Lexus ES 350

cyclopsstan

I have a deposit on the ruby w/ cashmere, as my dealer only has 1 in, the almond, with 6 more on the way on their 1st shipment. It should be in this coming week, hopefully Monday. It has the 'base' premium package, plus the steering wheel, cd player, full size spare, rear seat airbags & wheel lock upgrades. There is also an "island prep" of $500 that includes an extra sealant and rust-proofing (the price of paradise, I live on Maui.) Thus w/o the extended warranty the $ w/ tax, tags, etc. comes to $38501 As for the almond, very uninspiring and bland, very smooth driving thou I didn't get to really push it due to lunch traffic & time constraints.

psychdoc

Rallye Lexus in Glen Cove NY.

They're very nice folks and easy to deal with.

Good luck.

psychdoc

Quick update.

Went to look at the actual colors "in the flesh" as they say. Moon shell mica is absolutely horrific looking. To say it looks awful is an understatement. A weird combination of lavender, pink and silver. All I can say is UGHHHH!!!!!

What was Lexus thinking?

The royal ruby is really sharp as is the smoky granite. And you can never go wrong with the venerable golden almond or tungston pearl.

Hope this helps you guys and gals out there at this stage of your purchase.

gotone

I was urged by the dealer to use premium. Better performance and better mileage. I have over 500 miles on the car with a mix of highway and city and am averaging 24 mpg.

jimbres

Small world. My wife & I went to Rallye today to test-drive the new ES.

She did most of the driving because this will be her car. After she announced that she loved it, I took the wheel for a few minutes. At the salesman's suggestion, I stomped the go-pedal & was immediately reminded why powerful FWD cars are a dumb idea: torque steer. Not as bad as what I've experienced when driving my daughter's Acura TL, but enough to trigger the VSC. (Not surprisingly, the salesman saw this as an opportunity to sing the praises of Lexus's electronic driving aids.)

I forget why pushing lots of power through the front wheels is a good idea. Would someone explain it to me again?

Apart from that, there was much to like about the car. The seats are excellent - easily the best that I've encountered in a Japanese car. Overall build quality is markedly better in the new ES than it is in my wife's 99 ES 300. The new car is also noticeably quieter. But what matters most is that my bride loves it & wants it. We'll buy one as soon as she decides what color & option package she wants.

Incidentally, the crew at Rallye is holding the line on price. "No incentivizing" said the general manager, so we'll drive to Smithtown to see if that store will show more flexibility.

psychdoc

Incidentally, the crew at Rallye is holding the line on price. "No incentivizing" said the general manager, so we'll drive to Smithtown to see if that store will show more flexibility.

Interesting. The folks at Rallye came in with a considerably better price than Smithtown. Even after I told Smithtown the price they had to match/beat they held firm at $40/month higher than Rallye. To add insult to injury I had bought two previous cars at Smithtown and told them that. The creeps still wouldn't budge.

dp5

That's hilarious! I had the same experience but I must be slower than you guys. I was also considering the Moon Shell Mica. I looked at it in the dealership with artificial light and didn't really pick up on the caucophony of undertones. After looking at it, I still thought this was going to be the color.

I went back a couple of days later and looked at it again in natural light. Wow, what a difference. My wife still liked it but it just didn't do anything for me. I narrowed it down to the Tungsten Pearl and the Smokey Granite.

Someone ordered a UL Smokey Granite w/ light grey interior at a local dealership and then backed out of their order. The dealer called me today and told me I could take delivery on Tuesday. I haven't seen the car in person with this color but I've seen it on the GS and it looks good so I'm taking it. I'm having to pay MSRP despite being a repeat customer. All of the dealers in the area are selling these cars at MSRP due to the big demand. Congrats to you guys getting discounts but it isn't happenig here yet. This is one of the first 2 UL cars for this dealership to receive and they aren't willing to budge on price.

I'll post a review once I get it but I'm sure I'll like the car.

mrlai

Just a few highlights of their warranty: (there is more than that)

TRIP INTERRUPTION - In the event that a covered component fails while travelling (over 80 km away from home), Lexus Owner Protection will assist you with up to $100 per day for hotel, meals and alternative transportation expenses.

VEHICLE RENTAL ASSISTANCE - Lexus Owner Protection provides you with a $60 per day substitute transportation up to 5 days, in addition to the Lexus Loaner. Car Program standard, with every Lexus.

