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Lexus ES 300/ES 330

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Comments

  • robert_s_22robert_s_22 Member Posts: 25
    Thanks everyone for all your help, I do think that 25K for a 1997 ES300 is VERY expensive no matter how good the resale is. I have been looking in the paper and there are individuals selling low milage ES300's for $18,500. I am going to offer $21,500, if they take it,great, if not I will go elsewhere. Once again, thanks for all your help, and JTC, I think they are very wonderful cars !!!
  • rob175rob175 Member Posts: 19
    I hate to be too sarcastic but for those who can't compute the fuel mileage (by the way my new ES300 gets an average of 24 city/hwy miles per gal)I would suggest that you find a 12 year old to figure it out like grammer school math assignment. Come on folks!

    Fill the tank up.....all the way up, really "top it off". Set the trip odo to "0". Next drive and use up some of that gas, it doesn't matter how much you use up just drive! When you next stop for gas fill it up again ALL THE WAY up, just like you did before. Now divide the miles driven by the amount of gallons you just topped off your tank with. Thats it!....Now was that so difficult!
  • turbotcturbotc Member Posts: 163
    I don't really care about gas mileage. All I know is that when I first drove her home, I am able to drive a whole week (to and back from work and shopping etc) and when the warning light come on, I fill her up and reset my tripometer. Every week, everytime I fuel her up the tripometer would read like 340 to 360 miles. Now even when the car has 20k miles, it's still the same. No more no less. When it starts to say 240 miles and I need to fill up, then it will be a concern, but for now. I could care less what the mpg is.
  • aimanaiman Member Posts: 61
    robert_s_22,

    here in Houston 97 ES are initially priced in the low 20's. That means you can go down closer to 20 and sometimes slightly below 20, depending on factors like color, mileage, and condition. Of course, certified ES cost a lot more. Anyway, come down to Houston to shop for cars!
  • enigmaoneenigmaone Member Posts: 128
    rolloman,

    NOw i see why you're getting such low numbers. You can't use the 18 gallon capacity of the tank. At the point where the light comes on you still have about 2 1/2 gallons in the tank.

    What you want to do is when you fill up use the gallon figure on the gas pump. That tells you exactly how much gallons of gas went into your tank. I am guessing when the light comes on and you fill up, you are actually only putting in about 15 gallons of gas vs. the 18 gallons you use to calculate mileage.

    I'm not saying you literally have to wait exactly to the 1/4 or 1/2 tank mark. Just use any measure. reset the odometer if you want next time you fill up and then drive 200 miles if you want or 150. then fill your tank up again as I said in my last post, and then use the amounts of miles you drove and the amount of gallons that went into your tank based on what the gas pump reading says. I'm sure after you do this, your MPG numbers will be more towards what you expected.
  • robert_s_22robert_s_22 Member Posts: 25
    Those sound like pretty good prices down there in Houston, I'm in Dallas and both Park Place Dealers here and the Sewell dealers here are very high !! I have seen a couple 97-98 ES300's in the paper here with low miles for anywhere from $18,500 to $22,000. I would never buy a non certified car from a Lexus dealer, I can save about $10,000 from just buying from an individual, no warrany is worth 10K. I am also wondering what makes a "Certified" car that great. It's just a warranty, new tires, and service from what I can see. I'm kinda confused now, I'd like a Certified car for the warranty and better service, but it worth it ?? Once again, please help !!!
  • tjlewtjlew Member Posts: 10
    Hi, fellas.

    Was talking to my mechanic about the above posts concerning the mpg. He says that one shouldn't drive until the warning light comes on. He says that one shouldn't go under 1/4th of the tank because there's a fuel pump in the tank that is cooled by the fuel. It would overheat if the level goes too low. On the other side, he says to fuel the tank up until the auto cut off is reached. Overfilling would cause problems since the tank cap is not vented like in the old cars. On hot days, the gas will expand and go up the fuel lines and cause problems with the systems.

    Any comments?

    Tim
  • aimanaiman Member Posts: 61
    I think Enigmaone can explain better on the subject of buying certified preowned v. non-certified.

