. I may be wrong though. The other thing is the slight lack of rear legroom for a car of its size.

Can't complain about the comfort, reliability and smoothness of that engine though.

[cptsideways]

Crikey someone suggesting a potential big bill for owning a standard Lexus GS300, possibly the worlds most fault free car: You see need your set adjusting.

[TotalControl]

cptsideways said:

Crikey someone suggesting a potential big bill for owning a standard Lexus GS300, possibly the worlds most fault free car: You see need your set adjusting.

In my defence, I did say 'if' it ever goes wrong.

Maybe just thinking about anything going wrong on a Lexus is blasphemy.

[0a]

I do like these, 12 months cheap and comfy motoring as well - congratulations.

[Andy665]

I drive a well used GS450h of that era on a regular basis - gets shipped all over Europe as a transport vehicle for Lexus events - always look forward to climbing in to it at the end of a long day, never fails to relax you on your journey back to the hotel

[confused_buyer]

TotalControl said:

Yours looks to be in a very nicely kept order. Having driven one long distance I can vouch for its comfortability. The thing that puts me off on ownership terms is the fact that there is always potential for a big bill in the event anything (if ever) goes wrong. I may be wrong though. The other thing is the slight lack of rear legroom for a car of its size.

Can't complain about the comfort, reliability and smoothness of that engine though.

Any and every car can throw up a big bill. If you buy cars, that is part of the deal.

The advantage of bangernomics lite is that in the unlikely event of a really big bill you throw it away and buy another.

The only common fault which comes up on these which can be very expensive is the brake master cylinder. Other than that, they are less likely to throw up a big bill than a Focus diesel.

[Barchettaman]

Quality bangernomics there.

Apart from the looks, which always seem to me to be a bit Toyota Carina-ish, I'm struggling to find anything I don't like.

Bravo OP.