SW03ES

Kinda... You can see some resemblences around the headlights and the windows to the 98-00 LS400. Thats a popular look for cars in Japan/Korea etc though, Toyota has several models themselves that look a lot like the LS.

I'm just not interested at all in a used car, I'd rather drive mine which I bought new and wait until I can afford a new LS. To me, a Lexus is a luxury purchase and if I can't do it precisely how I want to do it then it isn't worth doing. Plus, someone needs to buy em new so you guys can buy em in 3 years ;) Remember I chose to buy my car instead of a 00 LS400. As for the lease, its not as bad as you'd think. I added 2500 miles a year to my ES lease and it was only about $30 a month or so. When you run out all the numbers it makes sense to lease even if it costs as much as a finance payment because of the added writeoff benefit, IF you plan on getting out in 3 years. I'd still prefer to buy it outright, I think I could get used to this no car payment thing... The lease on a Modern Luxury LS with the discount I would get through the company I leased my ES with is $895 with 15k and $0 down, and $964 with 20k and $0 down for 36 months. So its a difference of about $70, no big deal. If I bought it and applied the value of my ES to the balance the payment would be $564. With the lease I can write the entire lease payment off of my taxes as a business expense, I would have to depreciate the purchase if it were financed or paid cash for. Thats a $12000 tax deduction, hard to pass that up. Then I could buy it out of the lease later on and pay cash... BUT if I let taxes dictate what and how I bought fully I would buy an LX470 so I can deduct the whole thing the first year under the 6100 GVWR exemption, so its just one variable in the whole deal. Lots of different ways to do it, I just have to talk to my accountant.

Why are you trying to buy used and peicemeal parts? Its a $40,000 car, I think it probably deserves to be repaired by a competent body shop. Can you post some pictures? Depending on the shop that you use they may have to blend the paint into the fenders to make it match. Silver paint is very hard to match and even a used hood painted in silver isn't going to match as its from a different paint batch.

The gauges are LED I believe, the only Lexus that uses cold cathode lighting for the gauges is the LS. I'm just talking about maplights, courtesy lights, etc. I bet the bulbs would fit in the Contour too, they make LED bulbs in almost every concievable size. SK- I'll order some now!

Eh maybe, but if I did decide to set it up so I'd get out of the car every 3 years or so I would lease for the tax advantages, and leases don't work out on used cars. To me part of the allure of the LS is how well they take miles...

LOL, well aren't we a little bit elitist with our silver spoon? No offense (although I'm not real concerned about offending you because your comment was so offensive) but thats a pretty ignorant statement. High gas prices are bad for all of us, bad for industry, bad for tourism, bad for travel related businesses, bad for the economy. Just because you can afford the gas doesn't mean you shouldn't care. Keep that attitude off the LOC please, you're not better than anyone else here.

No, they sell LED bulbs that are direct swap outs for the incandesent bulbs that are in there. They sell them for pretty much every size bulb.

Ehhh, I don't think I'm ready to go there lol. I just want whiter more attractive light.

Jim- I think you took me the wrong way, you didn't offend me at all. I'm just trying to describe what detailing is and what motivates people to detail as it usually elludes most people. Sorry for the confusion, but honestly I'm not offended, angry, irritated or anything of that nature. Actually you might be surprised when it comes to cost. A lot of times the consumer level products are the same cost or more expensive than higher quality professional lines, especially when you look at cost per application. To use the Zymol you use, thats not cheap at all. I can find you several products I've used myself and liked better that will cost you the same or less and provide you better look and more durability.

Army- How did it turn out? SK- something like this? www.visionbulbs.com

I think that if you need the third row the MDX would be the best bet.

But you have to make sure the emission regs in the UK are the same as here. Like I said canadian cars dont have the problem. A member in the ES forum posted a big long explanation given to him by an engineer.

Really!? Lucky you! Congrats!

I think it probably has to do with people listening to books on tape. They're finally getting away from it, the 04+ ES doesn't have a tape deck. My guess is they've heard at focus groups people complaining that nobody has tape decks anymore, so they continue to include them.

I sat in an SC430 in the showroom LOL. It'd be a fun third car though! Yeah they've definately made some changes in the way the car drives from the LS400 days, its definately much heavier and more solid now.

Interesting poll. How about everyone post why they don't read the other forums so we can see if we need to make some changes.

LOL you guys. Think about how good yours will look once you get your polishes...they're on their way!

But, this is the detailing forum. Its geared around people that want to learn how to detail their cars, you don't have to learn to wax a car so there's no point in having a forum to discuss such a practice. Thats why I respond in threads the way that I do, because I've designed the detailing forum to be a launchpad for people that want to learn how to do this and do it properly. Thats why discussing these products and how they fit into what we do is important. A lot of people who detail do it because they enjoy it, not because they want their cars to look good. To 90% of people a perfectly detailed car and one thats NuFinished don't look different, but the owner knows the difference. A lot of detailers use the term "Detailing is my golf". I find it helps me think and relaxes me. I'm racked with the decision over which real estate office to affiliate with, and two days ago I came home, got out my stuff and my buffer and washed my car and applied a new product I had been wanting to try. I can zone out when I do it and it helps me think. Its really the only time I'm fully relaxed and fully "in to me". Thats why detailers will re-detail their cars weekly or monthly even when it doesn't make a difference in how they look. Its perfectly fine if its not your thing, some like gardening and I don't, some like painting and I don't, some play golf and I don't, but the goal of this forum is to teach people how to detail. Plus I'm ahppy to detail your cars for $200 and get my zen time AND make some bucks! Bringing Consumer Reports in here is like going to a golf forum and saying the pro golfers don't know as much about golf clubs as Consumer reports does. That said, for a one step product you really can do MUCH better than what you're using and get a better look with better durability. If I were you I'd look at doing some of the things we discuss in here like claying and prepping the paint (with white I doubt you have a swirl problem) and then use something like Zaino. You'll get exponentially better durability and a bright clear shine I bet you'll like on the white. Plus its easy to use and layerable which a cleaner wax isn't.

