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Lexus ES 350

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    cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    Psychdoc wrote:
    Are you saying that the dealership's first ("I'm going to take good care [advantage?] of you") offer was $738/month???

    Let me review my notes.........ah, yes. :D Well, I have a lot of numbers here. At first, I was going for zero money down (except drive off fees) and chrome rims (which are 2000.00 extra and a spoiler (which I think is 600.00?). The payment he first quoted me was $789.00. I told him, that was unacceptable and that I had a quote in the low 600's. (That was without the rims and spoiler but I didn't tell him that but from the sales price he knew they were not included. That was also when the residual was 60%) He said, "Well do you have it in writing or did he just tell you that over the phone." I whipped out my paper. He looked it over and said, "Hmmm". That was about when his face turned pale. That was a good moment. :) He went down to $651.17. I took off the chrome rims and spoiler. I can get those later (without financing them.) I then put down 1,800. to get the payment at $600.00.

    I know you would have ripped him apart, Doc. I should have just left too but I told him from the beginning that I would be loyal to him and give him first crack at it because he had invested some time in me in the last month. I just held true to my word. So many salesmen throughout the last month wanted my business (even his own co-workers) but I told them I was working with someone.

    I think it worked out better this way than just ripping him a new one and walking out. That really was a priceless moment when I saw the look on his face.

    I am just a little concerned on how diligently and promptly he is going to look for or order my car. They are probably sending it on the "slow boat" from Japan since they were not too happy with me. :surprise:
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    lookinginscvlookinginscv Member Posts: 17
    A sale is a sale cablondeblue and I'm sure they won't hold it against you. They know that everyone tries to get the best price. As I think I said, I was disappointed in them because they never followed through with me. When I really get serious I will try and get written quotes (Did you get them via email?) and go in armed. Otherwise, I really have no qualms in buying anywhere within a 100 mile radius. When I bought my Acura I got the "keep your sales tax dollars in Santa Clarita" speech but I gave them back the "give me a good deal" speech and bought in Cerritos that time.
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    cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    LookinginSCV wrote: Did you get them via email?

    At first, I e-mailed the dealers. They all e-mailed me back that they wanted to meet with me to get more information. So one day I just started calling every dealer in 100 mile radius and asked for the fleet manager or internet sales. I mostly received verbal quotes over the phone but the only one that faxed it to me happened to be the lowest quote. YEE-HA. I had it in writing. (In my business, you get everything in writing.)

    LookinginSCV wrote: When I bought my Acura.....

    What kind of Acura do you have? I have a 2003 Acura TL. I am going to miss that car but I am sure that the ES will make me forget all about it.
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    lookinginscvlookinginscv Member Posts: 17
    Cablondeblue, I have a 1999 Acura TL. It is more than time for replacement. I figured it would be difficult to get quotes in writing. I will take your advice on calling. If you don't mind me asking, what dealership was lowest for you?

    Sounds like a great car you'll be getting... with exactly the options I want. I am still vacillating over color.
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    cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    As you can see, I am getting a lot of work done today. I put my big decision making on hold for today. LOL That was for you Zekeman1. ;)

    Forum rules won't allow me give the salesman's name but the dealership was Jim Falk Lexus of Beverly Hills.

    Good luck on choosing a color. (You saw how long I agonized over it.)
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    lookinginscvlookinginscv Member Posts: 17
    It really is funny that Beverly Hills has the best prices.....

    All I can say is I really hope you enjoy your car! The ES certainly is beautiful. Uh oh... I'm starting to get motivated.
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    paco0322paco0322 Member Posts: 10
    Congrats cablondeblue on your purchase. I also went with the lighter color, tungsten, for all of the reasons stated earlier. I've had my car for a week now and absolutely love it! Still learning how to effectively use my nav, but other than that, it's been a joy to ride. It's very quite and rides great.
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    richard43richard43 Member Posts: 23
    what is the cost of the body side moldings? [ installed by the lexus dealer )
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    vluuvluu Member Posts: 100
    What interior color did you get with the Tungsten Pearl? I'm thinking of going with that color since it is easier to care for. I wanted a dark exterior (Black or SMG)for the ES350, but long term... dark exterior just don't show well.