    Personally, since ES uses the same engine and tranny as a V6 Camry (and even the Sienna and Avalon), you don't need the extra warranty.
  • wkbeckwkbeck Member Posts: 4
    Does anyone know the exact advertising fee for the Lexus and Toyotas in Southern California. The dealer is saying $600 while the amount listed on Edmunds is $200.
  • rollomanrolloman Member Posts: 64
    I've finally got it! I'll try it out and let you know what the numbers look like.

    Thanks for your patience on the subject. You're the foremost authority in the Town Hall.
  • sddlwsddlw Member Posts: 361
    Don't know current fees. A couple of months ago they were $395. There are quite a few dealers in the LA/OC/SD area. Call a couple up and ask. It is possible that the Edmunds numnber is obsolete and that there is more advertizing now that 2001 models are out, but most of the time I'd believe the Edmunds number rather than a verbal quote from a dealer.
  • marsha7marsha7 Member Posts: 3,703
    until the tank is down to 1/2 or 1/4 is to get a more correct average mpg. You could just drive 30 minutes and perform the same calculation, but you cannot determine much from so little driving.
  • enigmaoneenigmaone Member Posts: 128
    aiman,

    And whoever else wants to know about certified PO vs. just plain used Lexus'.

    The biggest advantage to the CPO Lexus is the warranty. Which means you get the 6/100K warranty, $0 deductible, and the backing of all 180+ Lexus dealers in the US.

    Otherwise, a regular used Lexus can be just as good and you can save a few grand buying one privately. The 120+ point check is not really all that rigorous. Believe me, most of the 120 points are ridiculous like checking fluids, wiper blades, tire wear, brake wear, etc. etc. etc.

    Some checks are good like having all service records for the car, no major accidents, etc. But you can have these things confirmed on a used car that you buy from someone's driveway also. Most Lexus owners should have the book stamped and should be wise enough to keep service records. And cars that have been in major accidents are easy to spot.

    Personally, if you find a good used Lexus for a few grand less, take it and save the money. But I can't say the person who does buy the CPO Lexus is foolish also since that also has its advantages.

    rolloman,

    Make sure you let us know on your gas mileage figures.
  • lievliev Member Posts: 93
    I think the advertising fee varies depending on the area. In Washington metro. area, the advertising is around 350-400. Edmunds says you should negotiate with dealer to pay about 200 only. I don't think it says that the advertsise fee is 200.

    Anyways, is 32,200 a good price for a 2001 ES300? Any one has any opinion?
  • scongroscongro Member Posts: 80
    Sounds pretty good to me. What does it have, value package?
  • wkbeckwkbeck Member Posts: 4
    I am working on a deal in So. CA for about $31,900 with the vp,HL,TU,LM,WL options with a list of about $34,700. They also have two 2000 at $31,032. Depending upon the wait to get the color (the 2000s are the color we want), I would prefer to get the 2001 for $900 more. You must also realize that the VP package for 2001 is about $475 less than the 2000 model. No other difference in the package. From my calculations, the advertising fee appears to be about $450, which probably is in line at 1.5% of MSRP.

