Bought Almost New 2018 GS 450h!
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bclexus (12-03-21)
12-03-21, 11:02 AM
#17
jgscott, considering I have a lot of personal and financial interest in the Texas energy sector, with particular focus on O&G midstream and hard infrastructure, renewables, carbon capture, produced water management, energy storage and energy technology, private equity investors and capital markets, etc. - I plan on only putting the absolute best fluids in the car while extolling the car for its minimal energy consumption and pollution.
https://www.texasmonthly.com/news-po...t-preventable/
Texas at Night
12-09-21, 08:54 AM
#18
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Wow, congrats @bclexus! That's a super rare vehicle, especially considering the mileage! What color combo and packages does it have? Welcome to the mini 4GS hybrid club btw - you're going to be out most active CL member :P Looking forward to seeing your photos and would love to hear your feedback on the car (likes/dislikes). You might be the one of the few who has experience with both the GS350 and GS450h!
~ Im2bz2p345
~ Im2bz2p345
Well, the car is in showroom condition, not an imperfection anywhere and I've carefully inspected every square inch of the exterior and interior. It's quite a car, that's for sure! I really like the car and I'm very happy with it.
I'm really liking the car. It's beautiful and a joy to drive. I still need a lot of seat time to become reasonably familiar with the car and all the features I'm not familiar with.
I believe you had asked for my comparison of my 2013 GS 350 with the 2018 GS 450h in terms of ride quality. In 'Normal' drive mode I think the 2013 GS 350 has a little firmer ride, maybe because of the suspension makeup. However, with the 2013 GS 350 I have one up-size larger tires (245/45 R18) and I always kept the tires inflated a few psi over recommendations, so maybe that is why I feel the GS 350 had a firmer ride in Normal drive mode compared to the GS 450h.
On an unrelated subject:
I had my tires/wheels rotated and re-balanced at Discount Tire yesterday, using their Hunter Road Force machine, and the OE Michelin Primacy mxm4 235/45 R18 tires all balanced perfectly with either no added weight or very minimal weight added.
While at Discount Tire I had my spare tire's pressure checked and it only had 17 psi in it! I'm sure it had never been touched since it came off the manufacturing line 3½ years ago in August, 2018. For owners that rarely check their spare tire, you really should check your spare tire's air pressure and fill it to the maximum of 60 psi in case you ever need to put it on the car. (I tried to get Discount Tire to fill the spare to 75 psi knowing the pressure would drop over the next few years, but the spare tire's sidewall says maximum of 60 psi and that is all they would inflate it to.)
Last edited by bclexus; 12-21-21 at 07:31 AM.
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Im2bz2p345 (12-09-21)
12-09-21, 06:21 PM
#19
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Subbed for pics and a review 😂! Congrats @bclexus im kinda jelly 🤣
Well, the car is in showroom condition, not an imperfection anywhere and I've carefully inspected every square inch of the exterior and interior. It's quite a car, that's for sure! I really like the car and I'm very happy with it.
I'm really liking the car. It's beautiful and a joy to drive. I still need a lot of seat time to become reasonably familiar with the car and all the features I'm not familiar with.
Last edited by bclexus; 12-21-21 at 07:32 AM.
12-10-21, 06:55 PM
#20
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
A couple of pixs of the Illuminated Door Sills and the Lexus Shadow Projection Door Welcome lights
12-12-21, 01:47 PM
#21
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Subbed for pics and a review 😂! Congrats @bclexus im kinda jelly 🤣
Here's a few pics I took this morning. I had to get a thin layer of Texas dust on it!
Last edited by bclexus; 12-14-21 at 10:43 AM.
The following 5 users liked this post by bclexus:
awdlyfe (01-01-22),
Im2bz2p345 (12-13-21),
jgscott (12-13-21),
RadiantX45 (03-15-24),
ratobuza (07-29-22)
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ratobuza (07-29-22)
12-13-21, 05:22 PM
#23
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
THIS is who I got them from on eBay. The lenses and projection quality is excellent...
