Lexusfreak

You get them to throw Falken's on her Army? ;) Congrats on your car! B)

Fairly decent specs on that tire. Good luck with your choice! B) http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...re1=yes&place=0

I like that red colour! B)

I agree, stay very clear of the Firestones. B)

Dark, you will want the Goodyear Triple Treads, the Falkens & the Bridgestone's LS-H's in that order. If snow is a major concern, go with the GY Triple Treads (H speed rated). ;) http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...re1=yes&place=8

I change it as part of every 'major' tune up. B)

POINT!!!.......Lexusfreak. this is kinda like scoring a tennis match now. :P :D :P :D steviej ← Best 3 of 5 sets ;) I'm ahead 2 sets to 1, & 5 games to 3 in the forth set. :whistles: :P

Apparently Steve lol, I knew something was wrong there by the way I explained that........brain cramp......my bad! :chairshot: Here is info from tirerack that might explain it correctly lol. ;) http://www.tirerack.com/installer/package_install.jsp

I have the filter mesh screen cleaned & re-installed personally. It's as good as new. B)

I agree with your points sw, my father owns his own real estate company & is on commission as well. As long as I am treated right, with respect & the dealer has the right product, I personally do not mind paying a little extra. One has to think of 'long-term' as well. I would buy another Lexus from the dealer I bought mine & the sales person that I dealt with. B)

Is there anything available in the buy/sell forums? Perhaps try Clublexus.com as well (in addition to lexusk8's suggestion). Autowreckers or salvage yards are also worth a shot. B)

You will see they (MXV4's) are on the list my friend. ;) B)

