SW03ES

Well you better care because rudeness and disrespect aren't tolerated here. In the future if you're just gonna slam on something without having the knowledge base to back it up, think twice. If you wanna discuss the merits of one car vs another thats great, we can do that all day long. But "that car sucks, comparing it is an insult!" is ignorant and its BS. Save it for less mature boards.

I'm saying both aren't great lol Just bite the bullet and buy some new tires ;)

The Lexus he's shopping for is a 2000 and it soon to be 5 years old Its a 2000 GS300 vs a 2002 Audi A4 I don't expect you to suggest to him that he buy something other than a Lexus, but I do expect you to be respectful to owners and members that like other cars. Real car enthusiasts have respect for all car, every car has its merits. There are other cars on earth, the Lexus isn't the be all and end all. Audi sells what Lexus sells is 4 models in 3. Size and price DO matter, very much so. The size and price of a car dictate what the customer will look at when they are shopping. Buyers dont look at a BMW Z4 and an LS430, they're totally different cars. Buyers of the ES and GS cross shop the A6. Really the cars at odds here are the GS3 and the ES, as they offer about the same amount of equipment at a similar price. In fact for a while Lexus was going to drop the GS3 but they've decided to move it upmarket a little instead. You gotta give Audi its props, the A4 and the A6 outsell the IS and the GS respectively. If you combine ES and GS sales (as both compete with different versions of the A6) then its a different story as GS sales are almost nonexistant at this point. I think you should do a little more research into the car industry ;)

Look in the front end at the grille and the bumper, very Saab-esque.

I dont see any similarity to the E Class at all... I do see cues from BMW and Saab, but no E class.

I doubt both. For one the only 5.0 Toyota has is the V12 in the Century, and its an old engine that isn't much more powerful and not nearly as efficient as the 4.3 liter V8. They MAY increase the bore of the 4.3 to 4.5, maybe. The real scuttlebutt is about a hybrid version of the LS next time, which would be the LS500H.

Anyone looking to do a nav update I have a source with a great price. She has two, they would be $180 a peice which is a significant discount. To get that price though we would have to buy both otherwise it wont be quite as good a deal. So anyone who wants a nav update let me know.

Actually as UHP tires go, the Bridgestones are pretty loud...

I wouldn't use anything on the seats that you use on a saddle for the main reason that the two leathers are very different. Saddle leather is uncoated and much thicker and tougher than automotive leather. As for Lexol, upholstery shops use it and reccomend it and they're leather experts.

That happens a lot, don't worry about it LOL I just say because my parents have an FX35, and I get RX330s as loaners. Comparing the two theres no question I'd always buy the FX. To me its just one of the coolest cars on the road. Great styling, good power, great handling for something of its size and intended use. The RX does have more room and a somewhat more attractive interior. The quality definately goes to the Lexus. I'm sure she'll love it.

State Farm is pretty notorious, they were sued a whole bunch of times a few years ago for summarily dismissing people and forcing shops to use used or aftermarket parts without telling the policyholders...

I think this is a valid suggestion, I'll bring it up ;)

I'll PM him and link him to this thread, I want some things off the Windom(ES) page! That pull down tray for the RX is awesome...

Welcome to the club! Right now the LS is the only Lexus that has a fully integrated XM option, its $700 installed from the dealer. It *MAY* work on your RX with nav, MAYBE, you'd have to ask the dealer. Lexus has bluetooth on the LS and LX, but its gonna be a few model years before it trickles down to the lower models... The base stereo is okay, if you like music though and listen to classical/jazz/instrumental type stuff the Levinson is worth it. One question for you though, have you driven an Infinti FX35?

Maybe thats what it is... you're not holding the button down long enough. Thats true of the trunks on the sedans too, people dont hold the button down long enough and think the trunk release is not working.

Another thing- The LS eats up miles like nobody's business. These things get 150-200-300,000 miles and they still ride like new. I totally believe blake when he says people dont believe it has 225k on it. This may be the real difference between the LS and the ES we'll have to see as mine ages. Thats one of the true joys of owning an LS is driving it forever, because it will run as new for 10-12-13 years. Someone like my dad really wastes the LS by getting a new one every 3-5 years, the real beauty of that car is its longevity. Keep the oil changed and the paint well cared for people will think you're driving a new car a decade from now.

