Not following you here. Recommended replacement time or make/model of struts? Recommendations vary by those you talk to and cost expectations.
Are Canadian Lexus hoods significantly different from those in the US?
The hoods are not signifigantly different. The hood struts, however, seem to be made of gold. At $150CAD each, I was asking if there were any suitable alternatives, be it from Toyota, or aftermarket. If in fact there are no feasible alternatives, I will of course bite the bullet and buy them here. However, as was mentioned by another before me, while I like to replace as many of the parts with genuine Lexus parts, hood struts are not one of the things that I feel are neccessary.