There are 2 "recalls" (4LB and 4LC) euphemistically termed Special Service Campaigns (SSC's). If you're registered on the Lexus Owners website, you can readily check, like I did-that I need to go to my dealer ASAP.....
Oh well, at least it hasn't caught up with me yet at 6200 miles.
I've had 4 Toyota cars (3 of them Lexi),1 Mercedes(ML),5 BMWs(325td,325,330,540,MINI Cooper S) and this is the most major replacement recall I've ever experienced. Some of the cars I had were first year cars-ML(worst for MB) and MINI S(near trouble-free)-tells you that sometimes,it's all about DUMB LUCK.
The problem with the locking wheel may be the result of the following: When a person turns the engine off and removes the key then uses the wheel as a brace similar to trying to turn the wheel in the locked position, this could lock the wheel lock. This condition is not new, probably started with the 1933 Ford locking wheel. I have had this problem several times with similar cars that I have driven. I have always corrected thee problem by puting the key in ignition and turning the key slightly, at the same time rock the wheel a little to the right and left. This method has never failed me.
I have the Briarwood color, and 2 days after I bought the car, someone backed into me. I took the car to the Body shop that USAA recommended. They had done some work on my previous Lexus 430. I was especially concerned about the new color, as I bought the car in Nov 2003. I was told not to worry. The computer codes for the paint color are on the door, and they can match any color, just like Home Depot etc. They were absolutely right. A perfect match. Just make sure that the repair shop "bakes" the area that was repaired. This will give a factory finish.
I received the recall for the fuel pump today. There is an improperly molded fuel pump impellor, that my become deformed do to alcohols in the fuel. The fuel pump could seize, causing the engine to stall. The repair takes about an hour. Try to have it fixed with only a small amount of gas in the tank.
Allan, Thanks for the info. The shop the Lexus dealership uses is their own. They claimed to use all the latest tools and techniques. But, since I have the silver metallic, which is one of the hardest to match, I am not holding my breath until I see it again later this week.
The only good thing is no one got hurt and I am just another 'bull market' away from trading in this LS430.
I'm sure they'll do a nice job, to make it unnoticable they must do a blend into the adjacent panel(s) and lightly fog it in. A good refinisher knows this and should make it appear so. The repair and new paint should look seamless and just melt into the original.
Make sure you inspect the car in full sunlight when complete, it will instantly show any blemishes which indicates subpar work. Pearl white is one of the toughest colors to match and look not repainted.
The strange thing was I had to fix my Honda Prelude back in 1985 and while the grey metallic paint looked factory during the day, it revealed a different shading under street light at night.
I am afraid of this again. The Lexus shop agent even said something like this was possible as the mechanical arms that paint the Lexus at the factory are all shooting at the frames at a certain angle. The people who do the body shop painting just cannot replicate these angles.
Sounded reasonable to me, but I couldn't see the scientific backbone of that explanation.
I was curious about the other cars LS owners have.
(BTW I'm not asking for this information to solicit gratuitous bragging rights as much as to determine what kinds of other automobile tastes this forum has)
I've been all Lexus since 1995. My other vehicle is a GX470. It's really a matter of need. I need a lux sedan and a good sized suv. My last car as a single person in the early 80's though was a Porsche 944.
Similar to ljflx, have '04 LS430 and '01 MDX but I have growing teenagers in the house about to drive. Will keep MDX as 3rd vehicle for teenage drivers and spouse will buy new van/SUV for space requirements in late '05/early '06. Will look at Ody & Sienna when time comes along with what changes are to MDX.
Current car is the 2003 LS430 now in the body shop.
Had 2001 Mercedes S500 for 3 years before that. Had 2000 Mercedes ML430 for 11 months before that. 1998 Lexus ES300 for 1.5 years 1985 Honda Prelude for 11 years 1985 Honda CRX-Si for 2 crazy "single years"
Seriously thinking about that phantom V-12 LS nowadays.
My brother has a 2002 Acura CL-S that is silver. Twice somebody has hit him and he has had body work (driver's front fender and passenger rear fender).
On my recommendation he had the work done both times at the Lexus authorized body shop. I can tell you his car looks flawless. Even in direct sunlight you cannot tell his car was repainted, and as I said he has silver. You shouldn't have anything to worry about.
