scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

Will have some pics later, but it was again, SC Day at Sewell today when I brought Ebony in for her semi-annual laundry list of things to fix. I call it my fall cleaning. Getting my CPO's worth. Put me in a hot rod-brand new 2010 IS250 white with ecru/camel combo interior. SAT radio! Cooled seats! Yippie!!! The IS has been getting better and better each year. Lexus has truly improved upon something already pretty darn good. I have been getting these loan cars for four model years now and I can say each year has been better and better. This one has new wood and aluminum to break up the industrial dash-nice touch! Shifting is still a BLAST....and I cannot imagine how much the 350 pulls. I'm a speed guy and I love the 250. What a great car...what a great value too. Sticker says $30,380. The ipod integration is awesome!!! Why oh why couldn't the SC have this?

I requested a master tech to ride with me.

Nonetheless, we rode...and rode and rode. Was not able to duplicate this annoying sound of rubbing (sounds like plastic on plastic or vinyl on vinyl) and it's not the seat, a-pillar or anything I can press or cause to duplicate on my own. Funny thing is that when he was seated in the P/S the sound was gone

I asked him to drive when I was not there to see if he can duplicate.

Up this time-steering wheel makes a scratching sound when you turn from lock to lock and this is common-my 02 did it too, but I never brought it in. Tech said this is common and it's some kind of spring in the steering wheel.

Next, excessive wind noise from top seal on p/s. Tech determined it was something in the a-pillar.

Rubber seal around mirror is corroding and deteriorating. Ok-this one is interesting. According to the CPO "exclusion list" the mirror is not on there, but seals and weather stripping and trim are. One other CL member got the same thing replaced at the same dealer...and they have a CPO also, but it was done at the time of purchase so maybe a different situation. My 02 did this as well.

Trunk struts all of a sudden have become very difficult to lift-need to replace trunk struts.

Car shakes/shimmies a little at stop light. After all the motor & tranny mounts have been replaced and the cats too, why is my car shaking???? I can literally see the p/s seat moving! Not good. Tech says may be due to carbon build up on the intake. We'll see.

Advisor tells me that CPO is "basically an extended powertrain and mechanical only warranty". So, I ask her (sensing she is new, which she is) what all is covered and the differences between CPO and Platinum, Gold, etc. and she admits she doesn't know. So then I start to educate her and she tells me that she will try to get anything covered by corporate and they call into a hotline to get coverage approval and will push the envelope. Not sure she should have told me all that...not really a "relentless pursuit of perfection" kind of conversation you know???

As my car was parked there among several other SC's and ISC's it started gathering a bit of a crowd and I overheard a knucklehead who has a ISC ask an advisor if they are going to stop making the "two seater" SC? LOL Then he said that my interior color was "killer". Thanks dude. Several ladies took a look as well as some other folks. I asked the tech and the advisor if they have ever seen a 05 PB before they both said no. No NM's either. They had seen a 07 PB and some other PB's but they were genuinely amazed at my car-kinda made me feel good.

So, we'll see what kind of stuff they can ring up this time. I told the service advisor to "make it do what it do" and get the mirror covered. Saw about five ISC's and I still do not like them. I thought it would grow on me and I wanted to like it but I just do not. The rear end is very ugly. top down is not bad, but top up...not for me! I love the IS, ISF but the ISC is my least favorite. I'd like to see sales figures but I guarantee they won't sell half what the SC sold in the first few years...and this is a car 25% less $$$ too.

azkaty

SCdrop top.. no salt in the wound here but per your comment..

"The ipod integration is awesome!!! Why oh why couldn't the SC have this?"

MY Eboni does have the ipod integration..I think they got it right the last year!

Katy

VVTiBob

Katy that's just so WRONG

While you're enjoying your BRAND NEW 2010. The rest of us with earlier models without IPOD integration, must suffer....

VVTiBob

Derek, you too can have IPOD integration, like Katy's, it'll just cost you about $6500 to upgrade all new electronics.

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

he he lol, yeah Vais SL is nothing compared to this. There is no delay, no guessing wondering what track you'll hear next, etc etc. I'm whining a little, I guess. I totally forget (thanks Katy!!!) that the 2010's added the usb/aux jacks in the middle console.

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

You know we complain about what the SC was missing, but one thing we don't hear too much about is the need for push button start and door lock (keyless entry) sensors on our SC's. Driving the ES loaner (and my other FX35 with these options) the push button is really nice and the sensor on the door. Another wonder why the 2006+ SC's did not get these same options they put on other Lexus models.

