Lexusfreak

I'll probably keep my ES for about another 4 - 6 years depending on a number of factors (If I have kids then, money situation etc)....chances are I will give the car to my parents as I know it will still be in tip top shape! Chances are I'll either replace it with the new GS (All wheel drive model), another ES or perhaps even the all new Avalon.......I'm liking the look of that new car for some reason! :D B) jweiss......where abouts in Toronto are you from?

Agreed! Be careful with this......dosen't sound right. ← Here's the latest - I should add that i don't know wnought about engines to probably ask all the right questions but here goes: They are replacing everything except the head. New "short" block, pistons, valves, cam, bearings, seals, everything but the cast piece of metal at the top of the engine. I am told this is OK as it would not be damaged by lack of oil or bearing failure. What does everyone think? ← Does that include a new water pump & I assume a new timing belt?

Hey Steve, Good to see you have made your choice! B) For what it's worth, I found this article on today's (from Dec 10th, 04) Car & Driver Website about the RX. Not trying convince you to change your mind again......just thought you would be intrested is all. ;) Deals Abound on Luxury Cars The Daily Auto Insider Friday, December 10, 2004 December 2004 General Motors isn't the only automaker piling on the incentives, many high-buck brands are also offering discounts, the Wall Street Journal reported. Among them are: Mercedes-Benz, which has discounted lease deals on its three main product lines, the compact C-class, the E-class and the top-dollar S-class. Ford's Jaguar and Toyota's Lexus are offering discounted financing or dealer cash on many models as well, including the popular Lexus RX330 crossover sport-utility and the Jaguar XK8. BMW is promoting end-of-the-year lease discounts on many of its models. The end-of-year sales push, and the return of generous lease deals, are signs of the intense competition in the U.S. market, the WSJ noted.

Thanks for the info! :) I wonder how many 'all season' high performance run-flat tires are available as opposed to just the summer rubber. I'm sure they are getting more popular as time goes along. Rumour has it that the all new BMW 3 series are going to have run flats as standard equipment to reduce weight. B)

Agreed......current Avalon is kind of bland. ;)

Nice choices Jimmy, B) I'm thining of the all new GS (with all wheel drive) & as much as I hate to say it.......the 2006 Avalon might be worth a closer look! :whistles:

SteveO, Those Fuzion's all season or summer rubber?

I don't know.........that Neptune blue would look mighty sharp at the Canadian Lexus meet in the spring! & a little Blue Jay told me it would look good on ya! :whistles: ;)

BIGTIME! As least I doubt it will have i-drive lol.

Gotcha sw....point cleared up. :D

In the end Steviej, go by what your 'gut' feeling tells you & try to overcome the urge your brain vs. your heart! :whistles: ;) I say if it's in the budget, someone is going to be spending more time in the RX forums in the LOC & CL. :whistles: B) ;) The RX is a very horny vehicle.

Agreed! Be careful with this......dosen't sound right.

Agreed gents! I'm courious what the 2007 ES will bring! B) ;)

Enjoy! B) http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread...threadid=143370

sk, when abouts (what month roughly) for the plant tour? Please keep me posted. 1SICK, My wife & I are planning to take a trip to Washington D.C. next year as well......please keep me (us) posted on all the details & I just might be able to 'kill to birds with one stone" B)

Agreed jasver :) I will stay under the Toyota / Lexus umbrella as well, as my ES has been by far the best car I have owned B)

SW, didn't mean to come across as 'suggesting' the Lexus dealers are ripping off customers, your right.....the Lexus dealer does provide a certain service that is above most other brands & dealers in the auto industry (even including some other Luxury brands) which is great. For some (including myself), I can do without the 'perks' of Lexus service (I normally only take my car to the dealer for warranty, extended warranty or when it's a major problem that only the dealer would be able to fix), such as the car washes & fancy coffee. Just mentioning that if some folks are tight for cash (especially after Christmas shopping ....I only need a couple more items & I'm done lol) one can get their Lexus serviced at a alternative shop & still have some 'coin' left for other stuff.......Lexus service is not a 'rip off', it's just a tad expensive. ;) I hope I cleared that up some........