Jim- I also use Consumer Reports but detailing and detailing products are a highly skill and industry knowledge oriented field. I wouldn't consider any of the products included in that test to be quality products nor would I ever use any of them. I think this is an area where Consumer Reports really wouldn't be the source I would go to, I would go to professional and hobbiest detailers that know these products from having used them for years and years. All Consumer Reports knows is what they've tested (not being detailers) and what consumers have reported (being buy your wax from grocery stores kind of people). Not the best source of info at all in this area. You can do way, way better than any product on that list. Many variables can effect the longevity of an LSP, the quality of the prepwork, the area you live in, what you use to wash, where you park, the color of your car, the makeup of your paint. Its not a scientific thing, its a thing that is used and discovered by trying out different products on your particular car. Zymol is okay, but not the best. Most people don't know that the Zymol you buy in stores isn't Zymol at all its rebranded Turtle Wax. Zymol makes some of the most expensive waxes in the world (they have several that are $1000 plus a jar) but at the consumer level it is an average product and its very overpriced. Like Jon said you might want to check out the wax test by Guru reports, its a similar ratings system except its conducted by actual detailers and detailing enthusiasts testing quality professional grade and consumer grade products. Look down that list of all the reports of scratching/hazing, thats the first clue. First of all, no product should leave scratching or hazing when used properly, that automatically means the products weren't used properly. Knowing the makeup of a product and how to apply and remove it is part of detailing, and usually the manufacturer's instructions are wrong. That also shows that the products they're using contain abrasives and harsh solvents. No wax should contain anything that would mar or haze the finish, they're meant to be applied on top of a finish that has already been detailed to bring out its best look. This is basically the difference between waxing and detailing. Going out and buying a wax off the shelf at the grocery store isn't detailing, there's a specific process and specific tools and knowledge you need to detail, thats what we're forwarding here in the detailing forum. Nu Finish is not an adequate product for a detailer, nor are any of the products rated by Consumer Reports. Rubbing a cleaner wax on paint doesn't make one a detailer, we've provided the knowledge and expertise here that anyone with the right tools and knowhow can achieve results professional detailers achieve. We're simply outside the realm of consumer reports. Detailing is about process, not about product. When the process is done right any product will look good.

dcfish- Oh, you were in highschool too once. They are rediculous, childish, and immature thats what makes them fun. As long as they're harmless thats part of the HS experience. I too am missing the point of the prank. One year at my high school one senior class (wasn't mine) led a cow up to the third floor. Now, cows will walk up stairs, but they won't walk down. They had tyo hoist the cow off the third floor patio with a crane. THATS a prank! We did something lame, we filled the lobby with helium balloons or something.

It can, but I doubt many buyers would care as long as you keep the reciepts. Say "No, I didn't use the Lexus dealer because of problems I've had in the past with quality and cost, but I had all scheduled maintenance done by my private mechanic who specializes in Japanese cars, here are all the records" they're not going to care. The one draw is that Lexus service goes in the database but who needs the database when you have paper statements for EVERY service? Plus lets say you keep the car 5 years and 75,000 miles. Lets say the resale is hurt by $1.5k at the end. Do you think you saved more than 1.5k by not having it serviced at the dealer? Probably. Its all what you want to do, I have my car serviced at the dealer because I like the free loaner. When I figure in the cost of renting something like an RX300 for a day when its in for service Lexus service aint so expensive. But, thats me.

The RX400h has the "b" setting on the transmission also.

Canadian cars don't have the hesitation problem though. I wouldn't worry about it, especially because many carmakers (including BMW) have the same problem. Its not a design flaw, its just a drawback to the emissions criteria the car is designed around.

The salesman and I were talking about that earlier, I really don't like used cars, I prefer new especially since I plan to drive this car for 200-250,000 miles. Thats going to be through getting married, having kids, buying houses etc. Its worth it to me to keep on driving my car (which I really enjoy) until I can afford a new one. I'll more than get my money out of the new LS. Right now I drive about 20-22k a year. Now, most of that is just running around that I wont be doing as much when I work longer hours in real estate than I do now, but I'll be running around for work so I expect that to stay about the same. If I keep the car for 250k, thats 11 1/2 years. That makes the cost of a $60k LS $5220 a year or about 0.25 a mile. Thats not bad for a car I'll really enjoy. I love my ES, but I don't see 200k with it. Its just not built like an LS, I've had some rattle problems etc.

Nope, thats the only differences between the Plat and the normal car. Another difference is the platinum cars aren't two toned (except for white). Honestly, get the silver one. Black looks great, but if I had it to do all over again I would have definately done silver.