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Thx for the supportive words! I think my favorite 'feature' is the matte finish on the wood veneer. I know it can be polarizing. But I'm on Team Matte.
Some other interesting bits are: today I ducked into my local Lexus dealer to shake some hands and start building a rapport with the service guys. The person I spoke most with asked for the VIN to peek into the car's service history. There were two things that showed up that happened when the dealer was prepping the car for CPO. Two line items reading: SUBLET RENEW WHEEL FINISHING 1 WHEEL and SUBLET CUSTOM COLOR. I'm guessing the first is curb rash. The second: ??? If the car was resprayed, for some reason, that might be a deal breaker. Anyway, I asked for a detailed write-up on what was done and what necessitated it.
One thing I also found out, after making the deal, was that even though Toyota has had All-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise since 07', it still wasn't in the 12' LS. My Prius disengages the DRCC as 23mph. So I'm guessing this does also. Was really hoping for something akin to Distronic Plus or what Tesla is doing... Los Angeles? Stop-and-go traffic? Highways that turn into parking lots twice a day? Hello?
I did a hearing test, the other day, on youtube and with a good set of cans plugged into my laptop. It's gone by 16KHz. Average for my age... I'm honestly super stoked about having a car with DI. My 2012 Prius is a fairly advanced car but still uses PFI. I wonder if the new ones do.
FWIW, here's a link to the car at the dealership. Should be leaving in a day or two to make its way to L.A... Any of you in the Northeast? Any comments on buying cars that were driven on salted roads?
I live in the northeast and it really depends on the amount of miles that's been driven and how the vehicle was taken care of. By the looks of you car - the mileage - it doesn't appear as if it was driven all that much...who knows? It may not have been driven in the winter much at all. A few winters in the northeast isn't going to kill a car, yes the salt can ruin a vehicle, but it takes time.
I try to spray off the bottom of my vehicle once a week in the winter and I treat the pinch welds with a protectant before the winter starts. I have some rust on the subframe, but nothing to to worry about, and nothing on the paint. I figure it should take about 15 years for it to get bad, by then my car will have 560,000 miles (I think I can live with that).
I'll just say that I am probably pickier about engine sounds than most people, but the DI ticking is there in every LS. Maybe calling it diesel bad was overstating it, lol.
I honestly can't hear it from inside the car at all. Nothing. I can hear wind noise, but not the engine. On the outside I can hear it, but I don't find it to be half as bad as all the other direct injection engines that are out there now. You should hear an Audi A4, you'd think you were listening to a cement mixer. And the Hyundai and Kia's?? Sounds like someone took a bag of rocks and shook them violently. Ford is terrible too, their "solution" is foam under the plastic engine cover - there's so much foam under it that it's probably capable of slowing down a bullet...yet it still is loud.
Five years from now direct injection will be perfected, and then everyone will look back and say...remember those first direct injected cars? They had all that carbon buildup and sounded awful. The LS is head and shoulders above most of them.
I honestly can't hear it from inside the car at all. Nothing. I can hear wind noise, but not the engine. On the outside I can hear it, but I don't find it to be half as bad as all the other direct injection engines that are out there now. You should hear an Audi A4, you'd think you were listening to a cement mixer. And the Hyundai and Kia's?? Sounds like someone took a bag of rocks and shook them violently. Ford is terrible too, their "solution" is foam under the plastic engine cover - there's so much foam under it that it's probably capable of slowing down a bullet...yet it still is loud.
Five years from now direct injection will be perfected, and then everyone will look back and say...remember those first direct injected cars? They had all that carbon buildup and sounded awful. The LS is head and shoulders above most of them.
See I know I was being too picky, I have never heard it inside the car either, and I agree that the BMW, etc... DI engines are louder. It's not something that I see as a complaint about the LS or a negative, just something my ears noticed.
Some other interesting bits are: today I ducked into my local Lexus dealer to shake some hands and start building a rapport with the service guys. The person I spoke most with asked for the VIN to peek into the car's service history.
This...this was a wise strategy indeed. Well played, sir.
This approach serves you well now as well as every time you revisit that service department. Who knows what these guys would think of us but I assume it's not flattering unless we change that perception by coming across unpretentious and interested in their knowledge of our cars.
This is my style as well.
This...this was a wise strategy indeed. Well played, sir.
This approach serves you well now as well as every time you revisit that service department. Who knows what these guys would think of us but I assume it's not flattering unless we change that perception by coming across unpretentious and interested in their knowledge of our cars.
This is my style as well.
Indeed. I did this with my local Toyota dealer (closest Lexus dealer is over an hour away). They give me a discount every time I buy oil, fluids or filters, etc. Although I always do my own servicing, there are some services I refuse to do, such as brake flush, transmission flush. They always know who I am and I'm always friendly with them, which pays dividends. As I own the only LS460 in my city, they treat me pretty good. LOL.
As I own the only LS460 in my city, they treat me pretty good. LOL.
This must be pretty freaking cool, hahaha.
As far as Lexus service people, I've had the same service advisor at my local Lexus dealer for the past 11 years and I highly recommend this to anyone using a Lexus dealer. He knows all of the Lexus vehicles I have owned, what questions I will have when I get a new used one, and he has just dealt with me for so long that it makes for a very easy relationship. The only negative is the fear that he will retire one day, lol.
The only negative is the fear that he will retire one day, lol.
Someone like that would make it very clear, to whoever was going to replace him, how important you were to the dealership. I have no doubt about that.
Talk about a long process. I have to sign notarized paperwork that the dealer was supposed to overnight to the notary today. Well, the notary called and said that it was sent. But he wasn't sure when it was going to arrive. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe Monday.
The one thing that's kind of driven me nuts about this process is that wishy washiness of the salespeople. You try to pin them down on things and they're so evasive. And specifically what's bugging me is the rear bumper cover. The gap on the passenger side is a bit snugger (too much so?) than the driver's side.
LS460 Bumper Driver's Side
LS460 Bumper Passenger's Side
The Pass' side pic is just a little defocused. But the video the guy sent me was like super egregious. I knew it was a compression artifact. But I figured it'd only be there b/c the gaps were so close... You guys be the judge.
Here's the extent of the e-mail...
(Him)
"Here are those close up pictures that you requested.
Let me know if you need anything else."
(Me)
"That's fine. It looks like the bumper has been off to be sprayed. I can't imagine Lexus sending a car out w/ that large of a difference between the gaps in the bumper cover and quarter panels. So unless their QC has completely evaporated, something had to have been done there.
I hope it was nothing major b/c I'm about to buy this thing."
(Him)
"You are going to love the car!"
Completely evasive... And if you ask, directly, if the car was in a collision, it's the whole 'Not on the Carfax', 'In my opinion...', 'We don't see any signs'. They absolutely don't want to be pinned down. Then again, maybe I'm overreacting. If there was something major, it's likely that it would've been reported. I just know that there are ways to get around having things reported (like paying cash). Anyway...
Someone like that would make it very clear, to whoever was going to replace him, how important you were to the dealership. I have no doubt about that.
Talk about a long process. I have to sign notarized paperwork that the dealer was supposed to overnight to the notary today. Well, the notary called and said that it was sent. But he wasn't sure when it was going to arrive. Maybe tomorrow. Maybe Monday.
The one thing that's kind of driven me nuts about this process is that wishy washiness of the salespeople. You try to pin them down on things and they're so evasive. And specifically what's bugging me is the rear bumper cover. The gap on the passenger side is a bit snugger (too much so?) than the driver's side.
LS460 Bumper Driver's Side
LS460 Bumper Passenger's Side
The Pass' side pic is just a little defocused. But the video the guy sent me was like super egregious. I knew it was a compression artifact. But I figured it'd only be there b/c the gaps were so close... You guys be the judge.
Here's the extent of the e-mail...
(Him)
"Here are those close up pictures that you requested.
Let me know if you need anything else."
(Me)
"That's fine. It looks like the bumper has been off to be sprayed. I can't imagine Lexus sending a car out w/ that large of a difference between the gaps in the bumper cover and quarter panels. So unless their QC has completely evaporated, something had to have been done there.
I hope it was nothing major b/c I'm about to buy this thing."
(Him)
"You are going to love the car!"
Completely evasive... And if you ask, directly, if the car was in a collision, it's the whole 'Not on the Carfax', 'In my opinion...', 'We don't see any signs'. They absolutely don't want to be pinned down. Then again, maybe I'm overreacting. If there was something major, it's likely that it would've been reported. I just know that there are ways to get around having things reported (like paying cash). Anyway...
All too often the mentality is that if it's not in the carfax, autocheck, or service history, then it didn't happen, but that doesn't mean something did in fact happen. Are you able to arrange for a PPI or is it too late now? That could really allay your concerns here and help you move forward with peace of mind. IMHO, it is best to insist on it and, if they refuse you or make up some excuse for why it isn't allowed/necessary, it's definitely a red flag, as I'm sure you know, though I also expect a degree of resistance when asking for an independent inspection. There are some services who can visit the car (at the dealership) on your behalf and report back to you before you sign on the dotted line and it may end up being the best money you ever spent! In Madison, something like this: http://www.carzinspection.com/how-it-works.php
For what it's worth, that dealer seems to have a pretty good reputation with 22 google reviews and 4.3 stars along with an A+ BBB rating.
Best of luck to you. Just got my Starfire Pearl beauty and am loving it:
All too often the mentality is that if it's not in the carfax, autocheck, or service history, then it didn't happen, but that doesn't mean something did in fact happen. Are you able to arrange for a PPI or is it too late now? That could really allay your concerns here and help you move forward with peace of mind. IMHO, it is best to insist on it and, if they refuse you or make up some excuse for why it isn't allowed/necessary, it's definitely a red flag, as I'm sure you know, though I also expect a degree of resistance when asking for an independent inspection. There are some services who can visit the car (at the dealership) on your behalf and report back to you before you sign on the dotted line and it may end up being the best money you ever spent! In Madison, something like this: http://www.carzinspection.com/how-it-works.php
For what it's worth, that dealer seems to have a pretty good reputation with 22 google reviews and 4.3 stars along with an A+ BBB rating.
Best of luck to you. Just got my Starfire Pearl beauty and am loving it:
I'm honestly getting past the point of caring. I'll probably be driving it 3 years max anyway. Then again, I could fall in love (in which case, if this bumper thing is an actual thing, I have a hook up on paint and body).
The other variable could be an L.A. factor in which I've been conditioned to assume that everyone trying to sell something is an absolute snake. The people in Wisconsin seem pretty decent.
She finally showed up a few days ago... Solid car. Very, very solid. First time I've actually ever driven one!
She'd traveled on a trailer from Wisconsin. So washing was in order. Also, the numskull (albeit very nice numskull) who drove the trailer was obviously in and out of the car, while shifting the cars around, and made no point to limit his handling of the interior. I was a little shocked at how dirty (to be frank) the driver's side interior was. If anyone has recommendations on what to use to clean break-dusted handprints off of the leather, I'm all ears. And yes, the dealer will hear about that too.
Also, as you can see, she desperately needs those 19's... I'd like to know why Lexus didn't offer them as an option on the SWB AWD cars. Was there a technical/engineering reason? Does anyone have any recommendations on where to source them?
First whole day of ownership was a drive to Santa Barbara to a client's home. Absolute joy. No sign of the dreaded whistling noise nor the slightly-under-load-around-70mph vibration from the AWD...
She finally showed up a few days ago... Solid car. Very, very solid. First time I've actually ever driven one!
She'd traveled on a trailer from Wisconsin. So washing was in order. Also, the numskull (albeit very nice numskull) who drove the trailer was obviously in and out of the car, while shifting the cars around, and made no point to limit his handling of the interior. I was a little shocked at how dirty (to be frank) the driver's side interior was. If anyone has recommendations on what to use to clean break-dusted handprints off of the leather, I'm all ears. And yes, the dealer will hear about that too.
Also, as you can see, she desperately needs those 19's... I'd like to know why Lexus didn't offer them as an option on the SWB AWD cars. Was there a technical/engineering reason? Does anyone have any recommendations on where to source them?
First whole day of ownership was a drive to Santa Barbara to a client's home. Absolute joy. No sign of the dreaded whistling noise nor the slightly-under-load-around-70mph vibration from the AWD...
And then I saw a 2013+.
Anyone in the market for a cherry 2012?
Looks beautiful! Enjoy that remarkable, classy vehicle. Starfire pearl is a great color for complimenting the lines of this car, IMHO. For cleaning the leather, I have had great results with a clean, quality microfiber towel and a mixture of woolite and water (1 to 8 ratio or so). Just get the towel damp with the mixture and start rubbing as needed. Put your back into it if necessary. I have not tried any conditioners since this has really worked well for me. It's also what is recommend in the owner's manual, so there's that..
For rims, there's no shortage of info and opinions on this forum and an astounding variety to choose from.. If you just want to upgrade to 19" oem's, ebay is a great source for good deals. These look amazing on 10-12 models:
Staying with oem also ensures correct hub and offset fitment without having to worry about hub rings and spacers; no shimmy or vibrations, hopefully. For tires, Discount Tire (America's Tire) has almost always treated me well here in the Chicago area. Just got from them some Yokohama Yk580's for my '13 and they suit the car very well.
She finally showed up a few days ago... Solid car. Very, very solid. First time I've actually ever driven one!
She'd traveled on a trailer from Wisconsin. So washing was in order. Also, the numskull (albeit very nice numskull) who drove the trailer was obviously in and out of the car, while shifting the cars around, and made no point to limit his handling of the interior. I was a little shocked at how dirty (to be frank) the driver's side interior was. If anyone has recommendations on what to use to clean break-dusted handprints off of the leather, I'm all ears. And yes, the dealer will hear about that too.
Also, as you can see, she desperately needs those 19's... I'd like to know why Lexus didn't offer them as an option on the SWB AWD cars. Was there a technical/engineering reason? Does anyone have any recommendations on where to source them?
First whole day of ownership was a drive to Santa Barbara to a client's home. Absolute joy. No sign of the dreaded whistling noise nor the slightly-under-load-around-70mph vibration from the AWD...
And then I saw a 2013+.
Anyone in the market for a cherry 2012?
Really nice LS. congrats on your purchase. The urge to tinker will soon pass. For me the fact that it runs, is really nice/clean, and zero issues is such a blessing. Having had several BMW's & Subaru the fact that something is not broken, loose, or needing to be replaced makes life so much better.
05-10-16, 10:08 PM
