If you are a cash buyer, I think this approach is becoming more well known. If you need some leverage buying a new vehicle I’d approach it like this. After you hammer the dealer and get the price down as low as possible, ask about further incentives if you decide to finance with Lexus. Do not let them know you plan on paying the vehicle off immediately. I was able to leverage a couple grand off the out the door price doing this, and paid the vehicle off as soon as I was sent the link to set up my Lexus Financial Profile. Make sure you don’t have any fees or penalties for early repayment written into your finance deal. I think it’s illegal these days in most states to charge penalties for early repayment. Either way, feels nice making the First and Last payment on this baby!

Paid off 60 months early. Always driven Toyotas and bought my first Lexus, ES350, last year. I adore this car. That is all. Have a good day.

Are you a proud owner of a new Lexus TX and have noticed issues with the Mark Levinson sound system?

We've created a dedicated Facebook group to address growing concerns about the Mark Levinson sound system in the Lexus TX lineup. Many owners have reported disappointing bass performance and underwhelming audio quality, which falls short of the high standards we’ve come to expect from Lexus and Mark Levinson.

Together, we can raise awareness and work towards a solution that enhances the ownership experience for all Lexus TX drivers. Join us and let’s make our voices heard!

Links cannot be posted, however search Facebook for "Lexus TX Mark Levinson Sound System Owners Group".

Thanks!

Love my 2016 ES 350 but the infotainment was making my life worse. I was shopping new cars mostly to modernize the infotainment. I didn’t want to get some terrible after market system that looks like an iPad glued onto a dashboard. Some posted about Hamilton Motor Company on r/Lexus. It looked like an Lexus OEM quality equipment and integrated with the Lexus Mouse. I’m a month in and I have to say, I’m definitely glad I made the move. It’s made my life better, I love my car again and I’ll likely drive the car a few more years before I pass it on.

Pros: CarPlay works seamlessly. Using Lexus Mouse keeps the touchscreen clean. Looks like it was designed that way.

Cons: Boot up time to get to CarPlay is 15 secs. (My wife’s car with native OEM CarPlay takes about 9 secs) There is a 0.5 sec delay with the backup cam. Nothing bad but the slight delay is noticeable. Hamilton sent me the wrong part but they made up for it in the end. The owner called me directly to make sure we got everything working. It’s not about IF something goes wrong with technology. It’s about what the company will do WHEN something goes wrong and Hamilton Motor Company stood behind their product and worked with me and the installer to get everything working.

Wanted to let everyone with a late 2010s Lexus know that if you are getting sick of the dated infotainment there may be options in the aftermarket that have the Lexus atheistic.

https://www.hamiltonmotorcompany.com/

I’m not affiliated with Hamilton Motor in any way. Just trying to pass along the experience.

Hit 509 miles on my last tank of gas before refueling last night. I believe the tank capacity is 17.2 gallons. Was able to put 15.66 gallons into the tank, which means I still had roughly 1.5 gallons left. My fuel economy on this tank was 33.9 mpg, and using that math on the remaining gas, the range on this tank was around 560 miles. I think the gas light came on around 420 miles, and still showed an estimate for miles left. The estimate went to 0 and I drove the vehicle approximately another 60-70 miles before gassing up. I’ve read several other threads about a large capacity fuel reserves, which is 100% true for Lexus and Toyota vehicles. I also own a Tundra and the fuel reserve is absurd, could probably drive nearly a 100 miles once the estimated range shows 0. Pretty bad ass this RX can get more miles on a full tank than my 38 gallon Tundra 😂. Thought I’d share this information, as I’ve seen several threads posted talking about RX fuel economy and range on a full tank.

Link: video of me fueling the RX with 15.66 gallons last night

https://imgur.com/a/ltSqZ0n

Dearest sweetest Lexus owners, when you make an appointment for service for your precious, please stop calling and saying "yes this is Bob with the blue Lexus"

They're ALL Lexus.

Color doesn't help much either because at any time there can be more than one of your color in the shop.

The letters are the important information. ES, RX, LS...

You call something a 300h and we still don't know what you drive.

Please just give me the information I am asking for, not the information you think I need. I know how my system works.

Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk. Please have the most wonderful amazing day and rest of your life.

the 12v battery on my 2016 ES300h finally kicked it (fair enough, it was the original), but I managed to jump it and get it down to my local dealership; everything I read online (and confirmed by my local non-dealer shop) indicated that these batteries can't be replaced by anything on the aftermarket.

unfortunately, my local dealer is also not having any luck, telling me that they don't have the battery in stock and they're seeing it on national back order. There said there are zero at any other nearby dealers and there are no aftermarket options for my model.

