Speaking of Toyota products, I am turning in the Camry tonight. The tags are expired, so I am taking it back to Hertz on my way to pick up my wife at the airport. Hopefully I'll get something like a Mazda6 or Altima. Just, please, something with some soul. Even if it's just a little bit of soul. Like someone who has been starved for a long time and can't eat a big meal right away, after dealing with numbness for 3 weeks I don't know if I can handle too much soul all at once.
@engineerd: Good luck with that. As the child of parents with a beige 4-banger Camry, I feel your pain. I'm not sure what's worse: driving it or riding shotgun. It's enough to make you wish your old man had an Impala. As for the IS-F convertible, is there even a market for that?
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was starred
If FromaBuick6 has to watch one more Chevy commercial, he's going to punch Howie Long in the face was unstarred
@InfinitisEnd: I would totally rock one of those. I've seen a few. They are surprisingly small, and surprising good looking. I'll have to see if Hertz has any...Soul.
@Dwegmull, preview free since March 2009.: The other sad thing is, if you offered me one of these or an SC300 5spd, I would take the SC in an instant. I wish I could complain that Lexus has lost it's way, like BMW, but the SC300 was just about the only car they've ever made that was any good. Maybe the first gen IS too.
Lexus understands that the vast majority of people paying ~40k for a car (especially a convertible) want it to be "really nice". They want perfect worksmanship, top-notch materials, and a quiet, smooth comfortable driving experience.
They don't want character, they don't want "road feel", they don't want weighty steering, and they never even learned to drive a stickshift.
They "had a Pontiac as a rental once and it was terrible". "Lincoln? Isn't that an old-man car? You know, those big black taxi things".
...and that's why I have no use whatsoever for their products.
I wanted an IS 300 because I LOVED the Altezza in Gran Turismo 4. But in reality used IS 300's are really overpriced. I was looking for one from around '02 and couldn't find any for under $14K. So I bought a 2000 V70 R for $6000 instead.
P.S. The IS 300 SportCross (station wagon) is a really nice-looking car.
@AtomikB: I lusted for the SportCross first time I saw one. Attractive, hatchback-like proportions and much more flexible than the sedan. Then I researched and learned they were only built with an auto tranny. The hell?
Nice choice of backdrop for the photos. Is this the luxury convertible for the discerning, suddenly-rich redneck who still buys his hooch at the old wood-slatted liquor store?
Ahhh, now it all makes sense, you had to drive that Corolla with the Fusion grille in order to get some seat-time in a convertible.
I'm trying to like a Lexus so I can cease getting yelled at by my Toyota-fan friend, but I just can't. The lines are all wrong, there's no harmony to the lines, there's no passion or romance to the design. This is not a car designed by people who love cars, this is designed by people who wish to make a transportation device that is capable of competing with other similar cars in a particular segment.
I guess what I'm saying is, I feel sorry for you, Wojzilla, because you probably ain't gettin' much play if you're drivin' around in this thing.
You know what you need? A Lincoln Continental. Say, a '64? That'd get you some play. Oooh, yeah.
It needs to be painted Celestial Black Metallic, with a Saddle Tan interior. Under the hood should be a supercharged 5.4 liter Triton V8 backed by a six-speed auto.
@Deartháir - Now with more SingoFinger™!: Hey! I bet if you were driving one of these, you could get any middle-aged upper-middle class woman you wanted! In fact, I'm pretty sure all Lexii come equipped with one from the factory.
07/09/09
07/09/09
Err...
Toyotas. Whatever.
07/09/09
07/09/09
07/09/09
07/09/09
07/09/09
07/09/09
07/09/09
07/09/09
A nice alternative to a Mercedes.
07/09/09
06/12/09
06/12/09
I would get the previous release of the M3 used for half that price and be twice as happy driving it around...
Thats a Solara with a Lexus badge
06/12/09
06/12/09
At least to me.
06/12/09
Lexus understands that the vast majority of people paying ~40k for a car (especially a convertible) want it to be "really nice". They want perfect worksmanship, top-notch materials, and a quiet, smooth comfortable driving experience.
They don't want character, they don't want "road feel", they don't want weighty steering, and they never even learned to drive a stickshift.
They "had a Pontiac as a rental once and it was terrible". "Lincoln? Isn't that an old-man car? You know, those big black taxi things".
...and that's why I have no use whatsoever for their products.
06/12/09
Okay, there, it passed.
Wow, that was freaky.
06/12/09
P.S. The IS 300 SportCross (station wagon) is a really nice-looking car.
06/12/09
06/12/09
06/12/09
06/12/09
I'm trying to like a Lexus so I can cease getting yelled at by my Toyota-fan friend, but I just can't. The lines are all wrong, there's no harmony to the lines, there's no passion or romance to the design. This is not a car designed by people who love cars, this is designed by people who wish to make a transportation device that is capable of competing with other similar cars in a particular segment.
I guess what I'm saying is, I feel sorry for you, Wojzilla, because you probably ain't gettin' much play if you're drivin' around in this thing.
You know what you need? A Lincoln Continental. Say, a '64? That'd get you some play. Oooh, yeah.
06/12/09
It needs to be painted Celestial Black Metallic, with a Saddle Tan interior. Under the hood should be a supercharged 5.4 liter Triton V8 backed by a six-speed auto.
I'm still undecided on the wheels and the gauges.
06/12/09
06/12/09
06/12/09