CoffeeStudyTalk

Embarking on a 3 night road trip to Waco, Austin and San Antonio.  Riding in the 2016 Toyota Highlander V6. Planned Itinerary: Day 1 - Monday - Waco, Austin 10:30 am - Dallas to Waco 1 pm - Waco (2.5 hrs drive) 1:15 pm - Magnolia Market 1:30 pm - Lunch - Club Sandwich Food Truck 2:30 pm - Waco to Austin (3 hrs drive) 5:40 pm - Austin 6 pm - Dinner - Ramen Tatsu-ya Day 2 - Tuesday - Austin, San Antonio 7:30 am - Breakfast Hotel 9 am - Umlauf & Downtown 11 am - Domain Shopping Center 12:30 pm - Lunch - Miyo Sushi 1:30 pm - Chi Cha Boba Tea 2:30 pm - Austin to San Antonio (2 hrs drive) 4:30 pm San Antonio 5 pm - Riverwalk Mall 5:30 pm - Dinner - Dave & Buster 6:30 pm - River Walk Day 3 - Wednesday - San Antonio 7:30 am - Breakfast Hotel 9:30 am - Alamo 11 am - River Walk Boat Tour 12:30 pm - Lunch - El Castillo 1:30 pm - River Walk Mall 4:30 pm - Dinner - Ostra 6 pm - River Walk Day 4 - Thursday - Austin, Dallas 7:30 am - Breakfast Hotel 9:30 am - San Antonio to New Braunfels - Bu

It finally happened at around 85,000 miles my 2007 Lexus IS250 displayed the dreaded Check Engine Light and VSC. I had just changed the oil at the dealer a few weeks back and also replaced the rear axle and front bushings, then drove off and my dash lit up like a Christmas tree. I went back to the dealer and they determined the cause was a dead O2 sensor and leaking valve cover gasket.  They believe oil dripping from the gasket fell on the O2 sensor and caused it to fail. Total bill?  About $1,300. O2 Sensor - $600 Valve Gasket - $700 In addition to resolving the Check Engine light, I also had other maintenance and repairs.  So total cost for the month was $ 4,050. Oil Change - $250 Rear Axle - $ 1700 Front Bushings - $800

I was curious and began this mileage log after I replaced the front tires, I began taking the mileage between gas fill ups and learned some interesting things. Spent $400 for a pair of new front tires on the IS.  It normally takes 225/45 W rated tires, but Costco only had the higher Y rated in stock, otherwise I’d have to wait a few weeks for them to order W tires.  Not wanting to risk driving on the highway nor deal with the spare, opted for the Y tires. Honestly, doesn’t make a difference as long it’s equal or higher than the original manufacturer recommended ratings.  Cost me a bit more as I also had to swap out the TPMS sensors and I find Costco is the best deal for those as well. A real bummer as I wanted to keep the tires for at least another year as I just did the brakes on all four wheels.  But the nail was in the worst spot near the edge and the side walls...just a little more to the middle and I could do a cheap plug.  Cest la vie. I do feel a slight improvement in traction a

Previously, I was under the impression that 10 years was considered old for a car and usually got rid of them before then.  I've owned several cars and 2 in particular hit the decade mark with 120-130k miles on the odometer. Goal: 20 Years @ 2027 This time around, I've been more careful with my 2007 Lexus sitting at 12.4 years, which is both the oldest car I've ever owned and to my surprise the average age of most cars in the Western United States.  The Lexus is doing surprisingly well and I'm hoping to keep it for 8 more years until 2027. I've got warranty coverage for 2 more years until 2021 so I just need to 'survive' 6 more years on top of that.  But if it doesn't last...no biggie, I can just pick up a Civic or Corolla for under $10k and start a new odyssey. With 72k miles on the odometer and 8k miles more per year.  I'll hit 136k miles by the 20th year mark, which also seems reasonable considering my old daily beaters hit that m

I picked up my Lexus IS250 on June 2018 and next month it'll be about a year since I've owned it.  The car is 12 years old and still running quite well.  I've never owned a car this old before and quite impressed that it still a decent ride. Just got my second oil change at the dealership and I do notice the engine runs a little smoother and the gas mileage has improved just a bit; although that could just be confirmation bias.