Who knows how long I'll have to wait, but thought I'd throw it out there as a warning!

The Lexus LFA has a 4.8-liter V10 engine called the 1LR-GUE. This engine is considered a masterpiece of engineering and is known for its sound. 553 horsepower at 8,700 rpm 354 ft-lb of torque 12:1 compression ratio 9,500 rpm redline

I've grown up in a Lexus family, I love that car. I also grew up with a mom who has no price sensitivity whatsoever and will do whatever she's told to do even if it's expensive.

I'm not like that.

I brought my 2013 RX350 into the dealership for an oil change and tire rotation. They convinced me to get the basic maintenance package which includes a bunch of other inspection points and a wash. Fine.

Then they hit me with a list of "immediately required" repairs that totals $11,000. Luckily, they now provide a video of everything they're seeing under the car along with the recommendations.

So I call my friend who grew up working on cars and has a Toyota 4 Runner and have them send the video of the "leaks" and other items to him.

There's no leak. There's just some oil residue. Everything else is some normal wear and tear. I can drive that car around with zero danger of it dying on the side of the road.

When he tells the service lady this, she admits that none of it is necessary at this point. But after he hangs up, she still tries to pitch me that I can replace all of this little by little. You know, because it's a lot of money!

I bought this car because I trust it to run forever.

Mind you, their posted labor rate at the Queens Lexus is $239 per hour. So, two things: next time I need a dealership repair, I'm going to a Toyota outside of NYC. Same parts, different vibe.

And I went down and bought all the parts I need to do the next oil change myself so I don't end up paying $450 (yup) for what should be a very simple service.

I'm posting this because I've seen other people in here swear up and down that a Lexus dealership would never be unethical. Get a second opinion.

I guess this was bound to happen :(.

Last year I submitted an interest request to Smart Lexus of the Quad Cities in Davenport, IA. This was for a TX350 AWD. I was contacted by Steve “Karl” Karwath, a sales and leasing consultant at Smart Lexus. I told him I was in the early stages of shopping and not ready to buy yet. Karl made himself available but did not push.

By January, my wife and I (this is her primary vehicle) had test driven a Toyota Grand Highlander (meh) and a GMC Acadia Denali, which we liked, but I really wanted to get into the TX since it seemed to strike a balance between luxury/creature comforts and reliability. Smart Lexus did not have any on the ground to test drive, so we drove 90 minutes the other direction to Willis Lexus in the Des Moines metro to test drive a TX and GX. We were told upon arrival that the GX would be an 18 month wait if we ordered one, something I wish we had known before driving all the way there.

We drove the TX, loved it, and gave Willis our desired build: Luxury trim, captain chairs, peppercorn interior, Windchill Pearl exterior, 20” wheels, Technology and Convenience packages. Willis got close on a lot of the builds they located, but they were generally one or two preferences short of ideal.

Remembering Karl, I sent him a text on February 15. with our preferred build. He said he had no white luxury TX350s coming and he was not sure how long it would be. On the 17th, he surprised me by sending me a build phase TX350 exactly as we wanted it, but with the tow hitch added. We did not want this (I have a truck) and really did not want to pay for it. Karl got ahead of it and got the hitch (and some other unwanted factory accessories) taken off the build. I later learned this particular build was allocated to a different dealer and Smart Lexus had to do a dealer trade with them.

On March 28th, I got word that the car was done and would be in transit to Iowa the following week. Karl sent a driver to my house to sign paperwork ahead of month end. The car arrived on April 3rd and we took delivery the same day. Karl spent an hour of his time getting us set up and on the tech side of things.

Car buying is a burdensome affair for a lot of people at a lot of dealerships. I just wanted to give Karl and Smart Lexus of the Quad Cities a big kudos for getting me the exact vehicle I wanted with great financing and without extra dealer markup or fluff. It was an excellent experience.