    PS: a 2001 in Iowa is going for about $500 off list. What a jab!!!!
  • domettgdomettg Member Posts: 55
    I have a '99 ES300 and love the car but one of my big complaints is that the transmission is very sluggish to downshift into second gear. I have seen other people post the same complaint. At any speed and you are in either 3rd or overdrive, if you step on the gas to try and make it downshift into 2nd, the car kind of takes a deep breath before deciding to downshift. Does anyone know if this is a mechanical deficiency in the design or is there a software fix for the problem?
  • lievliev Member Posts: 93
    of course! who would buy an ES300 without a VP nowadays. it also has wood steering wheel and acessories, just one of those with the $1500 off MSRP, you know.
  • lievliev Member Posts: 93
    ah, forgot one thing, it also has heated seat.
  • befoxbefox Member Posts: 1
    Did anyone read the crappy review on the ES300 from Edmund's? It basically says that the ES300 is nothing but a Camry,which is nothing new, but I would think a automobile review site would know better. I have owned 2 ES300's and also have ridden and seen multiple Camry's and I think that this is so far from the truth. Based on quality, appearance and features alone I would never buy a Camry over an ES300. I understand there are a few shared components but not enough to make them similar. The only reason I am venting this is that this has to be the worst ES300 review I have ever read. GOODBYE EDMUND'S..............
  • scongroscongro Member Posts: 80
    That sounds like a great price. I didn't know if you actually found a NAK ES 300 (very rare).
  • troubled94troubled94 Member Posts: 2
    My apologies if I'm in the wrong conference board but . . .
    The lexus symbol on the back of the trunk just above the license plate on my 1998 ES300 was pried off (pretty neatly) while the car was in a parking garage.
    I assume the local Lexus dealer is the best way to replace it?
    My real question is: does this happen very often? Is there a way to prevent/discourage it? I try to be careful where I park but didn't anticipate this problem.
    Thanks
  • troubled94troubled94 Member Posts: 2
    My apologies if I'm in the wrong conference board but . . .
    The lexus symbol on the back of the trunk just above the license plate on my 1998 ES300 was pried off (pretty neatly) while the car was in a parking garage.
    I assume the local Lexus dealer is the best way to replace it?
    My real question is: does this happen very often? Is there a way to prevent/discourage it? I try to be careful where I park but didn't anticipate this problem.
    Thanks
  • sddlwsddlw Member Posts: 361
    My center console seemed really loose, and the fit of the lids was not very tight when they were closed such that whenever I moved my arm, it would make some clicking noises. Dealer was useless (as usual) in addressing a bad design problem. No adjustments to tighten the fit of the lids. So anyway, I went and got a few rubber "dots", the kind used to dampen kitchen cabinet doors. They are about 1/8" thick, and about 3/8" in dia, with adhesive on one side. I placed them on the rim that the lids seal to. The extra thickness was just right to make a nice tight fit when the lid closed.
  • arulrajarulraj Member Posts: 7
    I am in dilemma in choosing wax/polishes for my ES300. Does anyone has experiences with Zymol and/or Zaino products?.

    Zymol seems to be far more expensive than Zaino.Is it worth (for that money) using Zymol?.
    BTW, my local Lexus dealer recommands Zymol. Any input/suggestions from auto gurus?.
    Thanks.
  • mafitchmafitch Member Posts: 15
    Yes, unfortunately I too read the review of the 2001 ES 300 by Edmunds. I thought it was pretty harsh considering that they were singing its praises in 2000 and neither the Camry or ES have changed since then. 80-85 percent of the parts used to build the ES are unique to that car so it sounds pretty silly to say that they are the same. To me that sounds that bowing to the pressure of mainstream automotive press. I ordered my ES (won't be here until December) and I haven't had a second thought since reading that lame review. I suppose people come here for unbiased reviews but that last one seemed a little personal "shares too much with the pedestrian Camry to impart luxury". I personally find the ES to be quite luxurious as opposed to the Camry which I find to be unattractive and unrefined. The equipment is quite different and the only thing that looks similar to me is the automatic gear shift. Shame on you Edmunds...
  • sddlwsddlw Member Posts: 361
    I just switched from Meguier's to Zaino, but have never tried Zymol. I really like the Zaino look, and would not hesitate to recommend it.
  • sddlwsddlw Member Posts: 361
    Reviews can be informative, but your impressions are the most important. These days one can choose between a dozen different cars for every budget, from $10K to $100K. Each car offers different advantages and disadvantages. Enginering, reliability, interior appointments, performance, luxury, etc., etc. Personnaly I think the ES300 was the best compromise between luxury, reliability and performance for the $28-$32K range. I gave up my MB 300E for it. Not because I thought it was a better car, but because it was a more reiable car, and still offered a fairly luxurious ride and features, and I got it brand spanking new, where I would have had to get a 4 year old E320 to be in the same price range, and thus reliability again. The I30, TL, C230, or A4 just did not appeal to ME as much as the ES300 did. My wife, on the othe hand, liked the TL the best. She liked the agility and handling more than the luxury and appointments. But this time it was my car, so we have a new ES300!
  • lievliev Member Posts: 93
    what is LM? Looks like you have an excellent price, especially you're in CA.
  • rollomanrolloman Member Posts: 64
    I switched to Zaino back in May and find it to be the best polish/wax I have ever used.

    Follow the directions and your car will have a showroom wet-like finish with little effort. I highly recommend it. Go to: www.zainobros.com and check it out for yourself.

    Best wishes
  • gbpk2000gbpk2000 Member Posts: 2
    I am looking for a ES300 in Denver. I have a few questions for anyone that can help.

