priggly: If 0-60 is 6.8, then 0-62.14mph is 7.04 seconds. Not necessarily. That assumes that acceleration is linear and constant, which it isn't. In fact, as your speed increases, acceleration takes longer. For example, it's faster to go from 0-5mph than from 80-85. So recalculate!! Do you have a formula? No. It depends on the car. In sum, it doesn't make any difference. The car is fast enough to get you from point A to point B quickly.
Acceleration tests done by the car mags are almost always faster than the tests done by Consumer Reports. The reason is that the car mags accelerate in ways that almost nobody driving on actual roads actual do--something like flooring the acclerator with the brake on and then releasing. CR times are slower but much more realistic. Also, because the car mags each want to out-macho the others, they think they win points by scoring an acceleration time faster than the other guy. Ridiculous.
On Build a Lexus, the Mark Levinson system isn't listed as of today. What is listed below is from Kelley Blue Book. I just noticed that the RV Monitor is not listed with navigation in the premium package but is listed with navigation with the Mark Levionson package.
I an going to test drive an ES350 this evening so I will try to get some of these questions conerning options answered.
Navigation/Radio Pkg, Mark Levinson 3,350.00 4,050.00 (Req's Premium Pkg-PM, Premium Plus Pkg-PT or Ultra-Luxury Pkg-UL) Includes Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity, DVD-Based GPS Voice Activated Navigation System w/Touch Screen, RV Monitor & AM/FM Stereo w/Cassette & 6-Disc CD/DVD Changer in Dash Mark Levinson Radio System.
Premium Plus Pkg PT • Models Before 5-06 2,058.00 2,480.00 PT • Models After 5-06 N/A N/A (Std w/Ultra-Luxury Pkg-UL) (Req's Navigation/Radio Pkg-VN, Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity-DC or Radio-NV) (Req's Restraint System-BE After 5-06) Includes Premium Pkg, Power Driver's Seat Cushion Extender, Heated & Ventilated Front Seats & Rain-Sensing W/S Wipers.
For those who have driven or taken ownership of a new ES350, do you know if the front headrests articulate/tilt? The 2002/2006 ES has front headrests that tilt forward/back at the bottom providing more comfort and better protection. From what I've seen in the images of the ES350 interior, the headrests appear to have a hard back with the cushion attached.
As for acceleration times, I wonder how many drivers utilize a stopwatch or any other component necessary to calculate how quickly their car reaches 60mph. Is 4/10 of a second that detectable to most drivers? Really!!!
Anybody who has taken a test drive (or sat in the front seat); what's your assessment of the head room?
My wife and I sat in a new ES Friday at the brand new delaership's Gala Opening, and one of the first things I noticed was that there's really not a lot of headroom.
I'm only 5' 10" and it seemed a little tight for me. There is some space for sure when the seat is adjusted low, but compared to my '04 Maxima, it's not even close.
This is verified when you do a comparo on the Lexus site (powered by Edmunds) and they list the MAX as having 2.4" more headroom.
This is a MAJOR issue - I was very disappointed.
On the other hand, I'm sure the ES rides so smoothly you don't even have to worry about bumping your head as you tavail the LOUSY PA roads around here!
"Car and Driver timed the new Lincoln Zephyr which has 221 HP and a measly 205 ft.-lb. of torque at 7.3 sec. to 60. The new Buick Lucerne CXS' 0-60 time is 6.9 sec. By those metrics the Lexus is most certainly tortoise-like, especially in comparison to the Lincoln. Why is the car's powertrain so inefficient that it can't harness the stated HP and torque into a less leisurely time than 7.2 seconds to 60??! "
Last time I counted 7.1 secs is faster than 7.3 seconds. I'm sure the Lexus shifts smoother and handles better than the Zephyr. I bet it goes 30-60mph and 60-80 mph faster too.
Isn't the Buick an 8 cylinder car thats going to use a bit more gas? It's also a Buick, I don't want a Buick that's not going to handle as well as the ES so that extra engine speed will be lost in real world driving when the Buick can't get out of it's own way.
Moreover, any car in this price range and segment had better be faster to 60 than 7.0 sec.
Then how come a good deal of the cars sold don't?
This speed argument is ridiculous, especially when we arguing a couple of tenths of a second. The ES 350 ain't slow to me, if you think it is then please don't buy one. -----------------------
As far as smoking, NO ONE hates smoking more than I do.
