shbaker

My TL was stolen 3 wks ago. Got the insurance payout. Time to buy somethign new. I like the new TL-S but decided to depart Acura (RL wasn't doing it for me). Pulled the trigger on an 07 GS350 RWD loaded (ML nav... etc...). 44.8k before t&l. Probably could have ground it down further but I have better things to do in life.

I thought about waiting for an 08 but time is of the essence. I can only stand the Kia rental car for so long.

I pick it up next week... will post pics... Went for smoky granite / black. Time to drive like the wind!



~Steve

rominl

iTrader: (4)

congrats on your car! that's a pretty nice price, about 1k below invoice. did you finance or lease or paid off the car?

this is a nice ride. much better than tl imho

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Congrats!

Sorry about the TL, but damn, you now have a GS350!!!

shbaker

Paying cash for the car... I must say that although the GS is a better-equipped/built/etc... car, the TL really held its value. I had the car for about 1.5 years and had 13,000 miles on it. My insurance company (Mercury) paid out about $500 less than what I paid for the car. On top of that, they included sales tax! Their customer service was second to none. They certainly earned my biz for a long time.

I came close to the 2008 TL-S. That's a real rocket of a car but in the end it's a bit too much sports car for me. I felt the GS was the right blend of sport and class. It's a joy to drive, and my wife likes it too.

Glad to be on the Lexus boards! This is a great site, chock full of info. I am already reading through the mods and hacks sticky thread. I'm thinking I need to hack out the "I agree" button.


Thanks,
Steve

rominl

iTrader: (4)

wow that's very nice on the insurance coverage, awesome!

i was a tl-s (02) owner as well. i always say the acura is a great bang for the bucks, but they are never luxury car. entry luxury, yes, but far from cars like lexus or mb or bmw. i got the gs400 afterwards and soon the acura was history

you are going to have a lot of fun here, enjoy!

spiralynth

Sorry to hear about your loss ... or ... congrats on your gain.

Exactly how did your TL get stolen? Did it have the same turn-**** keyless ignition system like the RL?

rkb43

Bad luck with the TL, but congratulations on your new ride!

shbaker

It was stolen from the Sacramento airport while I was on a business trip! Apparently the theives broke the back gate where the parking shuttle enters. The TL did not have keyless ignition but did contain the immobilization/theft prevention techno-stuff like a chip in the key, etc... The Acura dealer said that they probably came in with a tow truck or flatbed and just hauled it away. That's about the only way to quickly steal a high-tech car these days.

Here's the kicker. The cops told me that 4 Acuras had been broken in to during the last two weeks before my car was stolen. You think that would warrant extra security? A night patrol during the wee hours of the morning? Maybe a notice alerting passengers... especially those that drive Acuras? Where's the security you say? Well I have learned a lot... namely that the security in the terminal is very good but security in the parking lot is non-existent. The only thing that seems to matter is that you pay your ticket... unless you break the gate and slip out the back.

Quite the ordeal, but glad to have it behind me. I can hardly wait to get the GS...

~Steve

florida700

How does that work? Mercury appraises the car at the time of the loss! Does it matter what the purchase price was?! I'm wondering for when you get a good discount from the dealer, does that work against you when it comes to insurance compensation or does not matter!

shbaker

Mercury appraised my vehicle by looking for up to a maximum of ten similar cars for sale int he used car market. The vehicles have to be within 75 miles of my home. Turns out that there were only a few 2006 TLs similarly equipped to mine, and all but one were through dealers. Mercury takes the average of the cars, which ended up being only $500 less than what I paid for the car (before t&l). Surprising to me, Mercury added on sales tax.

The thing I learned in all of this is that every insurance company has their own way of valuing cars in a total loss situation. This is a good question to research with whoever insures your cars.

So the price that I paid for it at the dealership had little to do with the insurance reimbursement. It's all about resale value, which the TL is incredible. So is the GS by the way.

florida700

Thanks for explaining that. I have Mercury too. I just hope I won't have to use it...

socalJD

Just read your posts, sorry to hear about the TL. Must be a sick feeling when you just flew in and are looking for your car in the parking lot and it's nowhere to be found. Can't begin to imagine how pissed, confused, irritated, etc, etc I'd be if it were me . . . Enjoy your GS.

shbaker

Just picked up the 07 GS350 w/MLnav-smkgranite/black. Nice. I want to stay up all night and read the manuals, play in the car, explore the nav, etc...

Until then, I thought that the car had an iPod/aux jack? I could have sworn I saw one in the console bay. I see a 12V adaptor in the bay but where is the aux jack? Was it on an 08 and not an 07? I thought that the only diffs from 07 to 08 was some trim...

Sweet car... will post pics this weekend.


Thanks everyone for your info. This is a great purchase and not one ounce of buyer's remorse!

~Steve

florida700

Congrads! what was the MSRP and how much did you pay?

BmoreGS4

Welcome to Club lexus and congrats on ya new GS...I a firm believerin everything happens for a reason and the reason ya TL was stolen was o you can enjoy 'The pursuit of perfection'