cduluk

Well, 35% better over the GS350- not the outgoing GS450h. The 2013 GS450h is much less of a performer than the outgoing GS450h.

I love how he starts the video by saying, "This is the second generation Lexus 460 SUV." I'm pretty sure it's the FIRST --460 SUV by Lexus. I know he meant to say second generation "GX", but still... When you're making a review like this, at least get the name right. At least he likes the "wooden steering wheel"- oh... but he doesn't think the seats are "on par with the BMW x5". Seriously!!?? And my favorite, at 2:25, "Every Lexus 460 has a lot of off-road heritage built into it." I'd like to see an LS460 or GS460 climb a mountain...

and holy $H!T!!! If you click "Read Full Review" for the GS350, it writes, "However, some reviewers think that by trying to please everyone, the 2013 Lexus GS may end up lacking its own distinct identity. Consumer Guide writes, “It strikes a decent balance between the sporty character of the BMW 5-Series and coddling of the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, but the fact that it doesn't really stand out in any one area might put the GS at a disadvantage among discerning luxury-car buyers.” This is EXACTLY what i've been saying!! Also notable is the fact that they gave the: 2011 GS450h an 8.7 for performance (vs the 2013 GS450h which got an 8.0) 2011 GS450h an 8.4 for exterior (vs the 2013 GS450h which got an 8.0) 2011 GS450h an 7.9 for interior (vs the 2013 GS450h which got an 7.4) So, they admit the 2011 was a better performer, had a better exterior, and better interior than the 2013.

I love how the GS350 and GS450h are given different scores for "exterior" and "interior" yet have the same rating for "performance". WTF? The only thing different between the two is under the hood! The GS350 is given an 8.8 for exterior while the GS450h is given an 8.0 for exterior (even though they're completely identical besides the badge). The GS350 is given an 8.0 for interior while the GS450h is given a 7.4 for interior (even thought they have the same interior!) And to make this even more funny, the BMW 5-Series is given an 8.2 for interior... Even though we were just talking about how the new GS interior looks the same yet has better quality in another thread... How the new GS interior loses to the BMW's interior is beyond me... They clearly didn't touch the leather nor notice the 1980's gauges. It's also interesting that the Hyundai Genesis wins the interior ranking at 8.9. I'd say that's about right, as it's the closest to the LS which is pretty much perfection. And at least they realize that the Audi interiors are the worst, them giving it a 7.2... What screws up the "order" of this list (ie: which car is #1, #2, etc) is the fact that not all of the models were given a rating for "safety"- which for those that did have it, was a 10.0. This brings up the average which is what they use to determine which model is #1 on the list, etc. If you gave the Lexus GS's a 10.0 for safety, that would bring their overall averages up to 8.7 for the GS350 and 8.4 for the GS450h, putting them at least in the top 5 of this list... Clearly the people who published these results on the site need to go back to school! LOL Haha... good find Paul. ^_^

Oh yeah, Paul! I've noticed the same thing when driving during snowfall, and it's even worse than fog since the snow is "moving". Putting high-beams on when it's snowing is a death sentence. I'm wondering if even replacing the standard halogen high-beams with yellow halogen bulbs would make it easier to see during snowfall? It's be nice to be able to switch the color of your low beams too, toggling between white and yellow! I wouldn't be surprised if some car manufacturer came up with that idea in the future. Seems like a nice and relatively simple idea! LOL

