SW03ES

The only way to get this look I'm afraid is a stick on kit. Some of them are real nice and even come with the factory emblems and writing on them.

Brake lights burn out, its normal ;) Definately the brake light out lamp. It only comes on when you hit the brakes because thats the only time power runs through the circuit.

Why would you be moving the car with the parking brake on?

They're totally different cars. The GS is sportier, less smooth and quiet, has a throatier engine, better handling. Generally speaking the GS isn't nearly as reliable or trouble free as the LS, it wins no special mention in those departments (the LS is one of the most reliable cars on the road). Its a great car, just different ;)

Without snow tires the LS is a dog in the snow. Its terrible. RWD, lots of power, overzealous Traction and skid systems makes for a hair raising ride. My dad just got an 04 and the 04 comes with 17 inch wheels, he says its even worse in the snow than his 98 was. My ES on the other hand (FWD) is great in the snow, all the things the LS isn't, stable, confidence inspiring. In fact it was one aspect that weighed on my decision about new ES vs 00 LS, I can't afford a second AWD car just for the snow like my ol man can LOL. They just bought a new Infiniti FX for snow duty. If you live where it snows DEFINATELY invest in a winter beater or snow tires, and switch the trac/VSC off, use the snow mode. Sandbags help, always keep the gas tank full.

IMHO the Yokos look like a better choice just based on price alone.

Make sure those MF towels are good quality and won't scratch. A lot of times MFs that you get from places like Costco aren't very plush. You can use MF for everything on the car. I really don't use Terry towels for anything anymore. MFs are more absorbent and dry everything faster and better.

Good idea, look around ebay I saw several of them for sale there. Good phone to tide you over until the new Bluetooth phone for CDMA is released for Sprint and Verizon. Like I said before, ANYTHING with Bluetooth should work.

Lotsa things it could be but I agree with everyone here, it SHOULD feel very confident at ALL speeds. Start with the tire pressure, mechanics and tire places almost ALWAYS over-inflate the tires.

Oh sure, no car is 100% perfect, but I still disagree with the statement that every time you wash your car you're damaging it in some way thats just not the case if you're careful and methodical. I know people with black cars that are so good at washing them they never have to polish out any microswirling or marring. *I* am not that good, and I do get micromarring that has to be removed. Removing it isn't a big deal though if you have the right equipment and knowledge. If detailing were second nature then people wouldn't make a living doing it. I firmly believe though that anyone who wants to devote the time to it and learn how to take care of their car properly can keep it to a point where to the average person sees it as flawless (my family was just discussing how I care for cars over Christmas , and my dad was boasting to my Uncle about how my car has no marks on it whatsoever, I know the imperfections are there, but they're well hidden in a good glossy finish) so much happens to a daily driver though that its impossible to avoid wear. Armed with the right information as a starting point I think people can achieve great results. And I'm hardly a master at car care, I'm still learning ;)

Have not gotten them yet but still planning on it.

UNFORTUNATELY there is no CDMA compatible Bluetooth phone on the market right now. My father was upset about this when he got his 04 because his company furnishes him a phone through Sprint. They worked it out and he got a Sony Ericcson phone that works well. Good news is a CDMA Bluetooth phone will be out for Verizon in a couple months. So best thing to do probably is sit tight and wait, check out www.phonescoop.com Anyone who tells you the phone must be bought from Lexus is full of it. Thats the whole point of the Bluetooth system. ANYTHING that is Bluetooth will be compatible. Even a Bluetooth keyboard...

My father has the Sony Ericcson and it works fine with the Bluetooth in his 04 LS. I wouldnt buy any more dealer add ons ;) The 3M clear bra was a good buy though, and believe it or not $999 is a great price if they're doing the whole front end. Lexus paint chips fast. Enjoy it, its a great car! What colors did you get?

That all depends on the terminology you're using lol. Not all polishes are glazes. A glaze does nothing perminant to the paint. If you polish correctly than you shouldnt have any micro-marring left behind to cover with a pure glaze.

As said before in previous posts, aftermarket HID systems are now illegal in most of the 48 states! All 48 states ;)

I wouldnt make that as a broad comment on all Dent Wizard shops. They ARE independently owned (just operate from the same schedule of fees), and like any independently owned franchise quality varies from shop to shop. I agree however that I wouldnt ONLY look towards DW for PDR, plenty of independent and even detailers that do excellent work. Also plenty of DW techs that do excellent work too. acf- a professional wheel restorer :P Do a Gooogle search.

Couple holes in your logic First of all everything you said about automatic washes is true. However, the "technique" and trade secrets you speak of with hand washing are simple. Use a high quality mitt that wont scratch. Use lots of water, use good quality 100% terry towels or Microfiber to dry. Touch the car as little as possible. Its not hard at all to achieve a great looking finish it just takes patience and a little knowhow. Check out all the detailing tutorials at www.lexuscarcare.com And proper polishing wont require a glaze afterwards. A glaze hides imperfections. If you're polishing correctly and using the proper products, the paint will look perfect when you're done. A glaze is just oil, and in 2-3 carwashes (even by hand) the glaze will be gone. Its "Automotive Makeup".

You can repair those marks, but its a fairly involved job. The best thing to do is to have a professional re-finish the wheel.

No, as far as I know you have to order them.

Zaino is an excellent protectant step, but it cant replace good quality prepwork.

Have fun!

There are lots of things that can scratch leather, the dealer isn't lying its not covered under warranty. Really no way to repair them except to clean and condition the leather well.

True. Lots of scratches you can't feel cannot be removed by hand either. Takes an orbital or rotary buffer to wetsanding and repainting for some.

The new cars 02-04 have a wallet key with a chip. Dont know if it can be retrofitted to older models...

The Cleaner Wax is a redundent step. Its like combination shampoo conditioner, it does niether particularly well. The #9 is a cleaner. I would clay, #9, some sort of polish like #81 or #7 and then top with the 476.