Lexusfreak

Well if the original 4 wheel alignment was done properly, correnct air pressure maintained & no curb hits or really nasty potholes were struk, I don't see the alignment or balancing being the problem. (Are those LS-V tires 'directional' or uni-directional?) Also I think the rotations should be done every 10,000 kms, not 20,000 to be honest. B)

Your right.......2 set's of Falkens (for a total of 60,000+ miles) would equal many other brands single set's of other pricer tires. ;) Although I have reason to beleive that we will get more than 30k miles out of my wifes Falkens (205 50 16), based on her driving style & consistant tire maintenance which is very good news! :)

Lexus.com & go to you area of dealers. B)

Hi Craig! :) The code for the track light should be stored in the cars computer yes, so the dealer will be able to get the code & diagnose the problem. What tires are your currently running on your LS & are all 4 the same & what size? Last time you had them balanced & a 4 wheel alignment? How many kilometers on them? B)

Ok, you say that some places are offering a $399.00 lease, but that maybe the 'base' model ES.......read all fine price very carefully to see if we are comparing apples to apples here (many don't know it, but many 'lease quotes' are baised on full M.S.R.P. so keep that in mind). I personally doubt the dealers will be offering much in the way of discounts for a 2006 model year at this point, if you want that monthly payment under $400.00, I'd consider a 2005. B)

Sorry, fantasy hockey pool over here lol. :whistles:

I've been asking that for years about pretty much ALL the automakers, not just Lexus. :chairshot: It's pathetic some of the OE tires they put on brand new vehicles........I'll put it this way......they (the Automakers & Tire makers) don't have safety as a top priority when equipping new vehicles! :whistles: :chairshot:

Perhaps you should get a car fax report & see what the last recorded mileage was. That should get to the bottom of the mileage issue. B)

Actually I beleive there is a lawsuit pending in the U.S. on behalf of the independent repair shops be able to access the same info (DVD ROMs & online factory repair manuals) as the dealers & I think they will win. B)

I'll second that! B) His tip was he drove in a Lexus! ;) The only other tip I would give is" 'Always drink up stream from the heard'.

Got this from CNN.... Is that 2005 car really a deal? Sometimes buying an outgoing model year just doesn't pay. NEW YORK (CNN/Money) - You can still find 2005 models at many car dealerships even as 2006 models start rolling in -- and you'll be offered some great-sounding deals on those 2005 cars. In many cases, though, you may actually be better off paying more for the 2006. Those 2005 cars aren't always as great a deal as you might think, especially when you look at the long term. The reason is that when the time comes to trade in that car or sell it, you'll be selling a 2005 instead of a 2006. That extra year will cost you real money. If the car has been substantially redesigned for 2006, the financial hit will be even bigger since the car will look "out of date" at a glance. If you're going to keep the car for more than five years, though -- about the length of time before there will likely be another major redesign -- that changes the equation. That's because the difference between the used-car price of a 2005 and a 2006 model five years down the road will be negligible. Generally speaking, the purchase price of an outgoing model-year car will drop 5 to 8 percent after a new model-year version comes out, if there are no major design changes, said Jesse Toprak, pricing director for automotive Website Edmunds.com. If there's been a big redesign, the price drop will be more like 12 percent, he said. (Edmunds.com is a partner providing automotive data and tools for CNN/Money.) But that steep price drop should tell you something. The outgoing model-year car really is worth less, at least in the relatively near term. Guidelines Scenario one: You: Short-term owner -- you'll probably keep the car for less than five years. Car: Redesigned for 2006: For example, Volkswagen Jetta, Hyundai Sonata. Best Move: Take the 2006 version even if it costs more since you're likely to get more for it at trade-in time. Scenario two: You: Long-term owner -- you'll probably keep the car for more than five years. Car: Redesigned for 2006: Volkswagen Jetta, Hyundai Sonata. Best move: Buy whichever you like better, since the resale value difference will probably be minimal by that time. Be aware of improvements in the 2006 version that may actually make that car worth more, though. Scenario three: You: Short-term owner Car: Not redesigned for 2006: For example: Chrysler 300, Honda Element. Best move: Only a really huge discount on the 2005 model will make that car worth it to you. Otherwise, the fact that it's a year "older" will cost you more at trade-in time than you'll save on the purchase. Scenario four: You: Long-term owner Car: Not redesigned for 2006: Chrysler 300, Honda Element. Best move: Take the deal on the 2005 model. You're saving money.

