Hey Scotty,
I’m looking at possibly purchasing a used 2008 Lexus RX400h from a private seller which has about 87,000 miles on it with an asking price of $12,000. The vehicle seems to be in pretty decent shape. No accidents that I’m aware of when I asked the current owner of the car who was in the used car sales industry himself!
The vehicle has a backup camera, navigation system, 6 CD changer and a cassette player 😁, heated leather seats (in pretty decent condition for the age of the car) and tinted windows.
I’m just concerned about the costs involved with repairs on old luxury vehicles, especially when they get to be as old as this car is and the mileage about to hit the magic 90K mark very soon, and I know most cars need new timing belts replaced around 90K and other services done. I’m not sure what you personally would recommend to do if I end up purchasing this SUV that would be important based on your experience and expertise!
I test drove this car and it runs pretty smoothly & I loved it. I’m just a bit concerned about the maintenance costs involved with Lexus SUV’s!
Also would you recommend to put regular unleaded gasoline or only premium gas in this vehicle??
Thank you for in advance for your help and your expertise!
Alan
Walk away from this vehicle. Because -
1. 13 yr old hybrid.
2. Overpriced.
3. Exorbitant repairs if at all the hybrid battery/generator goes out.
If you must have a hybrid, buy brand new. At the very least, buy a lightly used late model hybrid after getting it thoroughly checked out by a Toyota dealer/mechanic.
You absolutely have to check the health of the hybrid battery first, before going any further.
Stick to the recommended gasoline octane rating which is mentioned in your owner’s manual.
Stick to a regular gas Lexus RX350. They will last longer than a hybrid version, and more mechanics can work on regular gas vehicles over hybrids. Regular gas vehicles have enough complexity as it is; going hybrid adds to that. Usually Toyota Hybrids can go 150,000 to 200,000 miles (generally, and even more) before battery replacement or something in the hybrid system needs repair and that will cost $$$ when it occurs. Also, finding a competent mechanic that knows how to work on hybrids will be a challenge and being a specialty expect to pay more for repairs; going to a dealer would be even more expensive as well (assuming they can even troubleshoot and fix correctly). I would stick to a regular gas version if you plan to keep the vehicle for a long time and put lots of mileage on it.
I wouldn't have even clicked on the listing that is one of the most overpriced Lexus cars I have seen in a while.
If you want a Lexus, get yourself an RX350 regular gasoline. If you want a hybrid, beware of the long term money you might need to put into it, and definitely get one much newer.
If it were a non-hybrid, it might be an ok deal at that mileage. Still a little high price.
But for a hybrid, IMHO, the mileage is too low. Hybrid batteries need to be exercised. That’s only 6700 miles a year. Judging from my Prius forums, I find that lower mileage hybrids need the battery replaced sooner than moderate mileage hybrids.
If it were cheaper, I would entertain the offer.
My wife has a 2020 RX 350 purchased last September; I have a 2021 RX 450h purchased in January. My wife didn't want a hybrid; I did. With the longer warranty on the hybrid components and the 10 year, 150K miles warranty on the battery, I'm not concerned. In 10 years, I'll be close to 80 yo, so I expect we will probably drop down to one-daily driver by then. We both like our RXs. Hers is used mainly for highway trips; mine for in-town driving as well as highway. I am getting excellent fuel mileage - in the low 30s in town, and up to 34-35 on the highway.
I do drive the 450h conservatively, if you haven't guessed. My 2000 Mustang GT convertible is for the times we want to rev up the engine. {pear}:laughingoutloud:
It will be an interesting experiment watching how the RXs perform over the years. We have done this before - my wife had a 1991 Ford Taurus SHO; I had a 1992 SHO.
