Lexusfreak

More than fair.....a large ticket item like a car is best purchased used lol just buggin! ;)

I hear ya SW & understand where your coming from. No, I did not factor in the any taxes in the MSRP. Both new & used cases can be made depending on one's situation to be sure....we just have 2 different ways of looking at it. Again, me personally, I would not have been able to afford my ES brand new & got it for more than half the original cost....that is why I am able to drive a Lexus. B) I just feel a brand new car is one of the worst 'investments' you can make because of depreciation compared to let's say real estate (unless you buy the car & drive it into the ground, then your a winner).......I will never buy a new car again no matter how good the re-sale value will be......it still loses it's value no matter what. ;)

Most 'quality' tints are metalized tint & yes it can skew the signals in the nav system. The % of tint is you refer to is the actual % of light that the tint let's in. As an example, a very light tint is 50% (let's in roughly 50% of the light in the car). The darkest is roughly 5% (or 'limo' tint). Check with your state laws as there are 'darkness' limits you can put on the two front door windows....usually 50% or 35%. B) '

They will look sharp, but a pain in the butt to clean lol. B)

It is significantly more expensive to buy new cars in Canada than it is in the US though. 1-2 years old something like a Lexus isnt really that much cheaper than a new one. Not enough to make it worth it to me anyways. Like I said before, to each his own but I personally would have bought a new Accord or Camry instead of a used ES. ← Not true once the exchange rate is factored in. :whistles: Not even close. ;) But I respect those that will only buy a brand new vehicle. The better 'value' by far is a 2 - 3 year old vehicle still under full factory warranty with service history. Just my 2 cents. B) A perfect example.....the exchange rate is roughly 25% (the American dollar is worth 25% more than the Canadian dollar...give or take a % point or two). The base price of a 2005 Lexus ES 330 in Canada is $39,900 Canadian dollars (Lexus.ca). Which means that would work out to $29,925 U.S. The 2005 ES 330 in the U.S. has a base price of $32,175 U.S. dollars. Which is $40,218 Canadian. Granted, no discounts are factored in here. So I ask (respectfully) where is the advantage? I posted before that the Japanese automakers are VERY close to being on par with the exchange rates between the 2 countries. So if we go by that factor, it's actually less expensive to buy an ES 330 in Canada! ;) Do you want to price out an LS? :whistles:

Oil sludge problems are mainly with the 97 - 01 models. But service history is very important for all years ES. Have the car inspected by your mechanic before you purchase. If the seller does not let you take take the car or drive it themself, run, away from the deal. B) Welcome to the club! ;)

Anybody? :cries: This is turning out to be much more difficult than I thought. :(

Any warranty remaining on it (Lexus Extended coverage perhaps?)

I've purchased only one 'brand new' vehicle in my life & I guarantee it will be my last one. The novelty wears off after several months, not to mention the severe depreciation factor. I don't look at a used car as someone else's 'hand me down', someone was nice enough to maintain it for me, take the brunt of the depreciation & trade it in after 3 years to do it all over again :D My ES still smelled brand new for half the price, still under full factory warranty! ;) No brainer. B)

I don't have a problem with paint chips in my black '01 ES. If you're indeed saying that chipping has occurred on all portions of your vehicle (top and bottom, front and back), it sounds like the primer was not properly applied on the car. Did you notice the chipping when you purchased the ES used? Was this car ever involved in an accident? In order to really remedy the problem, a repaint of the whole car would be a viable yet expensive solution. You're looking at maybe in the range of $3000-$4000 for a decent job from a professional body shop (not Maaco-style). ← No unusual problems with my 01 either. I have the regular & minor 'hood' paint chips but nothing serious. B)

Anybody know if there have been any complaints with the all new Avalon & it's 5 speed automatic?

