The Replacement!

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Dan Long

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You guys might remember back around November or so when I posted the pics of my wife's Mazda 6 that she so lovingly crushed the front end of.....:angry:



Anyway, the insurance company wound up totalling the car and settled for $12.5K, then our GAP insurance picked up the $2300 balance that we still owed. It didn't cost us a penny as they even paid our deductible for us. I will definitely keep GAP on any vehicles I purchase from now on, as that was the best $495 I've ever spent. In hindsight, I now know that you can typically purchase it directly from your lender after the deal is done cheaper than adding it at the dealer (surprise, surprise!....), it only cost us $275 on the new vehicle. Our insurance policy went up about $8 a month due to the accident, but that's not that big of a deal considering we only pay about $115 a month for full coverage on both vehicles.



Now for the replacement! We picked up a 2005 Lexus RX330 with 31K miles from an auction (had a friend do the purchase) and got it out the door for about $19,500. Since we got it at the end of November, I added some 18 x 8 TSW Estoril wheels, tinted the front windows, removed the rear emblems and installed a Kenwood DNX5120 DVD headunit with Navigation, Bluetooth, XM radio and steering wheel controls. I'm probably going to put the Eibach springs on it to lower it about 1.5" eventually, and might get an aftermarket front bumper or at least lower lip add-on to give it a little more aggressive style in the front. I'm also working on a dual exhaust set-up more like the Edge and Murano have, I just have to keep it quiet and Lexus-like...



Here's a few pics I snapped tonight for your pleasure. :D



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dan,



that is set up AWESOME !!! :cool:



great choice, great price. :)



all the toyota/lexus lovers here will agree ;)



 
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I like how you can program the remote for MANY things.



I set mine up so that if you press and hold the unlock, every window including the moon-roof opened for as long as you held the button.
 
I looked at the RX when I was shopping in 2007, but bought a GS350. RX was a little too minivan for my taste and we didn't need that much room anyway. We wanted a highway cruiser for some planned (and unplanned) roadtrips.

Gotta love the quiet power.......and great on gas. 29mpg road.



ss
 
Nice ride and a good choice.

I looked at them too but it was a little too "girlie" for me.



Did you put the step bars on or were they already on there?

I've never seen one with those added.

They sit kinda low to need them, but the previous owner may have been really short.

I'd be taking them off.



Love the mods you've already done. Great choices!
 
Thanks guys, like I said, we're loving the ride!



With 2 small kids, we needed the room, and its a better alternative than a minivan. :D We've been getting about 18 mpg around town and 22-24 on the highway, I was hoping for a little better, but no biggie as my wife doesn't work and my company picks up my fuel.



The step bars were on it when we got it, and I was really unsure about them at first, but they work really well for our girls getting in and out of the back and I think they set it apart a little bit.



JohnnyO, I mentioned your comment to my wife and she didn't seem too thrilled about the idea....:D It would be cool though.....:cool:
 
Yeah, the Mazda was really nice though... it was the Grand Touring model, had everything but navigation (sunroof, heated leather power seats, Bose 6 disc, 220 hp 3.0 V6), but it is still a bit of an upgrade!:D



Oh yeah, I also removed the roof rack for that nice sleek look.
 
IMO, either step bars and roof rack, or neither; took off the rack on the ST for that reason, I think it makes it look cleaner
 

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