branshew

I like the look of the shifter overall, but it seems too tall. It may be as tall as the factory one, but being a knob style it looks a little off. It needs to be about 2-3 " shorter. Did you have a choice of wood grain types & colors? ________________________________________________________________________________ SHA4000 - The '98 + models had a "lever/gate" type of shifter which is completely different than the 1st gen shifter. Not only do you not have the OD button, you also don't have to depress a knob or button on the lever to shift into and between gears like earlier models. Basically you have a knob on a stick. Based on this you should be able to find many aftermarket shifter knobs for your car.

Watch "Minority Report."

No joke. Your credit score controls everything from your interest rate on a new car to your ability to purchase a home. Your insurance rates are linked to your credit score as well. Having bad credit will cost you a lot more money when you go to pay for things.

I've never known a door lock to break on any of the Lexus cars that I have owned or that my family has owned (10 total over 12 years). Ultimately you shouldn't buy the first production run of any product - especially an automobile. Generally speaking the first year is the year to work out the bugs. One would have thought that with Lexus they would have worked most of those out since you're basically sharing the Toyota 4 Runner platform w/ many of the same switches, controls, hardware, etc. from other Lexus models.

How did the Audi A8 get left out of the discussion. It is 100X better looking than the BMW, and I personally like it more than the Benz as well. The Audi has AWD, a strong V8, and Audi is known for some of the nicest interiors out there. Plus the car has a nice quasi "Bauhaus" style to it that the others don't. Not only that - there aren't as many on the road and to me that is even more of a plus. If you're really only considering the Benz and BMW then you have to ask your self one question: "Do I like the C Class or the 3- Series better?" (since that's what you'll be driving just as much as the flagship when its in the shop)

Although I am a huge football fan, I never got into the fantasy league. probably because I think that College football is 10 times better than the NFL (plus the lousy Redskins haven't done anything in a while). My wife on the otherhand loves fantasy football. She had trouble last wek deciding whether to put in Tom Brady or Ben Rothlesberger when the Pats took on the Steelers. Against my advice she choose Brady and gave up a few points.

I saw a few pairs of those that I like as well. As to the $10 shades - I spend alot of time outdoors and I have noticed that there is a definite difference in the lens quality between a $10 pair and an $80 pair. UV protction aside the color variations, etc. can be significant between lenses. Plus I have been toying with the idea of geting these in a RX lens so I don't have to wear the contacts. So that would throw the $10 option out the window.

I was kayaking in the ocean last month while on vacation in the Outer Banks. I rolled and lost my sunlasses in the process. I had been going for a while without any, and it was slowly starting to get to me. Today on the way to work I noticed that due to the seasonal changes the sun's angle is starting to hit me in just the right spot so I am making myself get a new pair before the end of the week. I had an older pair of Oakley wire frames w/ polarized lenses. I had them for about 5 years and liked them, but I am thinking about stepping up to Revo's. I want a polarized lens (sucks being on the water w/o one) and something that offers good eye protection and visibility without excess color distortion. What are you guys wearing these days?

When I was in CT in early spring Hertz had several XJ Jags on the lot. Not a LS by any means, but you could stretch out in the LWB.

That's along the lines of what what I was thinking as well. If the pump problem was internal then it usually makes more of what I would call a squealing noise.

Ahh protien folding - one of the keys biological existance. Do you notice any decrease in bandwith or processing capacity while they have your machine "hijacked?"

In hindsight I suppose that it could probably be argued that gas prices are up as a result of the war, but there are also some other factors involved like refining capacity that are not related to the war. I agree that that money could be spent better somewhere else, but we probably wouldn't be spending it all were it not for the war. Currently the war budget money is being borrowed against the Federal deficit and not coming out of any spending programs or entitlements, etc. currently in place. The government is cuting taxes when it should be raising them to pay for this thing (so much for the Republican's claim of "fiscal responsibility"). Congress has yet to cut spending anywhere to pay for the war (look at all of the Pork in the highway bill that was just passed). I believe that they call it a supplemental spending bill or something to that extent that pays for the war. I highly doubt that the House of Reps would have allowed any of that supplemental money to be borrowed for other purposes had we not been at war, so with respect to budget cuts and federal spending I don't think that we have been affected (yet). The issue with China won't affect us for some years to come. I was referring to making financial/consumption sacrifices for the war effort. I still use the same amount of gas and electricity, still buy the same amount of food, etc. I was not referring to loved ones serving in Iraq or ones that have died there. I don't mean that in a bad way and if more people were being afected then there would probably be more of an effort to get our troops home (which would be a good thing). That was one of my points - we're not giving up much in the short term to pay for the long term. We should be saving and making cuts now so that we won't be affected as much in the future. When it comes out of our pockets we are more apt to complain and if that were the case then I think people would pay more attention to what is going on over there and would be begin to question our motives and plans instead of just accepting whatever the Bush administration tells us we should think.

