hazeroth

Good tip, pygo!

Yup the ebay ones are up for sale again. I just grabbed a set and keyring tool for myself.

A friendly heads-up to fellow IS owners - be aware that our cars do attract attention, and sometimes of the unwelcome type. I was walking back to my car at the end of the work day as I normally do, and noticed all four tire caps (our very nice metal ones) have been "harvested" from my car. Of course it totally pissed me off, and I'm in contact with my Lexus salesperson for help.

We work hard to buy something we really like, and it only takes a pisshead SOB to spoil things.

haz

Yup, I had the exact same question to my rep and he taught me precisely the same method outlined above.

haz

Hmmm.... tweaks...

It's Korean btw, not Japanese. This isn't quite nit-picking, it's like passing Aussies off as Kiwis, only nastier.

haz

OK good so it's an obvious thing. I've a 04/2008 here and no odd sounds yet.

haz

"F**k 'em! Time i got angry."

QFT!

Still a pup as far as ownership goes, seeing how I've only had my IS for about two months. There is the odd squeak that happens once in a while though I've not been able to locate it. Otherwise it's brake dust. Everything else works a charm.

haz

The Owner's Manual lists MP3 CD amongst the discs the audio system can use, and not MP3 DVD. I've read elsewhere (can't remember where) that MP3 DVDs aren't usable as you've stated yourself.

haz

Hmmm... looks like there's quite a variety of stuff they hand out. Very nice touch too, I must say!

haz

Parra. I thought my salesman was very attentive. Quite different from my other caryard visits, but we all already knew that!

haz

I got the Bulgari gift set (nice scent). That's pretty much it.

haz

Prestige Auto here. Mix of urban and highway - tank average reported as 7.4. Good enough to give it PULP lovin' all the time for me!

haz

Got my Prestige about one month ago, after eyeing the car for a long, long time (similar to many here I imagine). Very happy so far, except for lesser head room (I'm 6'2" and have to remember to slouch just a little for better comfort; it doesn't help that I like a "shocked" hairstyle).

A couple of odd things happened at the start such as finding my car with its roof open and windows half-down, as if I had held down the Unlock button on the remote. Only occured once but weird nonetheless. Also had the door not immediately respond to my touch to unlock the door, but again just the once.

What really got me into the shop (Parra) was when I read about the X - I've always liked how relatively understated Lexus ads are e.g. I only heard of the X when visiting the Lexus website itself. The list of extras for the X only made me go even more gaga for the car, so I headed in for a look. The salesperson was, of course, more than helpful which was a refreshing change from the usual shysters that populate car yards. Yes I know they're all after the one and same thing, but style and civility counts too.

Anyway I was given ample opportunity to test drive the car - went three times (X, Sports Lux and Prestige) and it turned out I liked the Prestige the most. The price tag didn't decide ultimately it for me though I was acutely aware of the price differences, but the ride did. I've never been a big fan of suspension being too firm even when I'm aware of the benefits (my first car was a pretend 4WD so that was enough). Didn't care too much for the scuff plates so I decided what the heck, get the Prestige with Enhancement Pack.

So the rest is pretty much history.

What are my thoughts one month on?

Still learning how to coax the engine along, and it's responding better and better with time. Quite a bitch to keep clean with black, but hey, it's the only colour I would go with so that's my cross to bear. If I looked hard enough, it's easy to tell that they've used some Toyota switchgear. While we can write reams about this, in the end Lexus used components that work and work well (and look ok).

I'm also still getting used to the VERY thick C pillars. They add to the muscular look of the car, but gosh check out the blind spot! Reversing is usually a slow business, especially for angled parking!

Pretty much the one thing I wish it had are HID. Don't get me wrong, the standard headlights work perfectly fine. HID completes the look IMHO but I'm not terribly fussed about it. And yes, I've read sidey's post elsewhere.

In my circumstances right now, it was a hefty purchase but no regrets at all and I know for a fact that I'll be a very satisfied IS owner long beyond the first four years. Cheers!

haz

PS Shortly after my car was delivered, I was at the local shopping centre. I was waiting at the lights, saw a couple of young punks cruise by in their newish-looking Euro Accord. They looked at me, and I gave them the "yeah that's right" look. Highly satisfying... :P

Wow nice work, sidey. Awfully tempting!

haz