Besides my '01 LS430, which is my daily driver, we have an '02 SC430, my wife's daily driver, and an '04 LX470, which we use for hauling and for road trips. I traded an '04 Sienna for the LX two months ago, much to the disappointment of my wife, who loved the Sienna. We also have an '04 Camry XLE (4 cyl), which the teenage daughter drives. As you can see, I'm a real Lexus/Toyota fan! I'm also a car nut. You can't beat a Lexus for reliability and the dealer experience.
I'm a current LS430 owner (2002) and Ls400 owner (1992). I've owned the 1992 from new, and love to brag about it's spotless reliability record. I had a 98 LS from new and traded it for the LS430..I traded a 1989 Buick Park Avenue for the '92 LS...I'm predominately a Lexus fan, though my enthuasiasm has been tempered by the trouble my LS430 has given me. I'm likely to sell this car next year and get a '03 Jaguar XJ unless the '06 LS is a real looker...
I just received the notification from Lexus today that both the fuel pump & transmission need to be replaced on my 2004 LS430. I am bringing it into the dealer for this work on Monday, August 10. I am a little disappointed, but looking at it in a positive light, I loved the car with the supposed problems, but now I will love it even more. The only problem I detected was that there has been some hesitation when turning a corner & stepping on the accelerator. By the way, I don't know how much difference it has made, but I have been using 10% ethanol fuel since it is recommended in the owner's manual.
At least it appears to be a timely "Recall". I have read about another Japanese Car Manufacturer has been remiss regards Recalls. I'm proud that Lexus is stepping up to the plate and recalling the defective components. This only goes to enhance their reputation of quality and perfection.
I drive an 04 LS430. My wife drives an 04 RX330. Am driving my fifth new Lexus, before that I drove Cadillac. Since switching to Lexus, I have talked most of my family members and several friends into switching to Lexus--In the seventies I traveled for an American Automobile manufacturer and it was hard to buy that first Japanese car--but it was the best move I've made in years.
I have also received notice from Lexus to replace my transmission. Its nice to receive a personal phone call rather than a form letter in the mail.
I have also noticed a shift pattern that drops the transmission into first gear when turning a corner. If I try to accelerate, the engine revs to 2500 rpm's before shifting to a higher gear. If the transmission is placed in "snow" mode, this does not occur. The service representative states that the new transmission will be installed with new software management. That should eliminate this problem.
For crying out loud..Reminds me when the acelerator gizmo broke (five or six years ago) The car was seven hundred miles from home, and had to be towed two hundred miles, and returned in a week..I paid for my own boarding, but lexus affered to pay...All in all I felt well treated..I paid for my own boarding, as I was staying at the vacation house which I already had paid for. Tony
I have my 2003 LS430 Ultra which is my wife's business car. I drive a 2004 VW Touareg and we have a 2000 Jeep Grand Cherokee LTD for when we both need 4X4 and for towing and hauling. The LS430 is our fifth Lexus (1992 LS400, 1997 ES300, 1999 ES300, 2000 LS400) and we are Lexus believers!! The Touareg is my first German ride and ,so far, we are very happy with it.
i have a 2001 LS430 with nav/lev system. it now has about 40,000 miles on it, about 35000 of them highway miles. new tirest at 18,000, new front brakes at 18,000 (ridiculous)? new rear brakes at 36,000, replaced front brakes have 5000 miles left left!? correct me if im wrong but arent brakes(the worst of the worst) supposed to last at least 40k? each time i go in for an oil change the dealer gets me for something. also, my nav system, virtually useless, GPS signal 5% of the time, otherwise im in the ocean, and thats when i dont get no disk detected 50% of the time. i talked to the dealer and they said they would order a replacement harddrive? that better be under warranty. has anyone else experienced this or is the dealer really ripping me off?
Just picked up my new LS430 with Mod Lux and smart key. I had been leaning toward S430 4Matic as I prefer its looks and am actually a bit bias toward German type ride but in the end could not justify 350-400 per month difference on lease. MB was giving great factory incentive of 6K back and the dealers are selling at invoice but the lease is not as attractive and the car still sells for about 10K more in the market place.
I think I got a good deal at end of month on LS (about 6500 off).
I am Very happy with my choice. I really wanted Blue Tooth, and the ML system and those 2 items alone make the Lexus the clear winner for me.
I was able to down load my phone book from my Sony Ericsson phone in about 3 minutes once we figured it out (call customer care from Sony if you need help). I bit the bullet and went for the factory installed Sat. Radio which is too expensive but my 20 year old son said it best, "This is awesome!"
The ride is sublime and the acceleration is terrific.
