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Question for someone. Is $37,800 (EXCLUDING tax, tags, etc.) reasonable for the DC/MD/N. VA area?
ycp - thanks for the feedback.
http://www.guideauto.com/CAN_EG/AutomotiveNews/suite.asp?TxtID=3626&table=Reportages&origine=1&Langue=2
Yea, one of the side-effects of producing outside of Japan is a compromise on the paint processes used. The Japanese govt is more tolerant of the older, more robust paints used in the past on cars.
I've gone on record that I'm not happy about the RX being produced outside of Japan. This is not a negative comment towards Canada, but just recognizing the fact that the current Toyota plant where it is produced is one of the best in the world according to numerous awards and surveys. Look at all the problems Mercedes and BMW had when they started to manufacture in the USA. The only saving grace for these facilities is that they are not staffed by UAW workers AFAIK, which I can't stand. But that's another story/rant.
Guy
But of course the reasons are exchange rates, escalating overseas shipping costs, and other tariffs.
I took a vacation to Disney and drove the car back to Seattle, but Cory can arrange shipping. He got me exactly the car I wanted with no hassle. The only time I had to spend at the dealership was to learn all the workings of the RX!
I love this vehicle!
Mileage on the trip back was 20mpg.
I'm looking to buy an RX 300and this will be may first luxury vehicle. Any idea what I can expect I pay for scheduled maintenance like oil changes, etc. Also, how frequently do oil changes and minor/major services need to be done?
Thanks!
Service at any luxury class dealer can be pricey. In terms of oil changes, folks sometimes take their vehicles to the lower level cousin dealers, i.e., Toyota = Lexus, Nissan = Infiniti, Honda = Acura, in order to get a cheaper price for service.
You can go to the lexus.com site and email/call them for a recommended service schedule.
If anyone has any experience with windshield repair, either the do-it-yourself kits or the mobile repair, I'd be interested to hear about it.
I am amazed! I never would have thought the difference would be this great between driving with a heavy foot, always accelerating strong from a stop and driving moderately and trying to use cruise on the highway. This has been very informative and a great relief since I was beginning to think people had to be making up the 20+ mileage for any SUV. I have decided to start driving more moderately and benefit from the 5 - 7 additional miles per gallon possible with a little constraint.
Jack Fetter
"You can pull out of here and do 90 all the way home, these cars do not have a break in period on the engine...".
This really surprised me the first time he said it in the showroom but to this day (the car is at 38,500 miles), it still runs like a champ. Though we didn't do 90 all the way home (just felt like it), I certainly did ignore any special treatment in regards to acceleration and general driving (I did try and avoid hard stops, however).
You can probably say that Lexus and BMW are 2 different manufacturers with different philosophies but I am a firm believer in that newer cars (engines specifically) do not require any special treatment. In the "old days" the tolerances on machined parts were not as accurate as today. Some may argue that car manufacturers could produce the same tolerance in 1980 as they can today, I would point out while possible, it probably did not occur with the same regularity as today nor did they have the same quality control (computers) in place back then to catch the occasional "out-of-spec" part.
Everyone should do what they feel comfortable with but I for one drove my RX pretty much the same from day one as I do today (with the exception of avoiding hard braking which I believe will possibly warp the rotors). Granted we only have 1,800 miles and it could fall apart tomorrow but I truly believe that the days of the break-in period on modern engines are a thing of the past.
Lexus is probably trying to cover all angles and say "hey, the thing probably doesn't need it but it certainly can't hurt". In my opinion, driving following the letter of the break-in advice will result in an engine that was never stressed enough in the initial 1,000 miles but that's just my opinion...
Jack Fetter
More information on how the EPA MPG figures are determined can be found here. Warning: extremely dry and mind-numbing reading.
Dr. Mark
dr.m.levine@snet.net
Thanks
THANKS
Living in the south, I'd be a bit more inclined to get a FWD, as it DOES get better mileage.
I believe that resale is also dependent on the area. Trying to sell an AWD vehicle in Florida is difficult, which is the same as selling a FWD in the Northeast.
If you get lots of ice during the winter, it may be wise to get a AWD vehicle (but it won't help you to stop).
This is all IMO...
-Craig
Audi doesn't use AWD, nor does Subaru simply because those buyers only drive in ice and snow. I submit that it's for allweather performance and not just ice and snow.
You may lose 1-2 mpg.....if that's a priority, cost wise, you don't need a Lexus to begin with. I don't mean to sound arrogant, but 2 mpg difference amounts to approx $100/yr in gas costs and, in a $35-65K vehicle (the entire Lexus range), doesn't mean squat, if you can afford the vehicle in the first place.
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OK here is the ball game:
The 1st mod will be the High Flow ECU tuned intake system, very similar to the GS and IS setup. We are expecting at least a 20HP increase and about 1.5-2 mpg improvement. Available in 4 weeks.
After that will come two mild flavors of supercharged forced induction:
Stage 1: 4.5 PSI non intercooled ~ +75HP
Stage 2: 6.5 PSI intercooled ~ 120HP
The FI kits will be available sometime in late August.
Thanks guys/gals I will keep you informed as time progresses.
PS. The HRE wheels can fit wider wheels without the need for spacers.
Muhammad I. Choudhury
C.E.O./C.O.O.
Swift Racing Technologies
www.swiftracing.com
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There you have it! Can you imagine anywhere from 20 to 120 extra horsepower for the RX?! Unreal.
tankertoad: 235 should be ok even on the stock rims but i stayed with the 225s when I replaced the Integritys on my wife's 99. Considering the car's mission in life and relatively low cornering limits, I don't think you'll realize any performance gains. Your steering feel, both straightline and cornering, as well as tracking will all improve remarkably just from the switch to the CrossTerrains. But I bet the 235s looked a little better!!! ("It is better to look good than to feel good!!")
