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Regarding all the tire talk: All the RX330s I have seen in showrooms had Michelin tires (I believe MRXV4 or some name like that). What make are these bald tires? Did any of the cars discussed come with Goodyear or Bridgestone tires? Edwin M.

Thanks Steve and Tom for the info about switching the adaptive cuise control from laser to radar. Mercedes started this system, which they call "Distronic" with radar. They charged $3,200 for the option while Lexus charged $600 for their laser version. Regarding Tom's point, I recently read that radar is defeated by ice on the grill, and somebody was offering a liquid, but that should be fixable by engine heat just as well. Edwin M.

I really think that the adaptive cruise control, which Lexus and Mercedes are advertising heavily, is a useful feature. If you try to "build your RX330" on the Internet, you will find that, regardless of your zip code, it is not among the available options. My dealer (St. Louis MO) told me it was available on special order, so on 12/13/2003 I special-ordered and made a deposit on a top-line RX330 so equipped, expecting a quoted 3-4 month delivery time, which Lexus Customer Service confirmed as a reasonable estimate. Now, almost two months later, I am told that Lexus cannot deliver this feature at all, with no expected date. I find it strange that Toyota Corporation would give this feature prominent placement in full page ads several times each week, and yet be technically unable to build it. Does anybody have information about this? What happened? Edwin M. :(