SW03ES

I would only use the Toyota OEM fluid, the reason being Lexus has had some history of transmission failures in the ES and RX, now not the newer versions (pre-01) but better safe than sorry. Using an aftermarket fluid is just asking them to blame a failure on that fluid.

Wild... But that was an RX330/RX350 not an LS ;)

I'm not saying its styling is what impressed me, what impressed me was the quality of its construction, the build and material quality, the smooth ride and smooth powertrain, and the amount of room. Its a unique looking vehicle, I wouldn't say its the best looking vehicle I've ever seen, no. This is true, however they have not in recent future made vehicles as good as those from Toyota and Honda. Take my fathr in-law's Navigator. A $60,000 vehicle with two valves needing to be rebuilt and behing hauled to the dealer 3 times this year on a flatbed. Thats inexcusable. However, dare I say, this Flex felt much more expensive inside to me than any of the latest slew of Toyotas, and even dare I say the Lexus ES350...

The IS is not based on the Corolla platform. The Corolla is a FWD 4cyl car, the IS is a completely different car on a totally different RWD platform. The only three Lexus vehicles that are based on US Toyota platforms are the ES (Camry), the RX (Camry) and the LX (Land Cruiser). The rest are all Lexus specific platforms. The HS is said to be focused on fuel economy not performance. Its all about giving people options. I have an ES and a Prius, and I could never drive the Prius on a daily basis. Its too blah and uncomfortable. Now a Lexus with 45MPG, I might just be talked into that. In terms of pricing I would say mid to upper $40k range. The ES ranges from $36-$44k and the IS from $33-45k (not counting the IS-F) and the Camry Hybrid is $35k. In terms of size, the Prius is small outside, but inside its a midsized car. The ES doesn't have all that much more room. Its MUCH larger inside than a Corolla for instance. The Prius is $30k fully loaded, so the HS is going to be considerably more.

$250 is the internet price, most dealers charge more. Luckily it doesn't have to be done often...

Yeah they're nice. I personally wouldn't use them year round, I prefer the look and feel of real carpet, and the rubber mats beat up my shoes. I have a set of Lloyd heavyweight mats in my ES and I have a set Lloyd ultimats in the Prius. The Heavyweight mats are extremely high pile, they almost look/feel like sheepskin, are custom fit for the ES and use the OEM mat anchors. The Ultimats are the same, just lower pile, but still nicer than the OEM mats. The interior on the Prius is tan and the OEM mats got destroyed in short order. We ordered the Lloyd mats in the same color as the upper dash (its two toned like the ivory is on the ES) and it looks very sharp and the mats don't show dirt. I uploaded a picture.

The fit and finish on the interior is excellent. I liked the layout of the dash...

I've heard also that it would be based on the Prius.

Very nice! Congrats!

Here;s one:

Yeah the preportions almost look like a Corolla... Why they don't just make a hybrid ES is beyond me. I would buy a hybrid ES.

Well, the dealers are independently owned. Lexus has some power over them, but not much. If the repair is done properly you won't be able to tell and it shouldn't hurt its value, but the question is can this inept dealership do the repair properly? I would have taken it to an independent shop and made the dealer pay.

Beautiful car Blake!

Looks great!

As long as the temperature does not go above freezing, the salt is inert so it is not corrosive. It has to be damp, and above freezing for it to have any corrosive effect on metal. Metal on cars today is galvanized, and it is actually really resistant to rusting. In fact your Lexus is warrantied against rust perforation for many years and many miles, in fact I believe its 10 years and unlimited miles. Just keep it washed as much as you can, and don't park it in a garage, leave it outside so it stays cold if you are really concerned. I just drive mine as normal in the winter. Its REALLY filthy right now because we had a lot of freezing rain and they overreacted with the salt on the road like they always do. I still park mine in the garage.

My father in law was in town breifly today and we exchanged Christmas presents and went out to dinner. His Lincoln Navigator is in the shop (again, its a real peice...) and they gave him a new Ford Flex to drive on his trip while they were figuring out why the Navigator died in the middle of the road...again. Anyways we were very impressed with the Flex. Its kind of a funky surfer-dude looking vehicle. but its unique. VERY spacious (they are really big, deceptively big, its about as long as a Navigator probably) but very easy to drive. Rode great, very smooth drivetrain, excellent quality materials. I would buy one...

And the fact that the other creditors haven't reported might not mean anything. Some creditors just never report...some are VERY slow. So unfortunately in the months ahead you may see more lates hit your reports. I would watch them very closely. Also be VERY sure that it was actually more than 30 days late. In the current climate one late payment might send your other creditors, mainly your credit card issuers, into a panic and they may cut your credit lines or close accounts in fear that this late payment is a sign of financial distress. This will be more likely if the other stuff shows up eventually as well. Your credit card companies are likely reviewing your credit on a quarterly basis just waiting for something like this to happen, especially if you spend a lot on a montly basis or carry balances. They are all in "minimize exposure to default" mode.

I hope everyone had a very Merry Christmas!

The GS is a good bit stiffer riding and the interior is a lot smaller than the ES. If she likes the cushy ride, the ES is a great car. I think the GS interior is much nicer than the current ES, and its not harsh riding but there aren't a lot of cars out there that ride as good as the ES. The LS rides better obviously, but there aren't many cars that do. My ES is just fine in the snow. With the VSC and trac I bet she'll be fine.

They are very rare, in fact I don't believe Lexus ships them to their dealer as inventory, I think you have to order them this way. I have never seen one in person. To the japanese, leather is actually disgusting to many, so cloth seats in Japan are very common on high end cars.

Biiig improvement!

I would do it every 30k at least. I have mine done at 30k, and its always dirty.

Not in my opinion. My independent mechanic advised that I start using the normal filter to save cost, and he even said that the charcoal ones sometimes smell when they are new. He swapped my charcoal filter out with an ordinary paper one and I see no difference...

How awful! I too have had my car damaged at the Lexus dealership, they were very upfront about it and agreed for my shop to fix it with very little trouble... I'd never let them touch it again...

Thats super, I'm glad it works. What did the kit set you back?