    If I do go with Tungsten... then I might consider going with the dark interior.
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    bobbo55bobbo55 Member Posts: 25
    Today I became very happy.I picked up my 2007 crystal white ES 350. it's by far the best auto I have ever had. It drives far better than I thought. It's a dream come true. Five weeks ago I walked into Lexus OF Merrillville thinking what a beautiful place to be. And jealous of all the salespeople.I thought to myself (Man would I LOVE to sell these wonderful vehicles.)I was mainly interested in the 350 IS. But, It seemed too small. Which it was. So I checked into the ES models.I fell in Love with them. I studied everything about the 350 Es for the last month or so.It took awhile but, I have one in my garage now.They only took $1950 off sticker but, I am still satisfied.The XM radio sounds so wonderful in the ES. Hell, the standard audio system in my ES is far better than the the one in my 2005 EX Accord That I traded in.I do still have much to learn about my new Lexus so I will probably be reading the owners manuel for the next few days to learn everything I can about the ES.I did get the Venture shield on the front. You can bearly tell it's there.I think I'll go into my garage and stear at this unbelieveable piece of technology for awhile.Bash4, let me know how Ruby Red is doing.I'll bet your loving it too.
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    cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    I called my local parts department to get an estimate on some other stuff and found out that the body side moldings are 147.35 per section (1 section per door) and approximately 190.00 to install.

    I still have not seen a picture of how these look.
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    cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    Congratulations, Bobbo55 and Rocketdan and everyone that has the 2007 ES350. You lucky son-of-a-guns (had to think about how I was going to verse that LOL.)

    I am surprised at how many people ended up with Crystal White. It reassures me that I made the right decision. As long as you are not all driving them around in my town.

    I can see what you mean, Rocketdan, about the wait. It is so different after you have ordered the car. Reading everyone's ecstatic posts of new ownership takes on a new envious longing. Such a tease!
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    amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    Your local parts guy is ripping you off!!! Before I decided NOT to put on side mouldings I went to my Lexus parts dept. and asked him how much the complete set of mouldings would cost. He looked it up, and also confirmed the price. The total for the mouldings should be $138.20 and the installation labor cost is $52.50 Total: 190.00 plus applicable taxes. I suggest you get the car first and then decide whether you want to do this 'cause I saw an ES350 with these mouldings installed and I definitely felt that these mouldings took away from the good looks of the ES350. It sort of made the car look like an older model, and on top of that, there's no guaranty that it'll prevent dings above or below these strips.

    Alan
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    cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    I wasn't intending on getting the body molding for myself. I was just helping Richard43 (he wanted to know the price) since I was calling the Parts Department anyway. But that is interesting what you are saying about the difference in price. Makes me wonder about the other parts I was inquiring about at the dealer.

    Maybe it is a good thing that I chose to buy the chrome rims after market.

    Geez, who can you trust? Seems like everyone in auto sales is out to get you.
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    amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    Not all Lexus dealers are unscrupulous. Case in point is my dealer whom I've dealt with for over 12 years. They were extremely fair in all my dealings from purchasing my cars or getting parts.

    Alan
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    carrelman2carrelman2 Member Posts: 80
    Here we go again with the body side moldings. First of all the people that say they saw the body side moldings on the ES 350 don't know that they are not from Lexus, rather from some outside source. The Lexus moldings have not yet been shipped from the Lexus warehouse in California.They are on back order. My Lexus dealer Prestige (largest Lexus dealer on the east coast) ordered the moldings on July 3rd and order came back "CANCELLED".I took delivery on July 7th with an IOU for the moldings.THe latest is that they will be available by the end of July. Price installed should be about $200. Anyone paying more is getting ripped off. Until then watch where you park.
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    rileyjrileyj Member Posts: 13
    After a month of shopping and longer than expected process of selling my old car, I finally struck the deal at Mission Viejo Lexus. The MSRP is $41499 with navigation and park assist etc., and I paid $36972 (or $200 over invoice) plus tax and license. Beverly Hills and Glendale Lexus came very close to MV's offer but do not have the color I prefer. Longo's best offer is $1200 over invoice, and became unprofessional when the salesman start bad mouthing other dealers.

    I have questions regarding extended warranty, which the finance guy mentioned but did not try to hard sell the package:

    - Is it worth $2850 for additional 3 years 52K miles (i.e. total 7 years 100K miles)?

    - Does it make a difference if I buy the extended warranty now vs say 3 years down the road?

    - Any experience on the reliability of various electronics (especially the navigation) beyond the first 4 years?

