LEX-SV

2.0 L turbo is latest new engine. In premium car business you need to have a very refined one since it should sell in high volume (predominate engine in the small-mid vehicles for fuel efficiency). Has anybody driven Lexus 2.0L turbo yet?

Automatic headlights and keyless start are certainly features typical of well-equipped Lexus that I can appreciate everyday.

I keep my goofy additions to my car rather subtle. For example, attached is a stuffed doggie in back window (the 50% tint tones it down a bit too) of my Honda Civic GX.

Cool stuff, but most of it I don't expect to come to US Lexus dealerships from Japan.

Pricing (both MSRP and invoice) for NX is up on Edmunds website now.

I've been thinking about replacing my old Escort detector with a top of the line Escort, although Valentine is tempting... I only use a detector on long highway/freeway trips. With the increased use of laser in CA, the new Escort dectectors with feedback loop from other detectors warning of those locations seems helpful.

Wow, I guess we still have a ways to go to get to $2.00 here in Silicon Valley, CA. Costco and a couple of independents are selling gas today (12/4/14) for $2.689, but its still dropping...

$3.039 for Chevron regular today 12/4/14, (16 cents uplift for premium).

Colorful grill emblem, works on any brand of car. Around here the cars often have dual 49'ers flags.

For those interested in maintaining decent ride quality, Eibach is a good choice for about 1" of lowering. Some deterioration in ride quality should be expected with any lowering springs or coilovers. Expect to pay between $500-$600 total for springs, installation, alignment via experienced high end shop (depending on location). I feel it's worth having it done right. The H&Rs will be another nearly half inch lower but at what cost to ride quality?...

Mine came without...

Or shove a thin piece of cardboard (like file folder thickness) into gap and see if that makes a difference.

Can't see this article about RC...

Anybody else have little things in their Lexus that they personally appreciate?...

Oh, that's not a picture of me, it's just a picture that I pulled off of another forum years ago. I do like sunglasses though. Not military. The Saab sounds like it was fun and involving. Wishing you the best in your automotive choices in the near future!

Nicely done TL. The ISx50 owners have a lot of experience with various mods, a lot of stuff is well-proven fortunately. My IS350 is on Eibach350 springs (same as F Sport springs) and stock sport package shocks. Ride quality is good, only on big bumps at high speeds can I feel shocks struggle a bit to control rebound. Also added Lexus axle-back F-Sport exhaust. wheel specs (a fairly common setup as shown in bottom pic): 19x8.5 et33.235/35 19x10.0 et38 285/30 w/rear fender shave Since the IS is a premium sport sedan, I purposely selected mods that suit this kind of car.

^ My independent certified master tech Mercedes guy keeps a Scion Xb at his shop for running around town, lol.... Most of the later model Mercedes (specifically the C's and E's that most people buy in droves) are reasonably reliable today. Although CR did point out the brand new CLA and S class did drag down the averages, so again Mercedes forgot how to do new product lauches properly. He does fear the AMG cars because of the scary parts costs and so-so relability, and his mother owns one.

Yes, I understand the cross-shopping of different brands especially when leasing. The risk is minimal given warranty coverage over the life of the lease. I like the line about "I really don't have any pain, and don't feel particularly emotional about it." I had same concerns with my Lexus IS350, especially after owning a couple of Porsches (a Porsche is serious involvement, not just speed, hard to describe) as weekend cars for 10 straight years previously. My solution for the Lexus is "F-Sport" or my variation of since I'm primarily using it as a weekend kind of car. It gives the car the edge I require for a bit more emotional involvement and feedback. I've seen some other GS350's given similar treatment with similar outcome too. Just my thoughts or approach to a similar challenge...

Nice variety of cars midwesterner. Has the 2003 Z4 been a good car for you?

I've only driven the new (a couple of them) IS350 sedans. I've sat in the new 2015 C-class and found the luxury interior to be tops in this class, especially with the extra roominess. I plan to drive the new C300 soon. Lexus certainly has best/proven history with hybrids in premium car business. I really put no weight on the close "win" by Lexus in this comparison, I tend to reach my own conclusions. Certainly the competitive qualities of both sedans are impressive. Per the article, "The biggest difference between these cars is that the Mercedes is a diesel-electric hybrid, compared to petrol-electric for the Lexus." Is Mercedes intending to bring this to US?

Yes, my Mercedes dealership is down street about a block from Lexus dealership. Therefore the service at my Mercedes dealership is excellent, just like the Lexus dealership. The high quality Lexus customer service has forced the nearby Mercedes dealership to deliver same level of service, and it's working. I use both dealerships. In the case of the Lexus dealership I continue to use them even though my car is out of warranty. In the case of the Benz, I will continue to use dealership as long as the warranty is in effect. I have access to an excellent independent Mercedes shop for service once the warranty expires.

EvilJoker - Any success in search for IS350? btw - Show us a picture of your current TL, sounds like it's setup nicely. Do you like the H&R springs on it?

No kiddin... And they offer a $500 dealer installed accessory to have the logo light up! Blingtastic!

Example: Plenty of American (and European) buyers view this cheapish Mercedes as desirable and are buying thousands every month. CLA250 w/sport package and pano roof, a very popular config. Click on pic to blow it up.

The good news we have some discussion from those outside of LS owners. Well done all! Yes Mercedes offerings in Europe are very diverse. And Lexus execs in the U.S. talking about setting some arbitrary low price point for their entry level cars is empty, especially considering how Lexus was early to market with reasonably priced common Camry-derived fwd products for example. And everybody in the auto industry knows of the extremely successful MB fwd CLA in nearly every major market in world including US, a home run with sales greatly exceeding forecasts.