GS - 3rd Gen (2006-2011) Discussion about the 2006+ model GS300, GS350, GS430, GS450H and GS460

Decisions, decisions..... Which to buy? RL or GS AWD?

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Old 12-27-05, 08:52 PM
  #31  
bearbrick
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Originally Posted by jrock65
Few buyers of these cars care or even know what it's called in Japan or anywhere else. It's not really a factor when deciding now, and it'll be even less of an issue when they launch Infiniti and Acura in Japan in a couple years. The G35, M45 and FX are badged as Infiniti in most countries where these cars are sold... U.S., Canada, Middle East, Taiwan, Korea. Only in Japan are they Skylines and Fugas. And they plan to launch soon in China, Russia, Ukraine, UK and Germany.

Anyways, bearbrick, it's evident from your negative reaction to the Infiniti dealer that dealership experience is important to you. How do the Acura and Lexus dealerships in your area compare?
Truthfully, I have no idea how the Acura and Lexus dealers in my area compare. I don't want to give money to Park Ave because their network of dealerships suck. So Park Ave Acura was out of question. I have 2 Elite of dealers in my area so we'll see how it goes.
Old 12-27-05, 08:53 PM
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Originally Posted by Sam Khoury
Thanks, that's good to know. IRamsey gave me my first service free or something like that since I got my car from them. I live in Queens so that's a little far to get a free service. Since they aren't that good maybe I'll just skip the trip and take to Manhattan Infiniti on my way to work. Have you ever dealt with them? Sorry to hijack this thread with this discussion.
Never dealt with them. I've only dealt with Park Ave and Ramsey.
Old 12-27-05, 09:16 PM
  #33  
4thone
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I think you made the right choice It may take some time to get your self settled in with the car but once you do you will love it..
Welcome to CL and the Lexus family..
Old 12-27-05, 10:08 PM
  #34  
marshmallo
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Originally Posted by bearbrick
wow 1sicklex, nice write-up. You don't work for Toyota/Lexus do you? (j/k) I went with the GS300 AWD. I was kinda skeptical about buying this because of the release of the GS350, but I had to replace the G quick. Got the glacier color, but I'm also looking at the flint mica with the grey leather. Both of them look nice, but my deposit is down on the glacier color. Dealer says I can change the color if I want.

This was a very hard decision to make. I got it down to want the Acura RL with the bodykit and etc., but in the end, it came down to my family members wanting the GS.

Glacier or Flint Mica? Any thoughts?

A few gripes about the GS: I hate how the car has little headroom. I am 6' 1" and my head touches the ceiling. If I lower the seat all the way, I have about 2" of space. My Maxima has more headroom.
Brakes are too grabby and the pedal feels to stiff. The trunk access is SO small. We'll see about praises/complaints after I take delivery.

Overall, I am happy with the purchase I guess. We'll see if Lexus service is what you guys hype it up to be. World class? We'll see.

Thanks for your help guys. Very informative and hopefully I made the right decision.
Thanks,
bearbrick
Congratulations on your choice. I was also a bit skeptical of buying the 300 when the
350 was around the corner, but to me it is plenty smooth and powerful. I don't know
what they are smoking at Edmunds. Maybe their car wasn't broken in correctly.

As for color, I get lots of compliments with the Flint. I think it is beautiful, but a bit of a
pain to keep clean.
Old 12-27-05, 11:00 PM
  #35  
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Originally Posted by bearbrick
This was a very hard decision to make. I got it down to want the Acura RL with the bodykit and etc., but in the end, it came down to my family members wanting the GS.

Glacier or Flint Mica? Any thoughts?
Congratulations on the purchase. You made a great choice.

Now that's out of the way, you have a really tough choice to make. The flint mica will take more work to maintain, since the darker color will show more swirls/scratches. But it is a really sweet color...it was a tossup b/t FM and black on my GS. However the glacier frost is a very unique color, and it's ability to change shades depending on conditions is pretty cool.

