Byran

I'd like to know as well- my rims and tires have been sitting in a garage since I got my rims shortly after I bought my 06 GS300 as well. Can anyone come up with a fair number?

Any rubbing on the 20x9's? I'm in the process of buying rims as we speak, so any and all feedback is appreciated. The guy at the rim shop told me I couldn't put 9's on the front because it would rub- and I don't want ANY rubbing. Instead of staggered, I was gonna go with 9's all the way around, but currently I have on order 20x8.5's, with 255/35/20 Toyo Tires. Thoughts? Can I go with 20x9's?

I just bought asn installed the SoundLinq myself as well. It's not perfect in terms of UI, but the sound is great. Before that, I was using a tape adapter. No matter how good you think the sound is from the tape adapter, it's literally CD quality using the SoundLinq. $300 very worthwhile dollars.

Gotta say- you're on your own. No bass? Unmatched speakers? Colored mids? Umm... you sure you got ML? I love music- been playing violin for 20+ years, and my choice of music is rap/r&b. Sounds great, along with everything else.

I like it- got two questions for you though. Is that a machine polished aluminum lip on the rims or chrome? and... Did you have to do any modifications to the car to get the staggered 10 on the back? I thought the highest I could get back there was 255 tire size, but you've got 275's on there- good stuff. Also- you think that same setup will work on a RWD '06 GS300? Congrats on a tight looking ride.

Just make sure to get a ceramic tint, and you'll have absolutely no problem. I went with Formula 1 by Pinnacle. Great looking tint.

Anyone notice the GUI for the onboard controls, including the Nav? Looks much smoother than the current generation. The pixelization that I see when I use mine is gone. Wonder if Lexus might come out with a hardware upgrade to take advantage of it for the current gen...

Sounds like a decision you gonna have to make yourself. I personally look at the IS series like the "intro-to-a-Lexus" series, kinda like the C series Mercedes. The IS350 is a step up from the 250, but with it's Honda-type looks, I couldn't justify the $44+ for a fully loaded one. The GS series, in it's fully optioned state, blurs the line between Luxurious and Sporty, with an obvious emphasis on the Luxury. Remember that the IS350 motor is not the same gas saving motor as is in the Toyota Avalon, for example, and to buy any car sans sight or feel is ridiculous- unless you have money to burn. And if you do, forego the Lexus, and get a Bentley.

Lack of lighting? Not really. What exactly are you trying to see that you can't? With all the front interior lights on, my 06 GS300 is completely illuminated. There are even lights in the footwell, for chrissake. Coupled with two lights which shine down directly onto peoples laps, and two spotlights which illuminate everything else. My guess is that the white LED's aren't doing it for you, which is why the Lexus dealer might have suggested for you to use a flashlight, or the vanity mirror light (which doesn't use LED's). My only gripe is the lack of a glove compartment light, and LED's which automatically come on when the trunk is open- two oversights, methinks. And as for you not realizing that there was not enough light for you after the fact? No offense, but before I spent MY $50,000, I visited the car at different times of day AND night- if only to familiarize myself with it's look, and features. To me, the fact that the salesman might seem rushed, had absolutely no bearing on anything- I was at the dealership to spend more in a day than he makes in a year. I hate to sound harsh, and apologize for the tone, but in my opinion, you should have come to grips with all of the car's features (and lack thereof) before you bought it. Just my two cents.

No problem at all- glad I could help.

I'm in Southern Cali too. Just got my 06 GS300 for 46K plus tax fully loaded.

So here's what I found out: Most dealers DO use standard dyed film, and they charge an arm and a leg for it. The step up from dyed is the metallicized/dyed film, but that can cause problems with your radio reception, cell phone signal, and GPS signal. The step up from that is full metallicized film- but that often causes interference because of its full metal properties. The best film to use (if you don't want the purple fading attributed to dyed film, and excellent UV and heat blocking properties) is ceramic film provided that you have electronics in the car that can be interfered with. Full ceramic film will NOT interfere with the reception of any electronic object. Additionally, the best shops will have a full line of a manufacturer's product, and not just a few lines. Beware of the ones that only have (for instance) 3 out of 5 lines of SolarGard- the good places carry all of them. Also- the best shops will NOT use more than one piece of tint for your back window. The best tint I have found is Formula One and Huper Optik as far as their ceramic line goes. And as far as percentage? The lower the number, the darker the tint. However, all tint percentages are not created equal. I used a 15% Formula One Pinnacle tint by Formula One, and because my car is the cashmere color on the inside, but black paint on the outside, the tint does not look nearly as dark as it might otherwise look with a black interior. Try to find a shop that will help you visualize your tint by putting pieces (large ones, if possible) up to the window so you can get a clear picture of the tint's look on your car. Remember, you just spent $50K+ on your car, so don't let them rush you into putting just anything on there. Oh- and as far as places to go? I called around, asked what kind of tint they used, and asked to see samples. I visited a few places, all of which I found by using the online yellow pages. If you feel like coming down to Orange County, I'll refer you to the place I used- they did an excellent job.

Ended up going with Formula One Pinnacle Series 15% all 5 windows. Car looks REALLY good. I called up the dealer as well, and it turns out they generally use a crappy dyed film- and charge up the wazoo. I'm not saying it's the norm everywhere, but all three dealers I called in the OC used dyed stuff, or hoped for the best with the metallic.

I'm a little (ok, a lot) confused as to what size rims I should be looking at for my 2006 GS300. I'm currently looking at websites that refer to rims in sizes such as 19x8, 18x8.5, etc. What does it all mean? Am I right in assuming that the second number refers to the width of the rim? Can someone help?

Just bought mine on Tuesday, but havent seen an issue with that at all.