Lexusfreak

I just buy a map.....I'll get the nav systems eventually when they are dirt cheap & have perfected them in several years. ;) :whistles:

That's why my Dad went into business for himself (List For Less Real Estate). The other Brokers were charging him close to $1k a month for what they called 'desk fee's'...when in fact he worked out of his home anyways & they like to take a chunk of your commissions too (depending on the arrangement they have with that specific agent or member broker). One thing (at least in Ontario), is the good brokers & agents were smart & have been cutting commissions to the bone to keep the sales coming (there is no such thing in the Toronto area as a 6% commission anymore, you want to compete in this market? one has to cut commissions.......hey, something is better than nothing in this day & age, am I right?). My dad is in the business of saving people money with the $400,000 example you gave & the savings are substantial! B) Let me just say this, does one really expect to rake in $24,000 for showing a few homes & doing up some paperwork? That's part of the reason the smart agents are so successful.........especially on expensive homes. ;)

I was thinking the same too.

You did not waste anyone's time. This is what the site is here for, this is how we learn, and this is how you will be the one to help the next newcomer with the same question. Welcome aboard. steviej ← Well said Steve! B) Welcome Nav, it's really nice to see another fellow Torontonian join the club! :D How many Kilometers on your ES & where did you purchase the car from if you don't mind me asking? What equipment package did you get? ;) ← Thanks for the warm welcome! I purchased my ES from private dealer in Toronto. Kilometeres are 140K (nothing compared to my 96' w/273K)...yes it's high, but checked all service records and the car has been maintanied meticulously all the way through. Bought it for $16,500. Black on Black. Even rustproofing was done every year. The car was originally purhased in Ottawa and the 1 owner drove btw Ottawa and T.O constantly...justifying the higher mileage. Package includes adaptive variable suspension (AVS), HID's, VSC, leather trip package, heated front seats, in dash - 6 CD changer, psunroof and autostart. Came with brand new tires (Yoko's V rated) and brand new brakes all around (Lexus discs/pads). Tranny is so smooth I'm hardpressed to find the shift points! The one thing I did notice however is that my 96' ES has more of a Euro feel than the 01'. I think when Lexus decided to differtiate the IS and ES, they gave the ES a slightly more Camry'ish feel to it. The 96' is incredible for 'point and shoot' accuracy in steering, while the 01' is slightly tempered to the regular american roads style. When I put the AVS in Sport mode, it seems to respond a bit better to aggresive turning. The interior is so clean it's amazing. The previous owner had absolutely no one sit in the rear seats...virtually untouched. As is the trunk. The leather is still soft (no cracks) as if never sat in. The floor cloth is clean with no spots etc. Very well maintained. My father used to have a 90' Camry which we owned until 383,000km and was still working great. My 96' responds incredible and to date, I've been out of the shop for about 99% of my driving time. I sincerely hope the 2001 follows suit... Nav ← I'm just shy of 90,000 kms on my Cashmere beige ES. I have the AVS suspension & the HID's as well (HID's were standard equipment) but the AVS was an option. It's important as you know to make sure all maintenance records are up to date which is awesome! B) You might want to consider switching to synthetic oil at some point & if you ever need the BEST rustproof guy, I have just the person for ya! ;) B) Enjoy your new ES & this Lexus Club, it's awesome! :D

You did not waste anyone's time. This is what the site is here for, this is how we learn, and this is how you will be the one to help the next newcomer with the same question. Welcome aboard. steviej ← Well said Steve! B) Welcome Nav, it's really nice to see another fellow Torontonian join the club! :D How many Kilometers on your ES & where did you purchase the car from if you don't mind me asking? What equipment package did you get? ;)

It doesn't matter......I want one. steviej ← I want 2!! :D B) and yes AWD is all I can say as well. ;) sk, where would the Canadian premiere be at the Toronto Auto Show or Lexus Canada head office?

SW, my father is a Real Estate Broker & has been in the business since 1981. He started his own company in 1999 & has been at it ever since. He's worked for the 'big 3' which would be Re/Max, C-21 & A.E. LEpage. If one wants to make serious money, you get your broker licence, not just your regular 'agent' licence. It's not something that you can do 'part time' as there are MANY aspects to the business depending on which you want to get into (IE: Residential, Commercial, Industrial etc). I'm not sure how the laws are in your neck of the woods but I assume they are different than in Ontario. If you want any additional info or even speak with my Dad for any advice......PM me & I'll give you his info. He's VERY good at what he does & can provide you with some 'heads up' info should you need any suggestions or have any questions. B)

Actually on tirerack, the Yoko's are rated higher than the Michelin's for winter & snow traction ;) & get chains for ice? How about not going out at all? B)

Agreed! B) ;)