ROADSIDE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM:

Towing (up to 300 km per occurrence)
Battery boost
Tire change
Winching from ditch
Fuel delivery if you are stranded (up to $100 per occurrence)
Key lockout service
Spare key delivery (up to $100 each time, for any of these services)

carlady2

I had pre-ordered the Lexus es350 for my birthday and was driving my '97 Infiniti with 106,000 miles up to NY for my son, then getting the car when I got back. Colorwise, was between the moonshell mica and tungsten pearl, neither of which I had seen (did go to a NY dealer while in NY and saw the silver and liked it). That ended up being the color and and after what others have said about the mica, am glad that was the one!

Had test-driven the ES330, G35X and AcuraTL and there were plusses and minuses with each. Pricewise, they all would have been a lot less in that I did pay sticker price for my car. Got the basic premium package--didn't have the rain-sensing wipers (fine with me). Nice interior and I am liking the smart key access much more than I anticipated.

Was looking for a comfortable car, particularly on long distance drives (500+miles). I had been very pleased with the Infiniti and think this one will take its place nicely.
I liked the dealership (Lexus of Silver Spring) and would recommmend Al Daniels there. Even though I did pay sticker, I was never pressured to take a color they had in their inventory vs what I wanted or get a higher end package. They were a pleasure to deal with.

One question though,I didn't get the additonal extended warranties. Do people recommend that? I purchased, not leased the car, no financing.

jimbres

Extended warranties/service contracts are a thoroughly bad idea. The best thing that you can say about them is that they're a poor substitute for money in the bank. If you're buying a new car today & you're worried about repair costs 4 years down the road, start saving some money. Bank $100 per month (a bit more than $3/day), & when your factory warranty runs out, you'll have more than $5K earning interest for you & available to pay for unpleasant surprises. You'll hear folks justify buying service contracts by appealing to "peace of mind", but nothing gives you the peace of mind that a fat savings account with your name on it does.

For those who can't manage their finances, who live from paycheck to paycheck, these things may have some value. But you paid cash for your car, so you can probably handle money.

In any case, our ES 300 is 7+ years old, which means that it's been out of warranty for over 3 years. In that time, we've spent a total of $500 on unexpected repairs.

mrlai

You can buy the Extended protection plan within 31 days of the original vehicle warranty registration date. I know most people here lease their car, so there is no need to get extended protection.

But for those of you who buy it or finance it. Remember 4-5 years down the road, if we both try to sell the same car. My 3 years more extended warranty will bring peace of mind to buyer compare to someone who does not have it. Regardless of how little problem lexus have encounter. These new tech. are all running with computer chips, each break down could cost you thousands.

jimbres

These new tech. are all running with computer chips, each break down could cost you thousands.

This could happen, but it's not likely. And if you've built up your savings, you can certainly handle the cost of any repair.

But, if you just can't handle money, these "protection plans" may have some benefit.

In any case, these plans do not enhance resale value.

carlady2

Thanks for the feedback on the warranty---glad I didn't do it!

I made an error with the salesperson's name at Silver Spring Lexus--it's Al Johnson.

jimbres

Did you visit/call the Massapequa store? (It's further from us than either Glen Cove or Smithtown, so I don't think I'd buy there.)

mrlai

I had to agree with jimbres. We are paying $2200 cdn here, after tax it's $2500 here for 4 more years of warranties. I am going to tell the sales rep. to remove the extended warranty. Figure that with $2500 invest in bond at 5% for 4 years, I will have $3000 to cover any repairs from 5 years and onward. Specially that we drive like 5km to 8km a year, there shouldn't be much a problem. Also whenever we have minor problem, we go to our own garage to fix it and even parts are the same cost, but labor is only half of it.

Thanks for the insight. Saved me $2500.

richard43

i'm in the L.A. area

1. got emails from 2 dealers saturday. one
had a weekend sale $2000 off UL cars in
inventory the other stating internet
prices of $1500 off
2. asked for blue onyx pearl with light
grey interior. i was told lexus
only builds with tan interior for
this color for the western region.
the rational behind this escapes me.

pojoe

A smart man can change his mind,a fool never does, You made the right move.

cleblanc

I bought the 5 year/100000 mile extended warranty for $1726. I do about 18-20000 miles a year so the standard warranty would only last me 2.5 years. I normally don't buy extended warranties but figured with all the electronics, etc it may be worth it. Plus the main selling poing was the dealer said it was completely refundable if I never use it.

jimbres

My experience with Toyota products goes back to 1975, when my wife & I bought a new Corona. (Anyone remember that nameplate?) Over the years, I've owned all of the top-tier Japanese brands (Toyota/Honda/Nissan), & I've learned that the risk of catastrophic failure (as opposed to normal wear-&-tear) with these cars, may not be zero, but it's as close as you can get in this life.

