# Lexus Driving Event



## newm5 (Jun 14, 2004)

lexus is having their test drive event this summer all over the country. I went to the one here in the bay area last week. it was a lot of fun. better than any driving events I have been before. 

drove the LS430 and I was very impressed with the way it handles. it's huge, yet very nimble and responsive for its size.

I was dissapointed with the 745i, i don't think it handles any better than the LS. 

the new TL was great too, it drives well considering it's a front wheel drive.


----------



## Fzara2000 (Jan 22, 2004)

newm5 said:


> lexus is having their test drive event this summer all over the country. I went to the one here in the bay area last week. it was a lot of fun. better than any driving events I have been before.
> 
> drove the LS430 and I was very impressed with the way it handles. it's huge, yet very nimble and responsive for its size.
> 
> ...


The new TL?  Are you sure it wasnt the ES330? Last time I remembered..Lexus doesnt have a model called the TL.


----------



## tamum3 (Feb 27, 2004)

Dave 330i said:


> how can us cheapskates sign up? :dunno:


Ask and you shall receive :thumbup:

Lexus Taste of Luxury Tour


----------



## rost12 (Dec 22, 2001)

newm5 said:


> I was dissapointed with the 745i, i don't think it handles any better than the LS.


 

Let me guess, 7er had 18s with winter tires and screwed up alignment?


----------



## guitarman (Mar 29, 2004)

Just got back from my local Lexus Taste of Luxury Event. Lots of fun, though I felt kind of bad nailing the gas pedal on 60K cars with less than 500 miles on them. I wonder who ends up with these cars with no break-in period? I too was impressed with the Acura TL. But my favorite, at least driving through the course they set up, was the Cadillac XLR. That Northstar engine is something else. Really throws you back in your seat. The Lexus SC430 was fun too, as was the BMW 545i. The Lexus LS430 was very nice, but seemed like there was a 2 second lag time in response to flooring the accelerator. The BMWs, to me, had the best brakes and suspension of all the cars there. Didn't drive the Jaguar XKR, but others said it was a dog.

If this event comes to your town, I'd highly recommmend going. Good buffet too!


----------



## operknockity (Apr 19, 2002)

Fzara2000 said:


> The new TL?  Are you sure it wasnt the ES330? Last time I remembered..Lexus doesnt have a model called the TL.


Lexus doesn't have a TL, but this event, while sponsored by Lexus, apparently has cars of various marques:


> We recognize that Lexus consumers tend to be people who feel passionately about life and are constantly seeking new and rewarding experiences. For this reason, we sponsor a variety of events that indulge the senses and engage the mind. What they all have in common is a shared commitment to the "Passionate Pursuit of Perfection."
> 
> The Lexus Taste of Luxury Tour is just such an event. The main attraction of this event will be the variety of luxury vehicles available to test-drive-almost every 2004 Lexus, *plus those of our top competitors*. Attendees can also indulge in an array of delicacies prepared by gourmet chefs. Listen to the incredible sounds provided by the Mark Levin son® audio system. Work on their golf swing with a professional instructor. Or even plan the ideal luxury escape.


----------



## operknockity (Apr 19, 2002)

:repost: http://www.bimmerfest.com/forums/showthread.php?t=73601


----------



## LDV330i (May 24, 2003)

They willl be in Houston in a couple of weekends.  I am signed up.

This how it is currently advertised on their website.

_ Be our guest at the Lexus Taste of Luxury and experience a passionate pursuit of perfection.

Drive the world's most coveted vehicles - the entire Lexus line, plus Mercedes-Benz, Jaguar, Cadillac, Infiniti, Land Rover, Volvo, *BMW* and Acura vehicles.

Then indulge in&#8230;

Delectable food prepared by a Gourmet-selected chef.

Instruction provided by ESPN Golf Schools, and expert advice on equipment and Places to Play from Golf Digest.

Inside information about gorgeous getaways from Condé Nast Traveler.

Cool tunes played on Mark Levinson premier audio equipment._


----------



## swchang (Oct 5, 2003)

Event was fun, much better than the Love Mercedes Tour. Too bad I didn't get to stay very long. The best drive was definitely the Cadillac XLR. Tore everything else to pieces, IMHO.


----------



## newm5 (Jun 14, 2004)

wow, amazing that the LExus event is still going on.. they were in bay area last July, i thought they would be done by last August. 

those cars must be beaten up to death by the end of the season  

i noticed with the susan g komen drive event last summer, when i drove the 6 series convertible, it already had a crack on the windshield, the engine making weird noises.. some of these people really drive the car to its limit. 

