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Lexus ES 350

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    bobbassbobbass Member Posts: 34
    You may have just convinced me to go with Crystal White!

    GORGEOUS!

    On the other hand, the Aquamarine Blue and Ruby Red on the other pages are beautiful, too.

    Decisions....decisions.....
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    cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    Dailydeo wrote: Would you mind sharing where you had your car tinted.

    Sun Dimmers. They do a beautiful job. High quality work. This is my 5th car tinted by them.

    Bobbass wrote: You may have just convinced me to go with Crystal White! On the other hand, the Aquamarine Blue and Ruby Red on the other pages are beautiful, too.
    Decisions....decisions.....

    LOL, I know what you are going through. I was there not too long ago. Remember? :)
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    benzoservceguybenzoservceguy Member Posts: 60
    We got our IS tinted @ BLACK DIAMONDS in VALENCIA - right down Creekside Road for all the dealers.

    We got Johnson Film and it is guaranteed for LIFE
    20% on rear, sides & back glass

    35 or 40% on the front (looks tinted but can still can see that your seatbelt is fastened) - will "PASS" CHP "inspection"
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    bwolfbwolf Member Posts: 18
    No, it was $1,000 total for the chrome 10 spoke rims. No charge to swap them. I had them put on and xm radio installed the day before I picked the car up. The sticker price on the chrome rims is $2,000 but every dealer I talked to immediately said they would sell them at cost for $1,000. They are very nice looking rims, the chrome really looks good on this car because of the door handles and the chrome around the windows. I'll post some pics in a few days.
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    vluuvluu Member Posts: 100
    Thanks for the info. Now... wondering if the Lexus dealers around here will provide that same deal ($1,000). Pictures would be great.... thanks!
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    alien2alien2 Member Posts: 33
    Has anyone tried to lift the windshield wiper blade assembly to clean the windshield (or when it needed to replace the blades)? Mine will not lift up, even though they have a hinge in the wiper assembly arm. The hood will not let the wiper assembly be raised up. It will bump into the hood. Raising the hood does not help. Alien
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    jbolltjbollt Member Posts: 736
    I believe that you need to pull them up, in the direction that they wipe...past a stiff detent....I believe this is noted in your manual, but not certain
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    bwolfbwolf Member Posts: 18
    I burned some CD's using Itunes. No track info (song titles) appear on the nav screen on my ES. Did I do something wrong? Does anyone know how to do this so that the info that shows on Itunes will show on the ES???
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    alien2alien2 Member Posts: 33
    I'll give that a try. I looked in the manual and didn't see anything related to how to change the blades. I'll look again. Thanks, alien
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    alien2alien2 Member Posts: 33
    I just went out and tried to lift the wiper arms. It is very difficult to move them (other than a short amount of about 1/2"). I wouldn't try any harder for fear of breaking them. I also relooked at the manual and couldn't find any reference for how to lift the arms. The changing of the blades is not even covered anywhere in the maintenance section (section 4) of the owner's manual. Anyone else experience this? alien
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    vluuvluu Member Posts: 100
    I don't use Itunes to burn MP3's, but when using another software called "Nero", there's an option to include "CD Text". Check again to see if you might have missed this option or something? Hope that helps?
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    pnjfroncepnjfronce Member Posts: 6
    I ordered, with a $2,000 deposit, on May 17 a Ruby/cashmere with a premium plus package, that I believe is no longer available. The only answer I'm getting from the dealer is..."there was a shipment of 1250 cars and only 9 had this color and package". He's also telling me he does not know when the next shipment will be available. Before I make any rash decision I would like to know if any of you have run into a similar situation? If so, what was the resolution?
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    jimbresjimbres Member Posts: 2,025
    My wife put down $1K on a UL-equipped Tungsten Pearl / light grey car on 6/9. In late July, our sales rep called to say that we could take delivery on 7/28. On the afternoon of the scheduled delivery date, after my wife had gone to the bank for a cashier's check to cover the balance due, the sales rep called to say there had been a mistake - that the car that we expected to pick up that day was the wrong color. He was clearly embarassed & blamed this on a back-office functionary. Now, he can't say when we'll see this car. He tried to set up a swap with an out-of-state dealer, but no one wants to trade away UL-equipped cars.