I only owned 1 car for which a service contract would have made any financial sense: an Audi 5000. I thought of that car yesterday when my wife & I were talking about colors for the new ES. She said, "You know, the Audi was our last white car. [We got rid of it in '87.] Maybe it's time for a another white car." I winced as I remembered all of the things that went wrong with that car, & I replied, "No, it's not. It's still too soon."

Edit: There's almost nothing sillier than asking a bunch of total strangers for their opinions on car colors, but I'm gonna do it anyway. Has anyone seen the new ES in Aquamarine Pearl? If so, how did you like it?

rphwack

Anybody deal with Rockville Centre (NY) or Massapequa (NY) dealerships? A friend of mine loved the sales team at Massapequa but hated their service department. Another friend liked both at Rockville Centre. I will probably visit them sometime within the next 2 weeks to test drive the ES 350.

cc3088

Cleblanc......I am also looking at the extended warranty for my new ES350. I'm curious about your warranty. My dealer has offered me an addititional 3 year package (for a total of 7 yrs) and/or 70,00 mi warranty for $1646. I kinda like your deal better. Was yours offered by the dealer? If I understand what you got, along with the manufacturers warranty, it's a total of 9 years/100,000 miles, right? I have not signed any papers yet, and realize now I need to go back and do some haggling. For only $80 more with your deal I can get another two years and 30,000 miles on the warranty.

I'm also real curious about the "refundable" comment you made. I'm dumfounded. Never heard of such a thing. Tell me more.

newcarman

Hry hows it going?? As per your question re MAssapequa Lexus, i was just there today checking out the new ES 350 and also GS 300 and IS 250. All nice cars and cant decide which one i want. I got a great price offer on the GS 300 no Nav since i was a previous customer many years ago. I got an offer of 44, 750, about 4,300$ off of the sticker.

The thing is im getting 8000$ for my trade a 2001 chrysler 300M with about 35000 miles. So im not sure if i can swing it. Even with 20,000 down in cash it would come out to about 460$ per month for a 48 month loan.

The sales people are good and service from what i remember is good. I have owned 3 Gs 300's over the years.

Hows rockville center?? Let me know and maybe ill check them out also. The saleman's name is Jim O'neill, he's there on Sundays.I think he said that hell discount a little the ES and IS 1000$.

What do you think of the IS?? Think its too sporty?? Im 50 years old and am not sure is the IS is too sporty for me and my age..

Take care and good luck

newcarman

Hry hows it going?? As per your question re MAssapequa Lexus, i was just there today checking out the new ES 350 and also GS 300 and IS 250. All nice cars and cant decide which one i want. I got a great price offer on the GS 300 no Nav since i was a previous customer many years ago. I got an offer of 44, 750, about 4,300$ off of the sticker.

The thing is im getting 8000$ for my trade a 2001 chrysler 300M with about 35000 miles. So im not sure if i can swing it. Even with 20,000 down in cash it would come out to about 460$ per month for a 48 month loan.

The sales people are good and service from what i remember is good. I have owned 3 Gs 300's over the years.

Hows rockville center?? Let me know and maybe ill check them out also. The saleman's name is Jim O'neill, he's there on Sundays.I think he said that hell discount a little the ES and IS 1000$.What do you think of the ES 350?? Think is elegant?? classy or a mixture with some sport?

What do you think of the IS?? Think its too sporty?? Im 50 years old and am not sure is the IS is too sporty for me and my age..

Take care and good luck

psychdoc

Hi,
I find the Massepequa store to be cramped and generally not up to the standards of the Rallye and Smithtown. That said, they are aggresive salespeople and I wouldn't be surprised if you might find a low price there. This Sat. I drove out there to see if they had the moon shell mica and sure enough they did. Well all I can say is "thank goodness" as the color was so unacceptable there was really nothing to think about (that was the color I originally thought I'd get...just shows you how misleading those little color charts can be).

It is quite a hike down there (I'm a North Shore guy) and, unless I could really save a bundle I really don't see myself buying from them. They did come thru for me yesterday though!

dotbowels

Do you still get a loaner if you take your Lexus in for service at a different dealer than where you bought it? Thanks

psychdoc

Most will still give you a loaner for warrenty work but they're not obligated to if I understand this issue correctly.