I've read that the Bridgestones are better than the Goodyears. From driving the RX in the past month, I've been relatively happy with them. I drove moderately hard during a rain storm and was unable to get the RX to slide or skid.
Would it be worth the upgrade to Cross Terrains?
As for fuel, the RX can take 87-93. The higher the octane, the "higher" the performance and fuel mileage (and higher the cost of the gas). The computer will recognize a lower grade of gas and compensate so the engine won't knock.
Look back in previous posts. Some have done experiments with different gas grades and actually did get better MPG with 91/93 compared to 87. This may offset the increase in fuel prices. Some have seen better performance, and others have not.
-Craig
I have tried to see if Michelin LTX/MS 255/65/16 would fit on the original 16" rim. Guess what, it did! The RX looked great; a little higher, wider, and more muscular. However, because I have the front brush guard, the tires did rub against the metal of these gurards on sharp corners. I had to go back to the originals. For those of you who don't have these metal guards, I think it should work fine. No need for the spacers. There is approx 1/2" (front) and 1/4" (back) clearance from the struts. If you decide to get the tires replaced, don't forget to replace the spare also if you have an AWD. Being an all time four wheel drive,the diameter for all tires must be the same. There is approx 0.7" difference between the two. Also regarding the spare, even though it will fit in the back of the trunk, the cover will not close properly. You may need a velcro, or some other means. It shouldn't rattle, since it is carpeted.
While FWD is likely "perfect" for starting up or accelerating in snowy or icy conditions they have the opposite affect when slowing or stopping, the "extra" braking applied to only the front wheels due to the engine "braking" torque can often make the difference between a controlled stop with the front wheels maintaining directional "adhesion" with the roadbed or not, remember, ABS cannot "decouple" the engine.
The RX does "manage" the automatic transmission in some mysterious way to reduce the effects of engine braking and this likely helps in both cases.
Cadillac uses an over-running clutch so that engine braking isn't ever applied to the front, driven, wheels when slowing or stopping and "active" traction control to reduce engine perfromance on acceleration if too much torque is delivered to the front, driven, wheels.
Can anybody give me a guesstimate of what my labor cost would be to install the thing.
If it really does gain 20 hp and does not void my warranty, I'd do it in a heartbeat.
I was educated by this discussion board about the Goodyear Integrity tires, and part of my deal was the agreement to swap out the Goodyears for Michelins as first choice, and Bridgestones as second choice. The salesman waited for over a month after we took delivery and checked all the RX300's delivered to the dealership and found that none were coming in with the Michelins, some had Bridgestone's, and most were Goodyears. They swapped out the Goodyears for brand new Bridgestones after we had over 1300 miles on the car. The first service inspection was done as a house call with the appointment set up the day we picked up the car.
I took Tonychrys' advice and bought the Husky floor liners and these were great protection during this past messy NE Winter. Speaking of protection, I sent in an order to Zaino Bros. for their various polishing and cleaning supplies. I found them an easy company to deal with, and an email I sent to Sal Zaino for some information was answered in the same day. I'm just waiting for a warm non-rainy weekend to put the full treatment on the car. I've used the car wash a couple of times and I've been impressed with the results.
Thanks again for the help and education. There is nowhere else that a consumer can get unbiased and truthful information, both pro and con, about a major car purchase. If any of you are reading this and trying to decide between a Lexus RX300 and other competing models, I can only say that we are not sorry we chose the RX 300. For the few people who wrote in and tried to compare the Highlander with the RX 300, and try to point out a large price difference, I advise you to look long and hard at the warranties and service, plus add in all the positives previously listed on this board that you won't find in the Highlander, and you will find you are comparing apples and oranges. When we were shopping around we test drove the Highlander and found it to be a good car. When we sat down to negotiate, we found that there was no negotiation. Supply and demand at that time led to sticker price and only fully loaded vehicles were being brought in. The salesman's attitude was if we didn't buy one from him, someone coming in the door behind us would. We ended up paying $1000 more for the RX300. End of story.
Just as an FYI, I called Lexus Corporate about a month ago regarding the factory tires. The 2001 Rex only comes from the factory with either the Goodyears or Bridgestones, and get this: there's no way to tell which ones! Yup, they said they put both on in the assembly line, no rhyme or reason. So you did real good by holding out for the Bridgestones, I can't wait to get rid of these GY Integricraps.
Enjoy the miles and good luck.
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The installation depends on your particular dealer, there are a few that are OK to do the install, however unfortunately most are still being cautious.
Pricing:
HFI: $675 - 4-6 weeks
Stage 1 SC: ~$4,250 - 3 months.
Stage 2 SC: ~$5,750 - 3 months.
You will be surprised as to how strong the RX engine is, and the tranny is bullet proof as it is designed to handle in the neighborhood of towing +4,000lbs.
I can't wait to get our RX to the times of 0-60mph under the 5sec. range, makes me salivate every time I think of the 4WD doing a power launch.
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I can't wait....
What some of us don't like about the GYs is that they are designed more for comfort than handling performance. They are made with a very compliant sidewall construction. What this means is that the wall of the tire (where the lettering is) has a lot of "give" and can flex. This allows the tire to absorb some of the road bumps and adds to the ride comfort. The downside is that this "flexing" also makes handling a little sloppy. The vehicle can tend to "wander" in high cross-winds, taking curves at high speeds, and other hard-driving situations.
For day-to-day driving I'm sure the GY's are ok. Some of us just want better and more predicatable handling under all driving conditions.
Hope this helps, and enjoy the miles.