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Finally took the plunge and picked up a fully loaded new Starfire Pearl with Grey interior from a dealer about 2 hours out of town. Initially special ordered by one of the salesmen but he went with another car instead. Here she is:
Options include: Luxury Pk with Rear Heated Seats and Cold Weather pack, BSM, Lane Keep, HUD, ML, one touch trunk, Park assist, PCS, Spoiler with body molding
PROS: Interior is incredible with the linear expresso wood. Seats: best I have ever sat in, including my previous LS Rear spoiler 19" superchromed f-sport wheel- at least the way they look. Dynamic radar cruise control- drove for about 90 mins on a moderately busy highway and did not touch the gas or brake once. Seriously. Incredibly fun to drive this car!
CONS: Road noise: I understand this is a sports car compared to the LS cruiser that I had, but the road noise was substaitially increased. Not sure if it's the new 19" wheels, the Michelin Primacy MXM tires, or the fact that the tires were hyperinflated to 54 psi by the dealership. The ride was very good, except road joints where there was quite a thump. All of these were much more than the used 2013 GS I drove with previous luxury 18" tires. Lane Keep Assist and HUD: not worth the money, at least for me.
Not sure about: ML stereo: almost cried the sound was so bad from this stereo at first- everything was coming from the center channel with absolutely no sound presence at all. I turned off surround sound and, Bingo, it improved things immensely. I think I read that DVD-A's don't work, but I also burned a DD track to a DVD and that did not work either, first 5 secs of the song kept repeating. Hope I can get these to work, since those 5 secs sounded great! Body side molding: not sure how I feel about these,but they are easily removed
Nice car and review. I have two comments. 54 lbs of air is an absurd amount for the dealer to have put in the tires. The difference when you back that down should be night and day.
HUD...after a few months drive a car without it. I'm betting you will have a different opinion after you become used to it. Our Lexus is the only car I've had for a few years without it, and it's my wife's car that I typically drive on weekends. Not having HUD bugs me within a1/4 of a mile of driving it.
Congrats!
Drop the tire pressure and you'll have a much better ride quality.
19's look better but the ride is a bit harsher over the 18's.
I don't like the look of the side molding,though.
I dropped the pressure but haven't fully tested it yet. I knew that the ride wasn't going to be as good with the 19's, but I wanted the luxury package and that's what they come with these days.
I have to agree about the moldings. I assume they're pretty easy to remove.
Personally for me, the side moldings would have to go. But, I'd have to know (for sure) before I purchased if they could be removed without any damage. I assume they are taped on without fasteners. Do you know?
Personally for me, the side moldings would have to go. But, I'd have to know (for sure) before I purchased if they could be removed without any damage. I assume they are taped on without fasteners. Do you know?
Enjoy!
Stick on.
Careful use with a heat gun or using a hair blower should make for a easy uninstall.
Maybe followed by some 3M adhesive remover if necessary.
Congrats! Thats a special GS with radar cruise and all, not many of them that loaded around.
I too would loose the side moldings. I'll also be interested to know your thoughts on ride and noise once you drive it more with the pressure down. 54 is a TERRIBLE pressure...but I don't know that reducing the pressure will specifically help noise, it will help ride. The Primacy MXM4 is what I had before I replaced them with the Toyos the other day, but they were always quiet except for on really coarse pavement.
If I bought a 2015 luxury I might have to consider swapping for the 18s. The 19s look better I agree, but the firm ride of the F Sport isn't for me. Essentially now thats an F Sport.
Hey congrats, your vehicle looks great. You are deck'd out with all the options. I too would remove the moldings, it makes the car look like an ES. A nice tint and you are good to go
I cannot believe the dealer let you drive off with 54 psi, thats down right criminal if you ask me. That is 21 psi over factory recommendations. If you were to hit a sharp abrasion in the road at high speeds you could rip that sucker right open on the side wall.
I agree with the others about the tremendously high tire psi. What was the dealer's service department thinking? It makes me wonder what else the dealer screwed up or overlooked. There is absolutely zero excuse for the tires to have anywhere within 15 psi of 54 psi. That was deliberately done - but why?
01-18-15, 05:07 AM
Finally bought one! Initial thoughts...