I can prove that because I started my own air purification / ozone generator company to combat it.
Again my point is that the simple PRESENCE of an ash tray does not PROMOTE smoking.
There are liquor stores all over. There is beer in the supermarket. But I don't drink. All those fancy beer ad's have no appeal to me.
Lexus engineers made a demographic judgment on this. A wrong one in my opinion, but nothing that has ANYTHING to do with actual nicotine addiction.
They possibly were aiming at a certain type of person who still smokes. I dunno what the deal is here, it's a waste of more valuable storage space to me.
As I said rather than bunching up in my pocket I'll be tossing my keyfob and tictacs in there while driving.
I certainly didn't need another credit card but I though it looked cool, and you can earn points for Lexus products and service.
I got a $12,000 limit on it so I'm hoping to use that as a down payment on the ES and earn a lot of points right away.
I was just wondering if they have online bill paying like Capital One does.
I will be giving up my present car next Tuesday. So I only have a few days left to go up and test drive the new ES the dealer has in stock. I'd like to give it at least one test drive before my car comes in.
But I'm still struggling to feel better and may not be able to make it this week. Bummer. When the heck is that car coming in? I put my deposit down 7 weeks ago:)
Who else is buying, or waiting on a special order right now?
Our friend priggly doesn't care about car ashtrays any more than I do, & I don't give a rat's rear end about them. He tossed out his original remark to see if he could get a rise out of you folks & he succeeded. I've been online since the pre-Web glory days of the proprietary services - remember GEnie & Prodigy? - & I can spot flame bait a continent away. So relax. He's not serious. (Then again, he is Canadian, & who knows how their minds work?)
As far as acceleration is concerned, don't forget that this car is just a luxo-cruiser. As long as it's got enough grunt to handle the speed bumps at the local mall, it'll keep its core customer base happy. Let me repeat - I'm not knocking the car. My wife loves her '99 ES 300 & will probably replace it with the new ES 350. That's why I'm here. I want to find out how the leather feels & the stereo system sounds. Don't bore me with arguments about acceleration. That's not what this car is about. (If it were my turn to pick the new car, I'd go for the G35 with the 6-speed manual. Lots of power channeled through the rear wheels, just as God wants it.)
My daughter has an '04 Acura TL, a car that anyone who thinks that the ES needs more horsepower should drive. You'll like the TL - if you're the sort of person who uses "driving pleasure" & "torque steer" in the same sentence. The rest of us understand that high power & front wheel drive are not a match made in heaven. If you think otherwise, visit the Acura TL forum & listen to the owners ask each other when Honda will come to its senses & offer AWD in this car.
When I knew I wanted the ES350 I ordered a Lexus credit card when I read that they give 5 points for every dollar spent at the Lexus dealer and could be used for services. I haven't gotten my card yet. But I was able to call customer service, get my account number and have the dealer put $5000 deposit on the card. I think that's the limit they will allow for the deposit using a credit card. To me that's an additional savings of $250 to be used in the future.
Neither of the above has anything to do with our topic of conversation. Let's stay focused on the ES 350, please!
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name. 2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h) Review your vehicle
The rear view camera is integrated with the NAVI, at least in the midwest region, and probably everywhere. So if you get the NAVI, you get the camera. In the midwest region, the NAVI is usually included in the premium plus package and does not require the UL package. I don't know about other regions. Check the Lexus website and put in your zip code.
Hello all has anyone test-driven the new 350 yet? Does the tran. problem still there? Tell me your experience.
As far as horse power, it is a luxury car. I dont think one would actually calculate how many sec. the car reaches 60 mph. If one wants fast & agile car then a g35 is more appr. In addition, we should be more concern about gas instead of power. No offense
$2,200 off MSRP from one of the greater LA area dealers. What do you guys think? I may finally pull the trigger
This is what I was talking about. Posters on this board were saying paying MSRP or how they can save $500 w/ AAA membership.
As I said in my earlier post, all you guys have to do is wait a little bit and the prices will come down. It's all about supply vs. demand. You guys were generating free buzz for the company.
I got my ES350 two days ago (traded in a '02 ES300) and the "tran. problem" is definitely gone. It's smooth as silk on acceleration and has great engine braking when decelerating. The transmission is quite improved with the new six-speed over the previous fiver.