    I am looking at a 2001 with VP, heated seats, HID, Trunk mats , wheel locks, wood steering wheel, 16in tires. Sticker price is about 35,400. From what i can tell, dealer invoice with dest. charge is 30,755.

    I know it is hard to tell but what approx should i pay. I am thinking that around 32,000 seems fair. I would like to buy within 1 month but am not opposed to waiting for a while.

    I have read most of the past posts. Seems as though 31,500 to 32,000 is the price for the ES. Any help would be much appreciated
  • turbotcturbotc Member Posts: 163
    NAK ES300 means it is equipped withthe Nakamichi stereo system versus the standard Pioneer.
  • robert_s_22robert_s_22 Member Posts: 25
    Hey JBPK2000, that's sounds like a fair price to me. How many Lexus dealers are there in Denver, if there are a few, like in Dallas, it's easy to get a better deal. I'd be happy with $31,500 though. And about the ES300 review, that really sucks. They sit there and say everthing good about the 300M, a huge POS. And don't even consider that ES300 is a very reliable car and that's what most people are looking for in a sedan. It seems that most car publications are very biased against foreign cars. But I agree that your opinion is the only one that matters. To be honest I'll probably own nothing but a Toyota/ Lexus for the rest of my life. Some things never change, no matter how good American cars get Toyota/Honda are always better (and Chrysler will always make the worst cars on the planet) Later ...
  • enigmaoneenigmaone Member Posts: 128
    ...are always kinda weak. They contradict themselves soo many times. They based a whole LS400 review around the 3 windshield washer jets that the LS430 has! How ridiculous is that? The 1997 ES300 got rated below the 1997 3.2TL. How ridiculous is that? They even went on to state in that article that the 1997 TL(The old one) was more solid than the ES300. Yet, any bright individual can easily tell which one sounds more solid when you close a door!

    As far as Camry roots. Well, last year they didn't mention it now for 2001 all of a sudden the ES300 isn't very luxurious and looks like a Camry? Whatever, I say.
  • lievliev Member Posts: 93
    I heard that they don't make the car with NAK. It only comes in the Plat. series. I don't like the color of the wood in the platinum.
  • lievliev Member Posts: 93
    I don't know if you can get a 2001 ES you want for that price at this time of the year. If you could please let me know. I trust Edmunds in its teaching how to calculate a fair price but whether the dealer wants to offer you the car for that fair price is another thing. But anyways, good luck! And let me know when you get the car for that price. I think you'll have to wait until at least Feb. to get that car for 32000.
  • turbotcturbotc Member Posts: 163
    I believe there were 2000 ES300 equipped with both the Platinum Edition and Nakamichi as well. For 2001? I don't know. Correct me someone if I am wrong.
  • afinegoldafinegold Member Posts: 57
    You're right about the 2000s with Platinum and Nakamichi, because I have one. The Nak sound system came on the so-called Platinum II Series ES300s. The Platinum I's had the same goodies as the II except that the I had the Pioneer sound system rather than the Nak. But you could also get the Nak system as an optional extra on the Value Package or even the base (non-VP) model, although they were fairly rare, as I understand it.

    Don't know for sure if the 2001 ES300s have the Nak available as an optional sound system, or the Mark Levinson, or just the Pioneer.
  • afinegoldafinegold Member Posts: 57
    Just checked the main Edmunds site for the 2001 Lexuses and it shows that the Nakamichi sound system is available as an optional extra on the ES300s, but it's the Mark Levinson system shown for the GS300 and the LS430. So if Edmunds is up-to-date, it looks like the Nak system is still available on the ES300s.
  • enigmaoneenigmaone Member Posts: 128
    The Nakamichi stereo is only available in the ES300 for 2001. All other Lexus cars have the Mark Levinson stereo as an option. The 2002 ES300 will have the Mark Levinson stereo as a option.
  • lievliev Member Posts: 93
    I thought I could order the regular ES300 with a Nak. but this person at this dealership told me that it is almost impossible to get one because it is extremely rare and said that it can not be ordered. In fact she said she's never heard of a regular ES with a Nak sound system. It only comes in the Plat. Series. So I thought in order to get the Nakamichi system I have to order the Platinum. But I hate the light-colored wood in the Platinum therefore I said to myself, well, forget about the Nakamichi then. Anyways, is there much of a difference between the Nak and the Lex. sound system?
  • enigmaoneenigmaone Member Posts: 128
    liev,

    You can get the Nakamichi Package with the regular ES300 but as your salesperson told you, it will be harder. Lexus simply doesn't produce many Nakamichi equipped ES300s because the demand isn't there.