After two days and 100+ miles put on this IS250 brand new loaner-MAN! It is smooth over every bump and crack in the road. You would think you are driving on 65 series tires it is so smooth. Very hard to believe these are the same wheel size and similar tires that are stock on our SC's, considering the ride is so much more harsh. There is no roll and shake around corners and just feels like it's on rails. I'm a huge fan of the IS sedan. Great value, great ride. I wonder how they hold up long term????

VVTiBob

Sounds like an itch, and we all know how much you want to scratch it. Didn't your Mom teach you if you scratch something too much you'll leave a scar? If you scratch Ebony from your life, your heart will be scarred forever.

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

Solution: Trade in my 2009 FX35!!! infiniti for infiniti I am actually getting a new company car soon (within a year) and it will be an SUV so no need for two SUV's right?

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

Correction: I must correct a previous comment about the tech at Sewell who was so kind to ride with me in the car. First of all let me say that I've been doing business with this dealer since 1996 and have purchased 11 cars from them myself and referred dozens of friends/family there who have bought 10x as many cars as I have collectively. I own the Sewell book about customer service and I truly LOVE the dealership. Most people hate going to the dealership like the dentist-I love going there! Having said all this, apparently I said something that might have been inaccurate and been offensive.

I must be accountable for my comments on this open forum, so I would like to clarify:

Master tech was 6'2 and apparently not burley. I must apologize for calling him burley. Where I come from (Kansas) burley used to be a compliment, like stout, tough, strong, solid. A guy who could chop down a tree, change his oil on his car and fix the furnace all in a Saturday mornings' work. Some facial hair, drives American SUV's and classic CJ7 Jeeps all modded out. Good ole' "burley" guy to me. But apparently not. To me he was, but then again that is why this is a FORUM to give opinions and facts. To me if you chew tobacco at work and have to spit a big ole' mess of chewspit on the driveway when grannies are wheeling in their $65k luxury automobiles, then you're Burley (IMO). I don't have a formal definition of it, he was just burley to me. I apologize if I offended lextech who apparently just joined this forum to harrass me! It was not my intention nor did I mean anything deragatory or negative in any way. I wish I was burley. He was more like clark kent! We did talk about CJ7's and he did admit ML speakers are crap and agreed with me about the common problems with the SC, for the record. Maybe I got his tenure wrong? Maybe I was off by an inch of his height? Maybe I shouldn't have said he was "burley". Whatever the case, apparently he joined CL forum just to read my comments and post his own that they were inaccurate, only later to delete the post? Strange. Very strange.

Just as a side note-what are your thoughts on your service techs chewing tobacco while at work and spitting on the drive where people are getting in/out of their cars in their gucci and prada shoes getting into their $65k luxury cars/trucks? I wonder if Sewell has a policy against using tobacco while working? Couldn't that be messy? What about smokers? Do they get to smoke while working on the cars? Interesting. I personally don't care, but I wonder if lextech would get in trouble?

Harold57

That's a pretty good definition of burly to me also. You expect a big chest and arms. Someone you'd want standing next to you when a grizzley attacks because he might just be able to take the bear down.

According to World English Dictionary (on Dictionary.com), the defintion of burly is "large and thick of build; sturdy; stout". Sounds like a compliment to most guys I know.

scdroptop

iTrader: (1)

See, I'm learning more and more each day. I even spelled it wrong!

I was being inaccurate. He was right. His post was gone. I wonder if he deleted. TooCool responded to it. I sent him a PM apologizing. What more can I do?

I wonder what was inaccurate? Burly, not Burley! 6'2 vs 6'3?

TooCoolSC

I saw the post and responded to it by asking what was "inaccurate". Next thing I know, the whole thread disappeared. I wondered at the time if the member removed it or a moderator removed it.

toxic

You have to be e-x-t-r-e-m-e-l-y careful about speaking freely on the internet. Especially when the subject of your post is a forum sponsor There have been instances where you can truly do damage to a company and their reputation. As I have said before, I am a professional fisherman and have a stable of sponsors including the likes of Bass Pro Shops, Gamakatsu, and some other big name fishing manufacturers. That just means I think twice before I type and what I type. On the other hand, someone who once criticized me on an open forum (much like you giving your opinion here) because I took them on a guided fishing trip and although they caught a lot of fish, claimed I didn't teach them a technique they were looking to learn (but never told me). That threw both me AND all of my sponsors into a negative light (much like the Tech and his employer/board sponsor). So I had no choice but to "call them out" (much to their surprise) on an open forum. I'm sure you meant no harm but you have to see it from their perspective as well.

VVTiBob

Excellent point Toxic.... And since we all seem to enjoy the exchange of info and experiences shared on this forum, keeping it professional benefits us all! With that said, I think SDDROPTOP response was very sincere and professional and I applaud it and him.