Big Lexuses, like a lot of high-end luxury cars, have a habit of depreciating quickly, making them great second-hand buys. Like any complex vehicle, of course, there’s plenty to go wrong, although Lexus electronics seem a lot better than a lot of the competition’s. As for the battery packs, it’s conceivable that a 2008 model LS400h could be getting to the point where it’s battery pack does, indeed, require replacement. But having talked to a few limousine operators who run hybrid Lexus cars, some of them rack up huge distances on the original batteries. In any case, hybrid cars are now beginning to land in recycling yards faster than their batteries are wearing out, so there’s a relatively good supply of second-hand battery packs if the worst comes to the worst. There’s no hard and fast rule for the lifespan of the batteries in a Lexus, so the best bet is to have the car inspected carefully before committing to the purchase. The money spent on an inspection might be a really, really good investment.