The dealer was not what a luxury experience should be about, however. The negotiations were "old school" meaning full of voodoo numbers and old tricks ("we made a mistake on the calculation, you must take delivery by tomorrow"), high pressure tactics, double teaming etc. Very disappointing I almost walked but it was the car I wanted, so I bit the bullet. Next time I will not even enter a dealership to purchase a Lexus but do all via phone and fax. BMW and MB were much nicer experiences.
Same with delivery experience. Sat radio was not activated by dealer and when I called to do so was told that dealer needs to do it so that I can save on activation fee and free first month. No luxury aspect in picking up car. Just sat in lot with salesperson and he went over car with me. They were delivering many cars that day and it was a bit stressfull as they were running way behind schedule and I had to wait a bit. We did not finish and I had to go back the next day.
But love the car so far.
One thing I don't understand is the shift options. If you put the button in power mode does that hold the gears longer for a sporty type of drive? By putting lever to left I know you can "manually shift" but I don't really get how the ranges (1-6) work or why and when you'd use). With gear shift lever to right (normal position) will the car use gears 1-6?
Maybe someone can explain better than the manual.
Thanks for everyone's help and input in the past which was useful information in making my decision to "join the club".
Gang...I am now totally confused on replacement tires. It appears the Bridgestone Turenza's are the preferred tire for the LS. I went to tire rack.com to check them out and there were several Turenza models to choose from. How do I know which one is best...here's what I want in a tire: 1. smooth quiet ride 2. I don't go more than 80 miles per hr 3. I have 17 in wheels 4. Pretty good handling 5. I live in So Calif so weather is not a factor...it's always summer here. 6. I don't care about cost; but like most Lexus people, I don't want to spend more money than I really need to. 7. Good life span...durable...I've got 31K on my original Dunlops, and probably have another 5K or so left. HELP!!
My brakes lasted 43,000 miles. My nav system works very well except when I am by a Ocean town. [i.e. Sag Harbor N.Y.] when for some unknown reason it places me in the water and I dont know where I am it could be the Caspian Sea. Once I drive out of Sag Harbor it kicks in and behaves normally. This is not a daily occurrence but at least once a month I am off to sea. Be careful of the rotor rip off, when they change your brakes or you bring the car in for State Inspection you may be told your rotors are gone and are not covered by the 4 year warranty only the 12 month warranty.. Bull. It does sound as if their is a glitch in your Nav system and that should be covered... Good Luck
It's cars built up to a certain date in January - so November builds are likely in the recall group. It doesn't look like a serious recall and if I had been in it I'd just do it at the next service.
topspin - good luck. You really did your homework. The extra power button just gives you added 0-60 power and torque and I don't think it has any noticable effect on gas mileage.
I drive my 01 in the NW states the only place I had even a minor nav. reception problem was in Salt Lake...I have driven in Canada Washington Oregon Idaho Montana Arizona California and Except for Salt Lake...and then only for about 20 minutes....
IF I HAD THE BAD LUCK YOU HAVE HAD I WOULD BE DRIVING A DIFFERENT CAR...MAYBE A NICE DEPENDABLE AUDI OR BMW OR MERCEDES.
Definitely do not get the Turanza ER33s. You'll notice that in the Tire Rack's ratings the ER33s rank near the bottom, and deservedly so. My LS430 came with them originally, and when they needed replacement (at about 27000 miles) I made the mistake of getting them again.
I understand the "build dates" for the two Recalls are as follows: The Fuel Pump Recall build date starts June 18, 2003 and the Transmission Recall build date starts June 30, 2003 through a date in January 2004. I'm going in for 15,000 service tomorrow and Lexus Customer Service suggested that I not have the transmission serviced as they were going to change it out soon.
You can check your "Build Date/Month" by checking the sticker on the bottom of the door sill on the drivers door. There are two other stickers on the door jamb near the locking mechanism. So if your car was built after the two dates in June (18 or 30) and up to a date in January 2004, you will receive the appropriate recall notice.
1978 Porsche SC Targa 1993 Ford Ranger PU 1994 Ford Aerostar AWD 1992 LS400 2001 AWD(??) RX300 2001 Porsche C4
The 78 was my first Porsche and wife will not let me sell it. 93 PU is for garbage and yard waste/work. Aerostar is company hauling vehicle and backup for the RX, the Aerostar AWD actually is. LS is still around because it is perfection. C4......well, you understand.
Does anyone on this board know if Lexus will simply replace the entire transmission or just replace the defective parts inside the transmission housing? Does this transmission recall affect EVERY SINGLE 2004 LS 430 unit built during the affected dates or just some of the units?