    I'm only mildly annoyed at the moment. Perhaps I'd feel differently if we were coming up to the end of our lease or if we had planned a vacation around our new car. As it is, we can use the extra time to sell our '99 ES 300. (A relative who had wanted to buy the car changed her mind unexpectedly.) But if we're still waiting 6 weeks from now, I'll likely be more than merely a bit annoyed.
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    texastownhalltexastownhall Member Posts: 22
    bash4

    Thanks. Just read some ES350 transmission issues at clublexus.com

    http://www.clublexus.com/forums/showthread.php?t=214212&page=1&pp=15

    Just a handful. Not many but still, I think you are right, I think I should hold out 'til the 08 model.
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    sirrafsirraf Member Posts: 55
    The dealership where we purchased our ES350, White UL, said that we can now order the Door Molding for $133.00. They want $225.00 (2 hours labor) to install. This seems to be excessive since the molding is only glued on.

    I was wondering what others have paid for the installation? And if they are happy with the look?
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    jbolltjbollt Member Posts: 736
    I helped a friend get the BSM (body side moldings) for an 07 Camry, (very similar parts, one per door) and paid almost the same for the moldings are you were quoted ($128 or so), and we paid less than $100 for install.. The total came to under $200. This is in Tucson, AZ for reference. You've been quoted a labor rate of $112.50 per hour? WOW

    We ordered the parts direct from the parts dept, and asked the body shop what the labor would be. No sense in giving the new car sales dept any extra markup!
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    alien2alien2 Member Posts: 33
    You are correct. I was at the dealership today and they demostrated it. However, it is not in the manual that comes with the 350's sold in the states. The manual for the cars bought in Canada does have it. The dealer gave me a bottle of touchup paint due to a little nick on the edge of the hood caused by trying to lift them without moving them to the "winter" position. Alien
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    bash4bash4 Member Posts: 13
    :shades: jimbres, I ordered the same color combination on June 15th. I waited for a month and heard this combination was nearly impossible to get. Only 7% of the cars coming in to the states are Ruby. So when my dealer offered to take another $500 off a Ruby with black that he had on the lot I took it. Although I did not get the Cashmere I still love my car and am very happy with black. It should be easier to stay clean as well. Maybe you should consider grey as well. I looks very nice as well. Good luck.
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    bwolfbwolf Member Posts: 18
    Call every Lexus dealer within a range you're willing to go to. I was told by several local dealers that there were no Ruby/Cashmier's anywhere and none due to arrive in the next several months. However, I had previously sent emails out to dealers all over CA and a dealer in San Diego (about 75 miles away) called me and said they had a Ruby/Cashmier premium plus with Nav. The other dealers didn't show it on their lists so I'm not sure how accurate Lexus' computer system is. I negotiated a price and 2 days later drove home my new Ruby Red ES 350.
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    thaisharkthaishark Member Posts: 19
    The Dealer is THOMPSON LEXUS of DOYLESTOWN PA.
    I strongly urge anyone considering a lexus to stay away from this dealer or watch your deal VERY carefully.

    After ordering a UL Es350 back at the end of June I left a $1,000 deposit with the dealer, negotiations continued on the price until finally we agreed on 31,000 out the door ( tax tags , etc ) including my trade. but NOT including my deposit. I was very clear about this with the salesman who actually left the dealership while i was waiting for my car to arrive.
    When the car came in another salesperson called me to let me know the car had arrived, and at that time i tried to confirm the price at which time they tried to tell me they might not be able to give me the agreed upon price for my trade, a price which they guaranteed they would honor at the time of the trade ( thye said they would honor the price for 60 days ) since they knew it would take a while to get the car.
    After some heated phone calls they called me back to say they would honor the price and i could pick up the car last night. I call ed the salesman back to reverify that the deposit was not applied to the price i had negotiated with the previous salesman. She assured me it was not.
    so I went last night to get the car and when they showed me the paperwork to sign, my deposit had been magically applied and leaving a balance of $31,000.
    I hit the roof with the salesperson to the point she went to get the sales manager who proceeded to give me every excuse he could think of ( my car was worth less, he was taking a loss on the deal, what a joke that 1 was ) and that the deposit had ALWAYS been part of the deal.