I logged a lot of miles in my dad's previous 98 LS400 so I'm really familiar with the LS. I haven't driven his new one nearly as much, but the driving characteristics of the LS haven't changed much, probably because there isn't a lot of improvement that can be made. Before I got my ES I was looking at CPO 00 LS400s and 01 LS430s instead, because all my experience was with the LS and thats what made me want a Lexus (it truly is a wonderful car, the best on the road I think, the LS). I drove a LOT of LS' and new ES' back to back. They ride and sound remarkably similar. The LS feels a little more heavy (more thud over expansion joints etc) and like I said is sprung slightly softer but they're remarkably close for the $20-30,000 difference in price. The LS obviously has a lot more power and passing and acceleration are effortless while the ES can be somewhat anemic at times in comparison. I know folks who had LS' and actually stepped down to new ES because the ride was so similar for such less money. I mean the lease payment on the ES is half that of the LS. I went with the ES finally because I really wanted a new car and didnt want to risk paying for pricey strut or shock replacements, brakes etc on an LS with 40k or so on it and to avoid the V8 service fees (maintenance on an ES is about half that of an LS in cost). I switch cars with my dad for a day once a month or so to detail his 04 LS and he comments almost every time after driving my car all day (he drives practically all day for work, puts 30k a year in miles on a car) how great the ES drives and sort of asks out loud what he's paying for. He's just kidding about the "What am I paying for?" bit, he'd never drive an ES (he always buys the flagship of whatever company he's purchasing from), he says that about everything lol but he's serious about the ride similarities. Sure though, I'd rather have an LS and hopefully by 2007-8 or so when I'm ready to get rid of this ES I'll be able to move into one new. They designed the ES to be a "Baby LS" (straight from Lexus' press release) and they really did, it really is like a baby LS. The LS is larger, more room all round especially in the back so that makes travelling in it more enjoyable I suppose, plus the LS has a lot more toys ;)

Alan has the same tires I do. They're not the greatest either. Lexus has a real thing with delivering crappy tires on their cars, but honestly this is true of all manufacturers. They put on whatever they get a good deal on. Those tires probably only cost Lexus $5-6 each if even that. At some point I'm gonna buy some better tires, I just hate to spend $400 when the tires still have plenty of tread. The tires Alan and I have are so poor they don't even have ANY treadwear warranty, none at all, not one mile. Thats quite rare especially on a V rated Ultra High Performance Tire. My Lexus is rattle free at 18,000 miles. Rear door rattle was repaired under warranty, a rattle in the dash was repaired under warranty without me even having to ask (they heard it during a test drive) and a slight moonroof creaking was fixed by me by lubing the weatherstripping.

Quite the opposite, the products you can do it yourself with are FAR better than the junk the dealers use, plus you risk the very likely proposition that they'll damage your car. I dont let the dealer even just wash mine. Read around here and read the tutorials on www.lexuscarcare.com and you'll be set! Welcome and congrats! Sounds like you and my dad have the exact same car, 04 flint mica on black. I find Poorboys EX looks amazing on this color, I detail his for him all the time. I would consider the clear bra. I wish I had one applied to my car, and $700 is a good price for it.

Yep, I dont know why its so cheap lol maybe its stolen :o I totally agree that its unfair. I mean, really, that option costs $5,000 whats a dumb update disk if it makes the customer feel cared for? IMO this new "customer is on their own" departure for Lexus won't turn out well...

A hand lotion isn't going to do anything good for the seats. For one thing your seats are probably coated so very little of the lotion would soak in, and the rest would just clog the pores in the coating. Second the oils are of a different type and would definately darken the leather. I'd buy it from your hardware store, thats not a bad price.

The difference is clay removes imbedded contaminants, thats all. It doesn't do anything to remove or fill swirls or scratches or increase gloss. If the paint is perfect then you wouldn't need a polish unless you wanted the best look possible. I'll have to look into that advice they gave you because its not correct. Clay and polish accomplish totally different things. Clay will remove embedded contaminants and polish will remove surface marring. Its like saying a cleaner like Mr Clean and a floor wax do the same thing when in reality they don't. If you clay then use a good hand polish the car will look much better.

2007 is a safe bet, MAYBE 2006. MAYBE. They've got the new GS launch in early MY 2006 so they may wait until 2007. Generally Lexus is pretty strict about their product rollouts. With the LS its been new model, 2/3 years minor refresh, new model, 2/3 years minor refresh, new model. It works out like this 1990-1992 First LS400 1993-1994 Slight refresh (new wheels, passenger airbag, different cladding) 1995-1997 New model 1998-2000 Refresh (new front end, rear lights, wheels, engine and transmission changes, trim) 2001-2003 New model (LS430) 2004- Current refresh (new front and rear ends, new transmission, trim changes, wheels) So it stands to reason that the 2006 model will be the last model of the current LS430 as we know it now in 2004, and the new model would be 2007.

The 18 inch wheels aren't availiable with the air suspension, only with the euro suspension. If you're looking at a 745Li with those big 19s and 20s, the ride of the LS with the 18s isn't going to bother you. My dad just bought an 04, fully loaded Ultra Luxury with the air suspension and the 17s., he seriously looked at the 745Li but ultimately liked the ride, understated look, and simpler controls of the Lexus. He also had a 98 LS before that and was more than a little concerned about reliability glitches in the BMW. I say Lexus, and this is a Lexus board so you'll hear that a lot ;) Seriously though, just drive the cars and whatever puts the biggest smile on your face, go for it. I can personally attest to the Lexus being a great car, my dad had his 98 since new and put 150,000 miles on it with no problems, its the most trouble free car in the industry. The BMW is not going to be as reliable, but like you said it does make more of a statement.

A stiffer tire even on your stock 16 inch rims will make a big difference. The Michelins are Grand Touring tires and are very soft. Some V or Z rated Ultra High Perfomance tires like the Continental ContiExtremeContact or some P-Zeros or something on the 16 inch rims will make a big difference. All the reviews of the AVS say it doesn't help that much with the shock damping, tends to make the ride firmer but not really help turn in and whatnot.