It's pretty much a crap shoot.

cleblanc

Hi...Since I do so many miles, the longer year warranties don't benefit me. My warranty is for a total of 5 years or 100000 miles, whichever comes first. I took that one since I average almost 20000 miles/year.
The dealer said the full amount of the warranty was refundable if I never used it. He also mentioned that if anything happened in the first 50000 miles, it would be part of the standard warranty and not the extended. So I need to be careful of making any claims on the extended if I want to get the full amount back. So actually the extended warranty only covers the miles 51000-100000.
At least this is how I understand it. Hope this makes sense. I got mine at McDermott Lexus of New Haven, CT.

camry98

Have you checked other Toronto Lexus dealers (Scarborough or Ken Shaw) before buying it from Don Valley North? If I walk in and ask for the same deal as yours, probably your salesman will give me much less or insist on list price because the car is in demand. Where do I get Canadian invoice price info? Is your $2300 off close to the invoice price? I live in Toronto and a ready buyer - at the right price. Have not bought a car for 10 years. What's the best approach in negotiation?

Not sure if I need the extended warranty - Lexus supposedly have no problems. My 10 year old Camry is basically problem free.

bobbyshred

Last Friday I finally got to drive the Lexus ES.
It was very nice, easy to drive, very smooth with a good deal of power. But what disappointed me was how high the center console was and therefore my right leg was always resting on it creating a sense of claustrophobia.  I raised the seat but I did not find the perfect position. Maybe I would need to play with it some more.

Most newer cars have a high center console like that and I find a lot of them uncomfortable.

I wish they had something with more room in the front and less in the rear where almost no one will ever sit in my car.

I sat in a GS and it didn't seem to have much more drivers room.

I was a little annoyed they only let me go around the block so I could not get a real feel for it. They were very protective of the car since they only had one. But I can tell it has all the driving ability I need so I was not worried about the driving feel.

As soon as I got back into my 92 Camry it felt so much more comfortable.
I get a better driving position and more comfortable feel in that car.

Last year when I was looking at Accords I had the dealer sit in my car and he admited that my car was much more comfortable.

I'm a lover of bench seats but very few cars have them nowadays, and I really don't like the ones that do.

Two years ago I should have bought the Toyota Avalon with the bench seat.
That was a comfy car.

I guess I'll just have to get used to the tighter feeling in the ES.

Other than that one thing I loved the car.
I've ordered Aquamarine Blue but after seeing the red I might have wanted to get that, it was gorgeous!

cleblanc

Bobbyshred, I used to drive a 92 Camry too. I can't remember the center console but I really liked that car. Since then I drove a 1997 Mercury Mountaineer and then a 2003 Nissan Murano. I didn't really need an SUV but wanted the AWD and extra cargo area. Now I have the ES350 and I'm loving it. The only thing that annoys me about the center console is it keeps opening accidentally if you lean on it the wrong way. Also, there is not a lot of room inside. There is a little tray at the top but I don't use that. I mainly use it for my Ipod and the charger for it. I wish it opened differently. Due to the design, you really can't access things easily inside.

jimbres

We're also on the North Shore, & the drive to Massapequa is a royal pain. I'd hate to have to go there to resolve a warranty issue. (We bought our '99 ES at Rallye but never had to go back for warranty repairs. Our local mechanic handled all the routine required maintenance for us.)

jimbres

I wonder if the console in the new Camry XLE is any lower. (Can't tell from the Toyota web site pictures.)

What options did you choose?

psychdoc

So after seeing the moon shell mica I called my salesman on Saturday and said that I simply couldn't live with that color. Ironically that's the color he had allocated for me. He said he'd do his best to find me another color (UL package) but that it might take a little longer. As the first one was going to be in around Memorial day, my heart sank but I resigned myself to what had to be had to be. I got a call about an hour ago telling me that he found a royal ruby metallic with a black interior that would be in the same time.

This was my first choice so I was totally psyched. And no additional wait.

YAY!!!!

mldj98

If you want the best prices in the Tampa Bay area I suggest getting in touch with Wilde Lexus of Sarasota...
They will beat Lexus of Tampa Bay and Clearwater Lexus by a mile.....talk to the internet guy at Wilde.....he's good!

jimbres

Wonderful!