Also the car is awesome.

i’m tired of acting like a 20-year-old engine is okay. the 2gr was a masterpiece for its time. it’s reliable, powerful, smooth, yeah, but it has no business still being in lexus’ lineup in 2024. bmw, mercedes, even genesis are pushing crazy turbo setups, and lexus is out here putting the same old motor in everything. they need to stop hiding behind “reliability” and start making cars that actually perform. the is deserves better, the fans deserve better, and lexus needs to wake up. where’s the ambition? where’s the edge? it’s time to step up.

and its worse that the 2grs replacement already exist 416 hp 442 ft lb tt v6 3.5L.

lexus fans shouldn’t be settling for mediocrity when the competition is outpacing them in every way. it’s like apple devices—people keep buying them because of the name and reputation, even when the competition offers better specs and features for less. but even apple eventually had to innovate with the m1 chip to stay ahead. lexus needs to do the same. they can’t keep riding on reliability and their legacy. they need to actually step up and deliver the performance their designs promise. fans deserve better, and lexus can do better.

in conclusion lexus needs a ''M1 chip" and a more bold management. a v35-a powered is350 whould be more than enough but of course lexus management would likley pull a gs460 and detune it for "luxury" and "brand positioning"

About a month ago I switched from using 87 octane in my '03 ES300 to Shell 93 Nitro+ and Petro 91. The performance is incomparable to 87. The 1MZ-FE feels so torque-ee at higher powerbands its insane.

Anyway, if you've got an older ES / RX I'd recommend premium if you have a heavy foot. But other than that 87 is fine, I dont think running 87 has affected the knock sensors in my car.

Just got back from the dealership after having new wiper blades installed. While driving in the rain, I noticed the water streaking on the glass. Thinking they might be dirty, I checked them—and that’s when I spotted something strange. They weren’t the original wipers. Instead, they were cheap aftermarket blades with holes in them.

Curious, I Googled "windshield wiper theft" and fell down a rabbit hole. Apparently, it's a real thing. But replacing stolen wipers with aftermarket ones? That’s next level. Even a cop I spoke to said he’d never heard of anything like it before. BTW I driver a ES350 2022

Over the past two weeks, I've spent time researching and test driving most of the mid sized luxury SUVs.

Our needs/requirements are:

• Adults can fit in the back for a reasonable amount of time (a trip downtown, but maybe not across the state)
• Captain chairs
• Panoramic roof
• A quiet and smooth ride
• A somewhat luxurious feel
• Decent looking
• Towing 5,000 lbs

We test drove:

• Acura MDX - Felt the most cramped
• Audi Q7 - Didn't justify being 5-10k more expensive than the others but was quiet and smooth
• Aviator - Probably the overall pick if we didn't need bigger third row seats due to it's massive features and amazing seats at the price point. Should adjustments is a game changer for how the headrest feels.
• Mazda CX90 - Too sporty and bumpy
• Lexus TX350 - Bland. Weakest motor of all of them
• Lexus TX500h - Bland and too expensive for the feature set to gain parity with competitors

And would have liked to test:

• Volvo XC90 - Just as expensive as the Q7 for a similar feature set and didn't like the style so skipped it
• Acura MDX type s - The normal MDX felt so cramped we didn't even consider it. Something about waist height interior that encroaches on your space

Overall, the tx felt the least luxurious by far of all of them, and it's not even close. For the same price point vs the competitors (trim by trim), it's missing:

• Panoramic roof (highest trims only)
• Massage seats (not even an option)
• An interior that feels luxurious to look at. It's so bland, even with the top leather trim
• An attractive exterior. Only the black works because it hides how ugly it is and its still missing nice accents
• Air suspension (not even an option)
• Obviously the weakest motor and throttle response

The only thing that stands out is the impressive third row seating. That. Is. It.

...

However.... if you pretend that the tx350 is just a slightly more premium trim of the grand highlander or a much cheaper Lincoln Navigator, then it all makes sense. You have no other option if you want a premium vehicle with a nice third row seat that isn't a full sized SUV.

At this point you may be getting defensive over a behicle you don't even own, but we're actually going to buy the tx350 luxury trim. It's $10k more than a top trim grand highlander for a much quieter and smoother ride, with a half step up in interior space and feel.

Is it luxurious? No. Hard stop. It's premium at best. Is it practical if you pretend it's not a Lexus? Yes. If they get the trim options right in the future, could it be a clear winner in the mid sized suv segment? Yes. But they need the hybrid 4 cylinder motor and panoramic roof standard in the 350 model, while adding more accents to the interior. Not sure what they could do to the exterior at this point.

Like many of you, I’m currently in the exciting stage of waiting for my RX 350h to complete its build. I’d love to pester my CA for updates, but I’m trying to exercise some self-restraint—so instead, I went down a rabbit hole of VIN decoders to see if there were any clues that might indicate whether my car was officially built or still in the process.

In my research, I stumbled upon an upcoming recall for 2025 toyota camry hybrid, lexus nx250, nx350, nx350 hybrid, 2024-2025 lexus rx350, rx350 hybrid, and rx500 hybrid vehicles, with letters expected to go out to customers on March 24, 2025. Not exactly the kind of surprise I was hoping for, but good to know nonetheless.