Here is an article I found on Canadiandriver.com. How to lower the cost of your next vehicle. Thought I would share. B) Enjoy! October 4, 2005 Advice: How to lower the cost of your next new vehicle purchase by Jim Thomas The average consumer pays 5% to 15% or more than necessary when purchasing a new vehicle. To car dealers, customers are marks to be taken advantage of, but with a little knowledge, you'll pay much less at dealers who negotiate than at 'one price' dealers. Here are five tips for car-buyers: 1. Know how car dealers make money There are five main sources of potential profit for car dealers: mark-up, trade-in, financing "packs," and fees. Mark-up is the difference between wholesale and retail. Like any other business, car dealers buy low (from the factory, at wholesale) and sell high (to consumers, at retail). They do the same thing when they take a car in trade. They buy low (from you, at wholesale) and, after cleaning up the car, they sell high (to other consumers, at retail). If the dealership arranges your financing, it gets a hefty referral fee from the bank making the loan. The longer the term and the higher the rate, the bigger the fee. "Packs" are the small but highly profitable items that dealers push late in the negotiation, when customers are infused with new-car smell and are particularly vulnerable. Packs include extended warranties, vehicle protection packages (paint sealant, rustproofing, fabric protection, and door guards), tinted windows, anti-theft systems, and other extras. Finally, a host of mock-official "conveyancing," "document preparation," "dealer preparation," and "advertising" fees are added as the deal is totalled up. 2. Decide on the car This isn't as easy as it sounds. There are hundreds of models to choose from, each with a number of different trim lines. Each trim line, in turn, has a different set of standard and optional equipment. Visit showrooms twice: once to shop, and once to buy. Ask for the top salesperson, and work only with that person each time you visit. Take lots of test drives, ask lots of questions, eyeball some window stickers (but don't take them seriously), and collect lots of brochures. Don't answer any questions about when or why you need a car, how much you're willing to pay (monthly or in total), other models you're looking at, other dealers you're visiting, whether you'll be trading in, or if you'll be needing financing. Don't leave any deposits for any reason. When you've got enough information, make a leisurely choice. 3. Find out what the dealer paid for the car Your next task is to find out how much the car cost the dealer. The "window sticker" is the suggested retail price sheet that the manufacturer glues to the new car's window - sheer fantasy, and irrelevant for negotiating purposes. The "factory invoice" or "dealer invoice" is the bill sent by the manufacturer to the dealer for each new car. The dealer invoice is widely - and falsely - assumed to be the dealer's actual wholesale cost for the vehicle. Dealers get a little-known discount off the factory invoice in almost all cases, known as "holdback." Deducting the holdback from the dealer invoice gives you the true "dealer cost" for the car. In the U.S., for a small fee, the Consumer Reports New Car Price Service (www.consumerreports.com) will tell you the dealer cost for any make and model of new car, and the dealer cost for every option and option package the factory can stick on the car. They'll also tell you about any factory-to-consumer and factory-to-dealer cash rebates, any low-cost factory financing, and what options are especially desirable. Another good car-pricing site is www.edmunds.com. (In Canada, dealer cost pricing is available for a fee from www.carcostcanada.com - ed.) Your goal is to pay from (U.S.)$300 to $500 above dealer cost, inclusive of everything but sales tax and vehicle registration fees. The only exceptions to this "$300 to $500 over" goal are top-end luxury vehicles (on which you can expect to pay as much as $1,000 over) and high-demand "hot" models. If you're considering selling or trading in your current car, find out what it's worth by tracking the local classifieds and the Web. Visit banks or credit unions and get pre-approved for your loan, but be sure to keep this a secret from the salesperson. 4. Pay no more than a few hundred dollars over dealer price Return to the showrooms to buy as close to the last day of the month as possible. Working with the same salesperson you did on your "shopping" visit, select a car from the dealer's on-the-lot inventory. Figure the dealer price, and offer to buy the car at that price. Your offer will be rejected, perhaps with vehemence. It's O.K.; car salespeople always reject the customer's first offer. Move toward your "$300 over" target in steadily decreasing increments. Only if absolutely necessary should you move past your target toward your "$500 over" bottom line. Keep alive - in the dealer's mind, at least - the prospects of your trading in, financing through the dealership, and loading the car with packs. If the dealer wants to appraise your potential trade, fine, but make it clear that you want separate offers for the new car and the trade. 5. Avoid the gauntlet of ingenious dealer gimmicks (trade-in, financing, packs, and fees) designed to get you to pay more If the salesperson has not yet had your potential trade-in appraised, he will do so now. Remind him that you want the purchase price of the new car calculated independently of the allowance for your trade. When your appraisal comes back, the news about your car's condition will not be good. Don't debate the low "Book" offer on your trade. Tell the salesperson you're interested, but remind him that you don't want to finalize the trade until you've settled on a price for the new car. The salesperson may now bring up the idea of financing through the dealership. Ask for his rates and terms. While dealers sometimes have below-market loans and leases, they often make them available only on slow-moving cars or to customers who are overspending. Your quote will probably be far less attractive than the ones you've already gotten from other lenders. Handle his financing offer the same way you handled your trade: Express interest, but defer further discussion until after the price for the new car has been settled. It's also time for the salesperson to try to "pack" the deal. Pass on the extended warranty, rustproofing, undercoating, paint and fabric protection. If you genuinely want pinstripes, door guards, side mouldings, mud flaps, tinted windows, an alarm system, or an upgraded radio, buy it later from a specialist. You'll get more and pay less. No matter how much the salesperson may discount their prices, say "no" to packs. If the dealer has already installed an item, treat it as a freebie. Close the deal with a request for a few free extras like floor mats, touch-up paint, a full tank of gas, oil changes, and a full-sized spare tire. Sign the offer form. You'll now be escorted to the dreaded "F&I" (finance and insurance) guy. While he may resemble an accounting clerk, the F&I manager is really a skilled salesperson, hawking loans, extended warranties, fabric protection, anti-theft systems, and extra fees to customers who are "in the box" with him. The F&I guy will inquire how you'll be paying for the car. Ask him to review the trade-in allowance the dealership is offering. Most likely, it won't be nearly enough. Withdraw the trade from the deal. Tell him "I think I'll just keep my old car." Next, he'll ask about financing. Have him re-quote his best available financing options. Don't discuss monthly payments; concentrate strictly on rate and term. If his quote isn't competitive (and it probably won't be) tell him you'll be using your own (pre-arranged) financing. The F&I guy will also give the extended warranty and other packs another try, perhaps cutting the price even further. As before, pass. He'll then prepare the sales contract. Read it very carefully before signing. Eliminate or sharply reduce any "conveyancing," "document preparation," or "dealer preparation" fees. All of this work is supposed to be included in the basic price of the car. Any "advertising" fee should be supported by an invoice to the dealer. Even if it can be documented, negotiate it aggressively. Advertising is a cost of doing business, and it should come out of the dealer's mark-up. If he won't cut a particular fee, try to get floor mats, oil changes, or something else in exchange for it. When the sales contract is finished and checked, go ahead and sign. The dealership will usually let you take the car home. Take your contract to your bank within a day or two, sign the loan papers, pick up the check, and give it to the dealer. You did it!

