SW03ES

I agree on all accounts, but my original opinion remains, you're not going to be able to find an 04 LS430 for $9500 off MSRP. Lexus doesn't have factory to dealer incentives on new cars, all they have is dealer holdback and the profit margin above the invoice. They run specials where Lexus gives their best dealers incentives to sell cars at lower prices like the December to Remember sales event or model year end closeouts but the incentives don't come and go like with other car makes, such as Infiniti. If this were december to remember or the model year end closeout I'd say she'd have a better chance, but its not. Thats actually a good idea, I hadn't thought about her waiting until december. She could also TRY waiting for January, January is the slowest month in the car business. I get paid per unit sold that includes my customer retention package and I make way less money in January than in other months of the year simply because less cars are sold. You've also got to remember that its not just the salesman that must agree to sell the car. I agree, a $2-$500 comission on an hour of work is a worthwhile use of one's time, he's got to get the price cleared by the sales manager too. The sales manager looks at this car that normally has a $7,000 profit margin being sold on a $1500 margin. Is he going to release the car or is he going to wait until 4 days from now when they can make $7,000 off the deal? The choice is simple. If this were an ES330 then I'd say she could get it for even $500 over invoice because: 1. Dealers have a lot of them 2. They sit on the lot a lot longer. Like I said, most dealers don't stock UL LS430s they have to order them. When the car has to be ordered it increases the time required to do the job and the dealership is less likely to be generous in what gets taken off the price because it removes an incentive for them, to move a car that has been taking up space on their lot.

Interesting...

Yep, the LS series has a VSC off switch on the console. The ES has a VSC off switch too but unlike on the LS the VSC off button doesn't also disable the TRAC. I'm not familiar enough with his 04 LS, but it also has a VSC off switch, whether it operates like his old 98 or my ES I don't know.

How do you like that Motorola system by the way and where did they mount the control panel. I'm thinking about doing that but for now I purchased an out of the box bluetooth system that clips onto the sunvisor. It works really well...

I'll move this to the RX forum. That phone probably wont work because the adapter is a headset connection not a handsfree connection. The T608 works fine as do the phones from the GSM carriers like Cingular and T Mobile

Thats exactly my point, its not because one is "better" than the others its because they cater to different buyers.

I don't think it changes the throttle inputs as much as it holds the gears longer than it would otherwise meaning you're a gear lower than you would be when you push the throttle.

Lexus doesn't blackout the dash and steering wheel on the RX330, the color scheme is the same as its always been, the dash and wheel are a darker shade than the rest, but not black like BMW.

I'd still use the 16 inch rims. Even though its leased you'll still have to pay for a bent rim and that'll be a whole lot more than $300. The tires on the 17s are pretty low profile, one good winter sinkhole and you could bend 2 or 3 of them in one hit. The 16s have more tire and thats not gonna happen. You can upsize from the 215s to 225s no problem.

Yeah thats a big problem, the quality isn't consistent in the brands like you and Alan were talking about. Even if you always fill up at the same station you may get a smell sometimes and sometimes not. Shell on the whole always works pretty good, but its not as consistent as BP. I usually use Shell out of convenience. I've also found its worse in the winter.

The best car out of the ones listed is definately the LS400, but you've got to be prepared to pay to repair it. Check out the LS forum, parts for that car are very expensive and the older ones have some inherent problems like faulty alternatiors, power steering pumps etc. Nothing serious, but can be very costly. That thing will never see a Lexus dealer at less than $1000. My suggestion is the ES. I haven't hard about any transmission problems on the 94-96 models...

Naa, I haven't found anything in the wipe form to be any good. Generally you want to stick to 2 step systems too as one steps don't condition as well.

This was a 98 with VSC. The times I drove it in the snow I actually turned the VSC off and found it preformed better. Still I would never choose the LS to drive in the snow, unless it was equipped with snow tires.

Yeah if you're going to look for the best deal, CA is definately the place to go.

Thats totally untrue. No protectant can last 5 years, it'll be gone within 6 months at the longest. They've done independent lab tests on those industrial sealants and they actually don't last as long as sealants like Zaino and Klasse. The leather treatment has been shown to cause the leather to crack, and the same guarantee can be had with the purchase of a can of scotchguard. Don't do it, its just designed as a money sucker for the dealer. Most Lexus dealers in fact don't even sell a paint protection package because its such a waste of money for their customers.

Your LS must be vastly different than my dad's, I couldnt even get it out of the driveway in 5 inches of snow. The LS is an absolute pig in the snow.

Not at all actually, in fact we want more GS, SC, and IS fans ;) As for reaction, the reaction from current GS owners hasn't been great but thats to be expected, they own the previous generation car and they seek to reinforce their decision to purchase that car. The response to the new GS though in focus groups and from the automotive press has been very positive. Keep in mind that the GS series sales have slipped to almost nothing over the past 2-3 years, people shopping in that price bracket don't even consider it anymore. It simply must be redone.

All the snow mode does is start the car in second gear...

Its always worth a try but you've got to be reasonable. Expecting a dealer to sell an 05 UL LS430 at a $9500 discount is simply unreasonable. Car salesmen and dealers have to make a living too, and thats bleeding them of every last red cent dry. Doing business with car dealers gives me a somewhat unique perspective I understand, but this is why people hate buying cars. They walk into a dealership expecting the dealer to make $50 on the car with no concern of fair market value and no desire to forge a lasting business relationship and automatically assume that the dealer is trying to screw them when they can't meet their price. Thats just not fair to anybody. Lexus dealers WILL let you walk trust me, one let me walk over $700. The dealer that was $700 less screwed up the order and I wound up going back to the first dealer who, knowing the other dealer, had already ordered me the car knowing I'd be back. I happily paid the extra $700 and now I have a great salesperson to use every time I buy a new Lexus. She's a great resource and still checks up to make sure I'm satisfied and has helped me get some warranty issues covered. There's a thread in here somewhere about a member who had a similar situation. You get what you pay for, a dealer willing to make $1000 profit on a $70,000 car isn't going to offer you the level of service someone with more confidence will. Do you have any idea how much the salesman is making off of a car with $2100 profit ($1500 over invoice plus the $600 holdback)? Probably along the lines of $2-400. Business works best when both sides are reasonable.

In the new Lexuses the smell isn't caused by the catalytic converter.

Thats your opinion, I don't think it looks anything like a Maxima though. A Saab maybe, but not a Maxima. I think the new GS is exponentially more appealing than the current GS which I've never liked the styling of.

I would suggest that you go down to a different diameter wheel, 16 inch or 15 inch and mount the snow tires on steel wheels. This gives you more flexibility with sizing and keeps your wheels nice.

Thankya ;)

Pampered or not 93,000 miles is a lot for a 2000 model year car. The average in America is 12-15,000 miles a year, so that would have been 60,000 miles. 93,000 miles means the car was driven 23,000 miles a year, which is a lot. I don't think he's saying the rear main seal is a common problem but its not unheard of on any car thats seen that kind of use.

My Sirius or his XM? My Sirius is hooked up with an FM modulator.