siriussportcross

I'm considering picking up either a 2002 SC430 with around 12K or so vs a new MB SLK320. Opinions? I know they are pretty much apples and oranges. The SLK's interior is more spartan compared to the SC's luxury appointments. Exterior wise, I'm leaning slighly on the side of the SLK. In the past, I've owned an SC300 and currently an IS300 and a Tacoma truck. I've also (briefly) owned an Audi allroad, so the SLK would be my second foray into the German car realm. I doubt that the Toyota/Lexus quality is in the SLK, though. SC'll probably have a higher resale value. 'Natch, you say...new, the SC costs probably 15-18K more than the SLK. But in my situation, there's only about a 3k difference in price between the new SLK and the '02 SC. So each car's relative value in say 3-5 years could be significantly different for the money I spend. I imagine most people are going to say, "If you want sporty, go for the SLK, if you want luxury, go for the SC".

I am considering installing the Audiovox SRS Sirius satellite radio in a 2003 GS300. The unit looks like this: The nice thing about this unit is that a FM modulator and antenna is built into the cradle, so you don't need to disassemble the dash to connect it in-line with the radio antenna. Since this vehicle will be leased, that's a definite plus. I won't be using that crazy pedestal mount; it disconnects easily from the rear of the cradle. I was considering trying to mount the bottom of the cradle in the "tray" area in front of the ashtray, so the display is facing out towards the shifter. Problem is, I don't have the car yet, and I don't know if it will fit. The dimensions of the unit (cradle with the radio installed) are approximately 5.25"W x 3.7" H x 3"D (without the pedestal of course). Can someone with a same generation GS300 tell me if this might fit? I will never use the ashtray and would prefer not to premanently remove it.

I'm thinking about getting new wheels for my 02 IS300 SportcrossGraphite Gray Pearl. I'll admit, I don't know much about wheels except that the car came with four of them plus the spare, that they're generally round and that I want something different than what came with the car. According to my owner's manual, I have 17"x7" wheels on the front and 17"x7.5" wheels on the rear, which I believe to be right since the front tires are 215/45/17s and the rears are 225/45/17s. After looking around the forums, I've been to a lot of different websites that sell wheels. It looks like these are great sites if you know what brand/model/size/offset/bolt pattern you want, but not so great if you don't have a degree in buying wheels. I'm not looking to go bigger or smaller...just want to stick with the current sizes with maybe a different look to the spokes with a subdued (maybe graphite??) finish. Since I'll need tires in a few thousand miles anyway, I'll just have the new tires mounted on these wheels once I get them. Any suggestions on what might work?

Thanks guys. Looks like I should be picking up my SportDesign on Satuday...

Yes, this does look great. I was thinking about doing the same thing with a Kenwood H2A portable for Sirius if it will fit. Otherwise, I'm stuck with using something like the Audiovox. One question...how hard was it to remove the ashtray, and is it possible to replace it later? I want to be able to make it look "good as new" at lease end, so I'm really looking the least destructive way to do this & still have a "permanent" instalation.

Any pics of your install? I'd love to see where you put the head unit/controller.

I'm considering getting a 2003 GS300. There's a mod I'd like to make to the dash (I'd like to install a small satellite radio head unit), but the center console area is so tightly packed, there's no place to stick it! The ash tray area might work...I think it's big enough. My only question is can it be easily removed & replaced? Since I don't smoke, I'll never use it. Consequently, I didn't pay much attention to it when I was inside the car at the showroom. Ideally, I'd like to remove the entire wood-trimmed unit (that I think tilts down & exposes the lighter and ash tray when you push on it). Is it doable?

I currently have an IS300 that's coming up on lease end, and I see that Lexus is offering great deals on the GS300 right now. I have my eye on a SportDesign. Do you think I'll be happy if I make the switch? I'd be especially interested in any comments about handling in the wet (rain, really... not so much ice & snow b/c that would probably be suicidal). I had a 98 SC300 for a while & it was pretty much down right dangerous to drive in the wet, even with TRAC. The IS has been prettty good in the rain for RWD.