    Appreciate any feedback.
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    zekeman1zekeman1 Member Posts: 422
    Extended warranty for $2850??! Wow...they're going to chuckle on the way to the bank if you pay that!

    I've always been offered an extended warranty on Toyota's & Lexus and never bit (nor did I ever need it). Personally, I think it's a waste of $$ unless you're going to keep the car up to 100K miles - I don't. I've never heard about being able to purchase an extended warranty after the fact

    Not sure how Consumer Reports feels about them - it might be something to research a bit. But $2850?! That's about the most I've ever heard being asked. Sounds like they're trying to make up for that $200 over invoice deal you got.
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    zekeman1zekeman1 Member Posts: 422
    Here is what Consumer Reports says about extended warranties:

    The question of extended warranties. At some point in the buying process, the dealership’s financing manager will try to sell you an extended warranty, which can cost hundreds of dollars. Consumer Reports does not recommend buying an extended warranty unless you plan on keeping a trouble-prone vehicle for an extended time after the original warranty runs out. Most manufacturer warranties are sufficient, with bumper-to-bumper coverage of at least three years or 36,000 miles and powertrain coverage that’s often longer. If you want an extended warranty, ones offered by the auto manufacturer are typically better than those offered by third-party companies.

    Some disreputable dealers may tell you that you must buy an extended warranty because the bank requires it. In fact, lenders typically don’t require it, and making you pay for one under these pretenses is illegal in some states.
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    rileyjrileyj Member Posts: 13
    Thanks for the advice and Consumer Report. I have never bought extended warranty before, and the finance manager doesn't seem to expect me to purchase anyway. The couple of cases that I heard of were both in Canada.
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    cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    After all that talk about being loyal to my local salesman, guess what I did? :surprise: .... I strayed...cheated. The more I thought about how he "took advantage of me" with that extremely high payment at first and how he hasn't followed up with me since Monday and how he didn't want a deposit for the vehicle he was ordering for me, the more uncomfortable I felt about giving HIM my business.

    It was really bugging me that I used the Beverly Hills quote to get a lower payment with my local guy when the BH dealership was the one that came in the lowest in the beginning and even provided me with Carfax information to back it up.

    I called BH today and spoke to the salesman that originally gave me that quote. I told him the whole story and within 10 minutes he matched the quote and FOUND MY CAR! He faxed me over everything in writing, including the VIN number. It will be here in 5 days.

    Why couldn't my local dealership do that? Why didn't they contacted me if the other dealership was able to find the car I wanted? (I told you earlier..."slow boat" from Japan. I just had a bad feeling about it. Woman's Intuition, I guess.)

    Now, who wants to call my other dealer for me and tell him I am not leasing through him anymore .....Psychdoc? LOL
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    psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    ***Now, who wants to call my other dealer for me and tell him I am not leasing through him anymore .....Psychdoc? LOL***

    Actually I'd love to. Sadly enough, I'm afraid the honor goes to you. You're in good shape here though as they didn't take a deposit and didn't allocate a particular car for you. It happens all the time to dealerships. Don't sweat it, they're used to this.

    You're going to love your car!

    Getting the windows tinted?

    That'll look mighty sharp on your white car.
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    paco0322paco0322 Member Posts: 10
    I got the grey interior. I had black in my silver Infinity, and when clean, it looks great. However, most of the time all of the dust and dirt showed up all of the time. I was always wiping the interior down with a leather cleaner. So far, the grey looks great and no maintenance yet. Also with all of the very hot temps we've had, it's been cooler to the touch (of course the vented seats help to). Good luck!
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    carrelman2carrelman2 Member Posts: 80
    Does anyone know the colors designated by # 01,02,03 etc.?
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    bobbo55bobbo55 Member Posts: 25
    I was wondering if anyone could help me with a dew problem . What I am trying to say is that on very humid days in the midwest, my Es 350 will get much dew formation on the windshield when the air is on and the windows are rolled up.I'll put the defrost on but it still doesn't matter.The dew forms and I end up putting on the wipers.If I turn the temp up maybe to 75 degrees this helps somewhat.But, that is too warm on a hot , humid day. Any suggestions.
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    shop4mywifeshop4mywife Member Posts: 36
    Hope this helps.

    http://www.paintscratch.com/

    ;)
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    lookinginscvlookinginscv Member Posts: 17
    Somehow cablondeblue... I am sort of happy you're getting the car from BH. There's something about our dealership... As I said from the beginning, they never followed up with me.