$2,200 off MSRP is pretty good considering the car has only been released for about 1 1/2 weeks. I plan to purchase an ES350 Premium Plus + Nav as well, but by the end of the year. I'm wondering if Lexus will offer more discounts off non-Nav models? Anyone have experiences? I live in the Washington DC area.
Has anyone seen a picture of the rear lip spoiler on the ES350? I've seen pictures on the Lexus site.... from the accessories, but you can't really get a good look of the car and the spoiler. If anyone knows of a picture or got the spoiler on the car... please post the picture or provide a link.
From what I read Camry tran problem is not in the Lexus at all. The problem was limited to 1/2 of 1% of it's new 2007 Camry production. It's nothing for Lexus ES buyers to worry about.
I test drove the ES350 yesterday, and I do think the head room is just a bit tight. I'm 6' and I could feel my hair brushing against the roof. Not too big a deal, but I did notice from time to time.
Overall, I thought the car was very nice. I'm probably going to wait for the price to come down a bit, mainly because I like to get the best deal possible. Probably take 6-8 months, but I can wait.
A couple of other things I noticed: First, I thought the interior trim around the door and the dash looked a bit cheap. Maybe it's just me - anyone else notice that? Also, I test drove a non-nav, and I didn't really like the display for the audio and climate control. It is the old style lcd with the black on grey. I think they could have made it look a little better using a black background or blue background with white text - similar to a Acura TL. I think the Nav version looks great and I might go for that even though I won't use it too much (OTOH, Nav is probably one of those features that you don't know how you lived w/o it once you get it.)
I will be looking at a new ES 350 at the end of May and live in the VA/MD/DC area. I am definitely not an advocate of paying MSRP for a vehicle. I am also 6'6" and read in other posts about the lack of headroom (haven't test driven the vehicle yet--out the country right now).
Any suggustions on the price to pay for ES 350 w/ NAVI and Premium Package at end of May (pricing packages on Lexus and Edmunds websites a little confusing)? Any discounts?
If I put the seat down, do you think headroom will still be an issue?
If you're 6'6", you'd better check out the headroom in the ES350. Either that, or keep the sunroof open and look through that. Headroom in that car is definitely limited.
Forget the Acura RL: it's overpriced, plagued with electronic glitches, gets poor gas mileage, and has bombed in the marketplace. the TL, on the other hand, is a horse of a different color. It has excellent headroom, by the way.
I bought my 350 2 days ago and love it. However, I have not found answers on whether I can use my (recently purchased blackberry)phone purchased from Verizon. I hope not to have to re-purchase a phone or change carriers....yes, I don't want to think I've paid for a function I cannot use (bluetooth was a standard option in the Premium package I purchased).
I am awaiting replies from Verizon and Lexus, but have not heard anything yet.
...That's the point I'm at. Already have my order in.
I'll be paying $665/month for the U-L package with everything on a 36 month, 12k mile lease with nothing down at signing except the first month's payment and about $150 for miscellaneous silliness.
I've been looking at the moon shell mica, golden almond metallic, black onyx and royal ruby metallic but I haven't seen them "in the flesh" yet.
Regarding colors: My wife and I decided on the on the Tungsten Pearl with Black Leather for our new ES350. My wife is fond of light colored cars because "it hides the dirt". My RX is Flint Mica and really sparkles in the sun... when clean. It is soo difficult to choice a color from the small paint spots on the brochure. We had been debating on whether to get the Moon Shell Mica but when I saw this color when on a business trip to Indy, I noticed that in the bright sun this color sparkled pink, ok for a Mary K car but not for us. The Black Onyx and Blue Onyx Pearl look great. Lexus displayed the Royal Ruby at the NYC car show and the Tungsten Pearl. I first saw the Tungsten Pearl on an IS and it looks just as great on the ES. I hope this helps.
The first time I saw the new ES350 in the flesh was at night when I stopped by a Lexus dealership. The car they had in the front was the Moon Shell Mica. I was thinking about getting this color, but when I saw it at night... it had a weird pink/ rose tint to it. Looked really strange?
My first choice for colors are the Tungsten Pearl, then Dark Gray, last choice will be Black Onyx. I've owned a black car about 7 years ago... it's beautiful when clean, but hard to maintain and keep clean. I opt for some lighter low maintanence colors.
