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Lexus ES 300/ES 330
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Comments
I think it may be due to the low mileage on that car or you probabaly just got a car with bad transmission. I have driven this car in two dealerships in Michigan and I did not find any transmission problems. I went for a second test drive because I heard all the comments about acceleration and shifting. Guess what, the car I drove just reponded as well as my Honda Accord 2000.
I think RX300 is a great SUV. My friend has one he really loves it.
Dealer is quoting me 34,500 drive-out(Incl. of 6.25% tax and Title fee) on the ES300 with Premium package. Is that a good deal since the Edmunds TMV is around 35,000 drive-out but the invoice is around 32,500 drive-out?
The Mark Levinson sound is great too. Navigation System is easy to use and it is really accurate. Overall, I am really impressed by the performance of this car.
I did ask the salesman about the transmission software. He has heard nothing about it. I really hope those of you who still have problems with the transmission will have the software updated.
I will post the MPG later this week. Have fun!
I am wondering where to find good floor mats (e.g websites?) for my ES 300. I prefer it to be rubber-made so I do not have to worry about snow and dirt in winter. Any ideas will be appreciated
Went out and drove the car again. People never discussed about braking system here. I would like to comment on it: The braking system is superb. I would say much better than the Honda Accord. You could stop the car very easily and smoothly.
Acceleration, as I mentioned before, is now still very responsive. I hope you would get your car soon. cwdavis.
$500 over invoice is an even sweeter deal when you're getting the fully loaded ES. Did you do all negotiations through the Internet with their Internet sales departments?
Did they make the offer based on your purchasing the car not now but in August?
At my 5000 mile maintenance, I am going to insist on test driving several ES300s to see whether they have the problem. If the test driven vehicles do not have the problem, I will insist that Lexus fix or replace my transmission. If the vehicles I test do have the problem, I will conclude that those owners who report no problem really do have the transmission problem, and are simply insensitive to it.
I live 100 miles from the nearest dealer, or I would do my test drive within the week. As it stands, I will have to wait until about August to do the test at my 5000 mile check.
It would be nice if someone else with the transmission problem would try this test and post the results on this board.
Another factor you might want to consider while test driving other loaner cars is the month/year which they were manufactured. I know people have been saying that there is no difference. However, none of us worked in Japan's manufacturing plants or HQ so you never know.
I really hope that you would get the value of what you paid for. This is a great car and I really hope everyone would enjoy it.
More driving experience to follow....
Aceking2000- as to "out the door", I guess it will be $35232 invoice, $500 markup, $2,948 tax (8.25%), $235 license and a $45 doc fee for a total of price of $38,960. I am okay with that. Although I would like to get chrome wheels but that would add an additional $850.
I really want to get the car NOW but it really does not make a lot of sense since we are moving the first part of August and it is senseless to register it in MO and then CA. Also, by August we should know what changes (if any) are planned for the 2003 model.
I believe Longo is the highest volume Lexus dealer in the western part of the US. It was a different story when I went there in December though...they hardly had any ES in stock.
Did you talk to Marc Evans? He's one of the guys that handles Internet sales at Longo.
Dealing with the Internet folks is the way to go. In LA, that means you get to comparison shop between a dozen dealers without ever having to leave your home.
The California packages will ensure that your vehicle meets the California emmissions requirements, and the packages sold in California are more suited to the west coast driving conditions. For example, all-weather tires are not on the California packages, and AVS comes on the California loaded package. Heated seats are not available on the premium package in California (they come with the loaded package, however), whereas all four midwest options have heated seats and no AVS.
I bought mine anyway then anyway, because of the possibility that a price increase in the invoice might offset the greater availability of vehicles.
Bottom line is that it looks as though buyers in LA should be able to negotiate a deal between $500 - $1000 over invoice.
The numerous comments on this web site indicates to me that it is most likely a design problem, not a problem with individual vehicles. I guess I would like to get to the bottom of why many of us experience the problem and many do not.
Went out for driving again today. Did notice a small rattling sound on the passenger side but it is not too bothersome. Any others experience the same issue? I will bring it up to my technician for the first 30 day checkup.
Couldn't agree with you more. The internet is the only way to go in LA because of the great competitive environment. One sends out emails and the responses flow in within 24 hours.
If you check the April consumer reports, there is an assessment of how effective purchasing vehicles through these clubs is as compared with just walking in and negotiating with a salesman. Consumer reports' buyers tried different ways to purchase vehicles. For the club method, there was only about $100 between the average high and low prices paid using this method. The spread is much higher for purchasing cars by just walking in and negotiating with dealers in the traditional way. It turned out that the club method yieled better high and average prices, but you could get much lower prices if you are a good negotiator by using the traditional route. It would seem that if you are an average negotiator, you are better off going the club route. However, if you are good at it and willing to work at it, significantly better deals can be obtained through negotiation.
I feel that at any given time, there has not been that big of a spread for the ES300, i.e., my deal was about in line with most of those reported on this board. However, a couple of folks on this board seemed able to get better than average prices and a better price than I did. I paid about $2300 over invoice for my LA loaded package, whereas ramzak only paid $1994. He had one of the best deals I had seen at the time (between Feb and early May). I have seen better deals lately, in the neighborhood of $500 - $1000 over invoice.
I used the price calculator at edmund, the invoice price should be close to $34,850, but your invoice is $35,232.
