Well, made the jump to get out of my Bu... This was tough because even though my Bu has had its quirky issues, it was still one of my favorite cars. After much thought and consideration I traded my '09 Bu and my '05 Tacoma on a '04 Lexus RX330 AWD. Didn't really need three vehicles so consolidating was an obvious option. I will continue my membership on CMF since I want to track the progress of the new Malibus as they are brought into the market. Never know, if they are as solid as I hope a Gen 8 might be back on the table for me. Here are a couple pics of my new ride...

http://img718.imageshack.us/img718/6140/img20110618184154.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/718/img20110618184154.jpg/)

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http://img89.imageshack.us/img89/1359/img20110618184132.jpg (http://imageshack.us/photo/my-images/89/img20110618184132.jpg/)

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Hope it works out going to an older car for you. You get an extented warranty with it?

Good Luck with the new ride!

Hope it works out going to an older car for you. You get an extented warranty with it?

I think the change will work out well. Even though it is older with higher miles, it is smoother and quieter on the highway and has the added benefit of AWD for the winter months. Nope no warranty... too old. Engine is quiet, trans is smooth... had the dealer change out the belts (including timing), the water pump and perform trans service so I should be good for 100K+.

Nice new ride, good luck with it. If you don't mind me asking, how much did you get on trade in for the malibu? You had a really clean malibu, so I would think it would be pretty good.

The Lexus has a good reliability record, so you should be ok but it wouldn’t hurt to get a Extended Warranty. Peace of Mind!

Anyways, Congratulation on your Lexus purchase and I hope you enjoy it!

Good Luck!

Nice new ride, good luck with it. If you don't mind me asking, how much did you get on trade in for the malibu? You had a really clean malibu, so I would think it would be pretty good.

No problem... $16.5... More than I had expected to get. Do miss the fuel economy but I was able to consolidate two vehicles into one and cut my insurance in half. Found that I really needed to best of both worlds (AWD/4WD and economy). There were a few times that I had the Bu out on snowy drifting roads that really the car was not designed for. I had bought a used Tacoma for the winter but having an extra vehicle just for winter didn't make much sense. Especially when I was shoehorning them into the garage when hail was threating. Now I have plenty of room in the garage and worry less about severe hail storms.

The Lexus has a good reliability record, so you should be ok but it wouldn’t hurt to get a Extended Warranty. Peace of Mind!

Anyways, Congratulation on your Lexus purchase and I hope you enjoy it!

Good Luck!

Thanks, I am enjoying it so far. Everything I have read indicates 200K is not a problem for the RX330. It is also very smooth and comfortable for my 140 mile daily commute. I am amazed that the leather looks brand new at 100K and my Bu's leather was looking worn at 20K.