    then he finally offered to drop the price $500.00 as if he was doing me a favor. I though about then decided i had enough and walked away from the deal angry as hell.
    Needless to say i wont deal with this dealer ever again and i recommend no one else does either. They have soured me on Lexus to the point i wont buy one now.
    I know thats extreme but it just isnt worth it to me.

    Best of luck everyone and i hope you ever have an experience like this one.

    It's back to Acura for me. A dealer and service i can trust.
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    petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    The key here is the 60 day price honor. The time frame has expired. It's quite possible (very likely) that your vehicle has lost some value since the original deal was reached. Seems simple. Your deposit was returned. Enjoy the Acura (maybe they will give you more for your trade). Good luck.
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    thaisharkthaishark Member Posts: 19
    I probably should have clarified a little better. I ordered the last week of june. the 60 days isnt up for another 14 days at least
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    vluuvluu Member Posts: 100
    I would suggest you call Lexus/ Toyota Corporate and report your experience. This does sound like they were trying to shaft you. I think when you deal in the future... have everything in "writing" before you commit. Good luck with Acura....
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    carrelman2carrelman2 Member Posts: 80
    Today I finally got my body side moldings installed. They look terrific on the car.They are just what I thought they would be, not the ugly strips from an after market supplier. By the way if you go to Prestige Lexus.com you can see their inventory. This morning they had 39 Lexus ES 350's,(10 Ruby Red). Tonight they show 30 ES 350's (8 Ruby Red).They are in Ramsey, NJ.and can be reached by train.
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    psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    If I can be honest here for a moment there are a couple of things that jump out at me.

    First, all your calling back to the dealership to "reconfirm" your price tells me that you knew damn well there was something hinky about the whole deal from the jump.

    Second, you probably couldn't have made too many more basic errors in your attempt to purchase this car. You gave them $1000 in cash or a check and walked out without a receipt signed by the salesperson/sales manager???!!! Had it been a credit card charge that would have been easy. Just contest it and you're home free. Remember, with a credit card company, YOU'RE the customer and they want to make you happy....not the merchant.

    When I bought my car I negotiated a lease price and a trade in price for my curent vehicle. I left them a $500 deposit and this was all clearly stipulated in a receipt I was given that was signed by both the salesperson and the sales manager. Pickup couldn't have been easier. I paid $300 more (on my credit card) when I walked in and drove out with the car less than 45 minutes later after the salesman walked me through the car's basic functions and set up the bluetooth with my phone.

    Your experience had nothing to do with Lexus. You did an exceedingly poor job of purchasing and this same scenario could (and likely would) have played out at any other dealership.
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    patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    Wellll, it sounded like all the phone calls happened after the initial one to tell him his car was in. He says he asked then about the original deal and the salesguy indicated maybe that's no good now. After that is when he was making all the phone calls he mentioned.

    What he didn't address was whether he had anything at all in writing from the dealership about the deposit or the original agreed-upon price. If he didn't have anything in writing then it's too bad what happened, but all he can do now is take it as a lesson learned.
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    cdn_guycdn_guy Member Posts: 3
    Alan:

    Well it's been another couple of weeks but here is the latest. The area manager for parts and service for Lexus picked up the car from my house and replaced the rubber gasket around the glass in the sunroof/moonroof. I have the standard sunroof/moonroof not the panoramic one which has a different design.

