SW03ES

You CAN run regular in most modern cars, but you can also subsist on cereal too. I just don't understand buying an expensive car, and running cheap gas robbing it of its performance. Its like buying an HDTV, and not getting the HD package with your cable. Now, on a car like the Lexus...it probably doesn't matter. BUT, a higher compression BMW engine for instance, you will have noticeably reduced performance.

Its just the direction the industry is headed. Synthetic oil and longer drain intervals.

There ya go!

My guess is a mount too...hard to tell the noise from the video, but I think I hear it...almost like something is binding?

TA beat me to it, low washer fluid. Its at the point when the fluid is sloshing around in the tank, not quite so low that the warning message comes on...

Its not programmed to come on at any mileage, its just a coincidence. Its probably an oxygen sensor or something, no big deal.

I like it...

I personally think the parchment interior is the richest looking out of all of the options on the 350. Came from years of black interiors, but the 350's interior is so stark trimwise up on the doors and high on the dash I think the black looks cheap...the parchment at least has the two tones to break up the door panels and dash. I like saddle interiors, but even that on the 350 looks cheap to me because the door panels and dash are still just black with no contrast. Mine has nearly 30k miles now and looks like new. I'd hope you'd keep your interior cleaner than a loaner...

I've heard that over and over again with every new generation. Wait to see it in person, they'll do fine.

The number one thing to look out for on these cars is the oil change history because of the slugging problem. Unless an owner can show you maintenance records proving the oil has been changed every 5k miles, I wouldn't buy it. Take your time andnfindnthe right car. Nothing different about the 2000 models that would make reliability different.

The truffle doesn't come with the grey, only the cashmere or the black...you could do smokey granite and get the grey, which I almost did. I prefer the pre-refresh LS460, I think the lines are a little better, especially at the rear...

I agree, the trim on the LS is still better than the rest pf the cars though.

Its most likely its lower for people who buy and post on an internet forum...

I have never heard of such a problem. I've never had an LS460, but I had an LS400 and an LS430...and never had such a problem. If you had 118,000 miles I'd say yeah, but 18,000 miles?

Yep, totally independent and enthusiast owned.

You think it's better looking than the LS? I don't know about that, it certainly is a good looking car though. I think next time I'm going to get something with a little more "pizazz", I love the ES but I've driven them for 10+ years now. Something maybe one class up, a GS, 5, E, A6, etc. got a year and a half to decide though, I'm surei'll change my mind. Bunch of times lol

Yeah that's a great deal!

I obviously haven't used it at length, but we did extensively look at the new Explorer and Edge before we got the Jeep and played with the MyFordTouch a good bit. Overall I think it's a great system, I think it just obviously needs to go through a few generations before they get it right. I think it's probably the prototype for the sort of systems we'll see in cars of e future though.

The matte wood trim is a reddish type color, comes in a bamboo color too which is hideous.

The function button simply hides any warnings that may be on the display. So for instance if it says "ADD FUEL" you can hit "Function" and it will go back to the normal display.

Yeah, the ES is just not an "enthusiast" car...

I know, I've had two LS's and two ES's. I drove the car on a back country road in Annapolis, and out on a concrete-expansion jointed highway. I thought it rode well, and I remember wondering what people who said it rode poorly were talking about... cduluk, Oh yeah, I wouldn't spend $6k just for the wood finish. Thanks for the offer! I might just take you up on that if I get one ;)

Haha, why not?

I wonder if the one you drove maybe had tires that were over-inflated? Its been a long time since I've driven a 5, E class, or an A6 but the GS350 I drove surprised me by how comfortable and well damped the ride was given things that I had heard. I would say it was almost as smooth as my ES... As an aside, I stopped by my dealer this afternoon to get some new wiper inserts for the ES and I sat in a couple. I have begun to *really* like the car. I sat in one with the "Flaxen" interior which I originally didn't care for, but I really liked it in person. Very different which is a plus, I liked the corresponding flaxen colored stitching to the dash top as well as the steering wheel, shift knob, and shift boot (which are all black). I also sat in one with the grey interior which was also very sharp. If I didn't know I'd take it up the pooper so bad on the ES I'd be tempted. Only bummer for me is the car equipped how I would equip it doesn't have the luxury package, and that car has a matte wood trim and no wood/leather wheel like I'm used to. You have to move up to the luxury package to get glossy trim and a wood/leather wheel and that makes a $55k car a $61k car which is more than I want to spend. It would take some getting used to...that and theres a pretty significant rear seat room penalty over the ES, which can be an issue for me from time to time.

I don't think the TL is comparable in that class really...