last1

I just clayed and waxed the car last weekend. Amazing how the paint finish deteriorates after time without you noticing. As soon as I finished claying the first panel, I ran my hand along it, and then along the adjacent panel (yet to be clayed). The un-clayed panel felt like sandpaper in comparison!

p.s. to those who haven't used clay before: 1. it's super easy. 2. It removes embedded grime etc from the paint finish (including wax/sealers if you've previously applied any) but doesn't harm the paint work at all.

I was staring at the photo for about 10 seconds before the penny dropped. It's the actual slats that have been chromed to match the surround. Very subtle, so I guess you can't go wrong.

Extra shiny grill to match extra shiny lights FrankyX?

Idc,

are you referring to tyre/road noise, or all noise in general (wind, engine, exhaust etc.)?

BTW, every car should ride smooth at 80kph on a brand new road. A car salesman's dream would be to limit the test drive to brand new roads at that speed!

Throw a few tight bends into the mix at 120 cents per hour and then tell me which one rides better.

When I bought my car, the salesman assured me that I could use regular unleaded if I ever got stuck, but to resume to higher octane thereafter.

For the record, over the last 6 months, I have been alternating between 95 & 98 RON at each fill. I reckon 98 has more kick and 95 gives me a slightly poorer fuel economy figure. Mobil 98 seems to give better response than Shell & Caltex 98. Interesting to see other people's views.

Previous to the last 6 months, I had been running 98 Ron on all my vehicles for the past 10 years or so. (for the detergents it contained)

Wally, I've got 225/40 8 on the front and 255/40 8.5 rears. The front wheels therefore have a lower profile, and are therefore smaller. However, they both sit flush inside the guard (you wouldn't know one was wider than the other when examining them from any angle, although the wheel nuts protrude more on the rears than the fronts). Different size front/rear is not uncommon on a number of sport cars and cars with after market wheels.

I wouldn't brush the salesman's opinion off lightly though. I've had heaps of mates go too wide with wheels, creating constant headaches trying to avoid the 'rubs'.

Dunlop SP Sport Maxx rubber. No complaints. (may complain if I had to buy a replacement set though! $$$)

There's never going to be an ideal wheel/tyre set up - everything's a compromise. Performance/Value/Quietness/Grip. Worst case scenario - buy the cheapest set they've got, and let the car's electronics take care of the rest

Steven250 summed it up in his post brilliantly

I guess you'll have to work out whether you'd want those extras and be prepared to pay for them.

I did my math, and I was better off buying the Prestige and upping wheels, adding blue tooth etc.

I also happen to believe that omitting the cool/warm seat functions was a definite no-no. Everybody elses car has warmers at the very least! (fertility issues FrankyX? wtf? You mean like no need for rubbers? )

So sipit, it's your money, your ride. Either way you'll end up with a good car.

1) Creaking/rattling from sunroof. This was fixed by the dealer and hasn't happened again. I don't know if this is still a problem with an 08 model (and I don't know if you ordered your car with a sunroof).

2) Engine cranking sound continuing on ignition - problem with cams. Fixed under warranty.

Souldn't be a problem on the 08 model though. I've got an 08 build and haven't experienced either.

The 16" wheels give a very comfy ride, but they've got to go!

hm...

not a fan of it

i recon the standard is250 dash is perfect doesnt need anything done to it.

+1

they always point the finger elsewhere even though it has always come back to them and they end up having to fix it anyway.

Unless they get me, who can't be bothered arguing... and then take my business elesewhere from then on.

+1 for VW service. But it's not cheap!

perks, that's pretty cool I reckon. Simple, yet elegant.

It would be interesting to see with a clear background. Would the "white" letters remain white or would the white itself be clear?

Just had my first service done.

Loan car was 3 month old Prestige with SatNav - totally clean.

When I got my car back, I even found a small box of Chocolates in the passenger seat (kids beat me to them though)

I did have a good look at my car for scratches when it was returned. I had it washed the night before they picked it up. I figured it would serve 3 purposes.