I do have some suggestions but it has been awhile for me since I bought.
1) Check prices using Edmonds and the country wide listings...The two top dealers in the country are JR lexus (I think that is right) is So Florida and Longo Lexus in So California. I flew 1500 miles to Longo to buy my car and would do it again. From my research the above 2 dealers and dealers in the Mid-West seem to have the best deals.
2) It will be difficult to find just the right car in the right color...If you can I would recommend finding an Ultra...a used (pre-owned) Ultra can be a great deal because you get everything but the additional cost is only about 20% of the orginal mark up. I really could care less about the vibrating seats but like most everything else on my Ultra and if you are going to buy a car that will last 10 years if you want it to ...Get EVERYTHING.
3) Get a Certified Lexus gives you an additional 3 years of what amounts to a new car warrenty...Remember to certify the car costs the dealer between $1000 and $2000 and that will be in the price.
4) As with any used car look for the lowest miles you can get...Yes LS430s are good for Lots and Lots of miles but low miles is always better...you should find something easily with less then 40,000 and probably with less then 30,000 if you look hard enough and are willing to fly somewhere to pick it up.
They are really great cars...all the little stuff like the eye glass holder and the coin thing, and the garge door and fence opener, and the auto windshield wipers and the button that lowers the rear head rests after someone has been in the back seat, and the side mirrors dimming automatically as well as the rearview mirror and the puddle lights and the side view mirrors that automatically fold in when you turn off the car depending on how you want to set it. The upper and lower bulsters for your back, the cooled and heated seats, the button that raises and lowers the rear sun screen, the button for raising and lowering the head rests, The laser cruse control, the compartment for your cell phone, 2 glove boxes and storage under the seats, and it just goes on and on and on IT TRULY IS AN AWSOME CAR.
Michael, I should have known you would respond you are all over this board and very passionate about lexus which makes me at ease knowing I am talking to the right person. I don't remember but you responded earlier to one of my posts. I am the one interested in my brother in-laws car. He probably has around 25k, i am not sure of all of the options i don't think he got the ML system but he does have nav. The buyout is $35.5 and I think the offer extends to immediate family which is his sister aka my wife. I have watched this board and sure there are instances of people having specific problems with cars and dealer nightmares. My wife and I had a baby recently and looking around the $30k range you can't buy much car. I know the lexus is quality and that these cars while expensive to maintain do last a long time. With bank rates so high, we will be forced to pay cash or go in another direction. We are close to a elite dealer now the only question remaining for my wife and I is do we pay the piper know with the hope that this car will pay back dividens over the years to come. I am hoping the bank will at least knock off a little something being that they know have to dispose off the car. your thoughts are most appreciated
Looks like an awsome price to me for a car with less then 30 K.
the Nav. system is a must as far as I am concerned. My guess is the car also has MK since it was usually sold as a package with Nav.
If you haven't spent any time driving the car maybe you could get your brother-in-law to switch cars with you for a weekend. Once you drive it you will know you want it....
That is typical of a buyout price - 60-62% of original sticker after 3 years and 36k miles. The lower the miles the higher the price if you were buying full retail. Of course if this car was being sold by the dealer it woould fetch $42-44K. So the lease buyout gives you a 20% off sale. That difference was - of course paid by the leaseholder - just don't tell him. Good luck - its the best pre-owned car car in the world and you can buy it at 80% of the proper price.
If you want to know how far these cars can go - a friend bought my 95 LS400 and it now has over 250K miles, is still going strong and just needs to be maintained. But the mileage is rural and highway - not city. Be advised though - once you cross 125K miles the maintenance isn't cheap.
WOW this board is the best, I can't believe the wealth of knowledge. thanks for the info i suspected the maintenance is high but i don't put a lot of miles on per year and i guess i will cross that bridge when it comes. Are you familar with buyouts extending to the immediate family? I have to get my hands on the lease from my brother in law as soon as he finds it.
A family member wanted to buy out my LX470 but didn't do so in the end. But I had mentioned the likelihood of it to my salesman and he said just bring him in and they'd do the paperwork. I don't see you having any problem buying it out. If your brother-in law is leasing a new Lexus - than it will really be a piece of cake. Where are you located?
Comments
Oh well, at least it hasn't caught up with me yet at 6200 miles.