    Then with two of the technical people, they purportedly took the car through a number of car washes including the Shell station that the whole problem started with.

    Wouldn't you know that the roof still leaks at the Shell station where there are drops of water falling on the passenger, albeit a lot less than before. Lexus techs say that it is due to the high pressure at the Shell station, as when they took the car to other car washes the drip tray was sufficient to drain away the water that made it through the seal. Funny, my old Honda Accord sunroof never had any water fall on my head at the same car wash.

    Lexus has sent me a nice email:

    "Further to your conversation with our Parts and Service Consultant, we would like to confirm that Lexus Canada has thoroughly inspected your vehicle and it is operating in accordance with the manufacturer's specifications. Our Quality Assurance department is aware of your concerns and has also had the opportunity to inspect your vehicle.

    The drip tray in the sunroof has been designed to receive and channel out water, therefore there will be water droplets. This is normal and will not lead to any further issues."

    Ok, so I believe that what they are saying is: the sunroof allows water through and can drip on your head if the pressure of the water jets at the car wash exceed what Lexus thinks is reasonable.

    Nice solution, so now I ponder if the other car washes in my area increase their pressure, will I eventually have to get out my bucket and wash mit?

    Does this sound reasonable? Thoughts?

    P.S. I should have paid the extra $6k for the top model as the panoramic roof has a completely different design!
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    sirrafsirraf Member Posts: 55
    carrelman2,

    What did you have to pay for the body side molding and for the installation?
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    obrinksobrinks Member Posts: 9
    Where are you located, mine have been on order since May?
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    carrelman2carrelman2 Member Posts: 80
    I live in Oceanside NY. nearest dealer is Rockville Centre.They lied to me back in june that they had "LEXUS" moldings in stock. Price was $406 plus $200 for labor.Moldings were just releasd this past week. Mine were all part of the deal plus no charge for winter mats.I don't do business with people that lie and try to rip you off.Go to prestige lexus . com.Great people to do business with.
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    thaisharkthaishark Member Posts: 19
    1st of all it was a credit card deposit, but i fail to see whay that would make a differnece. There was never any question about the existence of a deposit, the only problem was their assertion that the deposit was already applied to the deal resulting in an out the door price of $31,000 and my claim that it wasnt which would result in a pice of $30,000 out the door with the deposit applied.

    You can spin this any way you want, The fact remains the dealer tried to manipulate the numbers at the time of delivery.

    Could it have happened at ANY dealership? absolutely.
    But it DID happen at a lexus dealership.

    As a footnote, i followed up on my return of the deposit and at the same time asked if my car was sold with a different sales manager who told me the car was sold.

    Bottom line is they already had somebody who was paying full sticker most likely which is why they did not care about jerking me around.

    The fact that the salesman confirmed to me that the deposit was NOT included in the price of 31,000 then have it magically appear on the paperwork where it WAS included should tell you all you need to know about this deal.
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    psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    ***...then have it magically appear on the paperwork where it WAS included....***

    Ah, the mention of the magic word "paperwork."

    And, needless to say, this all could have been avoided if you used a modicum of good sense by insisting on having anything and everything agreed to reduced to writing.

    A simple matter and something my father the lawyer instilled in my consciousness very early on.

    Would you buy a house without "getting it in writing?"

    And the relevance of the crdit card is that you would never be out any money if you used one. Something that would possibly not be the case if you paid in cash or check.
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    anilpunjabianilpunjabi Member Posts: 61
    I have dealth with the dealership, their service dept is very good but sales dept is a little stiff. Went to Wilmington Lexus and negotiated a price abt 3000 less off a brand new 2001 gs430 back in 2000 right when it replaced the gs400. Thompson will not give u a good trade in value, alway better to sell it yourself. Unless ur car is worthless why trade it in?
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    obrinksobrinks Member Posts: 9
    Thanks for the response. I called my dealer (
    Chantilly, Va) and they are putting them on as I type. I got them at dealer cost of $133.00 and $150.00 installation. Can't wait to see it, mine is Blace/Cashmere.
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    carrelman2carrelman2 Member Posts: 80
    I'm sure you will be satisfied with the body side moldings. My car is Black/Black. Good Luck.
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    tkubatztkubatz Member Posts: 7
    Can you post a picture?
    Thanks
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    bruce3bruce3 Member Posts: 13
    Has anyone been able to buy an ES350 with the backup camera without getting the ultra luxury package?