I have the Royal Ruby and am getting a lot of compliments on the color. It is gorgeous with the cashmere interior. It is a very deep red. I love this color.
Thanks for the feedback guys but I forgot to mention that my last two cars have been silver and my wife absolutely forbade me to go silver again so that pretty well rules out the tungston pearl.
Thanks for the great feedback on the moon shell mica's tendency to pick up pinks. I'll certainly be looking out for that as that had probably been my first choice. If I see that it's totally out of the running.
I saw a Ruby red in Rockville Centre, NY and it looked great. I was surprised the the only extra option was for trunk mats wheel locks Etc.. The MSRP was about $35,000. When you go to the website it almost makes you select one of the premium pkgs which brings it up to $36,000.
Regarding color: I surprised myself and bought the black on black (after seeing it and loving it). I planned on buying the dark blue or red...these are my favs!! Since dealers get so few and sell them so fastm I took time to visit 3 dealerships, discuss price, service and view wider range of colors.
Dealer said the pressure was fine. Car could be dangerous on icy or wet highways. Definitely does not hug the road. Reminds me of the steering on the Ford in the 70's. Here's several other things that you should know about the car. Center counsel has a button in the center to open it. Unfortunately, so does your elbow. Non-navigation radio does not show text without having to push the text button. Gear shift slips too easily into Select mode. Car has little storage space inside. The car is good looking. However, I traded in a 2003 Avalon and in a way wish I had it back. Things I like. Styling, mileage and overall quality. Looks good in the driveway. Gotone
Slider..I drove a 350 this week with the std. radio...did it blow me away..NO..but it was VERY NICE...If you listen to classical you may want the better system but I listen to "easy listening" and was not disappointed at all...good separation, clarity and volume.
This is my first post on this forum and will be my first Lexus purchase. I plan on buying within the next two weeks and have had no luck in finding the invoice price on the ES 350. I live in the Tampa Bay area and would appreciate any info regarding the invoice price on the base car. Thanks in advance.
Try going to www.GOOGLE.com and typing "2007 lexus es 350 invoice price." The FIRST link will give you the information that supposedly you were looking for. Alterantively, check KBB.com
Yeah, yeah, but did YOU - not the dealer - check the pressure? You do have a pressure gauge - right? Get your hands dirty & use it. I've been frequenting the Edmunds boards since 1998, & I've seen your complaint a thousand times. Cars are shipped to the dealer with the tires overinflated to prevent flatspotting, & the prep guy often forgets to deflate the tires to the tire manufacturer's specs. The result is a new owner who blames his car's resulting tendency to "skate" on the car itself, rather than on the tires. You have a tire problem.
Comments
Typically, 0-60mph time is 0.3~0.5s less than 0-62mph(100km/h)
So, 0-100km/k 7.2s pretty much matches Lexus offical 0-60mph 6.8s.
For comparison, edmunds tested Camry XLE v6 0-60mph 6.5s
R&T tested Camry SE v6 0-60mph 6.1s
I an going to test drive an ES350 this evening so I will try to get some of these questions conerning options answered.
Navigation/Radio Pkg, Mark Levinson 3,350.00 4,050.00
(Req's Premium Pkg-PM, Premium Plus Pkg-PT or Ultra-Luxury Pkg-UL) Includes Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity, DVD-Based GPS Voice Activated Navigation System w/Touch Screen, RV Monitor & AM/FM Stereo w/Cassette & 6-Disc CD/DVD Changer in Dash Mark Levinson Radio System.
Premium Plus Pkg
PT • Models Before 5-06 2,058.00 2,480.00
PT • Models After 5-06 N/A N/A
(Std w/Ultra-Luxury Pkg-UL) (Req's Navigation/Radio Pkg-VN, Bluetooth Wireless Connectivity-DC or Radio-NV) (Req's Restraint System-BE After 5-06) Includes Premium Pkg, Power Driver's Seat Cushion Extender, Heated & Ventilated Front Seats & Rain-Sensing W/S Wipers.
For those who have driven or taken ownership of a new ES350, do you know if the front headrests articulate/tilt? The 2002/2006 ES has front headrests that tilt forward/back at the bottom providing more comfort and better protection. From what I've seen in the images of the ES350 interior, the headrests appear to have a hard back with the cushion attached.