    If you're not a sound buff you probably won't notice the sound quality difference. The Nakamichi is better than the base stereo, but only sligthly and the difference is very hard to notice, unless as I said before, you are a sound buff. Personally the regular Pioneer stereo is very good and the Nakamichi is unnecessary.
  • afinegoldafinegold Member Posts: 57
    Agree with enigmaone that there's not a whole lot of difference between the Pioneer and the Nakamichi systems. When I bought my 2000 ES Platinum, I listened to both sound systems on the showroom floor, and the Pioneer sounded darn good. I bought one with a Nak system partly because I am a sound buff and partly because they had several ES3000s with Naks, including a Burnished Gold one with VSC, HIDs, heated seats, etc., which was exactly the car that I had hoped for.
  • jtc43jtc43 Member Posts: 15
    Sorry that it took so long to answer, but I was out of town. I hate to bring up the mpg issue again, but since I was the one that "started" it, I thought I should explain how I computed my mpg. I only filled up till the "click-off" (I know this may vary slightly station to station), and I reset the trip calculator (1st reading) each time. I divided the miles driven by the number of gallons used. I also kept the trip mileage (2nd setting) for the entire trip, kept receipts with gallons purchased, and made the same division. As you are probably aware, there are 2 settings where you can see how many miles you drove per tank, and how many miles you drove per trip. I did not fill up at any particular level (i.e., 1/4, 1/2, 2/3), but usually filled up when my wife told me to stop for a "potty" break or when she wanted to make me miserable by stopping at a craft outlet!!! I don't recall ever going below 1/4 tank. Hope this helps.
  • jtc43jtc43 Member Posts: 15
    Sorry for the error above -- I only reset the "tank" mileage (bad term) at each fill up. I did not reset the "trip" mileage until I got back home.
  • wenyuewenyue Member Posts: 558
    Will again be co-developed with the 2002 Camry.

    What I heard from Toyota salesmen cliffy1 is that the 2002 Camry will be quite different (as much difference as the 1999 vs 2000 Toyota Avalon). His supervisor saw the prototype Camry at Las Vegas toyota meeting.

    If the 2000 Avalon and 2001 Lexus LS430 is any indication, you can expect the 2002 ES300's price to remain largely unchanged, however, there will be more features and luxury for your money.
  • rollomanrolloman Member Posts: 64
    I've finally got the MPG down. I plan on using your formula on my next trip in a week or so.

    I'll let you know what the numbers look like.

    Thanks!
  • lexusfanlexusfan Member Posts: 22
    Anyone with 2002 ES info (links to web sites, spy photos, mag articles) please post them here! I haven't seen anything related on busybeetoys lately, which is where a lot of spy photos/computer mock-ups show up.
  • smheyingsmheying Member Posts: 7
    Still dealing on an ES300 Platinum. They don't seem to want to go down much further than $32,000. They claim that is because their 2 year "free" srvice/maintenance plan( "free" oil changes, etc.)are included in the price($600) where that is not the case from other dealers. You said that you paid about, $31,700 for your ES300 Platinum. When was that and does your dealer include the 2 Year "free" service?
  • vernlewvernlew Member Posts: 87
    smheying,
    The 2 year "free" service/maintenance plan (which obviously isn't free) sound like a plan unique to your dealership...I don't believe "free" oil changes or services are normally included in the standard Lexus warranty. I believe the current standard warranty includes the first 2 services (1K and 5K) at no charge...which amounts to one oil change. So, if indeed your dealer is going to give you all the rec 5k services at no-charge...the extra difference you are talking about sounds reasonable. My dealer however does offer "free" car washes whenever desired...which is not very often, now that I discovered "swirl marks" in my paint...I wash/wax the car myself now.

    I think enigmaone will probably be able to provide the real story...

    I purchased my car in July 2000, right after my promotion...had to find a place for that extra $$$ right?

    Hope this helps...

    Vern
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