The 540i was not even available to be driven at the time, because it has to be serviced already.. probably because it was abused badly in the earlier events..


----------



## bbkat (Oct 27, 2002)

newm5 said:


> i noticed with the susan g komen drive event last summer, when i drove the 6 series convertible, it already had a crack on the windshield, the engine making weird noises.. some of these people really drive the car to its limit.
> ..


 :eeps:


----------



## LDV330i (May 24, 2003)

newm5 said:


> those cars must be beaten up to death by the end of the season


 I went yesterday. I was fun to be able to try different brands of cars back to back and push them as hard as you can, though not too too hard because you would get kicked out. I was actually surprised that the G35 handled so poorly. The 330i had no sport seats so it was no fun to push it when you are sliding all over the seat.

I drove an IS 300 tha had the "Check Engine" and Traction Control light on. When I told one of the guys running the event, he said: "We know that". The Acura TL kept telling me it was 1,500 miles past its due service. :yikes:

Anybody going needs to plan on spending at least 4 hours there. Unfortunately I had prior commitments so I could not stay longer than 4 hours. 

The food was also good and so was the nice exit gift. It was a book about 2 lane road trips you can do for fun all over the US. It was in a presentation "leather" bound box. :wow:


----------



## Dave 330i (Jan 4, 2002)

LDV330i said:


> I went yesterday. I was fun to be able to try different brands of cars back to back and push them as hard as you can, though not too too hard because you would get kicked out. I was actually surprised that the G35 handled so poorly. The 330i had no sport seats so it was no fun to push it when you are sliding all over the seat.
> 
> I drove an IS 300 tha had the "Check Engine" and Traction Control light on. When I told one of the guys running the event, he said: "We know that". The Acura TL kept telling me it was 1,500 miles past its due service. :yikes:
> 
> ...


----------



## tamum3 (Feb 27, 2004)

I was there yesterday at 8am and got to drive cars a few times before most of the people started showing up. The Jaguar XK8 was a joke...talk about a POS. The Cadillac XLR was the most fun, but had a fairly cheap looking interior. The GS430 was impressive and IMHO was much better looking and fun to drive in comparison to the 5series and E-class. The G35 was pretty nice save for the touchy brakes!



> I was very bitter with the 745i. The steering was overly boosted and poorly communicated, and it was the only car that I managed to knock down the cones. What I hate the 745i was that it tried to be overly complicated with everything inside, and it succeeded. Damn, I hate this car. There is no need to be so different. The i-Dive, steering control, the starter, the shifting of gears, and getting into park all added to the complication of this car. There is no other luxury car in the group that tried to impress you with all the gimmicks. BMW got it all wrong. In the luxury segment I would go Lexus, then MBZ.


I agree completely....there was no need to make it so complicated.

Overall this was one of the best events I have been to :thumbup:. The course setup was nicely done...much better than the GM Autoshow in Motion that was held there 2-3 weeks ago. Also there was no limit on how many times you could drive a car, unlike the GM show where you could only drive the C6 Corvette once.


----------



## LDV330i (May 24, 2003)

Driving the full size SUV was also fun, specially going up that steep mound of dirt. The X5 4.4i was pushed to compete in this class. Part of the course had big clumps of dirt so the the SUV would tip from side to side. The X5 kept scraping botton and I also saw lift the right rear wheel because of lack of wheel travel. The X5 was at home in the curves set up after the off road part of the course.


----------



## Dave 330i (Jan 4, 2002)

LDV330i said:


> Driving the full size SUV was also fun, specially going up that steep mound of dirt. The X5 4.4i was pushed to compete in this class. Part of the course had big clumps of dirt so the the SUV would tip from side to side. The X5 kept scraping botton and I also saw lift the right rear wheel because of lack of wheel travel. The X5 was at home in the curves set up after the off road part of the course.


I didn't drive the X5 class SUV, but the Volvo that was competing with the X3 was a total dog. Slow and heavy steering. I don't know what people are thinking when they decide to buy this car.


----------



## rdollie (Aug 6, 2003)

If it's the same Volvo with base engine I saw at recent ride and drive event (which was really for the new Legacy GT but they tried to hide that) then I'm not surprised. They usually try to keep the turbo Volvos out of the comparison but with typical Volvo discounting (nobody pays invoice for Volvos and their Overseas Delivery pricing is just too much of a deal to overlook if you don't have negotiating skills) it is indeed a high-pressure turbo variant that should have been compared.



Dave 330i said:


> I didn't drive the X5 class SUV, but the Volvo that was competing with the X3 was a total dog. Slow and heavy steering. I don't know people are thinking when they buy this thing.


----------

