Knightshade

You're in Durham, you're probably losing tires to random gunshots :P

If you get your regular service at the dealership though (as those tire plans generally require) you'll generally end up spending more (between the dealer markup and the cost of the tire plan) than you would if you'd gone somewhere cheaper for service and just replaced those tires yourself via tirerack.

This isn't like an extended vehicle warranty, which is good anywhere in the country, doesn't require dealership visits every 5k miles, and will cover parts that cost many many thousands of dollars per indcident. (and even that one could argue the value of).

Now, all that said... if you plan to not move anytime in the life of the warranty, and are someone who will pay extra and have the car dealer serviced every 5k anyway, and you tend to drive on poor roads, then it's probably a pretty good deal.

I have ML- there's a mute, but again no pause. I thought the lack was dumb on the first lexus cd stereo I saw over 10 years ago and it's even dumber now.

The TSIB hasn't been updated to include 08 yet. Just means I'll get more miles out of the dusty pads before they get around to doing it.

The real gotcha to the tires for life program is that you have to perform all your service at the dealership.

Which means you'll be spending a massive amount of cash on regular service, oil changes, etc.... which would more than pay for a couple sets of tires if you didn't go to the dealership for $100+ oil changes and the like.

Plus, better hope you don't need to move... since most such plans don't go with you to your new local dealership.

As pointed out, if they didn't turn a profit on these deals, they wouldn't offer em.

You'll need to physically modify the wiring. If you're ok with doing that directions are pretty readily available online. (this is the cheap way to do it). There's also an aftermarket product that still requires opening things up to install, but doesn't actually cut wires, that goes for around $300.

Off the top of my head, changes for IS350 for 08:

Front seatbacks changed to offer more rear legroom

Different wheel finish

Coinholder added

Updated nav DVD (available for older cars at a price though) that deletes I Agree screen

Illuminated scuff plate color changed from blue to white

Cashmere interior carpet changed to black (Note: this was a late change, first couple batches of 08s still got cashmere carpet)

I'm probably forgetting a few things, but nothing major really

I'm not sure how it's a tradeoff when Zaino also looks better...

I've yet to see a head-to-head involving Zaino where it didn't win in nearly every category, looks and durability.

You can also change if the sunroof opens or just tilts (if I recall, default is open)

What is the best wax for durablity?

The best wax is no wax. Wax breaks down fairly quickly in heat/sunlight.

Use Zaino instead.

You can do a search, the big catches are:

1) It'll be a custom install as nobody makes a dash kit

2) You'll have to keep your stock head unit wired in somewhere in the car (trunk or whatever) or your climate controls won't work anymore

How this (and a slew of other) feature works is part of LPS, so it might work differently from one car to the next depending on how the LPS settings were done

But if it displays pressure in each tire on the dash you can easily check all 4 tires. From your seat. Which one is a lot more likely to do on a very regular basis than if one has to manually check each tire.

Lazy people under the toyota system will completely ignore their tires till they get a warning. Under the GM/Chrysler system even lazy people can check all their tires at a glance/button push.

All I know is that when the alarm goes off in my 2003 "Z", the warning show up on the cluster as 'left front' or 'right front' and the same with the rear wheels. In addition -- it also shows the real time psi for each wheel displayed.

Hell, if Nissan can do it, I'm sure that Lexus could also.

I never did rotate the tires, since the fronts are P225/45WR18, and the rear are P245/45WR18.

Still, when I go to get air, I check all four tires.

For that matter Cadillac has offered that. For at least several years now. I had a rental DTS like 2 years ago that told you the pressure in each tire from the dash.

Spending the bucks for full synthetic then changing every 3k is literally pouring money down a drain.

Even under severe duty any decent synthetic should go at least 5k, most should be fine at 7500 or 10k.

Amsoil can go 25-35k between changes under normal driving.

Used oil analysis will tell you how often you need to change for your specific vehicle and driving habits/conditions... but every 3k is way too often to need to change full synthetic oil for just about anyone.

and if you ARE from the future, can you PM me the winning lottery numbers for next week? :)

Suspension mods would impact any warranty claims related to suspension, and probably alignment (though the alignment warranty is only 12 months on a new IS). It obviously won't be relevant if you file a warranty claim on an engine or stereo problem or something though.

For intake/exhaust, assuming one is not in california where everything requires an EO number, you have a few options...

For intake I'd just spend $109 on a Joe Z intake pipe and call it day. Nothing else will add any more horsepower, and it'll just cost more, and suck hot air instead of cold.

For exhaust the Tanabe will be the quietest of the fully legal aftermarket systems... and it's very good build quality for around $550 shipped too...but any of the aftermarket systems that are only axle-back (ie don't touch either set of cats) should be "legal" as far as emissions goes... None of the axle-backs are likely to add more than 5-7 horsepower, there's only so much to gain with better axle-back plumbing.

They're likely going to require you to pay the insanely higher dealer labor cost for installation if you want full factory warranty on the parts. Otherwise you'll just get the parts warranty whatever the item comes with.

I have a 2008 and my wheels get dirty from dust in just a day or two after cleaning, that certainly suggests they're still using the old pads, at least on the first batches of 08s

Note that if you intend to remain emissions legal you have very few options that actually add much performance.

An axle-back exhaust like the tanabe will gain you maybe 5-7 horsepower (at around $100 per horsepower) and something like the Joe Z intake pipe will maybe add another 3-5 horsepower (for a much more reasonable $109). None of the more expensive intakes will add any additional power.

There are more extensive exhaust systems (like the Borla off-road system) that will cost in the 1200-1500 range but gain you around 15-20 horsepower... but they delete the second set of cats so it's not legal (this may or may not matter to you).

There's the LMS supercharger kit that adds about 40 rwhp, but it's gonna run $6000+ installed.

That's about it though.

Reasons Lexus would continue to use the dirty pad-

A) It's cheaper (and most people don't know about TSIBs to ask for the others)

B) They have a bunch of them already paid for and want to burn through them

I dunno if either is true, but both would be perfectly valid reasons they might still be using the "dirty" pads on new ISes even if the "clean" pads work just as well.

The pricelist is available for many of the parts, you can see it here-

http://my.is/forums/f87/f-sport-parts-pric...is350-f-346062/

Get a remote starter from Lexus but it costs around 1,500 Canadian dollars.

No Lexus remote starter is available for US US350/250 vehicles

If you get the TSIB then it's free, just like all TSIBs

Kinda tough to reach that when you've gotten out of the car and walked away from it as in the scenario being discussed.

I assume it's taking your average and multiplying that by the amount in a full tank. Since your average changes, so would your range.

I've got about 2300 miles on an IS350 BTW and I'm around 23 mpg lifetime average... I've only taken one real highway trip (about 700 roundtrip miles) and averaged a little over 28 mpg for that trip... closer to 20-22 mpg in the rest of my mixed mostly city driving. So overall I'm getting just about dead on what the pre-revised EPA numbers said.