After months of debating and weeks of waiting...
09-06-07 | 05:47 PM
#18
Driver School Candidate
Joined: Sep 2007
Posts: 23
Likes: 0
From: GA
Nice. I was going to go with that interior but decided with the cashmere. I just has an SUV with grey leather interior so the cashmere is a nice spin on things and I really like it.
I'm on a lease so I can't rack up the miles like you.
I'm on a lease so I can't rack up the miles like you.
09-07-07 | 12:26 AM
#25
09-07-07 | 09:01 AM
#28
Thread Starter
Lexus Connoisseur
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,802
Likes: 534
From: USA
Thanks guys!
There were other vehicles I was really considering including the IS350, a pre owned Gen 2 GS or 3 GS. The IS-F....I will wait for now, that still is not counted out for the future. I picked the GS350 for several reasons. The two biggest reasons were 1) fuel economy and performance 2) size. I always loved and admired the power of the IS350 but I couldn't see myself buying another IS consecutively. I honestly feel that the 2IS interior is smaller than my IS300. I've always been a huge fan of the GS for a very long time. I fell in love with the 3GS when it first came out in 2005. When the GS350 came out to replace the GS300, I felt this was the best choice. The GS430 was looking good, but it was old technology, gas mileage was identical to my IS300 and the extra 10k premium did not seem worth it.
I actually had a hard time finding this particular combination because it was not as common as the Starfire/Cashmere combination. Starfire/Black was my first choice, but I was not willing to wait 90 days for the car and I was not going to be able to get a good price...I would have been forced to pay MSRP. I had waited several weeks to order this particular car. I had checked with my sources through corp. and my favorite dealer back in July looking for Starfire Ash, ML/NAV and PA. There were only 3 allocations for this particular color and combo GS350 for August/September delivery. One was already set for Tustin Lexus, the other 2 were destined to land anywhere in the Western Region. My salesperson was able to preference this particular vehicle for me. I did visit Tustin Lexus and they indeed were getting this vehicle. I did go to the dealership several times and made contact with them regarding the car. Unfortunately, the salesperson I was dealing with although very nice honestly did not know what he was doing. The last visit I made to them was the day he told me the vehicle arrived. He told me he put the car aside for me but they were getting the chrome wheels already put on the car. I came to the dealer, and he told me he was getting the car out of their storage lot. After waiting over an hour of "i'm trying to locate the car", I got fed up and left. As soon as I leave the dealer, not 5 mins later, he calls me saying I found the car, it's sitting in the front. I told him I already had prior engagements and cannot return until tomorrow. Since I already had an order at Longo, I knew I wasn't gonna lose out on getting this car.
The car I ordered was not scheduled to arrive to Longo until the last week of August or possibly into the first week of September. I was kept informed by Longo from the point they received the vin# all the way to the time of delivery. I got the call on Friday August 24 that the car was to arrive later that night and would be ready for pick up the next day Saturday. Needless to say, I was at Longo bright and early.
When I got to the dealership, I was keeping my fingers crossed that the car had Michelins put on the factory instead of the dreaded noisy Yokohamas or Dunlops. To my surprise, the car came with what I was hoping for, this GS350 had my name all over it. To those that were asking, yes I did trade in the trusty 2004 IS300 since I did not need a 3rd car in the house. The car had been posted on Auto Trader for a while and I honestly did not want to deal with private party sales and all the perils and hassles it comes with. Plus I have a company car to drive so I don't have to worry about racking too many miles on the GS. It was worth the wait.
Francisco @ Aerotect naturally did my clear bra last Tuesday and the tint was done the following Thursday.
There were other vehicles I was really considering including the IS350, a pre owned Gen 2 GS or 3 GS. The IS-F....I will wait for now, that still is not counted out for the future. I picked the GS350 for several reasons. The two biggest reasons were 1) fuel economy and performance 2) size. I always loved and admired the power of the IS350 but I couldn't see myself buying another IS consecutively. I honestly feel that the 2IS interior is smaller than my IS300. I've always been a huge fan of the GS for a very long time. I fell in love with the 3GS when it first came out in 2005. When the GS350 came out to replace the GS300, I felt this was the best choice. The GS430 was looking good, but it was old technology, gas mileage was identical to my IS300 and the extra 10k premium did not seem worth it.
I actually had a hard time finding this particular combination because it was not as common as the Starfire/Cashmere combination. Starfire/Black was my first choice, but I was not willing to wait 90 days for the car and I was not going to be able to get a good price...I would have been forced to pay MSRP. I had waited several weeks to order this particular car. I had checked with my sources through corp. and my favorite dealer back in July looking for Starfire Ash, ML/NAV and PA. There were only 3 allocations for this particular color and combo GS350 for August/September delivery. One was already set for Tustin Lexus, the other 2 were destined to land anywhere in the Western Region. My salesperson was able to preference this particular vehicle for me. I did visit Tustin Lexus and they indeed were getting this vehicle. I did go to the dealership several times and made contact with them regarding the car. Unfortunately, the salesperson I was dealing with although very nice honestly did not know what he was doing. The last visit I made to them was the day he told me the vehicle arrived. He told me he put the car aside for me but they were getting the chrome wheels already put on the car. I came to the dealer, and he told me he was getting the car out of their storage lot. After waiting over an hour of "i'm trying to locate the car", I got fed up and left. As soon as I leave the dealer, not 5 mins later, he calls me saying I found the car, it's sitting in the front. I told him I already had prior engagements and cannot return until tomorrow. Since I already had an order at Longo, I knew I wasn't gonna lose out on getting this car.
The car I ordered was not scheduled to arrive to Longo until the last week of August or possibly into the first week of September. I was kept informed by Longo from the point they received the vin# all the way to the time of delivery. I got the call on Friday August 24 that the car was to arrive later that night and would be ready for pick up the next day Saturday. Needless to say, I was at Longo bright and early.
When I got to the dealership, I was keeping my fingers crossed that the car had Michelins put on the factory instead of the dreaded noisy Yokohamas or Dunlops. To my surprise, the car came with what I was hoping for, this GS350 had my name all over it. To those that were asking, yes I did trade in the trusty 2004 IS300 since I did not need a 3rd car in the house. The car had been posted on Auto Trader for a while and I honestly did not want to deal with private party sales and all the perils and hassles it comes with. Plus I have a company car to drive so I don't have to worry about racking too many miles on the GS. It was worth the wait.
Francisco @ Aerotect naturally did my clear bra last Tuesday and the tint was done the following Thursday.
09-07-07 | 09:02 AM
#29
Thread Starter
Lexus Connoisseur
Joined: Mar 2001
Posts: 19,802
Likes: 534
From: USA