SUGGEST GETTING THE TWO WHEEL DRIVE VERSION CONSIDERING THE NUMBER OF TRANSMISSION FAILURES IN THE RX300 AWD. READ THE POST AND BEWARE. THE TWO WHEEL FRONT WHEEL DRIVE APPEARS TO BE MORE RELIABLE IN THIS AREA. GOOD LUCK. ← That depends if the maintenance schedule has been performed, including of the RX is towing something heavy as well. btw, turn the caps off as it is considered shouting at another person. ;) B)

It could be a number of things.....try the easiest stuff first like the thermostat, coolant system change, have the rad & all rad hoses inspected & it could also be your water pump or heater core. B)

Speaking of tires I have the 16" Michelin MXV4's Plus on my 05 ES330. I find the tires are very quiet at the recommended 29psi. The issue I have is I find the car doesn’t track very well. I am constantly having to make corrections to keep the car going straight on the hwy. The dealer told me to increase the tire pressure to 32psi for the winter months. The car does track better but still not great. Also there’s a little more road noise at 32psi. Is there a better tire for tracking straight down the hwy? ← 05ES, there are several tires that will track better & give you better overall traction than your Michelins. The Toyo Proxes TPT & Falken Ziex ZE-512. Do a search in the tire forums. B)

nsarin, an owner of a 2001 ES is telling you that the wiper arms are repositioned manually. I know on mine it does take a little more force than you would like to think, but it will move. I don't think you will find an electrical contact. I would seriously think about getting an owners manual......Look back at my initial post as to where to get them for free. steviej ← nsarin, Stevej is correct on both points....get an owners manual for your ES as for little things like this, it's worth it's weight in gold. Also it does take some 'force' to move them & it's best left to do on the passenger side which will move BOTH wipers to the desired setting. Having said that, I know what you mean about it just dosen't look right when it's in 'winter mode........however, there IS a reason Lexus designed it like that & it makes perfect sense considering were both in the Toronto, Ontario area & with a bad snow & / or ice storm, it make scraping the windshield that much more easy because the wiper will up & out of the way right off the windshield so you can clean everything properly including by the 'cowl' area so your defoster will not be blocked as well. I leave mine in winter mode during the cold months & the beginning of april I switch it back in november. B)

This happened to me as well (not on the highway mind you). Some dirt, salt or grit has clogged the jet's. The best thing to do is take a small pin & very gently put it inside the holes & move it around to clear out the dirt or grit. The nozzles on my 01 ES move ever so slightly so you should be able to do the same thing & make a slight adjustment for better aim. Good Luck! B)

Yeah, tell me about it! :chairshot: Gotta love our Federal & Provincial governments! PST (Provincial sales tax - 8%) & GST (Goods & Services tax - 7%), on top of that we have to pay gas tax or 'gas guzzler' tax (which depends on the vehicle & size of it's engine), air tax, tire tax.......all these taxes & then you add the 15% taxes which is actually taxes on top of taxes!!! :cries: Big scam imo, that's one main reason (not to mention depreciation) why I will never again purchase a brand new vehicle ever again.

It could be that yes.....but i DO KNOW.....those Firestone Tires are not helping the problem that's fur sure! B) ;)

The Yoko Geolander H/T-S G051 are rated VERY quiet for road noise & excellent in every other category. Here is a link! B) ;) http://www.tirerack.com/tires/tires.jsp?ti...romCompare1=yes

The Toyota Highlander is the 'sister' vehicle to the Lexus RX as they are both built on a modified Camry platform. Yes, the Highlander does come in either a 4 or 6 cyl engines......same engines as the Camry 4 & 6 cyl. B)

It could still be the thermostat that is stuck VMF......that why I suggested it as one possibility due to the year of the car & it being a simple repair & inexpensive replacement........the thermostat shoud also be replaced anyways as regular maintenance ever 5 - 7 years. Let's put it this way.......it won't hurt anything if it is replaced for about $10 - 15+. B)

← Just to clairify, you mean to change them from 'summer' mode to 'winter' mode which means instead of having the blades sit slightly 'under' the hood to over the hood to make it easier to clear snow & ice off correct?

I'll check it out sw....thanks! B) The Toyo Proxes TPT however should not be overlooked which as we know Tirerack doesen't carry. B)

I use both positions.....the bottom for the good weather months & the 'winter' mode in the cold months. I do this manually (which is explained in the owners manual). I do it on the passenger side wiper arm which moves both arms (the passenger side is longer so you have more leverage). B)

Should be an intresting comparo with the Accord hybrid to be sure VB. B)

It just sucks for us Canadians who buy brand new (I don't mind you). One top of that price, we have a 15% sales tax to add which really hurts. :cries: :chairshot:

Try & 'saturate' the lock mechanism with a top quality lube including all hinges & see if it improves. The Thermostat is very inexpensive & it's a 'plug & play' type of install, very simple......has to be done when the engine is cold. You mention the water pump was replaced recently.......did they do a complete cooling system flush at the same time? very important. B)