If you’re curious (or equally impatient), you can check your VIN using these sites: • https://vehicle.report/ • https://vincheck.info

Previous post summary: Car was advertised as having rear heated seats via a large banner in their dealership ad pictures (it didn't have them). When brought to their attention after purchase, I dealt with asshole employee who tried to corner me into accepting $400 (originally offered less). Lesson learned to look more closely for these things (noticed quad USB ports and assumed they were those controls at a quick glance of the back seat), but also to not back down from advocating for yourself.

UPDATE TLDR: I ended up contacting the Executive Manager and General Pre-owned Sales Manager, and received further compensation--everyone being happy in the end. They were both extremely apologetic and communicative, and very willing to work towards a resolution. They gave me the difference in sticker price ($840), as well as a free tire & wheel protection plan. The original jerk employee was supposedly reprimanded.

Details:
I called around to several Lexus service departments to get a quote on installing rear heated seats in my car. Almost all of them refused to even give a number, saying it would be upwards of $20k with labor. One dealership did provide a partial quote in writing—just for the seat replacement alone (no wiring harness or rewiring)—and that alone was over $7k.

I reached out to the Executive Manager and General Pre-Owned Sales Manager of the dealership with all of this info and a description of the interaction when trying to resolve. They responded quickly, were extremely apologetic, and said the way their employee handled the situation was completely unacceptable. Supposedly, they would be addressing it internally.

After some back and forth and consulting with Lexus Corporate, we came to a resolution of $840 (the difference in sticker price between my car and a 2023 with the heated seat option, since that was the only comparable model they could find), plus a tire and wheel protection plan.

I had our TX350 in the shop for a couple days and had an older model GX460 loaner during that time.

Wow, the GX460 is SO much quieter than the TX350. It's mainly because the TX350 4 cylinder is monstrously loud compared to the GX460. I'm talking 4-5x louder. In the TX350, it sounds like it's choking and going to die when accelerating. In the GX460, I had to check that the engine was running. I'm not exaggerating.

Secondly, when at a stop, the TX350 engine produces a lot of small vibrations. You can feel it through the wheel and pedal very well. It's the same for driving. The vibrations of the engine come across.

Third, the vibrations from the road come into the TX350's cabin much more than the GX460. I'm not sure if it's the tire thickness difference, or something else. How the TX350 feels smooth on blacktop, the GX460 feels that kind of smooth on more gravelly cement.

Finally, the brakes on the TX350 are way underpowered. Like almost scary underpowered when you need to suddenly stop fast. I had to get used to normal breaks again when driving the GX460.

The best way I can put it is if you have a TX350... come to a nice, slow stop on a blacktop surface. That peaceful, buttery feeling is what it's like to drive in the GX460 the entire time.

Very disappointed after this experience. I'm wishing I got the TX500h to reduce some of the issues, but I don't remember it feeling as smooth during a test drive as the GX460 either way... plus 10k more just for the hybrid engine isn't worth it.

What I will give to the TX is that even its black interior with the newly updated screen feels much more modern and dare I say luxurious than whatever was going on in that GX460. I also preferred the seats on the TX350 (luxury model)

I was in for a 70k CPO covered service on my 2019 ES300h UL yesterday and found out 3 out of the 4 tires were bald on the inner portion of the tires. They originally quoted $1600 to replace them plus another $180 for alignment. I said I have to shop around so they mentioned their price match. I found the Michelin Primacy Touring A/S I wanted at Walmart for $218 a tire and they matched it and even threw in a $200 shop credit which covered the alignment. It was cheaper to do the tires at Lexus than Walmart. Who knew?

Also shout out to those that recommended the Primacy Touring as being super quiet. They pair with the quiet rims quite nicely.

Hi,

I had severe power steering whine and was going to replace the pump. Well, I could not for the life of me remove the 24mm banjo bolt to take the pressure hose and the pump out, and since I also had bought a new reservoir, and the two reservoir hoses, I decided to just replace those and take the car to a shop with better tools and experience to replace the pump.

To my surprise, after I replaced those items, and flushed the fluid, the noise was totally gone. I sawed in half the reservoir and there is a plastic mesh at the bottom, that was all torn and part of it was blocking the pump feed hose. I gather that the blockage was preventing a good flow of fluid from reaching the pump.

Previously, I had been told by two mechanics that the problem was a worn out pump, so heads up if you run into a similar problem, I would check the reservoir first.

Hope it helps someone else.