mckellyb

Oh, I agree, visitility is crucial, my problem with it is, the whole US DRL thing was done only to allow GM to save some cash, and given we have *much* different lighting conditions here than say, Norway, there is much less benefit from having them on our already overcrowded roads. To me, *real* driver training/testing would result in much safer roads, not more 'nanny' devices. Plus, as I said in my initial statement, it makes motorcycles almost invisible, and as an ex-rider, you need every single attention-getting edge. On the last bike, a screamin' yellow GL1800 (I'm only 35, but it really was a neat bike), with *4* headlights, which I ran on high-beam during the day, people still didn't 'see' me. I mean, really.... Hey, people pull out in front of trains...unfortunately, we've gotten good enough at medicine to keep Darwinism at bay. I like the way you approach it, driving is dangerous, which seems to escape 99% of the public. IMHO, *life* is dangerous, and living guarantees you die. Enjoy it. Seems pessimistic, but having been dead, once (fortunately, don't remember a second of it), I'll enjoy what time I have left to the fullest, and I don't regret taking risks, even large ones, if the enjoyment factor, for me, is worth it.

I know, I know, there is a large percentage of the US driving population who just *love* these...I'm not one of 'em. Took me a while, but on my Suzuki Grand Vitara, I nuked both the positively stupid automatic headlight turn on (did it in tree shade...really, it did) and the DRL's, yet everything works as it should (like the E-brake light). I've seen, on another RX300 board, how someone did some jumpers on fuse box connections to nuke the DRL's, but has anyone here done it with success? I tried searching, but the search engine returns all posts, regardless of what you're searching for.... :-( Turns out, the DRL's can start to discolor the insides of the lenses, as they're hot *all* the time. If you're still reading, the reason DRL's have become even somewhat common here, in the US, where they are *NOT* needed, is 'cause GM was going to save pennies by equipping *all* their cars with DRL's, not just the ones going to northern Europe/Canada. Now, if you're driving where it's dusk/dawn for like, 6 hours a day, then yeah, they provide value, but here in the US, they just annoy others, and *hide* motorcycles, as they now kinda just 'blend in', they're 100% unnecessary. If you can't see a freakin' full-sized GM pickup, you shouldn't be driving, period. Thanks, sorry for the rant.

Not bad, if you ask me, and I looked for our '02 for a year before I found one which was just right, and still around, when I found it. The only things I can think of are, the '01 was the last year of the first gen Nav sytem, but if you don't have it, it doesn't matter. If that's an AWD version, it seems like a steal. Mileage sounds kinda low, but it could have been a second car. Good luck! Kelly B '02 AWD, loaded

Thanks!!!

Finally did it, found/bought an '02, gold-colored, AWD RX300 with literally *every* option on it ('cept the trailer hitch, good thing, in my mind). Have to admit, it's a *nice* car. I took my wife, whose car it is, to look at an '04, after convincing her to wait and see what the re-design brought to the table. To her, it was merely a large, Ford Focus-like hatch and $20K more out the door...she like the 'old' version better. Now, to find one.... FWIW, we're not "SUV" people, but needed one 'real' 4x4 (Suzuki Grand Vitara 5-speed) in the CO mountains, and since a motorcycle, um, 'incident', a couple of years ago, we can't really get in/out of normal height cars, anymore. Bummer, but hey, life is dangerous. The Suzuki I can't sell for under trade-in, so it's a keeper. Keeping her '95 Intrepid ES w/the 3.5L motor, just 'cause it's fun to drive, and make a downright *nice* "beater". This one was in CA, close enough (we're exiled to Oregon, currently...no, I *don't* like it here...CO was *way* nicer). Gold, NAV, AWD...hard combo of options to find on '02's and forget about '03's. Don't think there were many made for '03. Anyway, I've figured out a bunch of stuff from the pretty well-written manuals, but I was hoping I've just overlooked how to turn on the mirror compass heading indicator. Tried, couldn't do it, then it hit me, maybe the NAV system equipped ones didn't have it, even though the directional icon on the NAV display is hard to see. I seem to have tossed the equipment guide for new cars on the 2002 model, but on the 2003 model, it shows the compass as 'included'. Could be it's just 'relocated' to the NAV screen. Otherwise, seems like a quite well-kept machine, 5K oil changes, it lived *way* out in the country (so no short trips), made the 500+ mile trip home averaging almost 26 MPG. Any time I beat the EPA figures, I'm a happy guy. Anyway, any tips/tricks are appreciated. As are links to other boards. Hit me off-list, if you like. Time to start surfing for a 'real' repair manual. ;) I just *have* to tinker with stuff, broken or not.... Kelly B '02 RX300, AWD/NAV, 22K mi. '99 Suzuki Grand Vitara, motorhome toad, 53K mi. '95 Dodge Intrepid ES, still a nice car, 110K mi.