SW03ES

The sensor is in that square area behind the lexus symbol on the grille.

Yeah camlex, what are you talking about?

Thats really not a good idea...

It will definately make a difference. If you're just working by hand and using a fine hand polish theres no way you can hurt your paint.

Again though, thats definately going to cost you more than $2,000. Trading a car in this day and age qith 100k isn't something you do to "save money" unless you're going to a cheaper car where you're going to make a profit, get out of debt etc. Cars today last so long, if you pan out what it will cost you if EVERY repair you are afraid of must be done in one year (which is extremely unlikely given that you drive 10k miles a year) its always going to be less than trading it in on something newer that costs more.

Would you be able to get into anything you'd want to drive for less than $2000 out of pocket? Probably not. So its definately spend $2000+ or MAYBE spend $2000 or less I'd keep it.

OH I gotcha, I thought you were suggesting he buy an ES330 in the UK...my mistake.

I'm not sure exactly when. I know for about 1/3rd of the 04 run they had the laser cruise, about a 1/3rd the active cruise was unavailiable and a 1/3rd they had the radar cruise.

You'll need a touchup pen with a wide tip, you can get one at www.autovisuals.com

That picture is definately on the GS300. The car's badge says GS300, the license plate in the front says GS300, and the floor says "The new GS300" There may be an GS450h at the show but that is not a picture of it.

Matt- The car you posted has the pre-collision system and RADAR cruise. Lexus upgraded to radar from laser about halfway through 2004, on the cars with laser cruise the laser is down in the bottom grille next to the passenger side foglight. They upgraded to radar because it afford better coverage and it was more resistant to damage. This type of damage is very common on the cars with laser cruise.

Right now I use Meguiar's NXT Tech Protectant

The Lexus bluetooth isn't worth that guys, just get an aftermarket bluetooth kit installed.

Thats not a picture of the 450h, they just used a stock photo of the GS300. If you look at the stage it says "GS300"

Totally different classes of vehicle. The 330i is more similar to the IS and the 5 series is more similar to the GS.

Jim- The nav is very very rare on the 98-00 LS's in general, but it seems to be slightly more common here and more common on the west coast.

The warranty doesn't cover damage though.

What do you mean? All of those are for the ES330.

I responded. Group hug!

I'm not nitpicking at all, it got away from anything you did a long time ago. Why do you have to defend yourself to me? Its not neccisary. I've offered you my viewpoint on the situation and its up to you to decide what you want to do with that information, defending yourself to me is not neccisary. I'm also not trying to be hurtful at all, I just get frustrated easily.

I am hearing you, you're not hearing me. You can't know that no one was around because you have no control over the environment you were driving in. Someone could have come up on you from nowhere doing 100MPH and you could have lane changed right into him. That wouldnt happen on a track would it? No, because thats a controlled situation. Lets be honest here, you're not one to take advice period. Thats okay, its your loss. I don't care how you like to be nudged, nobody else in your life will either. People aren't going to go out of their way to help you or give you guidance, its gonna be there and if you clam up and don't accept it because you don't like how its "presented" you're going to miss a whole lot. You think I accomplished what I've accomplished at my age on my own? No, I've learned and continue to learn SO much from others, many things people didn't even know they'd taught me. No, he's an idiot. I would rather you had done it in a parking lot or in some sort of controlled location. I haven't, its been to about 95 but not cruising only passing a couple of times. There's no reason to drive that fast on a public road. You have to stop measuring yourself against other people. It doesn't matter what they do, what matters is what you do. And we're not, honestly. It just frustrates me when I see people who are so unwilling to accept well meaning advice.

There you go, 60 years of driving experience right there. Learn from it. He's had 2 minor accidents in 60 years of driving, you've totalled one car in 4. Welcome his advice. Talk about an amazing source of information, being closed and not welcoming to advice you shut the door on all of that. You don't have all the answers, I don't have all the answers, he doesn't have all the answers, but he's got more answers than you or I do. Look back on this thread, you've driven the entire exchange. I started very simply, you one upped me and again bragged about your training not knowing that I've had similar training. Every time I've given you information, and this is information like I said these are facts, these are things that I care a lot about and I spend a lot of time becoming versed in things that I care about. Instead of reading and absorbing what I've said you come right back and try to discount me again without even acknowledging the information I've presented to you. That way of exchanging is counterproductive because you never learn anything. You should try to learn something out of every exchange.

Guess the laugh was on those guys huh Jim?

I have never done anything similar, honestly I never have. When I want to have fun with some performance cars I take a driving course. I drive an ES300, it doesn't inspire me to test its limits at all. Its a barge. You DID make it sound like you were reaching speeds higher than 5MPH over the limit, if that wasn't your intention I apologize for taking it that way. Still though, a public highway is nowhere to be testing the limits of your car, especially when it has advanced deficiencies in the steering and suspension. I'm sure you have many tracks where you can pay a fee and take a lap or two, we do. There are also driving courses that you drive your own car during. I know because I've taken them. Just because I don't test the limits of my car on the highway doesn't mean I drive like a grandma. I'm a fairly aggressive driver and I drive over the speed limit. What you have to realize is driving is not a game, you don't drive in such a way that "excites" people you're with. You drive to get to a destination and get there safely. If you want to have fun, then thats what one of the many avenues of driving fun exist for, drag strips, autocross, tracks. Plenty of avenues for outlet of a desire for speed and fun. The highway is not one of them. Thats part of being an adult, the things you do have consequences. Driving people in your car is a responsibility, had you had an accident and killed him nobody would care if he gave you his consent, you'd be before a judge in a wrongful death suit before you were out of traction. Thats how America works. Again, you don't need to get defensive. You know me, when have you ever known me to hold back how I feel about anything? You haven't. That may make people uncomfortable at times and it may make people angry, but I've found in the long run people appreciate it because you always know where you stand with me. This is something that I feel is very important, I've seen people I know die, their lives get ruined, and their and other's property destroyed all because they're overconfident in their driving skill. Most people think they're the best driver on the road thats common, well you add a little training to that and suddenly that tendency towards personal fable turns dangerous. I had a friend in high school, on his 17th birthday he got a brand new BMW 323 coupe. I rode with him one time, around the block and never have since. I gave him 3 months before he totalled it, he surprised me and did it in 2. Go to an autocross event and ask the facillitators what they think about doing high speed lane changes on a public highway in a 15 year old car with leaky power steering and a shot suspension. They won't be as kind as I was. I'm not overreacting at all, I'm giving you advice. You should welcome the addition of other people more experienced than you that bring their advice. There will always be people in your life that have advice to give you, take all of it its free. You know me well enough to know I won't let anyone get away with a statement like "I'm a better driver than 90% of the people on the road". If my friend had listened to me he wouldn't have had to bum his mom's 10 year old Taurus wagon the rest of the way through HS and college and he wouldn't have had to pay $5000 a year for insurance.

LS300 is definately a typo ;)