Shed Of The Week: Lexus LS400

Who better to purchase a Shed from than a discerning PHer?

Depreciation is a funny old thing - if you're a Sheddist, anyway. There are laughs a-plenty available with this week's Shed, and they're the good sort too.

Can you spot the duct tape?

Launched 25 years ago, the Lexus LS is still at the top of Lexus GB's New Cars website. OK, it's a 460 now, but in essence (and a lot more ways than that) it's the same car that it was a quarter of a century ago. That's because they were great cars when they came out, and they're still great cars today.

But do you have any idea how much a 2014 LS is? Go on, have a guess.

If you wanted to splash out on the LS600h L, it's a fiver short of One Hundred Thousand Pounds. The base model LS460 starts at a more competitive, though still slightly eye-watering, £71,995.

Now, subtract £71,000 from that. With the tiny pile of cash remaining, not only can you be the owner of this week's fully-MOT'd Shed, you'll have enough left over for a nice meal out with the missus. And neither of you would be embarrassed about rolling up to the snootiest Cafe de Posh in this one either. She's a beauty.

175K young in here!

A £71,000 saving though. Phew. Shed can't be bothered to work out the exact depreciation percentage that represents, but he knows it's big. Of course, Charltjr's LS (already known to those who frequent the PH's Readers' Cars forum from his 'bargernomics' thread here is not a new car. But put your missus (or anyone) in either his one or a new LS and they'd be hard pushed to notice the difference. Your other half might even prefer the older one to look at. A lot of folk do.

Our Shed Is the facelift model, which means it has an elegant simplicity of line that has somehow progressively eluded the later models, particularly if you're not a fan of the current spindle-grille look. As Mr Garlick will tell you from his own personal experience, an LS can eat your heart out in more ways than one. The biggest potential heartbreaker after the obvious and ongoingly ruinous cost of pouring petrol into it at sub-20mpg rates is the need to keep the suspension sweet. Charltjr assures us the suspension is quiet. He could be as deaf as a post, mind you, but backing you up on this potential purchase is the fact that the last three owners are all PHers. That's got to be equivalent to at least half a stamp in the service book.

Handling Pack lowers LS; can't you tell?

The other LS bugbear, the damp boot, has been sorted. An LPG conversion would be a smart move but the shutlines still look razor sharp and the Amethyst Pearl bodywork looks super smart. OK, there's a scrape on the backside. Shed can't see it, but then again he hasn't been to Specsavers for a while, and if you've ever seen Mrs Shed you'll understand why. Turns out on further investigation that Charltjr has slapped some gaffer tape on the offending scab, which can be seen on the rear n/s corner. Not too bad a colour match, as it goes, and very much in the spirit of bangershedonomics. Well done that man.

The cambelt is 50K old but another poster on Charltjr's thread says his 12 year-old 95K one looked unworn when it was replaced. As ever with an LS, the only question you have to answer is 'do you feel lucky?' Well, do you? Roll them dice pardner, and pray you don't get snake eyes.

Here's the ad.

Lexus LS400 Mk4 DHP

Huge spec: electric everything, climate control , leather, xenons, sunroof, touchscreen nav.

MoT May 2015 with no advisories. Tax Jan 2015. Service history to 152000 miles, Lexus main dealer to 123000 miles. Air and cabin filters changed in the last month. Recent invoices for brake pads, battery, starter motor solenoid repair and coolant change.Two oil filters and sump plug washers will come with the car.

Lovely smooth drive, no clonks or knocks from the suspension, gearbox changes smoothly and quickly. Four matched Goodyear tyres with plenty of tread left, full sized alloy spare.

Being a Mk4 car this has the upgraded 280bhp engine and five speed gearbox making it more responsive and (slightly!) better on fuel than the Mk3. It is also fitted with the desirable Dynamic Handling Pack (DHP) - 17" wheels and slightly lower suspension.

Genuine reason for sale - a new job means my annual mileage is going from 8k to 20k a year and I can't justify the fuel cost at that sort of mileage. If it wasn't for that the car would be staying as I love it.

Watling removable tow bar with single electrics fitted by previous (PHer) owner who assures me it wasn't used for anything heavier than a bike rack.

The reason the car is so cheap is a scrape to the passenger side rear corner which is parking damage inflicted by the previous owner.

No offers. No, really, no offers. This is my best price, my lowest price, my final price.

For a warts-and-all look at the car go to the PH forums readers cars section -"bargernomics" is my thread about the car.

Please contact me via email if at all possible. I'm almost always at a computer of some sort but often can't answer my phone at work. If you need to call that's fine but please only call between 8am and 8pm. Thanks.

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piecost76

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203 months