SW03ES

You've got the same car as mine, everything but AVS which was rare and almost only found on the west coast. They sold a rare base car without HIDs and the wood/leather wheel, a "premium plus" car which was the most common which had the wood wheel, HIDs, etc, and the "Nav/Lev" car which had the Nav and the ML stereo, and the sunshade.

I have more energy now ;) I do agree that its a shame to see "good" cars be destroyed, and I too would have a hard time parting with one of my vehicles knowing it would be destroyed. However, there are undenyable benefits to having older cars on the road replaced with more efficient, less poluting, safer, and more reliable vehicles. It makes the roads safer and healthier for everyone. Thats your opinion. Many, if not most people wind up replacing cars before they "need" to. People want newer features, better safety, more reliability. "Need" is different for everyone, and just because someone else's definition of need is different from yours doesn't make them wrong. Some points to think about regarding CforC program: Because thats not the point of the program. The environmental aspect is a bonus, the real purpose is to get people to buy new cars. This isn't true. The C4C rebate is a tax rebate to you, the dealer is just putting up the money for you. You can request to not be paid upfront and wait until you file your taxes for '09...but why would you want to wait? Thats not true either. The car has to be at least 4MPG more efficient to get the $3500 rebate and 10MPG more efficient to get the $4500. If it was a government sponsored thing then yes... So you'd prefer...communism? This is how the economy works my friend. And thats your decision and its the right one for you. Its not up to the government or you to decide what the right decisions are for my family or anyone else's family. Many of us for instance can afford to buy cars outright without loans by the way...so our decision making rubrics are a little different from youts. Thats called stimulus. People need to buy things for the economy to work...they're already doing it for homes, $8k first time homebuyer tax credit and its also been very successful. Thats how the world works.

I don't have the energy to get into this again...

Steve/SW03ES, sometimes using logic is a waste of time. ;) I guess so!

Then why don't you point me towards where a respected OEM manufacturer of HID lights (like Phillips) says that they should be replaced every 2 years? I have NEVER heard that, in fact I have repeatedly heard from automobile manufacturers that they should last the life of the vehicle. Thats just preposterous! If thats the case then why does Philips sell an HID bulb that has the color characteristics to match an older bulb so you can only replace one...if they should just be replaced every 2 years as per the manufacturer. I've had HID lights on cars for nearly 200,000 miles and they were still putting out more light than halogen bulbs...I know because I have cars with halogen lights to compare them to. I'm not saying you're making this up, I just have a feeling this info comes from some people on the HIDplanet forum that either don't really know what they are talking about, or they are talking about cheap aftermarket bulbs...

A great deal is only a great deal if its the vehicle you really want...

Probably just a fluke. Mine has had some flukey moments over the years...

The EPA changed how they calculate the MPG figures which is why they changed...

I understand where you are coming from, but the labor plus all the parts we're talking about...its an outlay of getting close to $2,000 to replace things that don't yet need replacing...

Any other thoughts? I definately will have him do the ball joints also, I mean the parts are only $45 a peice. I'm not so sure about the struts though. The car still rides great, what is the general lifespan of the struts?

I've been to the site...I'm just not convinced that its a truly accurate and unbiased source of information... All light sources dim as they age, but the light output of an HID system being equal to a halogen system at only 1/3 of its predicted life? I just don't buy it.

You, like me, are old before your time ;)

What does the label on the door frame say? Air pressure definately effects ride and tire life...

Its a luxury car...why would you be surprised when service is comparable in cost to BMW and Mercedes when the cars are comparable in cost as well? Please don't type in all caps...

And the effect on America's carmakers is definately positive already. Ford had to increase production 18% and reopen two plants they had closed to meet demand because of the CARS program.

I think the IS-C makes a great daily driver...

And whats the background of HIDplanet.com?

I actually prefer the light wood I think...its different...

When he looked it up on Alldata he said that was way longer than it would actually take. Its for one side, but the other side is pretty easy once all the stuff is apart... Yeah thats my thinking too...

From someone who drives a foreign car... Almost all Japanese cars are made here anymore anyways...

Yeah seriously, this is working, there is a measurable result...This is our tax dollars ACTUALLY working...

Man its hard to believe that car is 11 years old! Looks awesome.

It definately is... Try using sealants instead of carnuaba. Carnuaba is deeper which looks great on dark colors, but sealants are more reflective which helps light colors.

You have some sort of source to back that up? I don't buy it. My HIDs are 6 years old and probably have more than 1,000 hours of life on them and are MUCH brighter than halogen bulbs. 1,000hrs is significantly less than the life of a halogen bulb...

Solara ;) Totally different car. The Solara is FWD and off the Camry platform, the IS is much more a drivers car. The Solara is a nice car...I know I have one with 4 doors...but its a boulevard car (a pig), the IS will drive circles around it.