Autotrader.com, or perhaps E-bay. B)

Have the system adjusted & cleaned and see it that helps. It won't cost much to do. B)

With the mileage on yours, 10W30.......most popular is Mobil 1 or Amsoil (I use Amsoil ASL 5W30 personally.....switched from Mobil 1). Make sure you use a top quality oil filter as well such as Mobil 1, K & N, Amsoil, Toyota etc. Change the oil plug gasket every second oil change to prevent leaks around the plug. Here is an article comparing Amsoil to Mobil 1 btw. B) http://www.amsoil.com/performancetests/amsoil_vs_mobil1.aspx ← Thank you, I will give Amsoil a try. Where's the best place to find/buy Amsoil? ← I would contact Amsoil.com & ask them where there are dealers near you. Some popular auto parts chains carry it as well. It shouldn't be much more than M1 synthetic oil. B)

Agreed cam, it's a very easy & very inexpensive part to change. B)

Thank you for the replies. The car has been maintained very well with oil changes, tune ups, etc. per dealer maintenance schedule. Car has 142K but runs like a dream with the excep;tion of the blue smoke problem. Use Castrol 10W30 oil. Look forward to your reply. ← PCV valve isn't a bad idea to replace......if it's fairly new, I wonder if your head gasket is on the fritz & if you don't have any oil leaks, I'd consider switching to synthetic oil. B) ← Thank you for the synthetic oil suggestion, what weight oil would you recommend? ← With the mileage on yours, 10W30.......most popular is Mobil 1 or Amsoil (I use Amsoil ASL 5W30 personally.....switched from Mobil 1). Make sure you use a top quality oil filter as well such as Mobil 1, K & N, Amsoil, Toyota etc. Change the oil plug gasket every second oil change to prevent leaks around the plug. Here is an article comparing Amsoil to Mobil 1 btw. B) http://www.amsoil.com/performancetests/amsoil_vs_mobil1.aspx

When was the last time a complete brake job was done (rotors, pads etc)? I'd use at the very least OEM pads & shoes & I hear Napa rotors work very well. B) You might want to have the brake system cleaned beforehand & see if that helps.

If it's 1/4 over, I wouldn't worry aabout it.....you will be fine. B)

Thank you for the replies. The car has been maintained very well with oil changes, tune ups, etc. per dealer maintenance schedule. Car has 142K but runs like a dream with the excep;tion of the blue smoke problem. Use Castrol 10W30 oil. Look forward to your reply. ← PCV valve isn't a bad idea to replace......if it's fairly new, I wonder if your head gasket is on the fritz & if you don't have any oil leaks, I'd consider switching to synthetic oil. B)

What kind of tires are you looking for, high performance all seasons or summer? the A/S tires will last longer. B)

Perhaps take the car to your mechanic to go over the car with a 'fine tooth comb' (takes roughly an hour or so) & get him/her to report anything unusual. There is a good chance however that everything will check out. Pay very close attention over the next 1900 miles & if anything seems unusual, take it to the dealer. Welcome to the club Good Luck! B)

Hi Lexusfreak!! :) I appreciate what you're saying. But consider this possibility. In Canada - a fully loaded Chrysler 300C [with navigation] is about $50,000. A fully loaded Lexus LS430 is about $90,000. [i'm rounding figures to make it easier] Let's say that three years from now the 300C is only worth 50% of what it cost new. And let's say that the LS430 is worth a much more impressive sounding 70%. Even though one could say [and rightfully so] that the Lexus retained more of it's value - the fact is - with the 300C - the loss amounts to $25,000. With the LS430 - the loss is $27,000. Craig!! :) ← Craig, That's exactly why I am trying to pursuade you to getting something a couple years old, took the large depreciation hit, still under factory warranty (consider an extended) with ALL service records......that way, your a winner! B) Don't buy brand new dude! B)

How many miles on the car, what is the service history (oil changes, tune up's etc) & what kind of oil are you currently using? B)

Check tranny fluid on a level surface after it has reached operating temperature (20 - 30 mins). B)

I had a feeling amf. ;)