Lexusfreak

Does the light always stay on or does it come on only when your driving with a gentle foot?

As has been mentioned...nitrogen does not provide any significant benefit than filling your tires with regular air (again about 75 - 80% nitrogen...your in Florida I see...you will not notice the difference compared to someone who puts nitrogen in a northern climate in the winter). Frankly I don't see any significant benefits to using pure nitrogen to inflate your tires...I keep a portable compressor that you plug into your power outlet to 'top up' the pressure on occasion. What does benefit tires? Maintaining proper air pressure, regular rotations as per the maintenance schedule & proper wheel alignments (I get a 4 wheel alignment with every set of tires I install). I set all my tires at 33.5 PSI (all seasons & winter sets), I get fantastic fuel economy, even wear & a comfortable ride. IMO, 35 - 40 PSI is too high & that will result in uneven wear or less traction long term.

Long term, I will stick with Lexus over an Audi personally...what happened to the mirror on the GS to warrant a $2,000+ repair bill? For something like that (and at that price range) we have either insurance or an auto wrecker to contact....but long term reliability, I definately will stick with a Japanese brand...and like SW, a few of my friends with German rides are starting to complain about the cost of mechanical repairs.

Never had an issue on snow or ice with my traction control...I find it engages very seldom in the winter even with the OE 215 55 17 size.

I would highly suggest Goodyear Assurance Triple Treds if long mileage & excellent wet weather performace is at the top of your list. Touring tires are good but generally they do not have the treadlife ratings of a premium all season...the ES is no sports sedan to begin with & there are many choices to consider in the 215 60 16 size. I have never been a fan of Kumho's personally. Another tire to consider is the Toyo VERSADO LX in V speed rated.

I agree guy's...if the European's had a better long term reliability history I would definately consider them. Sadly with what I have read & friends / co-workers have told me over the years I will not be stepping into one of their showrooms anytime soon.

Both bulbs...installed Steve? What bulbs did you use & I assume your independent mechanic did the work? And yikes 30" of snow!

I agree that is a very good price...and I would only use OE parts personally...nothing else.

This is a pretty good read & it makes a very good point...(funny YouTube video too)... http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/toyota-il...ne/#more-344346

I don't think they have identified the 'root' cause of the problem either...and with each passing day...Toyota keeps digging themselves a deeper hole. :( Time will tell & I hope I'm wrong.

I've heard the same things about the newer Michelin X-i2's.

You can get your oil changed anywhere you choose...as long as you keep the receipts & had the maintenance done within the time & mileage window you are fine should you have a problem. How much does your dealer charge for an oil change?

The kicker with that though...when he was leaving...he got into an Audi!

I disagree to some extent...I have a set of Toyo Garit KX winters in the OE size (215 55 17, H speed rated) on a seperate set of Lexus alloys & they are just awesome in the snow (they are rated a fair bit higher than the Michelins in overall traction & have a deeper tread depth which will make them last longer...see the above links I posted)...I could have went with a 215 60 16 size which would have been fine (but T speed rated), but I don't have any less traction performance with the OE size...in fact they handle the corners better because they are H rated. B) Don't forget most winter tires have a much lower speed rating (Q & T compared to H & V) and makes the tire feel squishy in the corners as the rubber compound is much softer. Do you have the original Z-Ice or the next generation X-i2? The TPMS is a moot point too...even with that feature one should always have a digital tire pressure gauge in their vehicles regardless.

I was under the impression that was the case for the whole generation....2002 - 2006...? & I know the 2007+ ES switched to a timing chain with no maintenance required. I guess one can always ask their local Lexus dealer to confirm or contact Lexus directly...but these days...they seem ummm pretty busy with other things lol. :whistles:

Anyone catch The Daily Show with Jon Stewart Tuesday night (Feb 2nd)? They had a whole skit on Toyota...it was hysterical.

Don't forget to pick up a tranny pan plug gasket at the dealer too...the old one has been on for 8 years.

Midway is about right...but double check all your fluid levels & the owners manual is your friend. ;) Welcome to LOC.

If you want the best available traction, I suggest 4 dedicated 'Winter tires' (snow tires have pretty much gone the way of the Dodo). I run Toyo Garit KX winters in 215 55 17 on my 05 ES & the difference they make is huge. There are several good choices available in the size you need. More info here... http://www.apa.ca/template.asp?DocID=97 and here... http://www.apa.ca/template.asp?DocID=298 You will notice the Toyo Garit KX on the list has a 5 out of 5 star rating (5 being the best) and they are one of the most reasonably priced choices available...plus they are very durable due to their tread compound with ground walnut shells built into the tread.

I agree with what home said ^...and the transmission filter mesh screen just needs to be cleaned, not replaced.

This mornings interview with Toyota USA's President & COO Jim Lentz on MSNBC's Today Show with Matt Lauer :whistles: http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/toyotas-j...shipping-today/

Still beats walking Steve lol. :P

I agree...I was diappointed to see the differences between the two units myself. Thought the Denso unit would be much more robust...but it does not appear to be the case. Kudo's to TTAC for doing that experiment too.

I agree the value is there for sure. How exactly are the dealerships terrible?

Toyota's Official Announcement... http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/toyotas-o...l-announcement/ And this is very interesting... http://www.thetruthaboutcars.com/exclusive...e-recalled-too/ TTAC took apart both the Denso & CTS units (rumor is more will be recalled)...