I also purchased my ES from Longo, I talked with another internet sales manager, he was also very professional. I think Longo is probably the largest Lexus dealer in the west coast, and they are challenged to sell 600 Lexus in June, so you really have a good chance to get a very good price.
It seems that the ES price is coming down, if you can get one for $500 over invoice, I would go & grab it, even $1000 over is not too bad. Good luck for your purchasing.
You pick the exact package, and it gives you the sticker price, the invoice price, and their price. Their price varies depending on region, and can be a good indicator of price trends in your area (up or down, assuming you monitor the site over some time period)
cwdavis1 - I didn't know about him when I got my ES, but I hear Marc Evans is good. At this time, I wouldn't pay any more than $500 over invoice in the LA area. Feel free to send me an e-mail if you'd like.
Kreativ--what is your email address?
While you can't make the volume on the radio go down when the voice navigation system wants to talk to you, it is possible to increase the voice guidance volume. I don't have the book in front of me so I can't tell you exactly how to do it. If you have problems doing this get back to me and I'll get out my book and walk you through it. I've got mine maxed to the highest volume and that seems to do the trick. Also, note that when the voice guidance speaks, the radio/cd to the front left speaker(s) is momentarily shut off.
To all others. I have a slight passenger door sound. Sounds like a production problem. If anyone gets it fixed properly, let us know so we can direct the service people to the exact poblem. I suspect it's the side adjustable seat belt anchor; but its just a suspicion. tk
And I do have minor sound/rattle on the left passenger side. I can't identify where it is coming from. I will have the engineer check it within a few days. So if you hear anything let me know.
Btw, do you live in Detroit? I live in Troy but didn't buy my car at Maede because I don't like their attitudes. so tk_det if you want to talk more about Lexus experiences, contact me at jastai@hotmail.com. Ok?
To argolferbd. I feel sorry that you had a bad experience with your ES300 Lexus. However it is indeed a superior car than the 3.2TL in terms of interior luxury and to my own opinion - the exterior design. The only thing I like about the 3.2TL is the sport shift and the Power. But honestly, why do we need so much power for? You will still get your *** kicked if you race with cars like mustang. To me I think my lexus already has a decent power and I have no problem with transmission like some people.
I found a little dent on the front of my car. Really small but I think I can live with it. 'cause that's what happens when you drive on highways. I will see if that is under the corrosion warranty. Any thoughts?
I am happy with the power of the ES300.
atoews, do you experience the noise/rattle on the passenger side? Is it not normal or are we just too picky since the car is so quiet?
Since I don't often carry a passenger, there has been no opportunity to investigate further. And, like some others, I hesitate to mention it to a dealer because I fear that a potential fix might make things worse.
In answer to your question about expectations, yes, I think our standards are high; higher than if we had bought a car where the expectations were not as lofty.
I am one of those owners who texas83 thinks is out of my mind because I think the ES300 is so quiet, it is noisy. ;-) (FYI, texas83 probably gets the award for being least satisfied of anyone on this board with his 02 ES300).
I also agree with you. Even with the transmission problem and the very slight rattle at the door, I do not regret my purchase, and I would do it again. I still love my car, and it is a vast improvement in the transmission, power, and quietness over the 1996 Camry I traded in.
And we won't even discuss the BMW I had before the Camry.... well, that's history.
Finally,if you go to the "Camry problems" board, you will find that the new Camry seems to have at least as many, if not more, trouble with the transmission than we do. My hopes are high that Lexus will fix the transmission problem before I am ready for a new car again - 8 -10 years from now.
What was your experience with Meade Lexus?
Also others mentioned that when their Lexus ES300 went over 50mph, the was a feeling or hesitation when they released the pedal. Is taht the general case? I tried this afternoon and didn't find it in my car. Thanks.
cwdavis1 - look in my profile.
aceking2000 - I get one of the earlier described hesitations (more of a shuddering actually) in my LS. Someone else has said they get it in their GS. So it's not something specific to the '02 ES. It's more of a hesitation when you feather the pedal after having released it. I haven't experienced it in my LS for quite a while, and the only time it happened was on the same strip of road. Must be the speed and the way that I drive on that particular strip.
The ordering info is at zaino.com. You print out the order form and then mail it in along with a check.
Also note the polish is very easy to apply and wipe off.
I got the Klasse Councors Kit from here:
http://www.properautocare.com/klasse.html
For all you'd ever want to know about car care, go here:
http://www.autopia-carport.com/forums/index.php
Thanks.
I did check the autopia site and it was great. People just posted their car pictures and it is an interesting forum.
tk_det. Hotmail is down this morning but I will write you back as soon as their server is back online.
One question for all of you: My fuel indicator lights up this morning (fuel low). When I checked with the onboard computer, it says I still have 15 miles. How reliable is that information? How many gallons do you suppose I still have in my car? Thanks.
Second, keep in mind in both hot and cold weather it's good to have at least half a tank of gas. The hotter and/or colder temperatures can cause problems on the tank and fuel lines if there is a lot of empty space in the tank.
At the very least, do not let your fuel get much below even 1/4 of a tank. Hopefully you don't live too far from a gas station to make more frequent stops.
I did not get your e-mail. When did you send it? Could you send it again? Thanks.
Lenscap, thanks a lot. I will keep in mind.