    Thanks, Bruce
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    zekeman1zekeman1 Member Posts: 422
    I did; I thought it came standard on all cars with Nav.
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    tnfantnfan Member Posts: 18
    Definitely. As previously stated I believe it is standard with nav.
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    bwolfbwolf Member Posts: 18
    I got the premium plus package with the Nav and it came standard with the backup camera.
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    horns1976horns1976 Member Posts: 56
    Desperately searching for a new car. Considered Cadillac CTS/STS and Buick Lucerne/LaCrosse. Reviews of all vehicles stink.

    My brother has an RX400h that's one year old. I drove it for three hours on the highway and found the seats to be very stiff. I'm not used to that. I'm used to American car seating. Owned an Acura Legend years ago. Seats killed my back, especially the lumbar. Would appreciate any comments regarding the comfort and adjustability of the seats in the ES350. Thanks.
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    tomdtomd Member Posts: 87
    Does anyone know of a picture of the interior without the Nav option? I'd like to see what the center stack looks like.

    Thanks
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    tomdtomd Member Posts: 87
    Sorry, my msg. title should read "Photo without Nav"
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    seaweedseaweed Member Posts: 5
    The upgraded ES350 perforated seats are fantastic. I drove over 300 miles from Florida to Vermont and back with no discomfort. I usually have back problems on long drives but not on the ES350.
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    psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    Quite frankly, I found the seats on the 2002 ES to be more comfortable. That's not to say that the ES350 seats are uncomfortable, just that there doesn't seem to be a way to get them into that "perfect" position.

    And the 2002 ES didn't even have a telescoping steering wheel.

    Go figure.
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    cyclopsstancyclopsstan Member Posts: 24
    "Does anyone know of a picture of the interior without the Nav option? "

    Check this out... http://www.picturetrail.com/gallery/view?p=999&gid=10177617&uid=4946984&members=- 1
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    frostyrfrostyr Member Posts: 20
    If your'e a big person, the Buick will definitely be more comfortable. I'd buy it with a split bench seat and not have to worry about the damn console hitting my leg. I tried the Buick and thought the seat in the LaCrosse was a little too thinly padded. That's too bad because I think it's a good car. I found the seat in the Lucerne to be very comfortable, but it is a very big car. As for the Lexus seat, it's Okay. The seat back in the Lexus is especially good and gives great support. Caution, don't buy a car if it's not completely comfortable!
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    bwolfbwolf Member Posts: 18
    I can't believe you would compare an ES 350 to a Buick. They are completely different cars. Besides the huge size difference, there is no comparison in build quality, especially quality of interior materials. As far as comfort, I'm 6'2" 200 lbs and I think the car is comfortable, but they are leather sports sedan seats, not plush Buick seats usually marketed to older drivers. Your comofort is important but I think you are comparing Apples and Oranges.
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    prigglypriggly Member Posts: 642
    Reviews of all vehicles stink.

    Never mind the reviews. Test the cars yourself and form your own opinions before writing them off the consideration list.
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    prigglypriggly Member Posts: 642
    I can't believe you would compare an ES 350 to a Buick. They are completely different cars. Besides the huge size difference, there is no comparison in build quality, especially quality of interior materials.

    Absolute rubbish. The new Buicks are more than comparable to the new EX 350's both in overall quality and in interior quality.

    On the topic of comparable quality, the quality of the new Chevy Impala SS is surprisingly high. The interior is excellent with very comfortable seats, tiny panel gaps and overall quality in general. Besides, the power of the V-8 engine is incredible . . . !
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