LEX-SV

My opinion is it should go back to same Lexus dealership for diagnosis. It's good that you had it checked frequently while it was under warranty for the "low oil warnings", that left a good audit trail at service department. If the current noise is directly related to the earlier problem that was never fixed, assistance might be given.

This could be a hot seller in North American market. Can I see one at my dealer today?

Compact crossover/SUV's is the growth segment today in 2014.

I really want to see this RC coupe in the flesh. Hopefully I dont have to wait until the car show Thanksgiving week 2014.

Lexrrss - By now you might have put a couple thousand miles on the '14 IS250. Are you enjoying it? Anything to report?

Paddle shifter are useful when driving on twisty mountain roads, mainly for using engine braking on steep descents. But not especially entertaining.

I'll get the Hankooks by Ocotober, before rains.

My Lexus sales esperience is very good at one particular Lexus dealership that I work with exclusively. When I want to test drive a car, they just give me the keys, no dead weight salesperson in the car, no prob. The Mercedes dealership a couple doors down the street gives similar level of customer service, very good. I think they learned from the Lexus dealership. As I mentioned in another post for Lexus and added personality, F-sport helps a lot. Just like M stuff helps BMW and AMG stuffs help Mercedes cars become more entertaining. The customer can configure some tasty premium cars from all 3 of these major brands, and still not go to expensive extremes like IS-F, E63, M5, etc.

I considered buying a house with a barn that could accomodate 4 cars, plus it had conventional attached 2 car garage. The upkeep of the 3 acres of land and the boring style of the otherwise nice house helped convince me to avoid the place, thankfully.

So what will we see in person first? The NX or the RC?

Yes, I too will probably get down to 1 car (per driver) when fully retired, or at least maybe. Pizzazz as mentioned by OP is a more subtle approach, at least in the premium car business. It's not about pure sports cars or high powered pony cars. Even a 911 or Vantage "sports car" is remarkbly refined and luxurious as expected by this kind of buyer. Sure the M3/M5/C63/E63/IS-F are at the somewhat extreme end of the spectrum, but the sports packages (including F-sport packages and accessories) and higher horsepower mid-level engines offered one level down are important in the premium business to attract and keep customers. This is what helps make premium cars a notch above common Accords, Sonatas, Camrys, Altimas, etc. Pizzazz, need to keep it coming Lexus (just as BMW and Mercedes do).

^ Good story. Yes I've done my share of V8 powered burnouts without police involvement fortunately. My taste as a mature adult is high performance in a steathier mode. That's why I prefer more conservative colors on highest powered cars.

Good info on the VA (chicken sh**) detector law. Thanks. I'm still waiting for improved laser detection technology... Otherwise (at least in California) keeping to 10over max, or 80mph indicated on freeways, no prob.

It's a good thing the rich and sporting history of the IS owners forced Lexus to stay in touch. Proof is the F-sport models and F-sport accessories (which I approve of by actually purchasing some) being sold through Lexus dealerships. Otherwise Lexus would have fallen asleep and provided no competition for Mercedes/BMW/Audi. And they would have driven me away too if they didn't get with the program. I went to the launch of the 2013 GS at Pebble Beach and saw the seriousness of the execs and key engineers that designed a car that is respectable in this class of premium sport sedan. They essentially brought the car back from the dead (from a sales standpoint GS was very dead). They need to build on these modest successes going forward. Or as OP says, pizzazzz.

Especially in VA, isn't it illegal to use a radar detector there? Yep, we are the tax-paying non-criminals that have to watch out the most, easy targets.

I kind of see what the OP is talking about, or the pizzazzzz factor. Not so much about problematic quirky characteristics, more about automotive appeal. The ISx50 and IS-F crowd tends to get it more, therefore you will see more interaction and modified cars. I like how that class of car appreciates performance characteristics and feel, combined with luxury amenities expected in premium cars.

How's the GS? I hope they can hear the window rattle/noise this visit.

I know a Toyota mechanic that services my gardeners fleet of Toyota trucks, he drives a BMW plus a spare Japanese car at shop. My Mercedes idependent master tech uses a gen 1 Scion Xb at his shop for parts runner vehicle. At least Mercedes reliability has improved significantly since 2008, I've owned a couple. Earlier Audis certainly have share of problems (my friend has 2005 A4 incurring constant repairs starting at 60K miles), per Consumers Reports reliability data the new Audis have improved to average or better. It's only very recently that Acura added modern engines and tranmissions that are expected with premium brands. They are still ugly cars with a strabge grill that doesn't help appeal. We have some BMW owners here, are the later model years more reliable lately?

Regarding pizzaz on the website here, not sure I have answers. It's been awfully quiet here lately. And Club Lexus has contributed to it's own slowdown with decline in productive and relavent discussion, no surprise. A lot of garbage to sift through there in order to get the valuable information for actual owners. Good one, they are not just cars... Yes.

VBdenny - Have a safe and fun drive on the interstate. Enjoy. Let us know how it goes and what kind of gas mileage you get.

Yes, Lexus drivers should be given extra slack with speed limits.

I don't race or autocross, but I have a long history of auto enthusiasm including ownership of several Porsches. I am not young. And the PIZZAZ issue is a serious one for Lexus I think, despite some good headway in adding PiZZAZ. Much work needs to be done still. I want more of that hard to explain pizzaz too. And that probably explains why my Lexus IS350 is setup the way it is, for extra pizzaz. I feel that pizzaz and luxury can go together and I demand it. I know BMW, Porsche and Mercedes to some extent are doing it well.

It's common on Mercedes and Porsche awd cars.

Acura doesn't suprise me, even though they are reliable. Best to save the money and get a Honda, Acura rarely does enough to differentiate it's cars as truly premium cars. It's only lately (like last year) that they got with the program. Mercedes, BMW, Lexus and recently Audi have continued to distance themselves from subpar Acura over last decade. I'm guessing BMW's and Mazda's recent years of marginal reliability contributed. Although Mazda now stands out as a top brand for reliability, with lowest cost of ownership including depreciation,