I've had 4 Toyota cars (3 of them Lexi),1 Mercedes(ML),5 BMWs(325td,325,330,540,MINI Cooper S) and this is the most major replacement recall I've ever experienced. Some of the cars I had were first year cars-ML(worst for MB) and MINI S(near trouble-free)-tells you that sometimes,it's all about DUMB LUCK.
Harry
Thanks for the info. The shop the Lexus dealership uses is their own. They claimed to use all the latest tools and techniques. But, since I have the silver metallic, which is one of the hardest to match, I am not holding my breath until I see it again later this week.
The only good thing is no one got hurt and I am just another 'bull market' away from trading in this LS430.
Make sure you inspect the car in full sunlight when complete, it will instantly show any blemishes which indicates subpar work. Pearl white is one of the toughest colors to match and look not repainted.
I am afraid of this again. The Lexus shop agent even said something like this was possible as the mechanical arms that paint the Lexus at the factory are all shooting at the frames at a certain angle. The people who do the body shop painting just cannot replicate these angles.
Sounded reasonable to me, but I couldn't see the scientific backbone of that explanation.
(BTW I'm not asking for this information to solicit gratuitous bragging rights as much as to determine what kinds of other automobile tastes this forum has)
P.S. me: 2001 LS430, 1998 Landcruiser, 1997 Miata, 1973 Mustang convertible
Had 2001 Mercedes S500 for 3 years before that.
Had 2000 Mercedes ML430 for 11 months before that.
1998 Lexus ES300 for 1.5 years
1985 Honda Prelude for 11 years
1985 Honda CRX-Si for 2 crazy "single years"
Seriously thinking about that phantom V-12 LS nowadays.
On my recommendation he had the work done both times at the Lexus authorized body shop. I can tell you his car looks flawless. Even in direct sunlight you cannot tell his car was repainted, and as I said he has silver. You shouldn't have anything to worry about.
I'm a current LS430 owner (2002) and Ls400 owner (1992). I've owned the 1992 from new, and love to brag about it's spotless reliability record. I had a 98 LS from new and traded it for the LS430..I traded a 1989 Buick Park Avenue for the '92 LS...I'm predominately a Lexus fan, though my enthuasiasm has been tempered by the trouble my LS430 has given me. I'm likely to sell this car next year and get a '03 Jaguar XJ unless the '06 LS is a real looker...
SV
http://www-odi.nhtsa.dot.gov/cars/problems/recalls/recallsearch.c- - - fm
I have also noticed a shift pattern that drops the transmission into first gear when turning a corner. If I try to accelerate, the engine revs to 2500 rpm's before shifting to a higher gear. If the transmission is placed in "snow" mode, this does not occur. The service representative states that the new transmission will be installed with new software management. That should eliminate this problem.
it now has about 40,000 miles on it, about 35000 of them highway miles. new tirest at 18,000, new front brakes at 18,000 (ridiculous)? new rear brakes at 36,000, replaced front brakes have 5000 miles left left!? correct me if im wrong but arent brakes(the worst of the worst) supposed to last at least 40k? each time i go in for an oil change the dealer gets me for something. also, my nav system, virtually useless, GPS signal 5% of the time, otherwise im in the ocean, and thats when i dont get no disk detected 50% of the time. i talked to the dealer and they said they would order a replacement harddrive? that better be under warranty. has anyone else experienced this or is the dealer really ripping me off?
I think I got a good deal at end of month on LS (about 6500 off).
I am Very happy with my choice. I really wanted Blue Tooth, and the ML system and those 2 items alone make the Lexus the clear winner for me.
I was able to down load my phone book from my Sony Ericsson phone in about 3 minutes once we figured it out (call customer care from Sony if you need help). I bit the bullet and went for the factory installed Sat. Radio which is too expensive but my 20 year old son said it best, "This is awesome!"
The ride is sublime and the acceleration is terrific.
The dealer was not what a luxury experience should be about, however. The negotiations were "old school" meaning full of voodoo numbers and old tricks ("we made a mistake on the calculation, you must take delivery by tomorrow"), high pressure tactics, double teaming etc. Very disappointing I almost walked but it was the car I wanted, so I bit the bullet. Next time I will not even enter a dealership to purchase a Lexus but do all via phone and fax. BMW and MB were much nicer experiences.
Same with delivery experience. Sat radio was not activated by dealer and when I called to do so was told that dealer needs to do it so that I can save on activation fee and free first month. No luxury aspect in picking up car. Just sat in lot with salesperson and he went over car with me. They were delivering many cars that day and it was a bit stressfull as they were running way behind schedule and I had to wait a bit. We did not finish and I had to go back the next day.