My wife, not the most decisive person under the best of circumstances, can't decide what she wants in the way of options or colors. The party line out of Glen Cove is that if we order the UL package today, we might have a car by late summer. Non-UL equipped cars are available for earlier delivery. I've bought enough cars to take this stuff with a grain of salt.

dotbowels

Just called and asked and Service Manager said he doesn't care where it comes from they're required to on warranty work over 2 hrs in the shop

mrlai

I've went to the Toronto Dealer today and remove the extended warranty option. We then inquire about a backup sensor for the basic model. They said regular price is $899+tax, but we end up getting it for $500+tax (CDN).

The backup sensor has 4 sensors at the back of the bumper, the interval of the beep sound decreases (becomes more rapid) as you move closer to an object behind you, also there is a digital display from your rear view mirror that shows how close you are from hitting something in (mm), along with the digital compress.

For those of you who are not getting the UL package should consider this option, I think it's pretty neat and cool to add. I can tell my friend who seat beside me that I have exactly 25mm before hitting something! See, haha!

One special note tho, the sensors they offer me is not made by Lexus. The sales told me that the Lexus original sensor only has 1 sensor and it won't beep if you start your car and there is an object behind you. So that totally defeat the purpose, also price is the same. They put on my receipt with "Client aknowledge backup sensor is not lexus". However, this is a better sensor and it does have 4 years warranty.

Btw, I don't know why you guys hate the Moon Shell Mica such much. We love this colour. Maybe because we are chinese and we always prefer lighter colours. I guess that's why they have many colours for us to choose from because each person has their own opinion about their colour.

ETA to Toronto is on May 19th. Can't wait to drive it!

alp8

Mr Lai: Maybe you like the Moon Shell Mica because YOU ARE COLOR-BLIND!!!

just joking! Maybe it IS because of your ethnicity. Americans (especially American males) have a great fear of anything this is PINK. You will not find many American men wearing pink shirts. Or buying pink cars.

Do the Chinese have any cultural aversion to pink? (or to any color) I can't think of any other color that has a strong cultural aversion in the U.S., except maybe purple. But purple can almost be masculine and OK. There is no way to make pink "masculine," thus the American revulsion. I thay that they protetht too hard.

zekeman1

Why would you need a backup sensor if you have navigation with a backup camera?
zekeman1

dotbowels

Does anyone know of any Dealers That May Discount ES350s in the Midwest. Kansas City and Omaha said no way Thanks

mrlai

Shrug, it does have some pink reflected in the light, but it's really silver based. We loved it. Amber Pearl is a color that I feel very ugly.

I was talking to the people who did not want to spend extra $ on the navigation system. In Canada, the only way to get the navigation system is to add $11,400. No other way around.

psychdoc

***Btw, I don't know why you guys hate the Moon Shell Mica such much***

If I wanted to sell Mary Kay cosmetics I would've looked into a Cadillac.

UGHHHH

jimbres

To tell you truth, mrlai, we haven't seen this color yet. I'm a grey/blue guy when it comes to colors, but if my wife likes Moon Shell Mica, then that's what we'll get. This will be her car.

mrlai

My dealership showed me every colour available. This car is for my retired parents, if they like it, it's fine with me.

What lease and finance interest rate do dealer charge you guys in the states? here in canada it's 7.05% lease or finance.

They also told me the ES 330 is all sold out, there won't be any, it gets replace from 2007 ES 350. So I guess for those of us who bought it now, we will have a brand new model until at least 2008 fall.

svw

Dealers trade with one another all the time. You should not be limited to his inventory alone. They should do this to get your biz.

svw

Nalley guys (Cobb Pkwy) were very professional, flexible, and I'd recommend them.....I purchased from Curt Fletcher. Also, Lisa at Hennessey on Peachtree Industrial is knowledgeable, efficient and good to work with. Neither seems to be offering anything off the price, except Nalley may give previous Lexus customers $500 off.

richard43

consumerreports.org now has
pricing available for $14.

paco0322

I have seen most of the colors but have not seen the aquamarine pearl. My salesperson said that he didn't think they were going to make this color. Has anyone seen one or is my salesperson correct?

cyclopsstan

On another site a guy that works for Lexus said that he knows that color will only be available by order in the northeast region. I know my dealer is only getting 7 in his 1st shipment & thats not 1 of them.
I have a deposit on a Ruby w/ cashmere, thou I haven't seen it 'live' yet(due Thurs.) For those that have, thumbs up if you like the red or what?

richard43

i'm in l.a. area.

i did see one. it's more a royal blue.