Yup, it was 5 MPG, Wolf Blitzer said it several times actually lol.

THe Open Country H/T from Toyo is a brand new line for SUV's.....only been on the market several months now. ;)

Nothing wrong with a station wagon, they are actually making a large comeback as of late! I think your about 20+ years behind the times with the wood panels however! :whistles: :P

If your engine temp is normal, no leaks (check the rad hoses & clamps) & no issues with the heater working I'd simply do an engine coolant flush. B)

I agree there is much more to ride quality than just the stiffness of the sidewall. I'll take a more aggressive tread pattern personally if that means I have optimum traction in bad weather conditions......a 'sedate' touring tread pattern won't give that as well. Like I've said many times before about any tire......they haven't yet invented the perfect tire, no matter what (whether it's ride quality, tread life, road noise, lack of an aggressive tread pattern etc, etc etc...) there will always be compromises.....dosen't matter how inexpensive or expensive a tire is, one will have to make their own personal choices depending on various factors that's important to the driver of that vehicle.........that too is common sense. B) ;) ← actually steve, you are wrong about the tread pattern bieng noisy...near as i could tell they were the quietest tire i have ever had on any vehcile. not a lick of road noise, ever. i do have a set of Bfgoodriches on the chrysler right now that are agressive, and thye are royal pieces of *BLEEP* in the roadnoise department. but the falkens were the quietest tire i have ever had, by far. try them sometime, ill bet you wont be disappointed... B) i tell ya what, ill have an LS400 once i get settled in at my base. ill only be 8-10 hours away, ill drive down and you can drive the car. cause you can rest assured shortly after i get it, it will have a brand new set of Falken Zeix ZE512's. ← Yup, army was quite happy when he put the Falken's on his ES, I concur & so do 3 of my buddies who have them on their respective rides, and my wife. ;) Only complaint has been with the 55 & 50 rated at only 30,000 miles. :)

I beleive you are correct steviej! :)

Talk with the service manager & let us know what (if anything) they will do for you. It's unfortunate. :(

Same here actually. B) :)

I can't really notice the factory tint that well in those pics but I'm liking your LS bud! B)

I'd contact Toyo usa directly to ask them. Not a fan of Bridgestones of any kind personally.......& no experence with that specific tire to be honest.

Are you going to tint the windows at all sk? I think it would look sharp! B)

The Falken 512's are not even close to being a 'racing' tires sw, but a performance all season.....huge difference. ;) http://www.falkentire.com/tires_512.htm Regardless, both the Falken & MXV4's are rated for 60,000 miles. As I mentioned however, the Falkens come second for me now that the Triple Treads are on the scene. http://www.goodyearassurance.com/ I've owned the MXV4's before & was not overwhelmed in the least of the tires overall performance. To each their own.....Perhaps it's possible that we disagree with the performance of our respected tires simply because we own different generations of the ES & they are simply different whether it be of the weight differences or what have you. Your not a fan of the Toyo TPT's but I have been quite happy with them & so was Doug (Lexusk8) as we both own the 2001 (and several others have the TPT's between the 92 - 01 model years). Let's see what our thoughts are 4 - 6 months from now.......should be telling. :)

The Subaru Forester, Outback & B9 Tribeca are considered 'crossover' vehicles as an example. Since there isn't an 'official' crossover classification by the government, some of these fall under the SUV segment & I beleive the Outback in the passenger car category. There are many others from different automakers such as the Ford Freestyle & Chrysler Pacifica etc. B)

Intresting stuff! :)