Ahh yes, that's exactly what it was! It reminded me of the saddle-colored seats they offered in the SC430 the past few years; very unique. Are they calling it the "Pebble Beach" or "Coach" edition for the ES? I think you might be right about the GS i saw being the F-Sport model, as i remember now seeing the "F-Sport" logo on the bottom of the steering wheel. This explains why it was so plain! This also might be why i had a hard time differentiating between the GS and the BMW 5-Series interiors, as without the wood trim, the GS dash looks a LOT different. The Lexus people there gave me a booklet of the different models, and when i sat in the 5-Series i turned to the GS page and put the picture of the GS dash up on the windshield and looked for the similarities and differences. The placement of the center A/C vents, curvature of the dash to incorporate the nav screen, shape of the side A/C vents, the position of the knobs on the radio, i mean the similarities are endless... Here's a Photoshopped image representing the interior of the GS i sat in (the one i saw had black interior with silver trim like this, however i can't find a single image of one anywhere online as they all seem to have red leather). And here's a photo of the interior of the BMW 5-Series i sat in. See how close they are? There are minor "tweaks" between the two, but i can't find another car whose interior looks as close to the BMW's as the new GS. I just don't like the fact that Lexus stole the design from BMW. I wish Lexus did their own thing. Lexus does offer different interior trims however, which IMO look VERY good and make it stand out from the BMW a bit better. The silver with "gray stripes" trim i saw on the GS was VERY cheap, and felt like it came out of an Acura TL. The major difference i found between the stripped interior of the new GS and the BMW's was the quality of materials. Everything in the new GS is "soft", although i found the "vinyl" to be rather "ehh". The quality of the leather seats is the biggest difference compared to the BMW's i think. Here's a shot of the BMW 5-Series' leather seats. They even LOOK cheap- rubbery, thick, bumpy, and hard. That's exactly what i thought! My girlfriend even commented that the front bumper looked like it had hit something, as the left and right corners are very "triangular" like it'd been dented already. I agree! I absolutely HATE the 2010+ RX in terms of styling and performance- there isn't a single thing i like better on the new RX besides the push-button start. They really went backwards in terms of styling, both interior and out. I can't say like the "styling" of any current SUV's besides "maybe" the new Cadillac SRX (which is too small however). I really hope my Rx400h lasts me a long time, because i'm afraid to upgrade. This is the first i've ever felt that there wasn't a single other car out there (in the same price range) that i'd rather have over the Rx400h- i'm just not in love with any other car, especially any of Lexus' new models. I just hope in 10 years time Lexus has some new designs out...

Actually, you can do an HID projector conversion without any issues. Simply purchase a pair of used 04-09 RX330/350/400h headlights in the HID projector type (the RX comes with 3 different options for headlights). It'll take some custom wiring (to wire the ballasts), but the HID projector type headlights will be a direct fit into your RX350 ie: the tabs will line up perfectly.

The BMW leather will still look good after a year or two, that more than I can say for the Lexus leather. Honestly, comparing the GS to the BMW's interior is aiming too low. The 5 series have one of the worst interior in the industry in my opinion. I check out the MKS briefly when I was shopping for a car, the ugly front grill and the built quality issues kept me away. I agree completely! The BMW leather is so "rubbery" that it doesn't wrinkle nor break down. The softer the leather, the easier it wears. I'd still prefer Lexus' soft leather over that of BMW even if it does wear a little quicker. I could never imagine an LS with the hard rubbery leather BMW uses. And as for the Lincoln, you're right that the front is very fugly... I like the rear though, very "Maserati-esque". At least Lincoln is emulating a company like Maserati; Lexus is too busy designing their front ends from Mitsubishi and interior design from BMW...

Hmm... lenore, isn't this the second or third report we've had on here with complaints of major issues of 07/08 RX models with higher mileage? It's beginning to look like this is "normal"...

I can remember a few times getting distracted by oncoming cars who had "aftermarket" kits in their OEM fogs, and a few times by people in tall "jeeps" with those huge round auxiliary fog lights installed on the front grill facing too high up. But i can't remember any instances of any OEM foglights causing issues. I too have replaced the factory halogen foglights in my Rx400h to "ion yellow" halogens as the yellow really does work better with fog. The reason fog lights work so well is because during foggy conditions normal headlights reflect off of the fog in front of you, causing a giant wall of light between your eyes and the road. The idea with fog lights is that since they're so low, they only shine through a foot or so of fog off of the ground before illuminating the ground. And the darker the color light, the less bright the "wall of fog" will be in front of you. I'm sure dark blue or green would work even better than yellow, but of course, that's illegal... I agree though that people shouldn't be allowed to install HID "kits" into standard halogen foglights, as they're prone to glare. Just stick with halogen if your car came with halogen, or do a proper retrofit of an HID unit.

