Jump to content

Rickanns

Regular Member
  • Posts

    18
  • Joined

  • Last visited

Profile Information

  • Lexus Model
    2008 ES350

Rickanns's Achievements

Contributor

Contributor (5/14)

  • First Post
  • Collaborator Rare
  • Conversation Starter
  • Week One Done
  • One Month Later

Recent Badges

0

Reputation

  1. You might try this.... http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=388954 Rick
  2. I would agree that the heated seats on the Lexus are not as warm as those on my VW Touareg. Maybe it is not as cold in Japan as it is in Slavakia. Rick
  3. We got our first Lexus before Thanksgiving. We have about 2500 miles on it and have had no problems. we are extremely pleased with the ride and quietness. The mileage is not up to par yet, but it is still early. Our only idiosyncracy is in the Nav system, which we believe does not always know the cars correct position. There is a thread on this forum about the situation and we are still working on it. Rick
  4. In an earlier discussion, I posted the following: "I was intrigued by this answer and decided to check things a little further. I really think the Nav is off in the Lexus. I parked the Lexus side by side with my VW Touareg (with Nav) in my driveway as well as breaking out my Magellan handheld GPS. The Lat/Long coordinates relate as follows: Lexus N33 30 21 W101 53 42 VW N33 30 36 W101 53 71 Mag. N33 30 363 W101 53 711 As you can see, the VW and the Magellan agree perfectly with the Magellan carrying the seconds to 3 digits, but the Lexus is off??? Does the Lexus have any calibration adjustment parameters in a situation like this? We did notice in our test drive of another ES350 that when approaching an intersection where we were turning, the Nav did NOT give us a turn command for the actual right turn. If the Nav is off in its calibration, then maybe we had not gotten to the point that a command would have been activated? I will ask the dealer about this at the 1000 mile check-up, but am interested in what you folks think." Is the above similar to what you are experiencing?? Since that post, I have taken the ES in for the 1k checkup, and one of the things that I asked they check on was this Nav descrepancy. They replied that all was normal and they could not find any problem. My salesman gave me his new RX as a loaner and guess what....it showed the exact same position in my driveway that the ES did! So, I wrote this off as some technical descrepancy that I could not understand. If your current observation is similar, I now wonder again if there is some inherent problem? Rick
  5. Off-topic, but heck, it's Christmas! Best Wishes to all for a merry Christmas. We can worry about all things Lexus again tomorrow. While we have no snow again in West Texas, the wintering geese are honkin up a storm and there is a flock of mourning dove about the size of pigeons in the yard. "It's a great day in the neighborhood". We hope all enjoy a great day and wish everyone a great 2008. Rick
  6. I am on your side 100%, 8888. I passed on the XM dealer install for exactly the same reason. Even though the antenna is about the size of a quarter and less than 1/2" tall, I didn't like the way it looked at all. For me, it really detracted from the looks of the car. It reminded of the old CB days. If my dealer had offered to locate it on the rear shelf, I would have probably gone for it....BUT, he didn't. It is funny how some things effect us, but I couldn't take that. Rick
  7. As with most other GPS and mapping systems, the pinpointing of the address is always an approximate location, interpolated along the road using the max addresses on the road and the road's actual length. My ES manual explains it as pulling you close enough so that you can then start looking for parking. i.e. Google maps even puts my place about 2 or 3 doors down from where it actually is. I always wondered if it did that for security purposes but it's most likely a information database constraint where actually mapping out every numbered location in the nation to the dot would be infeasible. I was intrigued by this answer and decided to check things a little further. I really think the Nav is off in the Lexus. I parked the Lexus side by side with my VW Touareg (with Nav) in my driveway as well as breaking out my Magellan handheld GPS. The Lat/Long coordinates relate as follows: Lexus N33 30 21 W101 53 42 VW N33 30 36 W101 53 71 Mag. N33 30 363 W101 53 711 As you can see, the VW and the Magellan agree perfectly with the Magellan carrying the seconds to 3 digits, but the Lexus is off??? Does the Lexus have any calibration adjustment parameters in a situation like this? We did notice in our test drive of another ES350 that when approaching an intersection where we were turning, the Nav did NOT give us a turn command for the actual right turn. If the Nav is off in its calibration, then maybe we had not gotten to the point that a command would have been activated? I will ask the dealer about this at the 1000 mile check-up, but am interested in what you folks think. Rck
  8. The "I Agree" on my 08 ES clears itself after a few seconds. This must cover the manufacturer's backside and I think it is a good deal. On my 2007 VW Touareg, the agree screen does not clear and you have to agree everytime you start the vehicle in order for the Nav and Audio screens to function. You can update the Nav functions on the fly even though you will get another Warning screen when you do. Many VW owners have purchased software for their PC's which allows them full access to the vehicle programming and settings in many areas. They can disable the Agree screens completely, re-configure headlight settings, turn off DRL's, modify the number of turn signal flashes when lightly activating the stalk (Lexus doesn't do this?), run complete diagnostics of systems and error codes, turn off seat belt chimes and other warnings, and see and/or alter other functions of the vehicle. I am a little surprised that I have not read of any Lexus owners doing these kinds of things, but perhaps the software packages are not available for a Lexus. I have no interest in that technical capability, but I am sure there are many Lexus owners that are or would be interested. I haven't played with the Lexus Nav much, but it is my understanding that you can change destinations, etc. on the fly through the voice activation processes. Please correct me if I am wrong. I have noticed one possible annoyance of the Nav (again, I have not played with it much). When I put in my home address (9709) the system direct me to my house. But, when sitting in my driveway, the cursor is further south on the map and not sitting on the destination icon. My position is related at house number 9773 which is non existent??? I will check the system out next week when we go to Dallas for Thanksgiving. Has anyone else noticed this foible? Rick
