Hi everyone,
First of all, I'm a "girl", so I won't understand your reply if it's really "techy". Here's my situation. I've had SUVs for years and thought it would be nice to have something sporty and showy for a change. Years ago, I had a convertible BMW and hated the soft top, so I first started thinking about the SC 430 because of the retractable hard top. My logic went like this: in bad weather, I can use this car just like any Lexus Sedan for commuting etc. , and in good weather, I can retract the top. So, I started looking to buy a new SC, but decided to look into used when I saw a significant price difference. I ended up finding a 2002 with only 16M miles on it at Carmax. It is in mint condition and Carmax put new tires (Dunlop run flats) on - and reinstalled the tire pressure monitors. Anyway, I got a loan and wrote a check, and drove my new car home the night before last. Since then, I've started to get worried. From reading this forum and others, I began to learn that this car isn't really a luxury commuter car, that this type of use is really going to get expensive. First, I learned that the tires seem to wear out by 15M miles, then I l called the dealer and inquired about what it will cost to replace them. The answer was $1,700. I started getting scared. Next, a co-worker told me that the headlights cost $2,000 each. Then I heard that you can't just get tires anywhere because of the pressure monitors, so even if I found the tires for $1,000 at Tire Rack, I would have to have them installed at the dealer. Now I'm almost afraid to drive the car because all these things are going to cost so much. Keep in mind, I'm not broke, but I wasn't thinking that service and maintenance on a Lexus would run several thousand per year. I know, I know, I should have thought more clearly before buying, but I now am left with simply trying to maximize my enjoyment of the car while minimizing the cost of maintaining tires etc. Any advice about saving money while owning (and using ) the car? Thanks guys for any tips.