denslexusgx470

It depends really. We average about 1000 miles a month on our cars but so far our new BMW 528i probably has only 400 miles the most on the odo and we got her brand new with 14 miles (well it had 8 on it before we test drove it) on May 30, 2009

SW Only small bugs and dust. ;) I was the front of the 3 car collision and I would have been EXTREMELY FURIOUS if I was sandwiched and my front license plate would get smashed. That front plate is irreplaceable as I got that when my CRV in the Philippines was brand new and it's not some cheap dealer plate you get anywhere (as you can see it has the car's name on this hard plastic plate) My parents are former doctors in the Philippines so I'll wait and see what they think of my knee. It's not too bad, but I just came back from a quick out of town trip and after driving, I felt that it was irregularly sore (not to the extent that I would complain) so I'm still observing my knee's condition. Yes the Sentra will pay for EVERYTHING on my end. Luckily my dad's office has an insurance department and the lady will take care of it and see to it that the Sentra will pay for every penny on my end EVEN my deductible. :o I just hope I get a new bumper as I don't trust the integrity of this bumper anymore as it's experienced a significant bump. Even till now I am surprised how such little damage on my car bent the ES330's hood back that far

I don't know, looks way to similar to the current Prado and they took the rims from a 4th Gen 4Runner (basic 16in rims)

Thanks Guys. I'll see how my knee will feel. Honestly can't remember if my knee hit the steering column when I got hit because obviously my foot was on the brake because it was a sudden stop. My Car The ES330 that got sandwiched into my car (not at fault) THE CAR AT FAULT Notice the damages.. All happened from a 10-15 mph hit from the Sentra because the ES330 and I were at a full stop already

Which forum are you on? lol. My BMW forum is all bashing any other brand if it's not BMW or Mini <_< (e60.net specifically for the 5-series)

I hope so too. I was concerned when I saw a 3 yr old girl in a car seat on the backseat of the ES but she was fine. Now I'm not sure if i'm 100% fine... I'm at work right now and my right knee is starting to get really sore with just a hint of pain...

Like the title says, I just got into an accident today, which happened about 3 hrs ago from the time I'm typing this. No one was hurt, but the car behind me got sandwiched by an unattentive driver behind him. So I have minor damage on my car, but still, I was SOO PI$$ED the moment I heard that "Crack" and bump from behind me... Luckily it wasn't the GX or the 528i that got hit but it was in my CRV... Pictures later when I get home.. Cars involved were my CRV, Nissan Sentra, and a ES330

Looks clean! I have a question though. Regarding the headlights, do you have bi-xenon headlamps? And if so, does the projector still shine "bright" if you flash your brights? I found it a little weird that some RX350s have projector headlamps and some won't have projector headlamps but they make the "bright" bulb a projector. Then I read that the non-projector headlamp RX can have bi-xenon headlights. Was wondering if you could feed my hungry mind hehe

I have the best radar/laser detector... MY EYES :o :o :o (hence which explains why I have not been pulled over yet, plus I personally do not like having tachy detectors in my car)

This is interesting. Never noticed that radiator leaks were starting to become common on the GX. Luckily I never had a radiator leak (knock on wood) and I'm at 54k miles at the moment.

As I mentioned in the 528i topic, I test drove a used 525i today. It was actually at Carmax and according to the guy who assisted me, the stereotypical opinion about Lexus is that it's for "old people" because of the ride comfort and quality. Younger people I guess tend to want sportier, little stiffer ride.

I think, personally, there's enough elbow room for me between the driver and passenger. But today, I took the opportunity and test drove a used 2007 525i and here's my input. First of all, it was far from the sound of our 528i! :o Sounded like either it was really broken in, or maybe that's how the older engine sounded?!?! Secondly, there was a pulsating sound when driving the car on the road. Not sure if it was just tires, but I doubt it was balancing or whatever. Power was still pretty decent, but then I think the response on the 528i is a little more peppier than the 2007 525i. The 525i had about 55k miles on the clock, and personally if I were buying a used luxury car, that unit I drove would not pass with my standards and I would not buy it at all. Not sure if it was just not properly maintained but we'll see how our 528i will perform after 30k miles.