As for acceleration times, I wonder how many drivers utilize a stopwatch or any other component necessary to calculate how quickly their car reaches 60mph. Is 4/10 of a second that detectable to most drivers? Really!!!
Best regards and safe motoring to all -
M. J. McCloskey
My wife and I sat in a new ES Friday at the brand new delaership's Gala Opening, and one of the first things I noticed was that there's really not a lot of headroom.
I'm only 5' 10" and it seemed a little tight for me. There is some space for sure when the seat is adjusted low, but compared to my '04 Maxima, it's not even close.
This is verified when you do a comparo on the Lexus site (powered by Edmunds) and they list the MAX as having 2.4" more headroom.
This is a MAJOR issue - I was very disappointed.
On the other hand, I'm sure the ES rides so smoothly you don't even have to worry about bumping your head as you tavail the LOUSY PA roads around here!
"Car and Driver timed the new Lincoln Zephyr which has 221 HP and a measly 205 ft.-lb. of torque at 7.3 sec. to 60. The new Buick Lucerne CXS' 0-60 time is 6.9 sec. By those metrics the Lexus is most certainly tortoise-like, especially in comparison to the Lincoln. Why is the car's powertrain so inefficient that it can't harness the stated HP and torque into a less leisurely time than 7.2 seconds to 60??! "
Last time I counted 7.1 secs is faster than 7.3 seconds.
I'm sure the Lexus shifts smoother and handles better than the Zephyr. I bet it goes 30-60mph and 60-80 mph faster too.
Isn't the Buick an 8 cylinder car thats going to use a bit more gas? It's also a Buick, I don't want a Buick that's not going to handle as well as the ES so that extra engine speed will be lost in real world driving when the Buick can't get out of it's own way.
Moreover, any car in this price range and segment had better be faster to 60 than 7.0 sec.
Then how come a good deal of the cars sold don't?
This speed argument is ridiculous, especially when we arguing a couple of tenths of a second. The ES 350 ain't slow to me, if you think it is then please don't buy one.
-----------------------
As far as smoking, NO ONE hates smoking more than I do.
I can prove that because I started my own air purification / ozone generator company to combat it.
Again my point is that the simple PRESENCE of an ash tray does not PROMOTE smoking.
There are liquor stores all over. There is beer in the supermarket. But I don't drink.
All those fancy beer ad's have no appeal to me.
Lexus engineers made a demographic judgment on this. A wrong one in my opinion, but nothing that has ANYTHING to do with actual nicotine addiction.
They possibly were aiming at a certain type of person who still smokes. I dunno what the deal is here, it's a waste of more valuable storage space to me.
As I said rather than bunching up in my pocket I'll be tossing my keyfob and tictacs in there while driving.
I certainly didn't need another credit card but I though it looked cool, and you can earn points for Lexus products and service.
I got a $12,000 limit on it so I'm hoping to use that as a down payment on the ES and earn a lot of points right away.
I was just wondering if they have online bill paying like Capital One does.
I will be giving up my present car next Tuesday. So I only have a few days left to go up and test drive the new ES the dealer has in stock. I'd like to give it at least one test drive before my car comes in.
But I'm still struggling to feel better and may not be able to make it this week. Bummer.
When the heck is that car coming in? I put my deposit down 7 weeks ago:)
Who else is buying, or waiting on a special order right now?
As far as acceleration is concerned, don't forget that this car is just a luxo-cruiser. As long as it's got enough grunt to handle the speed bumps at the local mall, it'll keep its core customer base happy. Let me repeat - I'm not knocking the car. My wife loves her '99 ES 300 & will probably replace it with the new ES 350. That's why I'm here. I want to find out how the leather feels & the stereo system sounds. Don't bore me with arguments about acceleration. That's not what this car is about. (If it were my turn to pick the new car, I'd go for the G35 with the 6-speed manual. Lots of power channeled through the rear wheels, just as God wants it.)
My daughter has an '04 Acura TL, a car that anyone who thinks that the ES needs more horsepower should drive. You'll like the TL - if you're the sort of person who uses "driving pleasure" & "torque steer" in the same sentence. The rest of us understand that high power & front wheel drive are not a match made in heaven. If you think otherwise, visit the Acura TL forum & listen to the owners ask each other when Honda will come to its senses & offer AWD in this car.