But love the car so far.
One thing I don't understand is the shift options.
If you put the button in power mode does that hold the gears longer for a sporty type of drive?
By putting lever to left I know you can "manually shift" but I don't really get how the ranges (1-6) work or why and when you'd use).
With gear shift lever to right (normal position) will the car use gears 1-6?
Maybe someone can explain better than the manual.
Thanks for everyone's help and input in the past which was useful information in making my decision to "join the club".
1. smooth quiet ride
2. I don't go more than 80 miles per hr
3. I have 17 in wheels
4. Pretty good handling
5. I live in So Calif so weather is not a factor...it's always summer here.
6. I don't care about cost; but like most Lexus people, I don't want to spend more money than I really need to.
7. Good life span...durable...I've got 31K on my original Dunlops, and probably have another 5K or so left.
HELP!!
It does sound as if their is a glitch in your Nav system and that should be covered... Good Luck
topspin - good luck. You really did your homework. The extra power button just gives you added 0-60 power and torque and I don't think it has any noticable effect on gas mileage.
I drive my 01 in the NW states the only place I had even a minor nav. reception problem was in Salt Lake...I have driven in Canada Washington Oregon Idaho Montana Arizona California and Except for Salt Lake...and then only for about 20 minutes....
IF I HAD THE BAD LUCK YOU HAVE HAD I WOULD BE DRIVING A DIFFERENT CAR...MAYBE A NICE DEPENDABLE AUDI OR BMW OR MERCEDES.
1993 Ford Ranger PU
1994 Ford Aerostar AWD
1992 LS400
2001 AWD(??) RX300
2001 Porsche C4
The 78 was my first Porsche and wife will not let me sell it. 93 PU is for garbage and yard waste/work. Aerostar is company hauling vehicle and backup for the RX, the Aerostar AWD actually is. LS is still around because it is perfection. C4......well, you understand.
RX300....test mule.
I copied the following from the edmunds site above. Looks to me like they may replace the entire transmission. 13,000 involved in the recall, that sounds like the total production for that period but I'm only guessing.
Corrective Action:
DEALERS WILL REPLACE THE TRANSMISSION. OWNER NOTIFICATION IS EXPECTED TO BEGIN DURING JULY 2004. OWNERS SHOULD CONTACT LEXUS AT 1-800-255-3987
1) Check prices using Edmonds and the country wide listings...The two top dealers in the country are JR lexus (I think that is right) is So Florida and Longo Lexus in So California. I flew 1500 miles to Longo to buy my car and would do it again. From my research the above 2 dealers and dealers in the Mid-West seem to have the best deals.
2) It will be difficult to find just the right car in the right color...If you can I would recommend finding an Ultra...a used (pre-owned) Ultra can be a great deal because you get everything but the additional cost is only about 20% of the orginal mark up. I really could care less about the vibrating seats but like most everything else on my Ultra and if you are going to buy a car that will last 10 years if you want it to ...Get EVERYTHING.
3) Get a Certified Lexus gives you an additional 3 years of what amounts to a new car warrenty...Remember to certify the car costs the dealer between $1000 and $2000 and that will be in the price.
4) As with any used car look for the lowest miles you can get...Yes LS430s are good for Lots and Lots of miles but low miles is always better...you should find something easily with less then 40,000 and probably with less then 30,000 if you look hard enough and are willing to fly somewhere to pick it up.
They are really great cars...all the little stuff like the eye glass holder and the coin thing, and the garge door and fence opener, and the auto windshield wipers and the button that lowers the rear head rests after someone has been in the back seat, and the side mirrors dimming automatically as well as the rearview mirror and the puddle lights and the side view mirrors that automatically fold in when you turn off the car depending on how you want to set it. The upper and lower bulsters for your back, the cooled and heated seats, the button that raises and lowers the rear sun screen, the button for raising and lowering the head rests, The laser cruse control, the compartment for your cell phone, 2 glove boxes and storage under the seats, and it just goes on and on and on IT TRULY IS AN AWSOME CAR.
the Nav. system is a must as far as I am concerned. My guess is the car also has MK since it was usually sold as a package with Nav.
If you haven't spent any time driving the car maybe you could get your brother-in-law to switch cars with you for a weekend. Once you drive it you will know you want it....
If you want to know how far these cars can go - a friend bought my 95 LS400 and it now has over 250K miles, is still going strong and just needs to be maintained. But the mileage is rural and highway - not city. Be advised though - once you cross 125K miles the maintenance isn't cheap.