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My husband has a new corvette and he just ordered the chromes for his. I cant let him be one up on me. Thanks I will await some replies
Happy new year to all
The question you need to ask yourself is how far over invoice you are. Be sure to inclulde the $545 destination in your invoice price. I just inked a deal for $1,219 over invoice for a vehicle identical to yours except for HID headlights and the spoiler. I'm in the Milwaukee/Chicago area and found that out of the 12 dealers in the region this was the best deal I could get. I used the FightingChance.com method. Based on feedback from other buyers it looks like $1,000 over invoice is around what people are able to negotiate. If you can do better - please let the rest of us know how you did!
- SF Bay (inv+$3K, Magnussen)
- Middle Calif (inv+$2K, Monterey)
- LA area (inv+$900, Glendale&Riverside)
- San Diego (inv+$510, Kearny/Bill Armstrong)
Keep in mind that invoice includes base, options, $545 delivery fee, and the local advertising fee).
For me, I selected 2WD VP NV RF DR C1 WL and the invoice in California was $34806. I ended up selecting Gilbert Chang at Glendale for $35706 since he has the exact color/config coming in today. I'll report on this long distance purchasing experiment on Monday.
Note that all RX's I've seen come with DR-Accessory Crossbars at 113/183 which aren't listed on Edmunds invoice sheet (see cars.com). Nobody was willing to remove these next-to-useless appendages from the deal.
I'm very interested in getting a RX300 but could not find any review/comparison of RX300 anywhere. I know car&drive and Motor trend had compared it with other SUV but I believe they used the 2000 model which is not fair for RX300 since there are a number of improvements made in the 2001 model. Edmunds' review on RX300 was also on 2000. Anyone seen any review on 2001 RX300?
They are beginning to become available in a variety of sizes. Check:
www.crossterrainsuv.com
A caveat is that stickier tires on an SUV whose suspension may not be designed for them COULD be an issue.
Have about 1500 total miles now and the difference, even with the little time spent with the OEM Goodyears, was VERY noticeable - and we're far from professional drivers. Tracks better, handling is more precise (due, I believe, to stiffer construction of the Michelins), and, overall, there's just a lot more confidence in day-to-day street and freeway driving (we don't offroad).
Also, my tire dealer measured the amount of tread on these new Michelins for my road hazard warranty - and it was a full 12/32nds; apparently, most tires have between 9 or 10/32nds of depth. So there's a chance you will get a lot more miles out of these.
By the way, my son's Explorer Sport has the Mich LTX and they're an excellent tire as well.
Also, I'm debating between the 300 and the Acura MDX. Any opinions?
Thanks.
Anything that I should know in advance that you wished you had known when you first got your Lexus? (Did that make any sense!? ...smile)
Thanks.
As to whether to get the MDX or RX300, it's simple: You can't get an MDX. Or you can if you are willing to go on a waiting list.
I test drove the RX300, it's nice, but not worth it for me. I do technology for a living and that LCD display in the console drove me nuts. No steering controls for the stereo and cruise made a big difference also, I do about 700 miles a week.
For about $4000 less I'm looking to get a loaded Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited with everything I want in it.
Happy motoring and good luck with whatever you decide.
TC
love my rx300 :-)
Don't get me wrong, I think the RX300 is a fine vehicle. THe fit and finish is impressive (All the body seams under the natch, hood, etc. were smooth and painted). I just don't think it provides good value/features for the money they are asking when compared to other models on the market now. Yes, it nice that the Lexus dealer has free loaners, pick-up service, etc. But for the $4000 price difference I could take that money and invest it and let it earn interest. Should cover anything that goes wrong beyond the warranty period.
I still haven't bought yet, and I don't know what I will do until the last second. Who knows?
TC
89/92 for the mountains. I do not have 1000 miles on my AWD and averaged
between 20.and 21 on hwy/mountain driving.
The RX made the trip extremely comfortable and handled well on the
Bridgestone tires. NAV worked perfect to take us to our destination. What I like
best is the readout for miles left to distination and the estimated arrival time
have been right on.
Only problem in 2 months has been a slight clicking noise from the dash area.
Anyone else experience this noise?
For NewtoSUV, I use 89 octane and found it works best. Regular is okay and they say the
engine is configured to handle it. The 89 just seems to make it run better. 92 octane does not
improve anything.
Also I'm assuming the $35,750 covers everything such as regional advertising. Is that reasonable?
Thank you!
I've been driving domestic sub's since 88 and I'm looking forward to a change,never owned a nexus,for that matter never owned any Japanese vehicle,I want a luxury sub and I think this could be real nice what do you think?,I tow a couple of jet skis, 2k in weight in the summer months and I think the rx300 will be o. how its ability to tow?,and finally on the dash is a switch that says ems, is that the electronic stability system to help with keeping the vehicle from tipping over, if so how well does it work?
would greatly appreciate any feedback,thanks
The delivery of this RX had been delayed for 2-3 weeks but he'd expected it to arrive last friday night. We got the msg from him that it hadn't arrived from Lexus after we'd checked in for our flight so we went down anyway to wait it out.