12-13-21, 07:11 PM
#24
Nice pics, and lighting Mods. You have done some great lighting upgrade mods! Must be very impressive at night. That Wood interior looks like the same as I have in my Black interior. It's very Dark Brown and sometimes even looks Black. Is that the very, very Dark brown wood?
How difficult was this to install in the outside mirrors?
How difficult was this to install in the outside mirrors?
12-13-21, 07:41 PM
#25
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
Nice pics, and lighting Mods. You have done some great lighting upgrade mods! Must be very impressive at night. That Wood interior looks like the same as I have in my Black interior. It's very Dark Brown and sometimes even looks Black. Is that the very, very Dark brown wood?
How difficult was this to install in the outside mirrors?
How difficult was this to install in the outside mirrors?
What are you talking about installing in the outside mirrors? If you're talking about the Lexus logo projection on the ground - those are referred to as Welcome Shadow lights and they are not a replacement for the OE puddle lights in the outside mirrors. They are plug-n-play replacements for the OE door mounted lights.
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Im2bz2p345 (12-13-21)
12-14-21, 07:43 AM
#28
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
The wood in the car is called 'UJ' Laser Cut Wood. It's not real dark - like black dark. I believe the Lexus LS model might also have this wood. The wood has what looks like two sets of two silver thread inlays in it - rather unusual.
This picture (below) was taken with multiple fluorescent light fixtures turned on in the garage producing about 36,000 lumens (for a 100 footcandle/1,000 lux light level) so the wood appears much lighter in this picture than it really is. Of course sitting inside the car with 35% window tint it makes the wood appear darker, and with an overcast sky or less bright evening light it appears darker still. Hopefully that answers your question...
Last edited by bclexus; 12-14-21 at 07:52 AM.
12-14-21, 07:51 AM
#29
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
You bet! Glad I could help...
They're plug-n-play replacements for the OE door lights. Just remove each OE door light with a trim removal tool or use something like a tongue depressor, and unplug the wiring connector and plug the connector into the aftermarket shadow projection light and pop it into place. That's it!
They are very inexpensive yet very well built with a very precise 'Lexus' logo projection on the ground as the door opens to welcome you and your front seat passenger.
THIS is who I got them from on eBay.
Last edited by bclexus; 12-14-21 at 08:59 AM.
The following 2 users liked this post by bclexus:
Im2bz2p345 (12-14-21),
jgscott (12-14-21)
12-14-21, 02:30 PM
#30
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
I actually had to go to Sport Drive Mode to get the tachometer to display so I could see if the gas engine is running. It's really strange to look at the tach and see the needle sitting on zero because the engine is not running even though you're still moving along, yet the car is On and fully ready to take off if the driver wants to do so.
I'm very impressed with how seamless it is for the gas engine to shut down and start back up with no indication or evidence it has happened. I guess I'm most impressed with that, as well as how smooth and quiet the eCVT performs.
I like how the eCVT performs so very smoothly to downshifting with the paddles in lieu of applying the brakes. With the GS 350, downshifting created a considerable amount of negative forward G lull and positive forward G lunge reaction - depending on speed and gear choice - that was not necessarily very smooth. This eCVT is so smooth and quite you'd think NASA designed it to be unnoticeable and for zero G force upshifting and downshifting.
I'm very impressed with how seamless it is for the gas engine to shut down and start back up with no indication or evidence it has happened. I guess I'm most impressed with that, as well as how smooth and quiet the eCVT performs.
I like how the eCVT performs so very smoothly to downshifting with the paddles in lieu of applying the brakes. With the GS 350, downshifting created a considerable amount of negative forward G lull and positive forward G lunge reaction - depending on speed and gear choice - that was not necessarily very smooth. This eCVT is so smooth and quite you'd think NASA designed it to be unnoticeable and for zero G force upshifting and downshifting.
Last edited by bclexus; 12-16-21 at 04:55 AM.
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Im2bz2p345 (12-15-21)