It is a weird feeling! To think, I didn't see the plate when I saw the front of the RX at first... I had to park in the parking lot, and walk behind it to double check if my inner feeling was correct. The sad part was, as I was inspecting the car that inner feeling was being "diluted" because of the horrible condition it was in. Still shocked me and made all the hair on my body stick straight up when I recognized my license plates :o :o

Also here's another thing. In CA, our scrambled plates have a sequence which after living here for so many years, I've learned how to spot a new or used car. Now when a car hits the dealership, they say that they keep the old plates if the registration still has at least 3 months left. If the registration is about due, or is within 2 months of registration, then they throw the old plates away and wait for the new customer to buy it, then they register it with DMV and then DMV will send the new owner a new set of tags (hence the sequence will be "new" so thats when I notice that the car was bought used). Technically the 2nd or 3rd owner of my RX is driving illegally becuz he/she does not have a front plate. It's no big deal at least in my area of CA. I'm surprised that the Lexus dealership let my RX slide and keep the old plate even though they never received my front plate (because I kept it as a memoir and it's bent from the accident) which will make the new owner susceptible of getting pulled over for not having a front plate. Haha. I wish I could scold the new owner and tell him/her how much TLC I put into that car. Literally when I was watching my car in that parking lot, I didn't hesitate to touch the dents and scratches on it. I wish the owner, where ever they were at, was watching me inspect the car.

Congrats on the LS430 purchase! I should have noticed this thread earlier to give some input. The 3 series is a lot smaller than the LS430 and if you are looking for size because of your baby, then the LS430 is a better pick. BMWs, honestly, I just got a 528i and it's a really REALLY fun car to drive, but when the clock hits over 50,000 miles I believe I'm going to lose trust in the car. They're fun and really sporty, but it may be a little "rough" for your little one. Now if it was a 7 series versus a LS430, then there would be a better comparison. But I wonder, why does the 3 series cost as much as the LS430, considering that they have the same amount of miles??!?! (roughly)... Enjoy the LS430! Once that kid's in college and out of the house, then get yourself a BMW ;)

Honestly the only info I've gotten is that the new 4Runner is due out this Aug or Sept. The Toyota Finance department said that and they too have no clue what the new 4Runner will look like. My theory is that the GX should be out around that time also. There are rarely any new 4Runners for sale at Toyota dealerships nationwide, probably clearing the lots for the on-coming 5th Gen 4Runner and hopefully the 2nd Gen GX

Thanks! It's a whole new experience for me, these German vehicles are too complicated lol. But all I know is that after college, once I have enough money, I'll be walking into a Lexus dealership, not a BMW dealership ;)

Too bad I don't think I had a digital camera back then when we had the RX300 because I'm really craving to post pictures of the RX when it was in 1000x better condition <_<

Ya after the accident I didn't get a new set of plates. I kept the old wrecked plate and left the rear plate on, even after we traded it in and apparently until this day, whoever owns the car NEVER changed the original rear plates! lol. I put the "APR" sticker on that rear plate. So that's what really shocked me to find this car and tell me that it was mine considering the really horrible condition it's in. :( At first I didn't want to believe it was mine considering it had 100000000 scratches and dents, so the plate was the only "bookmark" for me haha

Lexus does not have too many fancy gizmos and features that BMW and MB have. My 528i has a lot of fancy gizmos and to think it's not even loaded. That's why Lexus is being bashed by other companies, and also because Lexus does not cater to the younger generation (well that includes me too I guess hehe) with the tastes of the younger folks. Those who love driving and performance will not like Lexus. Lexus is more of comfort and (the obvious) reliability. Younger generations won't keep their cars for long so why care about reliability? Just get a BMW and change it after the 3 year lease! I agree with SW. Ford has significantly improved the quality of their vehicles. All companies have greatly improved especially with this economy. Heck I just test drove a Hyundai Genesis the other day, and we all know that Hyundai is climbing the ladder but after driving that Genesis, I almost forgot that it was a Hyundai to begin with! A really really big improvement, but then again would you pay the $40k price tag? :o No one will ever win as the "best" car company. It's all about the person's taste. Some people like chocolate, while others like vanilla. Some will like BMW, while others (like us) will like Lexus.