Gilbert picked us up at the airport in an LS430 and took us to the dealership where he arranged to get us a loaner RX '01 to use while we were waiting for our car to arrive.
After cruising all Saturday with no new news, we decided to cancel our other plans and stay until Sunday. By Sunday afternoon we asked Gilbert about other choices. He searched other dealerships for a Blue Vapor Nav 2WD but no luck.
On Sunday, we polled 9 other dealers in the LA area and it was clear that the only NAV units were either loaded or colors we didn't like. In the end, on Sunday near closing time we decided to take our 2nd choice color (Green Opalescent) which Gilbert had on the lot along with Black and Sunset Mist.
Needless to say, we were hoping for a smoother transaction. In fairness to Gilbert and the rest of the folks at Glendale Lexus they were apologetic and sincere (just overly optimistic and out of touch with Lexus' contracted shipping company).
They provided us with a free loaner and when push came to shove, they renotiated a great deal (especially for a NAV) to accomodate our extra expenses ($120) and frustration. This was especially satisfying as we were essentially stranded at their dealership and in a poor bargaining position.
In the end, we bought for only $400 over invoice and got a free cargo mat and paint kit. The fact that it was 12/31 may have helped.
Details:
9420 VP NV RF C1 DR WL
MSRP $39566, Paid $35206, INV $34806
(note...inv includes dest and local ad fees)
BTW...If you're looking for a 2WD Blue Vapor with Nav...it looks like Gilbert will have one arriving soon. Just make sure he actually has it before flying out to LA :-)
What about the Nav System? Is it worth it? I've read the reviews on other Nav systems like the QX4/PF and most folks say don't bother, a paper map is more convenient. Is the RX300 system usable?
Or should/can I just put an after market in?
Thanks for humoring me.
TC
Pete
I've played with most of the Nav's on the market and IMHO the latest generation of DVD based systems are the only ones that provide good enough databases and intuitive software refinements to be truly useful.
The Lexus implementation is extremely well done and was immediately useful to us. The Acura system is also excellent but selecting places on the map and clicking buttons takes slightly longer when using their joystick.
One thing I am concerned about is that I am a weekend Tim Allen once in awhile. Will The RX300 be my friend at Home Depot? Is there cargo area friendly to large items? For example what's the widest part of the cargo area floor (for laying down sheets of material)?
djasonw: I also live in Nassua County and would really value your input also since you have driven both vehicles.
Thanks!
Is this something lexus offers to everyone with the high credit score? Or is it particular to a dealership or location. I am in Chicago and purchased mine from McGrath Lexus.
A tech drove it, said he pushed down on the dash and the noise went away. Of course, it's still there, but perhaps a bit quieter now.
The dealer (Lexus of Rockville, MD), claims there's a Service Bulletin for this and on my next service, they will need the car for an entire day to remove the dash and add more insulation. Not sure I will do it, the noise is very minor and don't want to risk them messing something up.
Btw, using every discount I could muster, I walked out with $276 less dollars in my wallter. Other DC area dealers wanted $325/350 for the 15k service. My Rx is 2000 AWD.
PDS
2001 All wheel drive, Premium Package Plus, Heated Seats, Luggage Rack, Cargo Mat, Wheel Locks, Destination, and $1,500 year end discount = $34,331.
I bought it for $35,550 in Milwaukee. We have had over 40" of snow just in the month of December (we normally get 40" during the entire winter) so demand has stayed strong for SUV's regardless of the economy. They won't be having any tag days for the owner of the Lexus dealership!
Good luck to those of you just starting the buying process!
The only way that I know of that this can become a problem is if you don't change your oil regularly. How often did you change your oil/filter?
a) Normal FWD that automatically distributes torque to rear as the wheels slip.
b) FWD and RWD with a 80/20 (or something similar) split between the axels under normal conditions, with progressive redistribution as needed.
c) All wheels actually being driven at the same, with near equal torque under normal conditions, redistribution to any wheel as needed.
d) something else I'm missing.
Can anybody provide a link to how the system ACTUALLY works?
TIA,
TC
Pete
First of all anyone told this must have not changed oil according to recommendations (7500 mile OK). Secondly, I do not believe the sludge stories. This basic engine has been around since 1994 in Camry V-6. The 3.0 VVTI is used now by ES 300, RX 300, Sienna, and Avalon. Give me a break.
If anyone has concrete information, please share. Why have I seen 99 RX 300's with 50,000 miles and no problems. Why have I seen Carmy V-6's with over 100,000 miles and no problems. This is fishy.
INKY
What services are provided for $276.00? Did you feel the cost was worth it? Does Lexus allow you to have this done by an independent mechanic or does that adversely affect the warranty?
TC