Oh come on, you had THREE new GS's at your auto show? :( I saw the new 2013 GS350 for the first time yesterday too, at the Northeast International Auto Show in Providence, RI (they were here from Thurs-Sun). They only had one of them, the regular 350 version (i "think" it was AWD but i honestly didn't pay attention). This was the first time Lexus has ever come to the show, and they only had the new CT, HS (i think), RX, ES, IS and the new GS. I have to say that i was "saddened" to realize that the new 2013 GS is actually real (something in me was hoping it was just a joke), but i must say i don't "hate" its appearance as much as i thought i would based on seeing pictures. The interior of this one didn't have wood trim- or at least if it was wood, it was painted glossy black. And there was this weird "silver" trim that looked like it came out of an old Acura TL. The steering wheel was just leather, and the interior was pretty "plain" at least compared to some pictures i've seen. I agree with you SW that the interior "quality" is better than that of BMW (i can't even begin to tell you how scary the interior quality is in the BMW) yet still behind where i'd "like" Lexus to be right now. I found the "styling" of the interior to be identical to that of the BMW 5 series, however the "feel" of interior materials is 100% better on the Lexus than in the BMW. The BMW leather is as hard as that found on a cheap computer chair from Staples... I honestly have NO idea why no one's caught onto this by now over there in BMW land. So if you like the looks of the BMW interior, the new GS is the same thing just with better quality materials. The exterior is pretty much what you see in pictures, not as "big" as i thought it would be though. The rear styling is too "IS-ish" for my liking, and the front just looks like a glorified Mitsubishi to me... I wouldn't want to get in a minor fender-bender in it, as the front bumper and components look very expensive. To be honest i was most impressed with the ES350 they had there... The interior had this brown leather thing going on, but other than that it looked very nice. The leather "quality" and "feel" of the ES is so much better than that on any other Lexus i sat in there. The new GS leather is the same as the old and what's in the current IS; not as good as the LS but better than the BMW- by a LONG shot. I have to say i wasn't "awed" by any car at the auto show. The new Lexus' just don't "excite" me like the older gens did, the BMW's are SO out of the luxury league it's not even funny... and Audi still needs to get new interior designers IMO. Out of every car i sat in, the one that "impressed" me was the Lincoln MKS. I'll tell you, those seats are some of the most comfortable i have EVER sat in. There seemed to be several "versions" and only one had the comfortable seats- no idea why though. I sat in it for a few minutes, just closed my eyes, and honestly could have fallen asleep there. I can't say i like the styling, but damn... those seats were comfortable. And SW, what's that about them paying you $75 to test drive it?? Lincoln offered me some kind of $50 deal to test drive a Lincoln, but i'd love to do it for the Lexus.

here are some camparison shots between the halogen reflector and an HID reflector of the 99-03 RX300. Here is the halogen reflector: And here is the HID reflector: Can you see the difference? Halogen reflectors will not be as uniform in their design, as the areas of the reflector closest to the filament will need to have a different curvature than areas of the reflector further away from the filament. This is to compensate for the "rectangular" shape of the focal point (filament). HID reflectors on the other hand can have more of a true parabolic shape all around as the focal point is more "round" and focused (the shape of the capsule in the HID bulb). And here is the halogen version of the 00-01 ES300 headlight: And here is the HID version of the 00-01 /ES300 headlight: Can you see how the halogen reflector is formed by putting several "square" flat pieces of mirror together? While the HID reflector is made up of many more "smaller" flat pieces together? This is because when you fit a rectangular filament in a round focal point, it results in making the focal point larger, requiring larger mirrors on the reflector. But since an HID bulb's capsule is already small and round, the tiny "mirror pieces" that make up the reflector can be smaller, giving you the ability to add more of them to the reflector, resulting in more light on the road. Engineers go through a lot to create a reflector custom to the bulb it will be using. You CANNOT just throw an HID bulb into a halogen reflector, the output will suffer greatly. Even the slightest millimeter of movement of the filament or HID bulb capsule will change the output on the road. Just try and wiggle your bulb in the socket a little and you'll see how sensitive the curvature of these reflectors are. Try to think of the curvature of a headlight reflector as the curvature of a pair of glasses lenses... Putting an HID bulb into a halogen reflector is like giving someone a pair of glasses that were designed for someone else- they might help a "little" but they're not guaranteed to be perfect for them.

Actually the Rx300 halogen reflector units are much different than the Rx300 HID reflector versions- look closely and you'll be able to see how they're shaped differently. I know because I have taken both apart during one of my Rx300 headlight mods. That was actually the first time I noticed the difference between those for HID and halogen. It's not impossible for manufacturers to make reflector units for HID bulbs, it's just not as efficient in a reflector than it is with a projector. If any still do it in present day, it's because refletors are much cheaper to make than projector units. Nowadays you'll see most HID headlights using "projectors" since projectors use a completely flat parabolic "mirror" which concentrates on the smallest round focal point (which is where the capsule of an HID bulb is placed) which guarantees that all light from that round focal point goes onto the road; ie it's incredibly efficient. There are several halogen projectors, but the "bowls" (the parabolic mirrors) aren't true paraboloids, but rather they're "stretched" to include the rectangular pattern of the filaments in halogen bulbs. Unlike parabolic mirrors, reflectors have a lot of tiny "flat surfaces" conected together which will make for a larger focal point. Notice how a reflector isn't completely smooth like the inside of a spoon? As you increase the size of these "flat surfaces", you'll make a larger focal point (required to capture all of the light from a larger elongated filament) but since there will be fewer of these flat surfaces, you'll have less mirror images of the focal point being reflected on the road. And you're never going to find a halogen reflector unit that will produce the same output pattern using an HID bulb as it does with a halogen bulb... It's just not possible, that's why car manufacturers design different units for halogen and HID such as on the RX300, 02-04 ES300, 01-03 LS430, etc. See my next post for photos.