  9. I am totally confused here. But, you could have major damage that you cannot even see. I would have the car trucked to your dealer or reputable body shop and have everything checked from stem to stearn. I would tell your insurance company that the wheel came off and see if they will cover. How you ended up short a lug nut is baffling to me, but don't do it again....Right? Rick
  10. Upon reading the OP a couple of days ago, my first inclination was not to respond at all but I now feel compelled to add my $.02 for whatever it is worth. I simply do not put much faith in any of the mentioned ratings as they are based on a predetermined set of criteria which may not come even close to my thoughts (or any other given customer). Having just purchased our ES350 and driven the new Honda, the Avalon, and the Mercedez C class, these are four distinct automobiles which may appeal to four distinct customers for various, applicable reasons. The Mercedez and the Lexus are as different as black and white. That is not to say that either is superior to the other, only that they are totally different. If USN wants to rank the Lexus 2nd and the Mercedez 8th, that is really irrevelant to me. Twenty years ago, I would have loved the taut suspension. sport ride of the Mercedez for touring mountain roads and hot rodding around. Today, that is not the case. So, asking a Lexus forum if they agree with the USN rankings is like asking a kid if he likes ice cream. Asking a Merecedez forum the same question would be like pouring gasolene on a lit fire. Just remember that this opinion and $4 will get you a Starbucks. Rick
  11. I have been participating in other car forums for several years now. Simply, the negative comments and posts are the nature of the beast. While some posts are just dis-satisfactions and complaints from generally negative people, most are concerns about a particular problem that the poster is enduring, and are intended to prompt some solution either by a dealer or DIY. As a new member of this forum, I am a little surprised at the small amount of DIY stuff here, but will continue to read almost daily to see what is going on with other Lexus owners. So, don't be put off by the perception of negativity on any forum. The posters still represent a very small % of the owners. Your perception of your ride is still the only important thing and the forums only point out specific things for specific people. Keep the faith Rick
  12. Having looked at several cars in the last month before buying a new ES350, I was very surprised at the various capabilites of the NAV systems. I thought the new voice-activiated Honda was the best by far. On the Toyota Avalon, it is not even voice-activated even though they advertise it. It is not even touch screen. Their Tundra pickup offers a better NAV????? I did not even try the Mercedez system as the car did not meet our desires, but the dealer described it as quirky. The NAV on my 07 VW Touareg also has no voice-activation, but does offer the entry of lat and long points for off-road use. It also has an altimeter, compass screen and a front wheel orientation screen which is nice for geocaching and off-road. The Lexus falls somewhere in the middle. I considered going the mobile route, but ended up with the NAV. All in all, I am pretty satsified with the set up. Rick
  13. Everyone is right on with their summaries. You can also add the Mercedez C class to the tightly sprung, performance classification. Every pebble on the road is felt in the cabin. Twenty years ago, I would have loved the Mercedez to cruise the curvy mountain roads, but no more. We just picked up our ES350 last week after testing the new Honda (best NAV system by far), the Avalon, the Mercedez C300, and the Lexus. The Honda is still not a refined ride; the Avalon is a really nice car but not as nicely equipped as the ES and the NAV is really a step behind in technology (believe it or not, the Nav in the new Tundra pickup exceeds the Avalon - go figure); the Mercedez is a sports car. We are really enjoying the ES350 and look forward to some road trips to really check it out. Combined with my 2007 VW Touareg, our driving is in a state of nirvana right now. Rick
  14. We just got our first Lexus last week. I am a HID (Xenon) fan having had them on a 2004 and 2007 VW Touareg. The HID's on my ES seem to be aimed fine. I particularly like the halogen high beams. My 04 Touareg had a similar set up, but the halogens were only flash to pass. They did not illuminate when the high beams were engaged. The Xenon units had a shutter in them that opened more for the high beams. Many re-programmed the system to include the halogens in the high beam as well as the fog lights (a six light salute) . My 2007 has done away with the halogens all together. The high beams suffer to a degree as a result. The Lexus is a much better set up. I like those halogens piercing through the night. Rick
  15. It seems like some have been able to get the Razr v3i working properly - I'm guessing it's the phone...and not the car that is the problem... I agree. The Lexus worked perfectly. The individual phones were the problem, but it is all solved now. Rick
×
×
  • Create New...

Forums


News


Membership