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Lexus ES 300/ES 330
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Comments
hunter001, if the thud is coming from the rear end, I doubt it is the engine mount.
Anyway, the thud or thunk has been confirmed by my servicing and selling dealer as the ABS. Please explain the mount theory. Do they actually pump up after sitting?
Antisoma, my noise comes from under the car, right side, toward the front. I wonder if it's a different noise?
The TL also makes this noise (only after the car has sat a while like a couple of days/overnight) and this came up in the acuratl.com site about a year back. A dealership technician (who is pretty good) gave a detailed explanation (which I don't have right here with me), basically pointing to the hydraulic mounts as the source of the "thunk". Basically it is supposed to be perfectly normal. Actually, the engine of the car is very smooth..... for instance, at a stop light, the only way you would know the engine is running, is by watching the tachometer and this smoothness is due to the presence of the hydraulic mounts; but the downside is that one has to accept this "thunk" after the car has sat for a while.
Hope this helps.
Later...AH
Same here.
Did you get it diagnosed? Like I've said, it seems to be a chronic Toy problem with vehicles equipped with ABS.
Even though we love the car, it's a flaw that is inexcusable IMHO.
What do you mean by "Toy"?
What bothers me more is the ever-present background hiss in the standard stereo system (a problem you don't have with your ML).
I did mine last week. I changed the oil myself @1200 miles. And will let Lexus do it for free @5000. The dealer asked if it was "OK" to give me a rental car for the day because it would take longer than the 45 minutes for the check up. So far the dealer service is all it's been cracked up to be.
Sorry about the hiss. Maybe a filter or something in the power wire to the radio will fix it. Shouldn't happen on a Lexus!!!
The wife drove the Cobra today for the first time in 2 months. Wishes the ES had the power(told her to get the 430 GS!!) but is more than happy with the vault like silence of her ES.
Good news is that there is still no snow in Buffalo, NY (yes, I know it's hard to believe), and I'm still running on the MXV4's. Tomorrow, the forecast is for 60 degrees. I think there's room in the trunk for my golf clubs.
Actually, I don't know when my first checkup will be yet. I guess it's supposed to be 30 days after I buy the car.
If you'd like, e-mail me at kreativ16@eudoramail.com and we can keep in touch about our ESes.
One thing I learned that I did not know before, so I pass it along. You can buy the Lexus extended warranty at any time up to 36k miles or 3 years, whichever is earlier...if you wait, you pay the same price as someone who was buying a new es300 that day...so I can't figure that there is any reason to buy the warranty today. Of course, the price will be higher, but the increase is not based on the fact that they are now "insuring" a new car.
Thanks,
Jeff
So, $1400 is still s decent deal. I will get one when my car arrives in January. I negotiated a price of $1200.
Although I will get the warranty at the dealer I bought the car from, you can get the warranty from any dealer. Shop around and make the dealers compete for your business.
Thanks.
I was most impressed with all of the safety features, including a brake pedal that crushes at a certain force. The car feels very heavy and sturdy in a very safe sort of way.
The rain sensing wipers seem to work appropriately, as opposed to at least one other message here suggesting that they seemed to come on late.
My only "complaint" is that when you shut the engine off, and the moonroof has been open, it does not automatically close--(or maybe I just haven't figured out how)--In my Camry, it would close whenever the engine shut off.
There are some really cool features, like hold the unlock button on your key remote control for several seconds and all of the windows and the moonrool open...That would be great at you approach the car on a very hot day.
I imagine that the biggest "complaint" you will see are accidents arising out of playing with the NAV or audio controls on the finger touch screen..very easy to get distracted, even though many (but not all) of the NAV programming features actually are not available when you are moving.
Motorweek didn't sound too enthusiastic either in today's TV review.
Of course, it's nice to have the best of both worlds. But how would one put a little of the IS into it? Tighten the handling and suspension? If I wanted better handling at the expense of a bumpier ride, I wouldn't buy an ES. Or one could always get the AVS option on the ES. I wouldn't mind the new ES having a more powerful engine, which should come in a few years for the ES.
If the new ES is bland, I'd hate to think what they thought of the previous generation ES. I doubt many of the editors cared as much about the vastly upgraded interior luxury than they did about the fact that the engine didn't get any more powerful.
I think Lexus has the right business ideas as far as their model lineup is concerned. They'll sell a lot of both the ES and IS, even though they might not necessarily please all the performance-minded magazine editors.
I'm just curious...is there any way to make the handling and performance sportier without firming up the ride?
The Corvette is also a better "sports" car. (I know, only 2 seats)
"Buick" is stretching it a little. The ES is much more refined.
The top-level package is now:
premium package, ML stereo, NAV, rear sunshade, VSC w/ TRAC and Brake Assist, HID, Wood steering wheel and shifter, AVS, Trunk Mat, Wheel locks, cargo net.
Retail: $39.9K
I am considering the 2002 ES300 with the premium package. If you've got some recent experience, I would appreciate some help in what they priced it at.
- HID lights
- Front, side and head protection airbags
vehicle skid control and traction control or equivalent
- Navigation
- Reliable vehicle
- Baby friendly rear seats
- Did well on crash tests
- Pricing about $35K
OPTIONAL
- AWD
What other vehicles would fit this profile? We looked at: Acura TL-S (no head impact), Audi A4 (long term reliability ??), BMW 3 series (seems a bit small for a family), Saabs (didn't do very well on crash tests), MB C class (maintenance is expensive).
Any comments would be greatly appreciated.
Thanks,
J
I haven't driven it much...maybe 100 miles or so. I'm quite happy with the car. Front-end styling took some time to grow on me. But regardless of whether people like it or not, it turns heads. I didn't want a car that just blends in with the rest of them.
The G35 will be an awesome car, at a great price (reportedly under $30k base). It's not going to be as luxurious as the ES, but it makes up for that with its incredible performance. I knew about it before purchasing the ES, so I'd say it's more "I want both of them" pains rather than "I should have waited" pains. haha. My plan was to get the ES now and the new Nissan Z next summer. http://www.nissandriven.com/vehicles/FutureVehicleDetails/0,9437,520,00.html
If you still plan on getting the ES in SoCal, send me an e-mail and maybe I can help you out a bit.
http://www.safetyalerts.com/currentrecalls.htm
Does the '98 ES have a history of breakdowns or high maint where it's necessary to purch vehicle that has Pre-Owner warranty? Or am I safe to purch w/o?
By the way, I'll be heading Syracuse way for a business trip on Jan. 3rd and 4th, so I certainly hope that the snow holds off until after that. Happy New Year to you and all the forum readers and contributors.
P.S. My golf clubs are in the basement until April. I hope all the snow is gone by then.
sage5891 - if you're big on golf, come to southern California. Tons of golf courses, and you can play year-round. 65 degree weather right now.