If it's down between the MB & BMW.......I'd personally take the MB. B) I've always felt that no matter what, the MB was always a slight step up over the BMW.....just my 2 cents. But I would seriously consider perhaps being patient & waiting until the 2007 LS becomes available & have a close look at the LS hybrid. ;)

Your spare wasen't a chrome one huh? I thought the spare tire & wheel were the same as the one's already one the car. That's what I have in my 01 ES, but they are just the regular OE alloys. B)

Do a search.......I'm sure that issue has been covered, with pictures on 'how to'. B)

Sounds like your tires might be 'directional' (they can only be mounted on one side of the car) & 3 are the correct way & 1 is not (they ordered 1 the wrong way when you bought them......they should have ordered 2 right side & 2 left). I really don't like that 'chunk' either 91L3! Change them VERY soon, as it's unsafe. In the 195 60 15 'H' speed rating, I'd go with this tire hands down.....the Goodyear Assurance Triple Tread! http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...e1=yes&place=16 The assurance website: http://www.goodyearassurance.com/ Only other tire I would consider (a close second) in your price range is the Falken Ziex ZE-512 http://www.falkentire.com/tires_512.htm Both are H speed rated, but the GY has an 80,000 mile warranty & it's what I will be putting on my 01 ES soon & also my wife's Subaru Forester when we purchase it. Best tire available hands down in your size! B) If you have any other questions, feel free to ask. :)

I agree, one of the better threads we've had in the last while! B) ;) That's intresting enough sw........but I don't think you do recall correctly. The MXV4's are also on that list & came in 6th overall, while the Falkens were 1st. The tests were performed in early 2004 & under the category Performance All Season tires. The rest of the top 5 in order were: Bridgestone Turanza LS-H, Bridgestone Potenza RE950, Michelin Pilot XGTH4 & Dunlop SP Sport A2. The Michelin MXV4's were also by far the most expensive of the 18 tires tested. :whistles: Same here, that's a strange one. I doubt Michelin would be willing to comment on the record to clairify. The Michelin tied the Falken for road noise in the CR tests......I concur with those findings as I have experence with both. Falken also beat out the Michelin in important categories such as dry & wet braking. The Michelin slightly edged out the Falken in rolling resistance & the other 6 categories both were tied, but the Falken was exactly half the price of the Michelin for the the same treadwear, traction & temp ratings. Remember I mentioned overall value.........:whistles: Even CR mentions the Michelin is pricey all things considered. B) With Army's pics, I have to agree with him that his Concorde is a step up from your average Camry or Taurus & the sister car to the LHS (if still a step down from the ES). B)

Spatel, The Goodyear Triple Treads are available in an H speed rated for my 01 ES, 205 60 16 . I currently run the V speed rated Toyo TPT's. I will only be going down 1 speed rating not 2, to the T speed. What size do you need, I can check to see what speed rating they have available for you. I would check with several tire dealers should you only be able to get the T speed rating......I don't personally recommend going more than 1 speed rating down, but get the advice of several tire dealers to see what they say. ;) The GY Comfortreads are very 'decent' & I'm glad your happy with them on your minivan. The GY Triple Treads (both tires are under the 'Assurance' line of tires) are the 'flagship' however & are a better overall performing tire, especially in bad weather. B) My wife I will be purchasing her a Subaru Forester soon with a factory tire size of 215 60 16 - T speed rated which is fine for the Forester (same size I beleive as your 2002 ES?) & the GY Triple Treads are going on that car too! B) Have a close look at the 'reviews' on tirerack for Subaru owners that have purchased the Triple Treads......they are a Very happy bunch.

