SW03ES

Since its CPO I'd always use the dealer you purchased it from unless they're either: 1. Crappy 2. Too far away Generally you always get the best service if you return for maintenance after the sale. Car sales are generally a loss leader for car dealerships, the real money is made in the service department. Also keep in mind though, you dont have to take it to the Lexus dealer.

Don't pay them to use Leatherique you can do that yourself, its very easy to use. Check out www.leatherique.com.

My guess is its on the front like bbsal said. Silicone dash dressings stain the plastic pretty bad. Get some "Novus Plastic Cleaner" its a three step system. If you have a Container Store anywhere near you they have it there, or I think we sell it here at the detailing store. I doubt Novus #3 will be neccisary, just do #2 followed by #1 and see what you get.

I firmly believe no ameteur should use a rotary LOL. The good thing about the PC is that its dual action, which gives it more power but its still harmless to the paint. SOME cheaper units will give a good result, but nothing is as powerful and widely applicable as the PC, its the closest you can safely get to a rotary. acf- Whenever you're removing imperfections you're removing paint, even by hand. Thats why you dont want to hit the paint with a cleaner every time you wax, thats why its important to minimize the frequency of your polishing. Its practically impossible to damage the paint with a PC unless you beat the car with it.

God thats nickel and diming? Thats nothing compared to other vehicles I've had over 100k miles...

Wow 10k already on an 04? I dont think the seat issue is a common one... As others have said the rear door rattle is an easy fix.

Well sure, as anything ages it gets more costly to maintain, even people. You can save some money by not taking it to the dealer or taking it to Toyota. No reason to pay the dealer's labor rates unless you need the free loaner. Lexus and the LX are very reliable vehicles, I see no reason why you couldn't expect to see 200k+ miles...

Weird... Definately not the case on my Lexus, I'll try it on it and on my dads 04 LS430 for you. Sounds to me like the seat memory module is bad and not remembering the seat position properly.

What kind of mileage are you getting on your ES? Mine's dismal...

Hmm, probably not. The grill is just plastic (am I correct?) so whats happened is the rock chipped off the plated chrome. You might want to try and contact an electroplating company and see if maybe they can re-plate that chipped area...

Thats the buffer I have, its widely regarded as the best non-rotary polisher out there. In fact there are instructions for using it at the detailing store. The PC (as its called) is far more effective at removing scratches and swirls with the proper pads. You can pick them up from online retailers. If you want to buy one I'll find you the best deal, you can get one for $130 or so. Its an excellent tool and well worth the money. The next step up would be a rotary but I've never needed one, doubt you do either.

I gas up at 1/4 tank ;) Never run out of gas, ever.

You could try snow tires and see what it does for you, the problem is going to be the depth of the snow in relation to the ride height of the car, they're good about clearing the roads up there though...

Sure, the glass could be scratched. I'm 99% sure the tint is in the glass, very few to no auto manufacturers use film to factory tint windows for the one reason its illegal in a lot of municipalities (any film on the windows) and it doesn't last very long.

Ehhh... I think you'll be dissapointed in the cheapie buffers. They're not powerful enough to really do anything but apply waxes, about as adept at removing swirls as by hand...

I find the cars ride best around 30psi.

That should work...

I'd look into getting some sort of winter beater car. Have you experienced Michigan in the winter? I have, and Ann Arbor specifically. I wouldnt want to subject any car I cared about to that ;) Beautiful area.........in the summer.

This is one big reason why I got the ES over a GS300 or a CPO LS400. I have had the experience of driving the LS400 in the snow. The RWD Lexus are terrible in the snow. If your GS has any tire that Lexus may have supplied on it, its going to be much worse. The GS comes with Goodyear Eagle's and they're terrible in the snow. This probably explains why your roomates car with the performance tires is better. Another reason IS VSC. I found from driving my dads LS400 in the snow, that if you shut the VSC off and put it in snow mode, its about 3 times better. IMHO the VSC is great for dry or spotty traction (rain also) but it hinders your ability to drive in the snow. Your roomate's 93 has no VSC. My guess probably a new set of tires, and shutting off VSC will make it PASSABLE in the snow. If you really want to improve it, snow tires are a must. Thats just how all these RWD performance luxury vehicles are. Its not just the Lexus.

I'll be praying for you. LS400 without snow tires is DISMAL in the snow... Please, be careful.

I really like the Bluetooth tech, wish my ES had it :(

Yeah I wouldnt buy a GX470 right now... I love the RX and always request one when my car is in for service. It is remarkably small feeling and fun to drive. The suspension is tauter than that on my ES and the engine has a throatier sportier note. Its a real cool vehicle. My parents just got an Infinti FX35 that is really cool also, might want to check it out too. I was just in NJ visiting some of my better half's family and I drove one of their new Rav 4s, the RX isn't quite as nimble as it is (its a good bit bigger) but I can see how its a "Bigger brother" in a way. I think you'll like it. As for ML, if its not shown on the Lexus site then it may not be availiable. Talk to your dealer my bet is they'll find you one somewhere.

Unfortunately as everyone else has said, this is a characteristic of HID lights on their stock setting. I keep meaning to have mine aimed up a little bit also.

Read around the forums the dealer vs independent mechanic debate has been discussed many times. My stance on it is that there is nothing exotic about a Lexus, its not a Ferrari or a BMW. This is a GOOD thing, meaning anyone really can work on it. Companies like Audi, BMW, VW shut out the independent guys by designing complicated diagnostic systems that require equipment so expensive that independent shops simply can't afford it. Lexus doesn't do this. Lexus DEALERS capitalize on owners preconcieved notion that their new luxury automobile is a marvel of complexity that only the dealer can make heads or tails of. Thats why they get away with the rediculous labor rates (some dealers charge up to $120 an hour, more than some medical doctors) and as wwest mentioned the rediculous maintenance schedule (dealers ALWAYS go by the severe maintenance schedule, if you dont deliver pizzas or do high speed road chases routinely, this is overkill). Fact is, the Lexus is proof that a great automobile doesnt have to be as complex as a fighter jet. This means, that if you dont need to take full advatage of things like the free loaner and pickup and dropoff, then you need not take it to the dealer. Find a good independent shop you can trust.

Welcome to the LOC! Unfortunately your friends are right, the factory tint on the RX (and all Lexus) is inside the window, meaning its not a film. If you apply tint to these windows its simply going to make them MORE mirrored. Replacing all the glass with clear is going to be a costly proposition too...