There isn't much comparison. The RL is probably more compaable to the GS in size, but Acura could never touch Lexus in terms of interior quality and workmanship IMO. Not to say that the Rl is a bad car, but the LS is just on a different level all together. I test drove a TL & CL before getting my ES and there was no comparison. The interior materials felt cheaper and more flimsy and the quality of the leather was sub-par for a luxury car - it was like they pulled it out of an Accord. I didn't like the ride as much as the Lexus either. LS400 is pretty much bulletproof in terms of reliability, but all bets are off when buying anything used so do some research and have the car checked out.

Maybe the guy used his cell phone to call OnStar!

You can blame them all - democrats, republicans, president, congress, cia, military, and most importantly the American population. For whatever reasons Bush wanted the war (to clean up his dad's mess, stimulate a sagging ecomony, increase his approval rating as a wartime pres, etc.) He had the CIA put together some "intelligence," gave that to his lackeys so that they could sift through all of the real pieces of info only to find the three or four sketchy reports of unconfirmed WMDs and uranium sales. They were then passed over to the spin doctors and made to piggyback on our fears after 9/11. This whole bill of BS was then sold to the senate, house(Both parties were involved Lieberman pushed as hard as Frist to take out Sadaam.) , and most importantly the American people. How many people wrote their Congressman or Senator to speak out against going to war? Most of us were brainwashed and didn't care what happened as long as we could keep consuming and didn't have to make any sacrifices in our daily lives. Let's face it - most of us have not been personally affected by the war in any way shape or form and it's much easier to tolerate it when we can just sit back and watch the death toll numbers on our plasma TVs. If Bush and all politicians Dem. or Rep. had been real leaders after 9/11 they would have told Americans that they have to make sacrifices, but instead they told us to go shopping. WTF? If we had had to give up something to fight the war on terror, had to ration fuel, steel, food, etc. then we'd have been much more reluctant to go to Iraq. Look at the sacrifices this country made for the War effort during WWII and you'll know why we have avoided mass conflict like that for the last 60 years. We sit here so detached from the reality of the situation that we don't even care enough to make an effort to stop it. We have made sacrifices for the war in Iraq: Our international reputation as a human rights leader, our fiscal stability and soundness, and most importantly the lives of thousands of Americans and Iraqis. Thomas Jefferson said that we should tear up and re-write the Constitution every few years as a form of revolution - and I have to agree. It's sad to me when we live in a time where Politicians are more concerned with tax cuts and corporate welfare than paying for the war they created and the welfare of their own citizens. Wait ten years and we'll be owned by China as they keep buying up our national debt at an alarming rate. We had Sadaam in a box and he wasn't going anywhere. We are wasting our time in Iraq spending bilions while Kim Jong Il is looking to sell nuclear materials to terrorists on his back doorstep just to keep his sagging economy afloat. Iran is being overrun by militant hardliners intent on getting the bomb, and we can't even clean up after a Hurricane. But hey - I don't live on the gulf coast and I'm not in Iraq so pass me the remote so I can kick my feet up, drink a beer, and worry about what I'm going to buy next.

You forgot the following: BMW Broken Mercedes Wannabe FORD F'd-Over Rebuilt Dodge F'in Only Runs Downhill FIAT Fix It Again Tomorrow

Sorry and I'm not trying to offend anyone here, but WTF would make you want to put 20+ inch rims on your LS????? As I was driving back into the office park on my way back to the office today I noticed a sweet 3rd gen LS400. This car was completely pristine with a nice aftermarket dark green paint job, and nice tint. The shine on the paint looked like there were 2 coats of clearcoat and wax on it and there was not a scratch, smear, smudge or mark on the car anywhere. The car was really sweet except I thought that something looked a little wierd as I was approaching it. When I got along side it I noticed some huge moon disc chrome rims (which I don't care for all that much in any size) with little rubber-band tires , BUT the rims were so big that they actually lifted the car off the groung and made the car ride at least 2" higher than normal (I'm guessing 22's). WTF was this guy thinking? Not only has he killed the ride quality, but it looks completely ridiculous lifted up like that. Sorry for the rant but I had to get it out.

You must be hearing the little voice: "SW - come to the dark side." I heard it once too. Fortunately it was pre-2000 when Benz could still build a reliable car. I thought you said somewhere where you'd rather drive a BMW or Audi over a Benz. If I was going Euro - Audi woud be my choice right now. I'm all for the next Toyota wagon as well. Just make it better looking than the last of the Camry wagons they made. "SW I am your father."

