SW03ES

I'll have to see the interior in black.

I think its way too early to be able to say with any certaintly what the car is going to go for (the new GS is a 06 model not an 05). I think we'll see pricing like it is now, with the GS330 starting out right where the ES330 leaves off right under $40,000 and with a fully loaded GS430 (500?) topping out right underneath a base LS430 in the low $50,000s. A lot of it depends on the way the equipment is being fed. It looks like the GS330 is going to get an AWD option to better compete against the new AWD offerings from BMW in the 535, Mercedes in the E320, and the Audi A6. I'd expect that to be mid-upper 40s. Lexus is usually pretty good at holding the price line and undercutting the competition. If they hold the pricing then they'll beat everyone but the Audi (which should be redesigned soon so its something to look for). An AWD 6 cyl 5 or E runs 50k, and loaded V8 versions of both of those get close to 70k...

Definately buy the un-modified car. Modifications tend to be a sign that the car has been driven hard throughout its life.

I always expect people to be mature and impartial like I am ;) Like I said before, just because we prefer Lexus doesn't mean we can't see the good in any other vehicles. And actually the ES300 is much bigger than the A4, the ES300 is ACTUALLY bigger than the GS believe it or not. The A4 is really an IS300 competitor and the A6 competes with both the GS and the ES. The A6 has a lot of model range with pricing starting in the 30s and going to the 50s. It comes in a FWD 6 cyl version (like the ES), an AWD 6 (comparable to the GS300) , an AWD turbocharged 6, and an AWD V8 (comparable to the GS430). When I was shopping I seriously considered the A6 but never even drove the A4 because it was way too small, like the IS300, C320, 330i etc. They're all economy car sized. Oh and before you say comparing the A6 or the A4 to the GS is an insult, they both WAY outsell the Lexus GS. You can be proud of your car and not be a big headed jerk by shooting down someone else's car out of hand when you really don't even know what it is you're shooting down. There are other cars on earth, and everyone likes something different. Just because you don't like a car doesn't make it bad. I dont like the GS, but I respect it as a great car. Brand bashing has no place here at the LOC, we leave that to the Ford vs Chevy people, ClubLexus, and mbworld.org. If you want to bash cars without having the information to back it up then sites like that are more your speed. If you want to discuss cars with a group of mature adults, then this is your site. I can feel your friend's pain about getting the Audi serviced. VW/Audi requires special diagnostic equipment to repair, and its SO expensive that independent shops can't afford to buy it. So in a lot of areas you're really stuck with the dealer. VW/Audi's special diagnostic equipment is significantly more expensive than BMWs for instance... Audi is a sort of "cultlike" thing, its almost like driving a Porsche or even a Ferrari, you've got to pay to play. Not me, but they're great cars....

Lexus dealers will charge you anywhere from $150 to $350 to do an oil change, or what they call a "mini inspection" which includes looking at a lot of things, changing the oil, rotating the tires. If you just want an oil change best to take it elsewhere.

Welcome and congrats! As long as you dont increase the overall diameter of the wheel/tire combo it wont throw the speedo or the nav off, but it will have a big effect on the ride. You may like it, you may not. Steviej switches to 18 inch wheels in the summer, he'll have an opinion here I'm sure.

I think you need to keep in mind what he's looking for lol, he's looking for nice small molded, color keyed mud guards. When they're installed they look like part of the vehicle.

Yeah thats actually a grey interior and thats just the top dash trim. I'm not sure what to think of that console surround either lol...

Could it be the front bottoming out? The LS400s are quite low in front and its pretty easy to bottom them out.

Yeah you'll want the hood replaced.

I can't really tell in the picture but is the hood misaligned at all? A lot of times whenever anything hits there's a misalignment left behind.

Oh man, thats terrible. I'm sorry to hear about it. Damage doesn't look too bad though. New hood, new headlight, probably be able to re-use the bumper cover, they'll just sand it down and re-spray it. Look at it this way, those headlamp housings looked somewhat clouded. You can pay a little out of pocket and get another new lamp for the other side, then open them up, respray the housings black and they'll look better than they ever did. Being hit is never fun, I always try to see the silver lining though :) I assume he's definately at fault?

They should be the same height. Doesn't mean theres something wrong with one of the cars, each car is slightly different, could be age of struts, amount of gas, air pressure in tires...

That ToyotaLexusMitsubishi site has great prices on SOME parts, I'll bookmark it. For instance the mats are a great deal, but the black pearl badging kits are rediculous...

vb- I used the picture of your very clean engine to show prix where the oil dipstick was lol ;)

My Explorer, my ES, all go well in 32 degree snow ;)

The Camry ones do not fit, I've looked everywhere and cannot find any that do. Congrats on the purchase! Welcome to the club!

Interior pics:

Here are some real life pics of the 2004 Sport Design Not bad, I'm really not into the wheels. Oddly enough they remind me of old Taurus SHO wheels. Interior is not bad, the dark wood is interesting but it seems to "starken" it up a little. The darker treatment around the console is interesting. Not too into that color either, coupled with the wheels it makes the car look dirty... Whats everyone else think?

Try searching ebay for just a remote and see what you turn up, a remote can be programmed to work with the keyless entry and then you'd just use the key you've been using...

Any Lexus dealer will give you a service history. Bear in mind it doesn't show ALL service, just whats done at a Lexus dealer...

www.lexus-parts.com www.irontoad.com http://store.yahoo.com/parkplacelexus/ Welcome to the LOC!

In this photo the red circle outlines the oil dipstick, the blue circle outlines the transmission dipstick/fill neck. Don't get frustrated, nobody is born with this knowledge but it important to know as a car owner ;)

Hang on lemme see if I can find where it is for you... Here's a photo of the engine (courtesy of vbdenny): Now, as you look next to the oil filler cap you'll see the rectangular handle, says "Engine Oil" on it. This is the dipstick. The similar handle above the oil dipstick is the transmission dipstick.

The LS400 is horrible in the snow ;) Sandbags help, snow tires even more.