Lexusfreak

I would have to agree........only filling your tires once & that's it? I doubt it. Especially if you have hot summers & extreme cold winters as in Toronto & other parts. I'm sticking with normal air here.......sounds like a gimick to me honestly. :whistles:

Try this site spunky! B) http://www.taprecycling.com/

Cool site ob! Nice find. B)

A tad too big (and expensive) for what we are looking for blake (but good choice nontheless ;) ) & I have heard many complaints about the 'on demand' (or lack of) AWD system on the Murano. Very poor traction from what I have read in the auto mags. Thanks for the votes people......please keep them & your choices or suggestions coming, the are appreciated! B)

Thanks steviej! B) I will send Matt a PM to see if he can re-set the poll to match the votes people have written so far.....I hope you voted too lol. ;)

Hi everyone, I am asking for your opinions here as to what the next vehicle(s) I should be considering for my wife. As many of you know, she currently drives a 2003 Ford Focus ZX5 & her lease is up in several months time. We will be purchasing a vehicle this time around instead of leasing & we are going with a used vehicle instead of brand new (please don't get me started on brand new vehicles :whistles: ) We will be getting all service & maintenance records before we buy & will be considering an extended warranty. B) We want something that has good cargo room, 4+ doors, with a small V6 engine that has a good history being reliable, easy to maintain, decent on gas & not to expensive to insure. It has to be at least FWD if not AWD. We will be spending around $20 - $22k Canadian dollars ($15 - 17k American dollars). We are in our late 20's with no kids at the moment so any Minivans are completely out of the question but have considered that possibility with our choices below and no vehicles built on truck platforms please. ;) We have narrowed it down to 2 on our short list but are open to other suggestions & opinions (feel free to comment on our choices as well). The choices are in order are: # 1 - 2002 Toyota Highlander V6 AWD: (many might remember I have been looking for the old brochures for the 2001 & 2002 model a short while back B) ) Built on a modified car platform (Camry / ES 300) with very good road manners because of that, love the AWD, cargo capacity & is fairly decent on gas & an all around safe & good looking vehicle. Reliability has been very good to excellent (quality of materials used is quite good) and the size of the vehicle is excellent for our needs. (I don't have the Lexus RX here because that vehicle actually is smaller & has less cargo capacity than the Highlander, is quite a bit more expensive which does not make it a very good buy for us). #2 - Mazda 6 Sport Wagon: A solid structure built on a 'global platform'. Good performance numbers * driving characteristics from it's 220 HP 3.0L V6 & 5 speed automatic (6 speed automatic on 2005+ models). Good cargo capacity, attractive interior & decent quality materials used in an attractive package. Only thing is the reliability thus far has been rated slightly below average which is a bit disappointing from the research I have done which has been extensive (I guess that's some of the Ford DNA in the vehicle). #3 - ? Any suggestions or opinions here are appreciated. Only other thing I can say is we like the new Subaru Legacy wagon but it is only offered in regular 4 cyl & a turbo 4 (insurance is too high & not a fan of turbos) & don't like the price or styling of the Outback with the H6. :( Thanks for your feedback everyone! :D

If I had to drive 45 - 50 mph all the time, I'd feel like I was in the movie Driving Miss Daisy!

Pics turned out just awesome steviej! :D B) :) Some really sweet rids that turned out for the meet.

Well said mburn! B) ;) Having said that, I personally do trust my independent repair shops I deal with & not the dealer (but for major service like the TB & WP.....the dealer is where I will go). B)

when did the engine cover start sayin vvt-i? does my 97 have that? ← its what happens when u graduate w/ an MBA ← Good for you! ;)

when did the engine cover start sayin vvt-i? does my 97 have that? ← 1999 as for as I know. B)

I found the best fuel economy betweel 65 & 70 MPH myself. I can get 500 kms (800 kms!) on a tank of Sunoco ultra 94. B)

Tranny filter ? I am under the impression that there is a screen............... ← It is a filter mesh screen that just needs to be cleaned, not replaced. B)

Quite a step up from a 99 ES to a new GS no? B) Best of luck to ya!

I replied to your questions on CL lsu, so same applies here. B)

Happy to help & good luck. B)

The next gen ES 350 is due out in the spring of 2006. :D & I too want a very close look at the new Camry when it arrives. So far I like the new Avalon & the spy pics of the new Camry......haven't seen any really good pics yet of the next gen ES though. B) ;)

My 2001 ES requires the Toyota type IV tranny fluid too. No, you can not use the Mobil 1 synthetic tranny fluid. However, you can use Amsoil synthetic ATF as it IS compatable with Toyota Type IV. I will be changing to this fluid (just a drain & fill this time) later this year. Here is some more product info & hope this helps! B) http://www.amsoil.com/storefront/atf.aspx

It's becoming a more popular feature that will most likely be standard equipment in a little as a few years on most if not all vehicles. B)

I wouldn't mind checking out Darknights myself. B)

Don't forget a 4 wheel alignment when you get your repairs done. ;)

I'm not sure where you heard your info Crys.....these tires just hit the market a short time ago (not 100% they are even available in the U.S. yet) Personaly experence, no.......but I had personaly experence with the Toyo M-410 & the new Open Country H/T (h/t stands for Highway Terrain btw ;) ) & they were just fantastic for long mileage, wet & snowy conditions with a 60,000 miles treadlife......these new H/T's trump the previous on in every category! B) I would pick up the phone & call a few places Canada or the U.S. & try to find out more info. B) ← Lexusfreak, I actually looked at ratings at 1010tires referred to by a member of another forum (that you are a member of). The Toyo Open Country H/T (thanks for your explanation) was rated 3.2 by customers, just a little higher than the 2.7 received by the Goodyear OE tires. I guess that was the reason I did not think they were universally received well or rated in a superior fashion. Of course, looking at the rating again, I see only 2 ratings and no reviews (with 1 actually coming in high, so this is by no means representative). I am just trying to absorb a lot of this info by reading these forums. I will definitely make the necessary calls soon (just too busy now). I might have read about the noise and other less favorable issues for another recommended tire in these forums (Y. Geolander) and got the 2 confused. But definitely, I remember coming across some less than ideal feedback on the Toyo. Right now I believe it is based on 1010tires. ← 2 reviews are not nearly enough to get a good idea of how the tire will perform. One other way to get an idea is to look at reviews of the Toyo Open Country M-410........this was the previous generation tire that the Toyo H/T replaces........& they should have pretty good overall reviews. Told ya, the tire is too new on the market right now....but the H/T is better in every category over the M-410 & that was a good tire. B)

Do a search, this subject has been covered within the last month with spy shots & lot's of speculation. B)

The 91 & 02 are so different is't not even funny. It sounds like your ES 250 is running normally ( you have the 2.5L V6 & 4 speed auto vs. a 3.0 L & 5 speed auto). B)

lol Craig!