SW03ES

Well, thats not really true. A top notch bumper repaint will run you $500...but I think $2700 for the glass roof installed is okay... I bet glass went everywhere...or is that roof laminated like the windshield...I bet it is...

Yep, the radar cruise and PCS is available on the LS460 too, was on the LS430 too.

Oh sure, I've met plenty of people that left me scratching my head. Its not really a chicken and the egg kinda thing. Before deregulation you had to document everything in order to obtain a mortgage loan, banks were dissuaded from taking on risky debt because of usury ceilings. After deregulation both of those things changed, along with a bunch of other things. Its Bush's domestic and foreign policies that are at the root of these issues. People are people, Americans have always had a drive to live beyond their means. What deregulation has done is make it extremely profitable for banks to finance these lifestyles at huge risk. Now that risk is catching up to them. Its fine to say its their fault...but had Bush and the republicans had some forethought before making those regulatory changes in the first place it never would have happened. They wanted it to happen to distract Americans with a phony lifestyle. Pretending everything is great was no way to respond to 9/11. The rebound from the 2001 recession was a total farce... You're making their argument for them "If we can see it, can't they see it too?" The answer is obviously not! Regulation is in order.

I've had the factory nav for 5 years (actually have it on two cars) and have never regretted buying it once. I also prefer it to Garmin and TomTom units ive used.

No problem!

Considering an OEM Windshield for one of these cars is $1000, I think $2700 for the glass is a deal. Remember they have to install it, thats probably 8-10 hours of labor... Since the car is so new, you're probably going to have to let the dealer do it. I'd file a claim for it, at $2700 its worth it.

I paid $200 for custom high pile mats for my car so I'm probably not too good a person to ask lol. Look ar www.sewellpartsonline.com and use code "clublexus" when you sign out, just pretend I didn't tell you that ;p;. You can buy the OEM rubber mats for less than $120, I have them and they're really nice. They also make custom fitted clear plastic mats to go over your carpet mats. Its not just the yellowing, its the fact that they don't fit.

But what you're not taking into account is that the banks got into all of these loans because they were huge profit streams made available to them because Bush and other republicans deregulated the banking industry to such a degree that banks could do whatever they wanted. No guidelines for lending...no usury ceilings. The free market is all well and good...but sometimes guidelines need to be in place. THATS why you could get that mortgage loan as easy as a Pizza... On top of irresponsible tax cuts coupled with huge increases in spending and the size and scope of government, this has created this mess. Can't blame that on anyone but Bush. 9/11 9/11 9/11. Thats all Bush's few fans have to say. Its time to get past 9/11. We needed leadership and for a breif moment it looked like he was going to give it...but he got punch drunk greedy just like you've accused everyone else as being. 9/11 was 7 years ago...we've got to look forward.

I don't believe thats true, but you would have to ask an accountant. The fix is easy though...just don't put your wife on the lease. My name is the only name on the title of my car. The one pay lease is an excellent question too, one I wanted the answer to as well. You should ask an accountant about that too, I've never done a one-pay lease.

You mean start a lighting forum? I thought you meant a thread about lighting in this forum...

Your black Lexus does not have a clear coat. Lexus black is single stage. The bad news? It wears easier because the paint is soft. The good news? Its very easy to polish out. Check out the detailing forum or find a good well respected professional detailer in your area. I bet the car will come out of a detail and look incredible. Paint requires maintenance, especially that paint but if you keep up on it its a great looking finish. I've detailed dozens of single stage black Lexus cars and they always come out looking great. As for the silver bubbling around the shifter...I'd have the dealer replace that under warranty...

So your to do list 1. Win lotto 2. Buy LS600hL 3. Buy LX470 for minion and luggage 4. Get minion. Sounds like a plan to me!

Yep thats a Corolla...not an LS430 ;)

We've had presidential candidates and presidents that had more money that McCain. The money doesn't bother me, earned money shows a sound fiscal mind which is a GOOD thing. The issue is that she didn't realize it was going to be an issue when the had that suit commissioned for the event. She didn't understand the symbolism...thats because she and John are out of touch with Amercia. THATS the problem. And Ross Perot is a business genious. Cindy McCain was born. You can't compare the two.

Sure, go right ahead.

Anybody who thinks that the government should allow Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to go under has no idea how our economy works...I'm sorry but thats true. Warding off inflation does us no good if our economy fails...and takes the economies of the civilized world with us. If Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac went under...the US economy would fail...as would the economies of dozens of other countries that own US mortgage backed securities as a part of their international interests. You would not be able to buy a house in this country unless you had cash and millions would loose their homes. Lehman Bros...not as important which is why the government will allow it to fail without a bailout...but Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? They ARE America. I don't completely agree with nc though, I think the Bush administration has done this country and the world great, great damage and I think the extent of that damage won't even be fully realized for years and years to come. "We've been on a mission" thats true, but that mission has cost us dearly and we're seeing that right now. The Bush administration's fiscal and foreign policy are directly to blame for these issues. He sent this country into Iraq with no goals, no plan, and no understanding of the region's problems, he drastically increased spending while dramatically cutting taxes on corporations and wealthy individuals running up HUGE defecits, he misread Putin (who doesn't seem so impressed by the "sleeping giant" as of late), he accelerated the deregulation of the banking industry which helped to create this mess. He's a disaster...

