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I RECENTLY TOOK MY CAR IN AND FOUND OUT THAT MY TRANSMISSION HAD GONE OUT ONLY AFTER 89,000 MILES AND WOULD BE $5,000-$6,000 TO REPLACE NEW AND $3,500 FOR USED. AFTER RESEARCHING ABOUT THE LEXUS RX300 1999 MODEL I AM FINDING OUT THERE ARE SEVERAL PROBLEMS WITH THIS VEHICLES TRANSMISSION AND DRIVE TRAIN. I AM JUST WONDERING IF THIS PROBLEM OCCURS MORE THAN IT SHOULD WITH OTHERS WITH THIS PARTICULAR MODEL?

TriCounty Lexus in Little Falls NJ is where I had brought the car in for a timing belt that was on the maintenance list. Paid $750. Then the '04 ES330 transmission failed at only 79,000. miles. The dealer wants beaucout money to fix it. What to do?

I've already experienced a scrape while parking , even very gently.

What "back up camera" ? I've never heard of it although it is very needed.

Calc

Well, prepare to be shocked, or at least I am.

Using my 4 month new ES 330 in combination highway and city driving,

Using Regular gas I drove 721.7 mi and used 36.26 gallons for an average of 19.90 mpg, at price $1.76 per gallon. It comes to 8.844 cents per mile.

Using Hi Test gas I drove 850.9 mi and used 41.02 gallons for an average of 20.7 mpg, at price $1.87 per gallon. It comes to 9.033 cents per mile.

For a trip of 1,000 miles, the difference in cost between the two comes to $1.89.

Tell me you expected it please. I didn't. I thought Regular gas would come out way ahead in cost savings "in the long run". Well it doesn't!

I am an Engineer and an environmental/efficiency geek.

In the N.E. New Jersey area; Secaucus, Clifton, Nutley, etc. Recommendations wanted.

By the way. an operator in the car wash told me to drive through on the side track which he shouldn't have. Have I any legal recourse to have them pay?

If you want to see average gas mileage drop like a rock try driving in NYC.

Anyway, within the next two weeks I'll mention here on my comparison between "regular" or "high test" for gas mileage on my new ES330 and compare them to the cost of each. I'm an engineer and an efficiency geek.

Going from N.E. New Jersey to Florida. Which kind of gas do you recommend for the best mileage?

At the time I didn't get the GPS system installed. Isn't there a less expensive way, less than $3100., to get a GPS installed? Or is it too late? I'm not thinking of a hand held GPS.

My brand new ES 330 came with a scratch on the steering wheel which stares me in the face when I get in the car.

Also nowadays I use a water bottle in the recepticle to the right of the drivers seat, but they made it not low enough to the floor so that when I'm steering my arm brushes the top of the water bottle. My loaner car, the RX 330 has no such problem. I'm going to try buying "short" small water bottles to use instead. But how in the world did they not know about this? We don't all use a small coffee cup on the side.

When I let go of the wheel on my new ES330 it drifts to the left and is annoying.

I've brought mine in for the third time since I bought it a month ago. They are now waiting for a "bolt assembly", mine being deficient. Some comments please.

Calc