SW03ES

You didn't pay sticker did you? A lot of people don't realize that when leasing you can negotiate the price of the car just like when buying. You should have been $1000 over invoice at most on that deal.

Roadside assistance is only 4 years unlimited miles. They may or may not charge you, Lexus is pretty good about that. BUT they will bring you a new key (That they will definately charge you for). Those keys are really expensive too. The right key turned in the lock shouldn't set off the alarm. I too have been meaning to make a spare key but they're so expensive...

The PWR button simply changes the shift points slightly so the car always responds as if you were calling for full acceleration.

The ride is almost exactly the same, its a little quieter because the LS430 is more aerodynamic. The ride difference you felt could be tires and it could be air pressure in the tires. The 04 model is a little more softly sprung to compensate for the standard 17 inch wheels, don't know what they're going to do next year when the 18s become standard...

You found one with the Mystic sea and the grey interior? They're VERY rare!

That makes no sense at all, does it void the warranty to install aftermarket peripherals like cell phones? What a ripoff...

When NXT first came out they claimed it had NO cleaners. It was only after pressure from another detailing community after they had tested it that Meguiars apologized for being incorrect and started stating it had cleaners. Remember that Meguiars isn't an unbiased source of information, they are a company designed to make a profit. They originally billed NXT as cleaner-less and having toi admit that it actually has fairly strong cleaning abilities would be very emberassing for them. Trust me, it has fairly significant cleaners in it. Like I said, you can remove tar and sap and even remove some swirls with NXT. Doesn't make it a bad product but it IS basically a cleaner wax. I've used NXT to remove oxidation and paint defects, so its pretty clear to me that NXT is a cleaner wax. Other sealants I've used including Poorboys EX which has slight cleaners to aid in bonding will not remove defects like NXT does.

Why the switch?

Never mind they don't come in the RX' size. Man that thing is hard to buy tires for...

I saw an interesting tire today it was the "Michelin Pilot LTX" an SUV tire that looked VERY much like a performance tire. Might be worth looking into also. Here they are: http://www.michelinman.com/catalog/tires/M...retype=5&tire=6

The 17 inch wheels were a rare option on the 98-00 LS in Europe. They'll be VERY hard to find. The other wheels you pictured aren't platinum series rims, they're 2001 base LS430 wheels. Availiable only in 2001.

Actually NXT works quite well as a one step product as it has moderate cleaners and abrasives in it. Its a "cleaner wax" basically, you can even remove swirls with NXT and a polishing or cutting pad. If you've already prepped the paint beforehand then I'd always reccomend a cleaner-free last step product instead of NXT.

Most companies put *BLEEP*ty tires on their cars, its not just Lexus. Its the almighty dollar ;)

;)

Niether have I. I've noticed if you open the door when its RAINING it will rain in, but I have never experienced any large amount of water from any gutter anywhere dumping in my lap when opening a door.

Oh yeah, it was the same way on my ES with the Bridgestones that came on it, ANY tire would be an upgrade.

At least its fixed!

It all depends on what you're looking for. If its a one step product its hard to beat NXT, if you're going to be fully detailing before hand NXT isn't as good.

Somehow your original post was posted 3 times in this forum, no big deal I fixed it ;) Probably a system glitch.

Actually thats not true. The engine configuration is similar so they licensed the rights to the concept from Toyota simply to avoid problems down the road but the hybrid drive system is not the same nor does it share any components etc.

Never heard of this complaint and have never noticed it in my dad's 04. You sure its the transmission? Could be a bearing somewhere.

But that doesn't mean that all or even most owners experience the problem, they don't. Drive the car for an extended period ( a day or two) and put it in all kinds of situations and see how it performs. More likely than not you're going to be happy with it. If it bothers you then you know to stay away from ALL vehicles with electronic throttles, not just the ES.

So there you go!

My guess is the alignment is simply out. There's a TSB on the ES about how to properly fix a pull to the right or left so they'll know exactly how to do it. If they ask you to come back say "Yes, when can you schedule me with a loaner?" Keep in mind that these people are trained to deal with customers that are able to shell out $70,000 cash on vehicles. Ask yourself "Would someone who had just written a check for a $70,000 LS430 walk away without a loaner? Would they sit at the dealer for 5 hours?" The answer is definately no. Don't be rude or mean, just be stern and confident. You must maintain control with these people. You are a Lexus owner and you are very valuable to them. Something most people don't know is that a dealership's service department makes a great deal more money than their sales department. The real money is made off of a customer in service over the vehicle's lifetime and in referrals. I own a marketing company and almost all we do is train car dealerships how to deal with customers and turn sales business into service business. On top of that training we sell them inventory systems, customer rewards systems etc to help them do that and track their sales. THAT is how important service business is to a dealership. They get paid for the service the same whether they charge you or Lexus for it. Don't think they're providing you with "free" service, they are being paid for it. Part of what they are being paid for is furnishing you a loaner for your warranty work.

Lexus thinks black looks richer without a clearcoat.