If you have the button I believe that means that you have the air ride suspension that is controlled electronically. There are only 2 settings on your car, and I don't think that they can be adjusted either way other than sport and comfort. If your electronic controller went out then you could be having some ride quality issues. Do you notice any difference at all between settings? Is the ride really harsh and bumps throw you out of the seat? Does it seem to be the front, rear or both? Does the car look like it is sitting lower? Some of questions these may help in the diagnosis. If you need new struts that could be $$$ on the air ride car. I was looking at @ $1000 per wheel P&L on my Subaru when the air ride went out on it (I had the air ride replaced with regular struts). If you know a reliable mechanic then get him to look at it. Chances are that a strut/shock place will want to take you for the whole set and Lexus may also do the same depending on the local dealer. If its the control system then you may be better off financially. Regardless problems w/ suspension can be serious so don't delay getting it checked out.

Sweet! My had has on '02 LS 430 and I have driven it many times. It is one of the nicest cars that I have ever driven. So smooth and quiet and the interior is top notch - way better than the newer Mercedes & BMW interiors IMO. Good luck w/ the new ride and I hope all faired well in the storm. I'm sending some good mojo LA way for all of you.

Have you ever driven a car before? If so then you'll know that in order to keep them running - they require service. If something breaks during the lease period then it will fall under the warranty. An Oil Change at jify Lube is what $30.00. An oil change at Lexus is $45.00. You may pay a little more at the Lexus dealership, but you'll have access to a loaner car and receive much better treatment overall. Personally I'd feel a little cheap taking a new Lexus to a discount oil change shop. I am a cheap *BLEEP* and I don't get my Lexus serviced by the dealership, but it is also 12 years old. There comes a time when the cost of dealer service on an older vehicle outweighs the value. I do alot of my own maintenance. When I don't, I take it to my mechanic that specializes in Japanese cars and I always use OEM mechanical parts when something needs replacing. It costs me less than going to the dealership, but still more than owning a Honda or Toyota - it is after all a luxury car and should be maintained as such. That being said - if I had a post '00 model then the dealership would be the only one to touch the car. The newer cars are alot more complex in terms of electrical and mechanical systems than the older ones. Plus - it's a luxury car and you should expect to pay more for service and parts. Don't take this as a snide remark, but true advice - If you're not prepared to pay what it costs to properly own a luxury car then perhaps you should look at leasing a Camry instead.

Try Auto Parts Place on the web. I bought my rears (KYB) for $65 each and the mount for an additional $30. They offer free shipping on all orders over $150. That should put you closer to the $400 mark I had a '95 ES so it's possible the '97 pricing is different, but it's worth checking it out. shipping was very quick.

I hate to say it, but Slick 50 is selling a bunch of crap. Slick 50 uses as its primary ingredient Teflon (DuPont) or PTFE (generic). This PTFE is in a solid powder form in a suspension not a liquid form. As you may know - oil filters are designed to remove solids so your filter is removing the PTFE from suspension which is probably causing the filter to clog prematurely. While Slick 50 indicated that the PTFE particles are small enough to pass through oil filter pores, the particle size increases under engine operating conditions which can cause pore blockage. DuPont's own researchers have indicated that there is no benefit to adding PTFE to engine oil. To quote a statement from DuPont's own Fluoropolymers Division Product Specialist, J.F. Imbalzano said, "Teflon is not useful as an ingredient in oil additives or oils used for internal combustion engines." In response to Slick 50's claims of "bonding to engine components," chief chemist of Redline Synthetic Oil Company, Roy Howell, had this to say: "... to plate Teflon on a metal needs an absolutely clean, high temperature surface, in a vacuum. Therefore, it is highly unlikely that the Teflon in Slick 50 actually plates the metal surface. In addition the Cf (Coefficient of friction) of Teflon is actually greater than the Cf of an Oil Film on Steel. Also, if the Teflon did fill in 'craters' in the steel, than it would fill in the honing of the cylinder, and the oil would not seal the piston rings."

Yes, but after making the lease payments for 36 months and putting the $$ down up front - that $29K isn't as good of a deal as it would be to swoop in with no investment in the car and steal it for $29K. bcwttw: At least drive the car for a thousand miles before you make any decision. After the 1000 miles go to the Toyota dealer and drive an Avalon. You will see that there is a HUGE difference between the two and I guarantee that you'll want to keep the LS.

The cables may be tight on the battery, but have you noticed any signs of deteriortion of the thickness of the cables - maybe some of the smaller copper wires inside the braid in the plastic sheath breaking loose? That could be part of the problem. I would also look at the positive and negative terminals coming off the battery and going to the alternator. If those are loose, coroded or fraying then that could be the culprit.