Put it towards your maintenance & upkeep......like synthetic oil & car washes. :D

Wise decision Spalato..... B) Be patient and the right LS will come along in better condition with no major things wrong (or possibly wrong) to be of concern. Keep us posted! :)

December 10, 2004 Toyota owners most likely to buy another Toyota Westlake Village, California - In the United States, Toyota has the highest number of owners who purchase another model in the Toyota brand when they purchase a new vehicle, according to the J.D. Power and Associates 2004 Customer Retention Study released Thursday. The study, now in its second year, finds that while nearly one-half of vehicle owners overall purchase another vehicle from the same brand, Toyota retains 60.6 percent of its owners. The replaced models that drive Toyota's high retention rates include the Camry Sedan (64.8%), Corolla (64.5%), Sienna (68.6%), Highlander (68.4%) and Tundra (64.8%). Toyota is followed in the ranking by Lexus, which retains 59.5 percent of its owners, and Chevrolet, with a customer retention rate of 58.9 percent. "Not only does Toyota offer its owners a wide range of vehicles to move up to as their financial means and stage in life change, but also the brand is highly successful in attracting new customers to the lineup, due in large part to its strong reputation for vehicle quality and high vehicle resale values," said Neal Oddes, director of product research at J.D. Power and Associates. "The redesigned Sienna minivan has been particularly successful in capturing former owners of Plymouth Voyager, Honda Odyssey, Dodge Caravan, Mazda MPV and Oldsmobile Silhouette models." In addition to measuring retention rates, the study also analyzes the reasons consumers defect from the brand they own and are captured by other brands when they purchase a new vehicle. An important factor in defection is based on owners' experiences with their previous vehicles. Owners often defect from their brand because they had problems with long-term durability, high maintenance costs or poor experiences with dealer service. Conversely, brands are often able to capture new customers with attractive rebates and incentive offers, better vehicle styling, more cargo capacity, high resale value and better fuel economy. The study finds that brands such as Toyota and Honda not only maintain high retention rates, but also capture more customers from other brands than they lose. For every one customer Toyota loses, it captures six from other brands. Honda gains four customers for every one it loses. "Subaru is an example of a brand that maintains relatively high levels of customer retention, yet currently captures fewer new customers than it loses to other brands," said Oddes. "While Subaru has been successful in attracting new customers with the Forester, it will need to rely heavily on the new models it is introducing over the next few years to offset the defection rate to other brands and to establish a healthy longevity for the brand." The 2004 Customer Retention Study is based on responses from more than 171,000 new-vehicle buyers and lessees, of which 103,088 replaced a vehicle that was originally purchased new.

Very fair point & you are correct 1SICK...... B) A global economy indeed. In addition to your list, - Acura MDX, EL, Honda Civic & some Honda Odyssey Mini-van's built in Alliston, Ontario - Nissan Sentra, built in Mexico - Toyota Martix / Corolla built in Cambridge, Ontario (sister car to Martix, the Pontiac Vibe, built in California) - Buick Century, Buick Regal, Pontiac Grand Prix, Chevy Impala / Monte Carlo & many GM pick up's built in Oshawa, Ontario - Ford Freestar, built in Oakville, Ontario - Some Volvo models, built in Belgim - Mazda 6 (I assume all 3 models available) built in Michigan - Nissan Maxima (and like you mentioned the Altima as well as others) built in Tennesee. - Ford Crown Victoria/Grand Marquis, built in St. Thomas, Ontario - Some Ford Focus models, built in Mexico & Michigan - Pontiac GTO, built in Australia - Some Suraru models, built in Indiana I'm sure there are many more......but I will stop the geography lesson now lol. B)

Perhaps I could do that same type of transaction by check sw......does steviej handle that stuff too? I'm looking to become a gold member very early in the new year.

I understand what sw is trying to say & it's a fair point. I take my ES to an independent repair shop for regular maintenance & pay about 60% of what the Lexus dealers charge. I figure with the money I save, I can get about 20 car washes, a few tin's of Tim Horton's coffee (sorry to my American friends / members, Tim Horton's is a Canadian thing unless your in Buffalo) , & I don't mind waiting for my car to be serviced as they are usually very quick & I like watching them work on my car. ;) I'm even considering doing my own maintenance to save even more (at least oil changes).

If it hasen't been changed yet, I would seriously consider having it done as I beleive it can cause damage if it breaks. If not at the mileage interval (assuming it's the original) then on time (it's going on 13 years old). While having that done, I would do the water pump as well since the engine is apart anyways & it's easy to get to then (why take it apart twice?) I haven't had it done yet myself (only about 53,000 miles on my ES), but I think a 'reasonable' price would be somewhere in the $500 - $700 range for parts & labour (members, correct me if I'm way off here) depending on the shop you take it too. B)

I know.....I got a brochure of the 300 when it first hit the streets.....not a mention of AWD in it........But one of my Candian car publications mentioned in a review that it will be available in December 2004 & the Chrysler website (at least the Canadian website) has it as available. :) Same goes for the Magnum.