    Glad you're getting the exact car you want with VIN number and in a few days! I'll bet it will be beautiful. I'll be scouring the streets looking for you. I have yet to see the car in white!
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    patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    You mean on the outside of your windshield, right? I don't know that there is any more to do than what it sounds like you are already doing.

    What I do is turn the defrost on with the blower on high and use the wipers as needed. It takes less than five minutes for the temperature of the windshield glass to get warm enough that the moisture stops condensing on it.

    Does that not work for you?
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    amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    Sorry, There's nothing you can do about this condensation forming on the outside of your windshield in high humidity conditions when using your air conditioner. It's the law of physics. ;)
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    bobbo55bobbo55 Member Posts: 25
    Could someone tell me how to lift the wiper blades on the ES 350 to clean under them correctly.With my honda I had, was able to totally lift them up and clean the windshield properly.
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    trublu00trublu00 Member Posts: 5
    It is locked in the lower position. Take one in your hand and pull it upward with it still on the windshield. It takes a bit of pressure and is interesting. It took me until my second ES to figure that out.
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    amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    There is NO mention in the Owners Manual about 2 different positions for the windshield wiper arms in the ES350, as opposed to the '02-'06 ES models.
    Are you sure you're talking about the ES350, because if your not you can break the wiper mechanism by applying undue force!! :mad:

    Alan
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    trublu00trublu00 Member Posts: 5
    You are correct. That is the way that it is on my 2000 ES and 2003 ES. I do not have the 350 yet so this is my assumption. :blush:
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    ncdaydreamerncdaydreamer Member Posts: 31
    Can someone who's had Lexus "buy back" their car, because of the transmission problem, tell me what to expect, if you want another 350? What is the procedure?

    Can you work a deal to upgrade from a Premium Plus to a UL or do they strictly go with replacing what you have?

    Thanks
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    venture5venture5 Member Posts: 5
    Do you own the panoramic (front & rear seat) sunroof version of the car? When open, I understand the front sunroof slidesup /sticks up over the rear seat sunroof (at an angle). How does it look? Any issues or negatives (e.g., wind noise) when driving with it open?
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    amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    I think it looks fantastic, and the wind noise is no greater then the standard sunroof. Originally I thought I wasn't going to like it, but now I love it. It makes the car look distinctive, whether opened or closed. No rattles, no leaks, and the rear seat passengers love the idea of being able to look up and see the sky. :)
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    cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    I have a link to pictures of a Crystal White ES that shows the panoramic sunroof open. Scroll down to the 4th, 5th, 6th and last picture.

    http://clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214581
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    cdn_guycdn_guy Member Posts: 3
    Don't know if this is the right venue, but..

    I had my ES350 for 5 days (delivered June 3rd) before I stopped off at my local Shell station for some gas and a nice touch less car wash. You have to imagine both mine and my wife's surprise when both of us ended up with a wet head!

    Now before anyone asks, yes the roof was closed - I'm not that "slow."

    When I returned the car to the dealership for them to determine if I was actually "slow" (they did ask if the roof was closed!), it was with great surprise that later in the day I was called by the Service Advisor who informed me that another identical ES350 sunroof/moonroof leaked as well.

    Anyway been back and had new "3M" tape put around the roof by the dealership and had the Service "MANAGER" tell me that it only drips a little versus the wet head I had before. So back I went to the local Shell to test it out, and while my head isn't wet, the little tray underneath the glass had water in it, which leads to my questioning mold and rust.

    Am I the only one in the world with this problem? Is there a solution? I am calling the Lexus 1 800 customer service line, so am just at the beginning!

    Any help would be appreciated.

    Cheers,
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    amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    Are you talking about the Panoramic Moonroof or the standard moonroof? I bought my car with the Panoramic Moonroof the beginning of May and have gone thru some very heavy rains and haven't had any leaks at all. I think that using 3M tape is not the proper way to fix your leak. Please let me know what the customer service people tell you.