It's not just the "position from base" that's the problem- it's the shape of each bulb. Halogen bulbs use a long filament coil that's strung inside, while HID bulbs utilize a small, pea-sized capsule that contains two wires on each end. The light is formed inside the capsule, in the form of an "arc" (like a lightning bolt) going from one end to the other- which illuminates the material in the capsule. The curvature of a halogen reflector/projector is optimized for a long, vertical filament, while an HID reflector/projector is shaped to focus on a very tight pea-sized area. This is why HID units produce such an "even" output, while halogen units cannot. The reason no one has been able to produce a halogen reflector/projector that has such an even light dispersal and sharp cutoff line is because mathematically, it's impossible to produce a paraboloid that has a rectangular focal point (the shape of a filament). Focal points are just that; points. Unlike HID reflectors/projectors, those designed for halogen bulbs aren't perfect paraboloids. They're stretched to accommodate the rectangular pattern of light from a filament. Thus, even if you manage to find a re-based HID bulb (which has been modified so that the capsule is placed the same distance from its base as in a halogen bulb), only a portion of the capsule will be at the modified focal "rectangle" of the halogen reflector. This is the only light that will end up on the road. The light from the pea-sized capsule that's outside the thin "range" of where a filament would be, will now be thrown everywhere else; above the cut-off line, up in the air, etc. as a halogen reflector was not designed for light outside the range of a filament. And dual capsule HID bulbs have the same issue, just twice as bad. And they're moot here as Lexus headlights don't use dual filament bulbs for high/low beams- they have separate bulbs for high and low.

The 07-09 RX350 comes with 3 versions of headlights: 1.) Halogen low beams using a "reflector" system 2.) HID low beams using a "projector" system with AFS and auto-leveling 3.) HID low beams using a "projector" system with auto-leveling only I'm assuming yours uses halogen bulbs with the "reflector" system. Rather than using a projector, it just uses a parabolic reflector to direct light onto the road. This doesn't mean however, that you can simply install an HID kit into your halogen headlight reflectors. This is due to the fact that halogen bulbs and HID bulbs aren't shaped the same way. A halogen bulb uses a filament that is placed x distance from its base. A re-based HID bulb (even if it indicates the same size as your halogen bulbs) will have its "capsule" (part of the bulb that lights up) placed at x+1 distance from its base. Thus, when installed, the light from an HID bulb will not be located at the focal point of a halogen bulb reflector, resulting in NO cutoff. You'll have a blurry output and potentially blind oncoming drivers...

Unfortunately, running water over the headlights won't cause condensation to develop inside. The condensation develops as moist air gets trapped inside the headlight through microscopic gaps along the perimeter. Water itself can't get through, but the air can. These headlights actually have several "vents" in the back, that are "suppoed to" allow the moisture in the trapped air to be released, but they don't work well. Bottom line, if your headlights are producing condensation, they always will. There's NO way to eliminate it via sealing- believe me, I've tried. I've had a lot of experience dealing with Lexus headlights, and I haven't found a cure besides replacing. And as lenore said above, there shouldn't be any moisture in there. Moisture will not only create a "stain" on the inside of the headlight lens, but it can also get inside the headlight ballast computers causing them to fail. If your dealer tries to tell you that it's normal, ask them to show you a new model with condensation. Push them to replace the headlights, as the problem will NEVER go away by itself, nor can they be repaired.

Oh yeah, been there done that! Do you hear rattling by any chance as a result of the socket falling down there? That's what happened to me and it was a pain to get what I dropped out of the "secret panel" down there. There's this tiny opening just large enough for a socket to fall into yet small enough so you can't get your hand into to get it out. Here's another thread that might help you gain access to that area-I posted some pics there too. http://us.lexusownersclub.com/forums/index.php?showtopic=65164

The 09 GS350 AWD is only supposed to be 1/10th of a second slower to 60MPH than the RWD version. The RWD is supposed to do it in 5.7 sec while the AWD should do it in 5.8 sec. For comparison, the ES350 does 0-60 in 6.8 sec, which should feel a bit slower than the GS. All of the Lexus models that come with an AWD version and FWD/RWD are like this, with the AWD type being slightly slower. Except of course for the Hybrid models, which have this reversed. For example, the AWD Rx400h should do 0-60 in 7.3 sec while the FWD version should do it in 7.5 sec. But this is due to the AWD type having an additional electric motor for the rear wheels. You'd think the AWD types would be quicker than their FWD/RWD siblings since they have power going to additional wheels, but I guess some of the engine's energy gets lost somewhere with AWD...

Does your Rx330 have both the auto-leveling (up and down) and AFS (left and right as you turn around corners) features? Or just auto-leveling? There are several versions of headlights for this vehicle. Are the headlights aimed at a normal level? Too high? Too low? Are both headlights acting this way? Or just one and not the other?

Hey guys, Anyone who owns an 04-09 Rx330/350 or 06-08 Rx400h might be interested in this find. I found someone on eBay selling a pair of OEM Lexus key remote covers with the 3-D chrome "L" logo (often found on some of there newer Lexus smart keys) embossed into the cover. This is a direct replacement to the dingy 2-D gold "L" logo that our keys came with. I bought a set to see what the deal was. Here's the link to them on eBay (the seller posted a new auction after i purchased mine). The price to the USA is $42 with free shipping, but you get TWO of these covers- which might be a good idea since the chrome logo scratches easily. This auction ends 22 days from now, so if you're viewing this after Feb '12 the link will probably be dead. If so, try contacting ebay user hokori-motor. http://www.ebay.com/itm/200701780643?ssPageName=STRK:MEWAX:IT&_trksid=p3984.m1423.l2649 The seller blocked the part number in the image, but he sent me the shells in the factory bags so i got it. The part number is 89751-24070. Here's the weird part... I have spent the entire day searching the web for this part number, looking for another source (since this eBay seller in in Japan) but have come up with NOTHING. Honestly, i have NO idea what vehicle this key cover even belongs to! I have never seen these before, but they are indeed 100% Lexus OEM (i can tell by the fitment, texture, curvature, and by the chrome logo which is literally the same exact one found on the Lexus smart keys) and they fit perfectly to the 04-09 RX's and "most" of the other Lexus models that have keys that look like this. I've searched and searched but i can't find these via the part number ANYWHERE. So for now this guy on eBay seems to be the only source- and they're actually at a good price (comes to $21/each with free shipping). The only drawback is the shipping time (i inquired about expedited shipping as i've lost many packages through Japan Post) He only charged me $10 extra for 3-6 day shipping with Japan EMS which was worth it. Here's what the factory Lexus key remotes look like- note the 2-D gold emblem. And here's what these new "chrome" emblem shells look like installed on a spare RX remote i had. I really like it! What are your thoughts? Enjoy!

Holy CRAP that's a beautiful vehicle! Never thought they'd be able to top the newer CTS and SRX, but they certainly have here. Good for Cadillac- at least one luxury sedan manufacturer is producing a good looking vehicle. You look at this vehicle, and you know you're looking at a Cadillac. I'm proud of Cadillac for sticking with their unique "look". <_<

thanks for the support (some of you). <_< For everyone else- like i said in my earlier posts, i do not make a habit of this. There were no other cars around at the time, the whole event didn't last very long... I never asked for any "dad" advice as to the legality of my actions; i just wanted to use my experience (consider myself and the other jackass playing along with me that night as test dummies) to the swiftness and practical passing power of the Rx400h. I can't waste my time reading all of your responses since i was here last, but during my scan of words such as "adult" and "two cents" i know where you guys are heading... And quite honestly i don't care; i thought by now some of you would have realized i'm not the type to "do what everyone else does"... If i did, i'd be ordinary. What ordinary people do the projects such as those i've shared with everyone on this forum? You'd think after so many years of effort on my part, day after day sharing my knowledge with everyone who posts on this forum, that you'd cut me some slack when you could just shut up and have a giggle. So in any event!!!! Hope everyone had a happy new year!

Then why did you do it, and why did you come in here bragging about it? If you want to see how peppy your car is...take it to a track. He's lucky I didn't whip him with a rubber hose! LOL I'm not bragging about it; just didn't realize how "uptight" everyone is!

also try car-part.com