My first Lexus ever was a 2000 Lexus RX300. Bought brand new in 2000, it was the MOST basic RX you can find out there! It had no CD player, no sunroof, and it had CLOTH seats. It may have seemed like an overpriced Toyota because it lacked in luxury amenities but it was truly a wonderful car! It was amazing to drive this beauty because it was really smooth yet feels big at the same time. Come to think of it, it was the 1st SUV we ever bought in our lives! This car means a lot to me. In 2002 my mom got into a minor rear end accident. An old lady rear-ended her, and sandwiched my RX300 into a Ford Windstar van. The damage cost for the RX was only about $4000 but the damage to the Nissan Altima that hit my RX probably was a lot worse. The Altima had to be towed while we still drove our RX300 around town with damaged front and rear bumpers, and also a rattling exhaust pipe because the pipe got bent back and it was now hitting an axle or something down there. After it was immaculately fixed by a body shop, we decided that we had to get rid of this vehicle because it reminded my mom of the accident she encountered, everytime she saw the RX300. So in Jan 2003 that's when the GX470 came into play and I had to finally say "Good-bye" to my RX300. It was a sad evening to see it parked in one dark lonely spot at the dealer when it was formerly pampered inside my garage.. A few years have passed and I've seen it being driven around town a few times. The last time I ever saw it was in 2006. Today, June 19, 2009 I saw my baby RX again. This time it's different. For the last few times I've seen it around town, looking at just the front without the license plates, there's still that "feeling" or "bond" inside of me that tells me that the oncoming RX300 is MINE. Hence, everytime I say that I have always been correct because I look back and read the license plate in the back of the car. Today it was different.. I saw it parked outside a liquor store. Owner was probably in the tanning salon next door. I parked next to it, and before I walked to the back of it (it was parked in reverse), I was observing the front bumper, the mismatched bald tires, scratched up rims, big dent on rear door with a lot of scratches on the body. As I slowly approached the rear of the car, I was scared to see the license plate. I know there was some "feeling" that was coming to me, but the condition of the car was killing that inner feeling in it because I know it was not this bad when I let go of her. When I finally saw the license plate, I was SHOCKED. It was the same license plate that I used and has never been changed! I tried going into the salon and the liquor store asking if anyone owned that car, no luck. I'm just curious as to how many miles my baby has been abused for but I guess I will never (or not yet) know. Everyone here knows how well I keep cars clean, too clean that they could sometimes pass to be brand new if you slap the window sticker back onto the window and park it next to the new cars on the dealer lot. My RX300 is far off from the love and care I've put into it. Ok enough blabbing, here are the very few pictures I took of her

I have a friend who's family doesnt keep the car longer than the typical lease term So they don't mind just sticking with Mercedes because they know after 3 years they're going to replace it with a new Mercedes lol :o

Some cars require it while others are just recommended. The VVT-i engine GX's (05 and newer) all require premium while it was only recommended (hence 87 may be used) for the 03-04.

Honestly the BMW slogan fits their cars! I haven't driven the 528i much but as far as I can kinda remember, it kinda makes our other cars "boring" at times lol. But I'm happy with Toyota and Lexus to be honest! ;)

BMW and MB have improved, we have to give them credit, but reports show that Lexus is still pretty high in reliability and quality rankings. I think what's getting to the BMW owners (obviously I'm a BMW owner but I don't have the same frame of thought they do) is that they brag that there isn't a non-luxury counterpart with their company. We all know (and I admit) that hands down MB and Lexus do not compare in terms of performance and handling of BMWs but that's all they really could brag about. For a lot of people who need the most for their hard earned money, I know buying a luxury car may sound ridiculous to them but if they were to choose a luxury car that will last them and give them the most for their money, LEXUS is the only way to go :cheers: