al7ezza

All right.... Here is a quick report after taking a Long Lunch :P at the Taste of Lexus in San Mateo.

In summary, the event is well organized and the food is excellent. Test Drive is being restricted to TWO vehicles only. Compare to last year, it is comparately smaller scale. This must be due to our unfavorable economy environment.

Be WARNed! You can try TWO vehicles in your LIMITED time session (1.5 hours). They use RFID card to make the driving reservation. It does not allow you to make further reservation if you have driven twice. My colleague, who only drove one GS450h, was unable to make reservation after we pass our session end time, which is 1:30pm.

There are one autocross driving area where you can drive the GS and IS. There is one white IS350 with full F-Sport package...... I found MANY people DO NOT KNOW how to shift (even with the paddle shift)... Many of them forgot to shift to second gear and makes the IS "blud blud blud" on the exhaust....aiya!

Another course is the street course, where you can drive the LS, RX, ES

Here are some photos that I took with my point & shoot camera


Front view of the location


Waiting for the 12 noon briefing session

This is where you reserve for your ride

Autocross Ride



Line for the food by Fairmont Hotel... Yummie Burger

al7ezza

More Photos from the Street Ride.... Of course, I picked to drive the LS 600hL and my colleagues temporary become the boss... Despite of our 1pm reservation, I still have to wait for 30 minutes before the 8 mins (2.5 miles) ride... Pretty much they took you out the street, enter 92E -> 101S -> exit @ Hillsdale (hehe.. I really want to make the turn to Foster City side and go back home..) and go back to the event center

No lines for the LS460L, everyone wants the 600hL

al7ezza becomes a LIMO driver :P

I wonder why the warning system is not activated :P

Enter the freeway 92, I intentionally slow down at the light before gunning it in... Massive Torque!



My colleague is really enjoying at the back



We were blasting the AC to the coldest mode..We are in San Mateo and it was 93ºF crazy hot!

butterbeer

yo! i'll be goin today with my family, i'm excited

kickin8

iTrader: (1)

it was ok.....

you have to drive 2 cars within 1.5 hours....kinda sucked...

and you have to FIGHT for the food.....

ExTrEmE99

iTrader: (6)

I know!! But those mini burgers were bomb! I went on friday at 1:30.

Did anyone drive the F-Sport IS350? Did anyone notice how the breaks locked up and were pretty worn out?

butterbeer

hahaha yeah i went today but dude...all the asian people (not being racist, I am vietnamese myself) started fighting for the food like i was SLOWLY reaching for a piece of food and this asian girl takes one really fast and turns around really fast and runs her food into my hand and i'm like "oh crap, my bad (even though it was her fault)" and she was like "YOU TOUCHED ME FOOD, UGH! YOU TAKE IT I DON'T FRIGGIN WANT IT ANYMORE" so I was like wtf...okay wow LOL. anyways, my dad test drove the is350 which was pretty sweet. Overall I wasn't too impressed with the event other than the fun free autocross

and did anyone go today with a detailed black LS parked next to an old silver jag? I spot a detailed car like I spot a hot chick

al7ezza

I agree with you butterbeer. I encountered a simliar siutaiton, where some "asian" just get the line and grap the burger. My colleague and I were "wtf... & speechless".... and then there is one burger left and the lady does not want to take it because she saw the new one coming (despite it is also fresh and the chef was cooking like crazy non-stop)

JyGS430

Yeah I agree w/ you and butterbeer, people were rude in grabbing at the food trays like vultures. Even though last year you had to pick your one meal choice, you didn't have to fight for it. Plus I kinda have to agree w/ LexusPia that in comparison w/ prior years it seems to have gotten smaller and not as elaborate.

As for the drives, I guess w/ limiting it to 2 per person it did cut down on the wait times (but there were still wait times for the IS350 and LS600hL). I think it is noble for Lexus to introduce the Encounter drive, but to me still felt limited, definitely doesn't replace a regular dealer test drive.

Of course its free and we shouldn't knock it...but when comparing w/ prior year's events it just doesn't have the same feel. One last thing, did anyone notice no more parting gift?

butterbeer

YEAH!! exactly what I was thinking...I dunno if it was the Lexus event I got it at, but I got like a mini maglite and all these sick stickers and stuff! All I got was that bag at the dunlop station with a tire pressure thing or whatever...lamesauce. But yeah, I would say the best event I've been to was a Jaguar one (I dunno why they invited my family we don't even own one LOL) it had like a frickin track for us to watch cars race while we sat and ate food (which was PLENTIFUL)...it was kind of a dissappointment this year...but yeah I agree with you, it seems to get smaller (and less impressive) every year. I had fun giving lame feedback on the ending survey

al7ezza

Well, like we are said... Can't complain too much when it is FREE...

Besides, it is not bad for Lexus to organize this event even the economy is bad these days.

Look at GM, MB and BMW...and other car manufacturers. They all stopped the "general public" event since many years ago. Lexus is the only one who still offers it.

butterbeer

heh true, i'm not blaming lexus too much, mostly the people that were makin me angry there, i was just kinda upset cause we had to drive like an hour and pay 4 bucks for the san mateo bridge LOL

LSCJJ

iTrader: (3)

uhhhh.... its a free event... with free food... and free test drives.. and free gifts... u got to experience a special event. for 4 bucks and an hour drive. lets turn that frown rightside up

sirkfc

Yeah, I thought the event was pretty generous of Lexus. Of course I live in San Mateo, so it was much prefered over Alameda.

But yes, the way people attacked the food servers before they could even make it out to the general population was a disgrace. I didn't know their Lexus payments were so high that they could no longer afford food for their families.

However, I have to admit to being guilty of that on a few occasions too, as it was the only way to get even a bite of anything. So yes, while in the end people are responsible for the way they act, Lexus probably should have planned it a little better knowing what was going to happen.

Probably they need to link the food back with the ID cards. Maybe put together a lunch box with one of each sample in there that they give you after your test drive.

Lenscap

I attended the free IS-F Performance event earlier this year and got the $750 certificate that expired in mid-August. They included the certificate in the giveaway bag.

Are you saying that at Taste of Lexus they provide a $1,000 certificate and mail it to you? Please let me know, as I plan on buying a 2009 IS 350. Also, what is the expiration date on the certificate?

Thanks.

flipside909

Yes I have a $1,000 certificate that was mailed to me and is good until 2/28/09. I attended the paid session.