Best bet is to put the two cars side by side and see which one really calls to you. IMO, you can't go wrong with either color.
Old 12-28-05, 07:13 AM
  #36  
Gojirra99
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Congratulations , you can't make a bad choice between the two, personally, I like the GS better for the style alone inside & out. I' ve seen Flint Mica GS & I think it's one of the best color for the GS, I haven't seen Glacier Frost on the GS in person, but I like it on the IS350, it's a pretty unique color
Old 12-28-05, 04:01 PM
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Originally Posted by AmethySC
Congratulations , you can't make a bad choice between the two, personally, I like the GS better for the style alone inside & out. I' ve seen Flint Mica GS & I think it's one of the best color for the GS, I haven't seen Glacier Frost on the GS in person, but I like it on the IS350, it's a pretty unique color
Went with the original choice of Glacier Frost. Nice color. I'm still getting used to this car and letting the G go. While I had the G, it was amazing, if only the service at the dealers were better then I wouldn't have purchased the GS300. Overall, I am happy with my purchase.

Any one have any suggestions for the break in? Precautions/Warnings. Things to do and what not to do?

Also, two more things. What is the interval for oil changes? Is premium gas required? (93 Octane?)
Dealer says 87 is okay.

Thanks,
Old 12-28-05, 04:09 PM
  #38  
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Originally Posted by bearbrick
Went with the original choice of Glacier Frost. Nice color. I'm still getting used to this car and letting the G go. While I had the G, it was amazing, if only the service at the dealers were better then I wouldn't have purchased the GS300. Overall, I am happy with my purchase.

Any one have any suggestions for the break in? Precautions/Warnings. Things to do and what not to do?

Also, two more things. What is the interval for oil changes? Is premium gas required? (93 Octane?)
Dealer says 87 is okay.

Thanks,
Congrats. Yeah the car will run on 87 but it requires premium for optimal performance and efficiency, so stick to premium. Oil changes are the usual 3k dealer recommended but 5k is fine.
Old 12-28-05, 06:48 PM
  #39  
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I think you made a good choice. I owned an '05 RL until I traded it for my M45. Although the RL's performance was a bit more lively than the GS's and I personally preferred the RL's interior, I had a few issues with it (squealing brakes, NAVTraffic never worked, delay in XM display) that were never resolved in the 5 months I owned the car, plus the dealer service wasn't anywhere close to what I had experienced as a previous Lexus owner. It is hard to beat Lexus quality/reliability and dealer service. Plus, the GS has more curb appeal IMHO.
Old 12-29-05, 08:21 PM
  #40  
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Dealer recommended 5K mi for oil changes. Anyone notice that the projector beams are not aimed high enough. I know for a fact that my friend's TSX has a better viewing cutoff and thus everything can be seen on the road. I know the GS is auto, but is there a way to raise the head lights a bit?
Also, what is this Customization thing that must be done before 12 months at the dealer? Can someone explain?

Will post pics once the weather gets nicer here.
Old 12-29-05, 08:30 PM
  #41  
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Originally Posted by bearbrick
Dealer recommended 5K mi for oil changes. Anyone notice that the projector beams are not aimed high enough. I know for a fact that my friend's TSX has a better viewing cutoff and thus everything can be seen on the road. I know the GS is auto, but is there a way to raise the head lights a bit?
Also, what is this Customization thing that must be done before 12 months at the dealer? Can someone explain?

Will post pics once the weather gets nicer here.
That the HID's aren't aimed high enough is a common complaint among GS owners. I too, concur with you that it is too low. There should be a way to adjust them, but I do not know how.

As for the LPS (Lexus Personalized Settings):

If you own a 2005 Lexus or later, your vehicle is equipped with a special feature called Lexus Personalized Settings (LPS). LPS allows certain functions of your Lexus to be customized to better suit your needs. From adjusting the sensitivity of the automatic headlamps to reprogramming your keyless entry remote, LPS is the ideal way to make any new Lexus your own.