    Alan
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    x021627x021627 Member Posts: 152
    i own a 2005 es 330 and had the same issue and it did kinda scare me at how hard I hard to pull up on the wipers, but once you figure it out it is easy.
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    amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    This shifting of the wiper blades I know since I previously had a 2003 ES and it was spelled out in the Owners Manual. My Owners Manual for the ES350 says absolutely NOTHING about performing this blade shifting. It seems that the Canadian Owners Manual for the ES350 has illustrations and descriptions. My question is why the differences in Owners Manuals, and is the mechanical operation different in US cars as opposed to Canadian cars? :confuse:
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    cdn_guycdn_guy Member Posts: 3
    It is the standard moonroof. When I looked at the moonroof from the outside I was surprised by the gap between the gasket and the roof after the wet head incident.

    I do find it strange that my car and the other at the dealership were/are the only two cars to have the problem.

    I will keep you apprised of what happens.

    Cheers,
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    scmanscman Member Posts: 9
    Thanks for the advice on pairing a Bluetooh phone with the Lexus. Unfortunately, the phone I'm interested in is not listed (yet) as being compatible (Sprint - Samsung A640). The only Sprint phones listed on the website that they show are compatible are the Treo and another PDA type phone (which I don't need or want). I know the Samsung A640 is a brand new bluetooth Sprint phone, so maybe Lexus just hasn't tested it yet. I guess I need to give Lexus a call....thanks.
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    hjshjs Member Posts: 6
    cablodeblue1860,

    Your pictures look GREAT . Congratulations . I too own an ES350 with Ultra Luxury . My rear sunroof Does NOT open . Was yours a special order ?

    If not how do you open it ?
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    dgray10045dgray10045 Member Posts: 1
    Has anyone made the move from a LS400 to an ES350 ??? I presently drive a 00 LS400 and am wondering how great(or small) the difference is between the two cars. My salesperson tells me that the new ES is better, faster, etc than the older version of the LS. My test drive really didn't help as it was only for a few miles. I am very interested in buying the new ES but just want to make sure that I am making the right decision.

    Any comments ???
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    jimbresjimbres Member Posts: 2,025
    As good as the new ES is - my wife will shortly take delivery on one - I wouldn't replace a premium RWD V-8 with an entry-level FWD V-6 without first taking a long test drive. Better yet, insist on several lengthy test drives. If, after that, you prefer the new ES to your LS, you can act with confidence.
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    robynlrobynl Member Posts: 38
    Well, my dealership finally was able to find a Ruby/Cashmere UL for me. Will be delivered betweeen Aug. 21 and Sept. 1. They originally tried to hose me on the money factor as I wrote on a previous post. When I called them on it they refigured the lease numbers and wouldn't you know they were right where they should be.
    Now a question for those of you that have had your windows tinted on the ES. What brand tint do you recommend? I have been told 3M and Lumar are really good. What about Ceramic tint??? I hear that is good too. It seems that platinum in Lumar and black in the ceramic are the only choices. What would look best on the Ruby Red?

    Thanks for the feedback!!
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    zekeman1zekeman1 Member Posts: 422
    I can't imagine any color other than dark (ie, black) for tint, especially on a Lexus. Admittedly, I have stereotyped any other color with the do-it-yourselfers, usually with lots of bubbles on the back window :)

    I had Venture Shield film put on my car to protect the paint and they used the Lumar on the windows - excellent appearance. If it were me, it would only be the black, certainly not platinum on ruby...that might come across as cheesy.

    And to answer in advance the inevitable question that seems to always appear in relation to window film and satellite antennas, there is no degradation in signal if the antenna is inside. I am told that the only film which MIGHT affect the signal is one with metal in it and I'm not even sure it's made anymore.
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    jbolltjbollt Member Posts: 736
    And to answer in advance the inevitable question that seems to always appear in relation to window film and satellite antennas, there is no degradation in signal if the antenna is inside. I am told that the only film which MIGHT affect the signal is one with metal in it and I'm not even sure it's made anymore.

    Yes..the film with metal is still made and widely used. I JUST had my 07 Camry Hybrid with NAV tinted with ceramic tint. The NAV and smart key entry system both work fine. The tint place recounted a story to me where they recently tinted a Mercedes with metal at owners request, and she then couldn't get in her car with their version of the electrionic key. Had to be towed and metal film replaced with ceramic.

    BTW, they also said not to use metal tint onthe back window cause thet ais where the radio antanea is...
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    zekeman1zekeman1 Member Posts: 422
    Very interesting. I would have thought the metal stuff is obsolete now with the ceramic tint + other heat reducing films. That was the first thing I asked about tints on my last 3 cars, whether it was metal since my satellite antenna was inside to the rear. Thanks for the info.
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