Thanks again, everyone! I really didn't want to start another "New LX" thread but began to worry that my little 'Farewell' thread wasn't working!

In a more proper update...

Background: To replace or not to replace...

Right around Thanksgiving, as the 60k service approached (and with 1+ years left on our Platinum Warranty), we began to debate replacement of our 2010 LX. The thing was going strong (barely broken-in ), but the itch was hitting, and we decided to explore. Besides a new LX, at that time we seriously considered a new Audi Q7. In a nutshell, while we kind-of liked the Q7, we were not sold on it. Something did not feel right (beyond our Lexus loyalty), and on top of that, both of us (especially my wife) appreciate the solid, truck feel of the LX. Ultimately, the unresponsiveness of the Audi dealer kind of sealed that (non) deal.

We forgot about the whole car thing throughout Christmas, and ditto for January and the beginning of February. The itch came back just before Presidents' Day weekend, we "accepted" that if the numbers worked, a new LX would be the thing, and the search was on!

The New Truck: 2017 LX in Nightfall Mica with Cabernet interior

We landed this truck in the color combination I always wanted. We are not driving it daily yet (I need to finish up all my childproofing activities inside - lots of them), but I've driven it 90 very enjoyable miles. While it's the same truck underneath (except for the tranny) it truly feels smoother (and I don't think it's a placebo effect). More updates to follow as we drive it more...We applied Xpel Ultimate to the entire front (full hood and fenders, mirrors, grille, bumper, headlamps and fog lights) plus the following kits: A-pillar/front of roof, rocker panels, rear bumper and trunk lid (which includes the spoiler), and it came out beautifully. The door edges and sill plates also got the Xpel treatment. The hood is, apparently, a nightmare to lay out due to the combination of size and shape (lots of compound curves).

The Search and Purchase: Exciting but never really fun

I did everything via email (more so than ever in the past) and must have interacted with over ten dealerships. In the end, there were three vehicle/dealer finalists:

The Winner: (1) 2017 Nightfall/Cab - New - 50 miles away (out of state)
Runner-Up: (2) 2016 Nightfall/Cab - 5k miles - 500 miles away
Viable Option: (3) 2016 Black/Cab - New - 250 miles away

While the process was not 100% smooth, I'd say it went pretty well. The selling dealership was competitive upfront and took it down even further after I counter offered. No complaints there: they were forthright AND aggressive. Of course, then came the trade-in... It took an entire week to get them to where they needed to be (i.e., $3 to 4K above where they started, trying to make up ground, of course!).

I was particularly pleased with the dealer selling vehicle #2. This is a family-owned independent operation in VA that sells new Mitsubishis but also runs a substantial wholesale business. The sisters who run the dealership and sales, respectively, were nothing short of a pleasure to deal with: nice, professional and refreshingly-transparent at handling my "inquisition". Price did not make sense in the end (i.e., about $5k less than the 2017 I bought), but I would have gladly done business with them.

As for vehicle #3, I wasn't crazy about another black car, but if the price was right (for a new, leftover 2016), I would have bit immediately. That dealership is in NJ. They provided an ok quote but refused to counter my subsequent offers (and I did tell them I would buy immediately AND what my pricing was on #1). They were at less than $3k below our new 2017, and without any further interest from them, my decision became a no-brainer, especially once the trade-in issue was sorted out.

More broadly, the Lexus dealership experience was a mixed bag across MA, RI, NY, NJ and FL. Some folks were reasonably professional (even if we couldn't agree on $), some pretended to be professional but were an uncoordinated mess (especially when you throw in all the "personalized" emails that are really automated), couldn't answer basic questions and/or allowed their professionalism/manners to slide very easily, some were unresponsive (including the place where I service, ironically), and some were just totally off-putting.

On the off-putting front, a special mention goes to the dealership closest to me - Lexus of Watertown... Once again, these people shined in their awful combination of incompetence, unprofessionalism, and an inexplicable inability to be forthright. I had two rounds of email inquiries with them, both of which were a total waste of my time.

For reference, in the first round, I had submitted EXACTLY what I wanted, colors and all, and here's an excerpt of the useless (AND wrong) response I got: Thank you for your inquiry on the 2017 Lexus LX 450. The LX 450 ranges from $91,894 to $97,755 depending on equipment and is available for immediate delivery. When can you come in--today or is tomorrow more convenient?

Yes, you read correctly, LX450... And their price range is wrong (based on what is stocked in this area). Amid their incompetence, they are - adding insult to injury - notorious for being pretty stuck-up and arrogant (which they confirmed in the subsequent, more recent round of exchanges with them).

On the second round of exchanges (with a different business 'non-development' person), days would go by without a response, and whenever asked, the person (head of the team, to boot) would always say they were absolutely interested in my business (even though they were clearly not). But anyway, enough on these folks...

Bottom Line

The jury is out, but so far, we love the updates to this truck. No, I am still not crazy about the gas mileage and continue to hold that Lexus shouldn't have mailed it in on the LX for so long, but given everything else that this truck offers, this is a tradeoff we were willing to make. I trust and hope that it will age as well as (or better than) our 2010 did.

On a side note (and interesting coincidence), a bunch of my wife's coworkers all have 2010 cars and are all having major issues. My wife is not much of a car person (beyond my influence), and she kept commenting on how she couldn't relate to any of this with the LX. Also, other folks from her work who rode in the LX kept saying they couldn't believe the thing was 7 years old.

And so, we begin another exciting LX journey (and there's no Audi or any other brand in the mix).

And there is my update Pictures will follow, I promise!