SW03ES

Yep, definately a fake.

And they both come from the axact same place.

Run a search for it and read through some past threads. In fact, I think there's an active discussion about it going on right now.

In all honesty, I would definately wait. Its only gonna be another 2-3 months, and you'll have seen the car with plenty of time left to still snatch up an 03 at an even better price if you don't like the new one, or dont feel its different enough to warrant the price difference. From what I've heard there are going to be some welcome improvement like new colors, new wheels, some newer more aggressive styling in the front end, to make the car look less chunky. Maybe some goodies like XM radio. Worth the wait at least to get a look at the car and what its going to offer I'd say. Its just a refresh, but a change nonetheless. If you want to know what to expect, go somewhere like www.edmunds.com and compare a 1997 LS400 to a 1998 LS400. That was the type of refresh (front end, taillights, wheels, some interior peices, more soundproofing tauter suspension) that we're expecting them to do this time. As you'll see from the pictures. Its not a lot, but enough to make the car look fresher and newer. Its simply one of the best cars on the road. My dad has a 98 he's put 140,000 miles on and it runs and looks like brand new. He's going to probably trade up to an 04 in October. You wont be sorry. Welcome to the board!

I still run the premium too, I figure what the hell.

Yeah, I can honestly tell you too, 90% of Lexus owners don't care about the prices. In fact, they expect to pay them, and are dissapointed when they're less than expected. Keep in mind, the $97 was with labor included, the $10 per bulb was not. I bet Lexus would have charged him $50 to replace one turn signal bulb. Maybe more for the front. Robbery. Stevie, so its 7440 for the fronts and the rears? I sure as hell couldnt find it in amber, only clear.

Generally the 17s ride smoother, they're easier to replace, less prone to blowouts and flats, better in the snow. Personally I'd get the cash back.

Told ya so ;) I know Lexus. You could always try Toyota. My guess is they'll be $5 each there.

Thats why I dont have that feature... Well mostly because I couldnt find one with it, but still ;)

You want lift it?

Yep, you sure can. You can buy them from www.lexus-parts.com for $170 or so, they come precut. All you have to do is program it with the instructions.

Plenty of people lower and customize their Lexuses. Hell, Lexus even sells the parts to do so under their "L-Sportline" line, just not for the LS.

Do you have the Nakamichi on your LS?

Welcome to the site! Congrats on the car. Check out our Detailing forum below, has all the answers to your questions.

Oh I've had Lexus change bulbs before LOL. They charged me $97 to replace the wiper blades on my dad's LS. Its a 5 minute job.

I know on the LS replacing the rear struts involves removing the rear seats LOL, tough job at home. At 120k having them require replacement is normal. You've forgotton what its supposed to ride like, get them replaced, and get the car back it'll be like brand new.

I'm not from the NY area, nor do I have a GS. There are several members here that are though, I'm sure they'll chime in.

Oh yeah. There's always at least half a quart of oil that doesn't drain when you have it changed. On some engines even more. The flush gets rid of that sludge.

The Mother's polish would probably be safe whether they're clearcoated or not. My advice is to try something like a tar remover first, maybe a claybar or a paint cleaner.

Nope, nothin shared between the LS and the Avalon. Interestingly enough, when comparing the 98-00 LS with the Avalon, the LS is bigger on the outside, but the Avalon on the inside. The 430 is bigger in all respects. As for the oil filter, generally the Toyota/Lexus filter is about the best one out there, doesn't make a difference. The oil filter is somewhere you dont want to pinch pennies, its actually more important than the oil. It traps all the particulates and such and keeps them from being pumped back into the engine when the car is started. Personally, I would have the engine flushed. I think this is good maintenance every 50k or so anyway.

Thats going to be the same as the wadding polish though. Unsafe if the wheel is clearcoated. If its clearcoated, then you can't use anything on it you wouldnt use on the paint.

If you run a search for this topic you'll see there is a lot of good information out there about what can be done. Its fairly common. Walmart blue halogens in a Lexus? Yikes.

Lexus of Manhattan is one of the best dealers in the US...

I know next to nothing about the aftermarket when it comes to performance, but there are plenty of other guys here who can help you out there. As for navigation. There are many good aftermarket systems that can easily be adapted for your GS. As for the stock unit, it probably wont be worth it, lots of wiring and expensive parts. Same is true of upgrading to the ML stereo. You'd be able to design a better aftermarket system for less. I do have a question though, you said before you were going to be selling it, why bother looking at upgrades?

Yep, the newer taillights bolt right on.