I haven't gotten my card yet. But I was able to call customer service, get my account number and have the dealer put $5000 deposit on the card. I think that's the limit they will allow for the deposit using a credit card. To me that's an additional savings of $250 to be used in the future.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Find me at kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
2015 Kia Soul, 2021 Subaru Forester (kirstie_h), 2024 GMC Sierra 1500 (mr. kirstie_h)
Review your vehicle
As far as horse power, it is a luxury car. I dont think one would actually calculate how many sec. the car reaches 60 mph. If one wants fast & agile car then a g35 is more appr. In addition, we should be more concern about gas instead of power. No offense
This is what I was talking about. Posters on this board were saying paying MSRP or how they can save $500 w/ AAA membership.
As I said in my earlier post, all you guys have to do is wait a little bit and the prices will come down. It's all about supply vs. demand. You guys were generating free buzz for the company.
Good luck...
I live in the Washington DC area.
The problem was limited to 1/2 of 1% of it's new 2007 Camry production.
It's nothing for Lexus ES buyers to worry about.
Overall, I thought the car was very nice. I'm probably going to wait for the price to come down a bit, mainly because I like to get the best deal possible. Probably take 6-8 months, but I can wait.
A couple of other things I noticed: First, I thought the interior trim around the door and the dash looked a bit cheap. Maybe it's just me - anyone else notice that? Also, I test drove a non-nav, and I didn't really like the display for the audio and climate control. It is the old style lcd with the black on grey. I think they could have made it look a little better using a black background or blue background with white text - similar to a Acura TL. I think the Nav version looks great and I might go for that even though I won't use it too much (OTOH, Nav is probably one of those features that you don't know how you lived w/o it once you get it.)
Any suggustions on the price to pay for ES 350 w/ NAVI and Premium Package at end of May (pricing packages on Lexus and Edmunds websites a little confusing)? Any discounts?
If I put the seat down, do you think headroom will still be an issue?
Any suggestions on dealers in these areas?
Anyone test-driven the '06 Acura RL?
Thanks for the help!
Forget the Acura RL: it's overpriced, plagued with electronic glitches, gets poor gas mileage, and has bombed in the marketplace. the TL, on the other hand, is a horse of a different color. It has excellent headroom, by the way.
I am awaiting replies from Verizon and Lexus, but have not heard anything yet.
Can anyone help?
I'll be paying $665/month for the U-L package with everything on a 36 month, 12k mile lease with nothing down at signing except the first month's payment and about $150 for miscellaneous silliness.
I've been looking at the moon shell mica, golden almond metallic, black onyx and royal ruby metallic but I haven't seen them "in the flesh" yet.
Any advice/feedback?
My first choice for colors are the Tungsten Pearl, then Dark Gray, last choice will be Black Onyx. I've owned a black car about 7 years ago... it's beautiful when clean, but hard to maintain and keep clean. I opt for some lighter low maintanence colors.
Thanks for the great feedback on the moon shell mica's tendency to pick up pinks. I'll certainly be looking out for that as that had probably been my first choice. If I see that it's totally out of the running.
Thanks again guys (and gals?).
Seriously, the seat was all the down. Maybe my upper body is longer than yours. DUH.
keep in mind that you may be (likely are) color-blind, at least to some extent
the rest of us see the pink, and you don't, but you'd still buy it?
now I have no problem if you WANT pink - that's all cool
but if WE see pink, and you don't, the car is still pink
the only way to tell is to sit in the dang car
now, if I was 6 feet even, and a guy 6' 4" said, "no problem" - I think you can take that recommendation as valid for you
Sheesh, talk about "god complexes" running wild around here.
I can most assuredly tell you that my vision is perfect and that if I like the color and don't see pink I'll get it.
Hope that doesn't offend your delicate sensibilities.
gotone
Gotone
Yeah, yeah, but did YOU - not the dealer - check the pressure? You do have a pressure gauge - right? Get your hands dirty & use it. I've been frequenting the Edmunds boards since 1998, & I've seen your complaint a thousand times. Cars are shipped to the dealer with the tires overinflated to prevent flatspotting, & the prep guy often forgets to deflate the tires to the tire manufacturer's specs. The result is a new owner who blames his car's resulting tendency to "skate" on the car itself, rather than on the tires. You have a tire problem.