Agreed! I've been saying that for a while now.......& please do inform me if once the perfect tire is finally available. Glad your enjoying the thread steviej, we are here to entertain. :D ;) Were staying on topic so yes a good.......if very long thread. :) I'm out of stuff to talk about right now however..........sw, you have anymore? lol B)

Good for you Army! Enjoy! B) :D I'd put them on my grandmothers car too without hesitation. ;)

The Falkens come in a wide variety of 'profiles' from as low as 35, all the way up to 65 series. Nothing sooped up with the Focus.....it's a leased vehicle so it's 100% stock with factory recommended stock size & speed rating. It covers a wide range for many different vehicles & that's why they are a popular recommendation. Most of my recommendations are based on stock size & speed ratings. Although going from a V speed rating to an H in a vehicle like an ES as an example won't be a huge deal. I won't go lower than 1 speed rating. So? When I suggest a tire for someones vehicle (car or SUV) one of my questions is what are you looking for in a tire such as all season, summer, long tread life, wet & winter weather performance among others. Based on the answers & info they provide me enables me to create a reasonable 'short list' (not a perfect one) of possible tires to give consideration to which can eliminate the obvious poor tires that are also available in that size, which makes choices a little easier (and saves time) for many members that are not sure what they should or shouldn't consider. Many folks are also on as budget, have a certain price point they can afford (I get e-mails all the time saying I have $XXX number of dollars to spend on a set of new tires........what do you recommend for that money). Overall value is important to many people. Why does Toyota sell over 400,000 Camrys a year? Overall cost & value for the money are a big factor on that equation. They think why do I need a Lexus ES 330 when they can't justify the extra cost & when a base V6 LE (or 4 cyl) camry will suit their needs just fine & still be under the Toyota umbrella? The money saved to some feel that, that buys alot of set's of Michelin or Falken (or any other brand) tires down the road. ;) I'm not telling them that's what they have to put on their vehicles, they are merely suggestions. I have received many more 'thank you's than disappointing comments all things considered so I feel I must doing something right. :) One can't please everyone all the time. Obviously a Focus & a Lexus are 2 different 'animals' if you will....I understand that, but that's why I usually recommend several possibilities and let that person make up his or her mind. Some vehicles have weird OE sizes which only 1 or 2 tire choices are available (including the lousy tire that came factory equipped). One has to work with what they have if that person wants to replace with the same size again or a possible upgrade to another size with more choices. Fair enough, thats your opinion & I respect that. But for those that are willing to consider the Falken as an example & the tire is available in the correct size & speed rating, what's wrong with that? Several members do have them on their ES or LS and are pleased with their performance. I also think the Consumer Reports test I have spoken of in the past (which granted is considered old now as newer tires have since come to market) has been fair, credible & people take that into consideration & feel it's important. I'd like the current & up to date info on that however, but haven't tracked that down yet......I'm workin on it. ;) One shouldn't take the CR stuff necessarily as 'gospel' but simply a tool when considering choices. You'll be pleased I'm sure with your selection jragosta. :) Almost all OE tires are inferior, you mentioned that yourself even with your tires (comparing the OE supplied MXV4's to 'aftermarket' MXV4's). It's too bad there is a difference, what would be intresting to know is why? I do the same thing as well now & research the OEM tires (especially the OE size & speed ratings). In addition, I go one step behond that & if a tire I am considering isn't available as a replacement in a specific size, I contact the tire maker to find out if they will offer it down the road.....you would be pleasantly suprised (for the most part......some do say no or no plans at this time) that they will in fact offer additional sizes say within a year or so for many new & redesigned vehicles or if demand is high, many current models. B) From what I have heard thus far, Doug has been quite happy with his LS-V's. B)

Dropped! But I was entitled to weigh in on it. <_<

I wasen't suggesting or implying you were in anyway stupid 94! Take it easy, :chairshot: were simply trying to give you different ideas in order to help You never stated in your original post that you had a car fax done.....in the future perhaps give us all relevant information so we know which avenues have & haven't been covered! Snarky remarks are not appreciated when asking other members for assistance. Thanks guys ;)

It's very possible that might occur. :( Not sure what you mean by the second part of your point........demand always is higher for gasoline in the summer & heating oil for the winter. Perhaps it's best to invest in home heating oil & gasoling (stocks I'm talking about now) during the 'off season' for these commodities to offset the costs for these during 'peak' time for demand.