The G Man

Hmmm, you must have gotten the used car warranty. I dont think a 2007 can be certify, but I am surprise the finance manager can still sell you a Lexus extended warranty without certification.

What do you guys put in that compartment below the shifter? Its pretty useless for use, we put a box of tissue down there and thats it. It certianly will not fit my wife's pause.

Car engines and parts are usually made in a difference location or country than where the car is actually assemble. When one buys an American car, a lot of parts are from Japan, China or where ever, how much are helping the local economy by buying American cars are up for debate.

My A6 is a US model, so its made in Germany. Audi have been making cars in China for the Asian market for a while. The India plant is pretty new.

Do you have a source on that? I'd like to see it. Be sure its the NEW A6...not the old A6. The global sales number on the new A6 is very hard to find since its only been on the market here for 4 months, but the new A6 is selling much better than the last gen so far. Here is a quote on autospies.com regarding the worldwide sales leader in the midsize luxury sedan sector: "With Audi's A6 already outselling both BMW's 5-series and Mercedes-Benz's E-class worldwide " http://www.autospies.com/news/2012-Audi-A6-vs-2011-BMW-535i-Edmunds-InsideLine-Showdown-65797/

You can test out your alarm by opening the window, lock all the doors and arm the alarm. Wait a few minutes and reach in to open the door from the inside, the alarm should sound on.

Since your car have 72K miles, you are not qualify for the extended warranty offered by Lexus anymore, you must have bought a after market extended warranty.

Globally, the A6 is the number one selling midsize luxury sedan, the GS's sales numbers are near the bottom of the chart.

Unfortunately, all we have is specs to talk about now, I still think that this gen of GS will be an improvement over the last. Rather that translate to better sales numbers remains to be seen. I am sure it will sell better at the beginning, but how well will it sell in year 2 or 3 is the big question. As the new GS improved, so has the competition, the Audi A6 is quickest in class and the 5 series is still the handling champ. The E350 is the most comfortable, the GS has always been the bargain of the bunch. The German realize this and have step up as well in the price department, or should I say step down,, a well equipped Audi A6 premium plus can be had for around $50K and a well quipped 2012 BMW 528i can be bought for around $55K. The 2012 BMW 528i will have the new turbo 4 cyl engine which gets 23 city/34 highway mpg and still sprint from 0-60 MPH in 6.2 seconds.

The new GS will not be release until next month.

I have a feeling the 2013 GS350 fully loaded will be a lot more than $50K. What car manufacturers like to do is keep the MSRP around the same and add more options to the car. My guess is that the New GS with the F-sport package and a few option borrow from the LS will be close to $60K. It is still $10K cheaper than the 535i though. The funny thing is that BMW actually lower their price on the new 5 series last year due to competition from the A6. I guess competition among car manufacturers is a good thing for us, the consumers.

We have a 2011 RX450h, its a very nice SUV. Gas mileage is very good for a SUV this size and 290 HP. The ride is pretty comfortable and the handling is average. It is quiet and smooth and hard to tell you are driving a hybris at all, except maybe when the engine shuts off at a stop light.

In my opinion, the biggest pain with the Lexus Navi system is the motion lockout. If I am driving with a passenger, why can't my passenger enter a destination safely? Other than that, it is no better or worst than any other build in Navi system. Acura/Honda has one of the best Navi system on the market in my opinion and the German's Navi need some work. Handheld will always be better than build in, thats all they do, and they dont have to integrate it into a certain model of car, so their market is a 1000 times bigger, thats why they can sell their system so cheap and offer more festures.

I have the Lexus 12 speaker stereo system as well, although the rear is not as loud, it is certainly quite audible. It almost sounds like you have a bad ground like you said or bad wiring. Lose wiring or a bad amplifier rear channel is also possible. Although it’s unlikely that both rear channels are bad. My guess is that the fader control might not working properly.

Thats good information Steve, I did not know Lexus use the limited coupon system.

I had that done on my 2005 GX470 years ago, its a expensive wax job that lasted maybe 18 months. I would not buy it again, my bodyshop shop guy offer to put the same stuff on for $150.

I assume you have already try adjusting the fader.

I believe the dealer cost plus all the fees for a base 2012 ES350 with no options is around $34000. There are some hidden manufacturer incentives during the Lexus december to remember sale, you might be able to save maybe another $1000, but the sales ends on 1/3/2012.

The suspension or ball joints can cause that as well.

Decreasing the tire pressure also cause lower gas mileage and shorter treadwear.

The Honda S2000 and Acura TSX are cars, cars have different suspensions than SUV. A SUV usually have more suspension travel, which makes it harder to handle well without making the making the suspension much stiffer. The Japanese are starting to make some decent suspension, but they are still behind the Germans. If you take a quick turn or do some high speed maneuvers with the RX300, it will protest quite loudly with heavy body lean. The Grand Cherokee’s suspension is quite soft as well, but not as soft as the RX300. Most suspensions are a compromise between ride comfort and handling. Some manufacturer can make that compromise better than others, but there is no magic formula here, they all have to play by the laws of physics. Air suspension and active suspension can make that compromise between comfort and handling much better, but now you are talking about a couple of pretty expensive options and higher maintenance cost. It seems like the new RX’s design intention is to emphasize the balance between handling and comfort, it will alien some buyers who is still looking for the soft rider of yester-years, but it will also attract more younger buyers and male buyers as well. The LS460 is heading in the same direction, the ride is much stiffer than the outgoing model. Perhaps the ES350 will be the last of the Lexus soft riders.

Where is Toby working out of? I know that Troy form FD-Warranty is local to MA.

I think you have answer your own question, the key word here is "car". The RX350 is not a car, it s SUV. There is no question in my mind that the suspension in the RX can be better. Then again, the Japanese is not known for their suspension technology, leave that to the Germans, a Lexus is know for its customer service and relaibility. If someone can make a high quality reliable car with a sporty suspension and yet ride comfortably, that would be the perfect car. As far as I know, no one have been able to do that yet.

The old RX300's suspension was so soft, some people get sea sick riding in it :) :)

Nebula Grey is a new color for 2012, there may be a shortage of supply at this point. It seems like Nebula Grey usually come with gray or black interior, if you are more flexible with the interior color, there are a few in stock in your area. That "Road Block" stuff is just a clear film on your front bumper and the front edge of the hood. You should be able to save $100-$200 if you find a outside shop to do it. Resist All is a paint teflon coating I believe, Its nothing more than a expensive wax, I would skip it. Lexus Luxury Care is a 5 year pre-paid maintenance program. At $1795, its a bit expensive. If you plan to keep the car for at lease 5 years, I would try to bargain with them, somehwere in the $1200-$1400 region sound like a good price to me. The Lexus Comprehensive Mechanical breakdown is the same as the extended warranty. You have up to 4 years or 50000 miles to decide if you want to buy the extended warranty or not. There are a few sites on the internet that sells Lexus extended warranty for about 30% to 40% less. Good Luck