1. It would be easy for me to pick out any scratches, if any, prior to giving them the car

2. It would be easy to pick out any scratches, should there have been any, when the car was returned to me after service.

3. If there were scratches/knocks when the car was returned - Harder for them to try and say "scratches must have already been there" when they know I'm likely to have noticed them when the car was washed the night before.

Ghast, I feel for you man. BTW, no rattles/creaks/problems with my car. I hope your dramas are over - keep us in the loop.

So who's going to try them first?

Need a reliable review.

I wasn't too keen on the stock wheels on my Prestige either. The salesman suggested I buy my own set after the sale which he advised would be a much cheaper option than buying larger wheels through Lexus. I thought about it for a while... and as 'end of month' approached, he ended up including them at no additional cost in order to get me to commit.

Not sure if you can swing something similar seeing they're already doing the 0% and all, but may be worth a try, especially at end of month.

As tempting as it is ( I reckon it would be a blast )

... Melb 2 Syd...

and then back to Melb.....

loooooong drive lol

Yes. How often you clay will depend on where and how the car is kept. If it's always outside even overnight then you will need to do it more often. I have done mine once so far but am about to do it again as I will polish it up for summer. My car is in a garage overnight but outside during the day. So I do it about every 4-6 months

My process for full external makeover is to wash, clay, polish, wax, wax. 2 thin coats of wax are easier and better than trying to do one thin coat. On a black car it looks brilliant.

Bluey,

seeing your a fan of Meg products, and seeing Meg produce about half a million different types of polish and wax products, any tip on which to buy?

Have to come back to this topic.

I think there are a few types of finishes with our 250 cars, pending colours and all but the silver i have (2006) has paint that are not only thin but also attract dirt that doesnt really wash off. Little spots of dirt that sticks especially on the rear bumper doesn't come off even with harsh washing. I am beginning to get worry about the quaility of the paint. I know Honda has deep pearl metallic paint that are really dirt resistence. Can someone comment?

ldc

Have you tried claying your paint? http://www.carcareproducts.com.au/products...y_bars_and_kits

This does a great job of removing the contaminants that will bond to the paint and make it feel rough. It can then be easily waxed, and will then be much easier to clean.

The contaminants will always settle on the horizontal surfaces, (bumper, boot lid, bonnet and roof) moreso than the sides of the car. Even a brand new car off the boat will benefit from the claying as it collects a lot of cr@& between the factory and your dealer.

Bluey,

have you clayed your car yet? If so, how often would you do it, and do you polish before applying the sealant?

Seriously though, when you get some new shots done, please post.

^^^ Nice UFO pics!

$0.02 :P

I've always been really carefull with mine... and there are still tiny scratch marks on it.

Ensure your fingernails have been filed back to zero before approaching the centre console - else ensure you're wearing cotton gloves. :(

Yeah agreed. looks ugly!!

this is BETTER!! HEAPS BETTER!! thanks to http://www.nihoncar.com/en/news-269-LXSPOR...y+INGS%2B1.html you guys ROCK!!!

It's different but i can't really say it's much better than the above interior.

I think my grandma would have liked this interior.

Actually, I think she crocheted a nice bedspread in the same patterns once.

From memory it was around $270. It may have been a little less or more but definitely less than $300.

1. LDC - Sydney, NSW.

2. ProjectIS - Sydney, NSW.

3. Cevu - Sydney, NSW

4. Bluey - Adelaide, SA

5. korvan - Melbourne, VIC

6. Niick - Melbourne (eastern suburbs), Vic

7. Naz - Sydney, NSW

8. QQQ - Sydney, NSW

9. stetch03 - Melbourne, VIC

10. Raoul - Sydney, NSW

11. Jomster - Sydney, NSW

12. last1 - Melbourne, VIC

I'm with Jomster.

Same colour silver/black interior combination, and apart from enhanced privacy/cooler interior/leather protection, the tint finishes off the 'look' of the car in my opinion.

BTW, tint-a-car F1 tint (metalic, I think). The boys at tint-a-car did an awesome job at half the price Lexus wanted!

FS-01's I reckon.

Closest to OEM without actually buying them at a Lexus dealer.