Only your Lexus dealer can make LPS adjustments. Your first LPS service will be complimentary. After 1,000 miles, a small fee may apply. For this reason, we recommend you drive your vehicle for a while before requesting any Lexus Personalized Settings adjustments.


http://www.lexus.com/assets/models/w...ectionForm.pdf
Old 12-29-05, 09:53 PM
  #42  
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Originally Posted by SGT
That the HID's aren't aimed high enough is a common complaint among GS owners. I too, concur with you that it is too low. There should be a way to adjust them, but I do not know how.

As for the LPS (Lexus Personalized Settings):

If you own a 2005 Lexus or later, your vehicle is equipped with a special feature called Lexus Personalized Settings (LPS). LPS allows certain functions of your Lexus to be customized to better suit your needs. From adjusting the sensitivity of the automatic headlamps to reprogramming your keyless entry remote, LPS is the ideal way to make any new Lexus your own.

Only your Lexus dealer can make LPS adjustments. Your first LPS service will be complimentary. After 1,000 miles, a small fee may apply. For this reason, we recommend you drive your vehicle for a while before requesting any Lexus Personalized Settings adjustments.


http://www.lexus.com/assets/models/w...ectionForm.pdf
Thanks for your reply and the info. I see that you tinted your windows. I'm getting Huper optik put on within a few months. Any suggestions on tint levels? Can you or anyone else recommend a shop in the Northern NJ or NYC area that does Clear Bra installations?
Old 12-30-05, 06:48 AM
  #43  
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Originally Posted by bearbrick
Thanks for your reply and the info. I see that you tinted your windows. I'm getting Huper optik put on within a few months. Any suggestions on tint levels? Can you or anyone else recommend a shop in the Northern NJ or NYC area that does Clear Bra installations?
I got 35% and it looks really nice, but I just wish it was a little darker. Try going for 30% if Huper offers that. As for the clear bra, I went to Detailing Dynamics in Long Island and they did a decent job. They're expensive, though.
Old 12-30-05, 07:20 AM
  #44  
Sam Khoury
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Originally Posted by bearbrick
Thanks for your reply and the info. I see that you tinted your windows. I'm getting Huper optik put on within a few months. Any suggestions on tint levels? Can you or anyone else recommend a shop in the Northern NJ or NYC area that does Clear Bra installations?
According to the Hyper Optik USA website, their darkest shade is 30%. However when I contacted the one Huper Optik authorized installer in the NYC area, Tom Kovach, he told me he had a roll of 20% tint that he got from Huper Optik in Europe. He emailed me some pics of a Mercedes S class with it installed but I don't have the email anymore. He has some pics on his website www.theartoftint.com but I don't see the Mercedes there. You can contact him @ THEARTOFTINT@aol.com and he can email you the pictures.

Just so you know, I got prices quotes from different tint installers to have my Infiniti M tinted with Huper Optik and FormulaOne Pinnacle ceramic tints. It was $450 for the Huper Optik and $225 for the FormulaOne Pinnacle. I'm not sure if Huper Optik is worth double the price.
Old 12-30-05, 10:57 AM
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Originally Posted by Sam Khoury
According to the Hyper Optik USA website, their darkest shade is 30%. However when I contacted the one Huper Optik authorized installer in the NYC area, Tom Kovach, he told me he had a roll of 20% tint that he got from Huper Optik in Europe. He emailed me some pics of a Mercedes S class with it installed but I don't have the email anymore. He has some pics on his website www.theartoftint.com but I don't see the Mercedes there. You can contact him @ THEARTOFTINT@aol.com and he can email you the pictures.

Just so you know, I got prices quotes from different tint installers to have my Infiniti M tinted with Huper Optik and FormulaOne Pinnacle ceramic tints. It was $450 for the Huper Optik and $225 for the FormulaOne Pinnacle. I'm not sure if Huper Optik is worth double the price.
On my G, I had Huper Optik installed at a authorized dealer in NY. 30% rear and 40% fronts. Paid $260, so I'm not expecting to pay more than $300.


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