C'mon kids...play nice. You're both to blame, bokchoy was out of line but the OP was asking for it with her overly critical post. You gotta understand...this is a Lexus enthusiast site and when you post really negative critical things you're going to rile people up. Asking for advice and being frustrated is fine...but don't take that frustration out on us. The updates don't need to be done every year, if you have version 5.1 or 6.1 I wouldn't upgrade to 7.1. Lexus releases areas where the nav database has been improved when they release the new discs. Your dealer probably doesn't know what they are talking about. For one they don't release what is upgraded by street, they release enhancements by area. so if the dealer told you specific streets were there, they wouldn't know that. Once the system has been updated it cannot be put back to the old disc so you can't return the update, but I bet you can get a refund or service credit at the dealer since they gave you bad info. Version 8.1 comes out next month (bet they didn't tell you that either) and it will make the update you just bought obsolete...maybe you can get them to give you that as a replacement... When you say the system doesn't have the streets, do you mean the streets specifically don't exist on the map so when you are driving its blank or does it just not have them when you're entering a destination? Sometimes you have to enter the city first. I've upgraded my nav system twice since the car was new and have been satisfied both times...but I waited for upgrades that dealt with my areas and my area is almost completely there anyways... As for the lockout, Acura/Honda is one of only a couple companies that do not lockout nav functions when moving. Almost everyone else does. Lawyers are everywhere...its a reality of the world we live in. I for one have no problem putting my destination in before I leave. As for the maps...they're probably the same or similar maps. There are only a couple companies that do map data for these things, if this year's Honda update has those streets, I bet Lexus' will next year. Next year's update for Lexus comes out next month.

Thats pretty much the best price I've ever seen anywhere, at Sewell. Thats much lower than list price.

The LS has all those features ;)

Nothing you can do about the dents and dings. Its a CPO car...but it is still a used car, it isn't new. Some dealers recondition them very carefully, remove all the dings with Paintless Dent Removal, touch-up all the nicks, replace worn interior peices, repaint the bumpers, replace the tires. BUT, some don't and they don't have to for the vehicle to be certified. Take the car to a detailer and have them polish the paint well and have their PDR guy work out the dings. I'd say $200 for the exterior detail, $200 for the dings. As for the bumper, it sounds like they did a crappy spot repair job. In order to do it right the bumper cover needs to be removed, refinished, and re-installed. Unlikely the dealer will do this, this is another thing I would do myself. Expect to pay $500 or so for that. As for the recourse with the dealer...I can't see that you have any since the car is pre-owned...

I covered that ;) Whole lotta reasons why leasing makes sense for business, the tax benefits, if the vehicle is leased in the businesses name then its considered an expense not a liability, etc. Thats the drawback to looking at 3 year old pre-owned cars...can't lease them for business. Well...you can but its expensive.

www.sewellpartsonline.com The new nav DVD is usually released in October...

I had the rear main seal replaced on my ES under warranty and they told me had it not been covered it would have been a $1200 job.

The OP knows he doesn't have the power sunshade, he is asking if it can be installed after the fact.

Because it depreciates quickly within the first 3 years or so and then the depreciation slows way down, all new cars are that way, especially luxury cars. So if You buy car A for $50,000 and at the end of three years its worth $25,000 its cost you $25,000 to drive it 3 years, or $8,333 a year. After 3 more years it may be worth $17,000, so for a total of 6 years its cost you $33,000 to drive it, or $5500 per year. If you buy car B for $50,000 and sell car A after 3 years for $25,000, at the end of three years car B is now worth $25,000, so its cost you $50,000 to drive a total of 6 years across two cars, or $8,333 a year. So over 6 years of ownership keeping car A costs $33,000 whereas selling car A and buying car B halfway through costs you $50,000. Thats why you want to keep a vehicle longer to extend out the depreciation schedule. Now, the absolute cheapest way to do it is to buy a car 3 years old, that $50,000 car costs you $25,000 to start and then its worth $18,000 in 3 years, $12,000 in another 3 years. So its cost you $13,000 to drive that car 6 years, or $2,167 per year. New car depreciation is always front heavy within the first 3 years. Now, leasing does not just mean you pay that $25,000 to drive it three years, its more than that because of the way interest is calculated on a lease. Lease payment on an RX400h is probably going to be around $850 a month, 12k miles, nothing down. So for 36 months the cost for the lease would be $30,600, the $5,600 between that figure and the $25,000 residual is the profit for doing the lease. So if you lease it for three years and then buy it, it costs you $55,600 to buy a $50,000 vehicle. Hence why if you're going to buy it...you should just buy it from the start unless you can write the lease off for business. If you really are concerned about the depreciation of a luxury car, you should buy a used one a least 3 years old. I like new cars so I buy new, but even I am strongly strongly considering buying one 3 years old next time. BUT, you have to understand that what you are proposing, buying one and not keeping it long and buying a new one is the absolute most expensive way to drive any car...but especially a luxury car.