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Lexus ES 300/ES 330

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Comments

  • lateraluslateralus Member Posts: 13
    I had a '92 300 a year ago, then sold it (dumb!), the car had a 5-speed manual. Wow. I just wandered how you people can afford a new ES300. I can't, but I still appreciate how great of a machine it is. I drive a '00 Accord V6 now.
  • c3po33c3po33 Member Posts: 67
    I was checking the inventory page of JM Lexus here is South Florida and they have a base ES with fabric, no leather! You really don't see that to often at all. If it's still there the link is:

    http://www.jmlexus.com/nc_browse_es.asp?page=3&order=InvMSRP


    Question: Can you control the stereo with the the steering wheel controls or not? Thanks.

  • lenscaplenscap Member Posts: 854
    No, you cannot control the radio from the steering wheel. Only the cruise control and trip computer.

    By the way, did you know JM Lexus is the largest volume Lexus dealer in the country? It's true.
  • cavescaves Member Posts: 13
    We have had our 2002 ES 300 for two weeks now. Love the interior, learning to love the exterior, it looks a lot better with the GS 300 chrome wheels we had installed. The tires only have a treadwear rating of 200. Wish Lexus would have used better tires.

    Based off the comparsion review in Motor Trend the Mark Levinson Stereo isn't equal to the installation in the LS430. I guess you lose quality in a "cheaper" car. The ML system sounds real clean.

    Agree on the wood should have been on window switchplates. No place to put your cell phone. Hate the foot parking brake. They should allow owner to key a password for the Navigation System, since you place personal information of friends and family.

    Looks great in black. My wife wants a spoiler. I guess I have to start looking.

    Good luck guys,
  • fredvhfredvh Member Posts: 857
    What kind of tires are they? Did you consider the new Camry before purchasing the ES300?
  • rnbesquirernbesquire Member Posts: 16
    Howdy:

    I've also been driving my new black ES for two weeks.

    Caves writes:
    >>We have had our 2002 ES 300 for two weeks now. Love the interior, learning to love the exterior, it looks a lot better with the GS 300 chrome wheels we had installed. The tires only have a treadwear rating of 200. Wish Lexus would have used better tires.>>

    I too love the interior. Seats are very comfortable, and environment is quiet. Even with 5 adults on board, it is very comfortable. Definitely love the exterior. I'm still getting a lot of looks from drivers of much more expensive machinery.
    Tires seem to grip very well; their durability remains to be seen. Wish I'd known about the GS chromies; I'd have gotten them. Chromies look great on a black car. The stock alloys are growing on me.

    I'll be interested to see what kind of a spoiler/wing they devise for it. Maybe it will increase my operating ceiling. ;-) But you know, I'm on a cloud anyway when I'm driving it!

    >>No place to put your cell phone. Hate the foot parking brake.>>

    I agree there is no convenient place to put your phone, but there is an aux. plug in the lower compartment of the front armrest, to keep it charged. I'm stowing the phone in one of the cupholder slots. I'm not used to a footbrake either, but I'll get used to it with no problem.

    The car seems to hesitate as it decides on a gear when you are going slow and transition to acceleration. The shifts are butter-smooth in the usual mode, but I find myself finessing the go-pedal slightly when I've slowed down to maybe 10-20 mph, and then accelerate. Power comes on very smoothly.

    I'm totally in love with the HID headlights; they are a MUST. The "auto" mode turns them on and off when needed, and leaves them on for a minute after you exit the vehicle.

    Driving this car is like flying an F-117 stealth fighter. Maybe it's just because it's black with tinted windows... I'm pushing the handling envelope slowly but surely, and it's taken every maneuver with aplomb.

    I'm going to put a coat of Zymol wax on it this weekend, to give it the wet look. Then my baby will be wet and wild!

    Cordially,
    RNBESQUIRE
  • davidh44davidh44 Member Posts: 19
    caves,
    How much does it cost to have GS300 chrome wheels put onto the ES?
  • rebelskrebelsk Member Posts: 65
    I ordered my 2002 through my dealer through the factory and have been told it will take 90 days to receive and that the dealer will hear about a month before when the car is arriving. Has anyone who ordered the car this same way heard anything yet? I am getting the car with the Mark Levinson Stereo System but am not getting the Navigation System. I am getting most of the other options including AVS.
  • steven36steven36 Member Posts: 13
    Like everyone else, I like the inside amenities, even better than on my 98 E320 which I'm in the process of replacing. The ride doesn't feel as "solid" nor does the suspension have the same road feel. The engine also feels a bit anemic but adequate for around town driving. With more "cajones" and a tighter suspension I'd pay an additional $5k.
  • trublu00trublu00 Member Posts: 5
    Instead of Zymol, you may want to opt for Zaino. I have found this to be the best and easiest shine on the market. Go to the Zaino forum on Edmunds. There is a very recent test of five "waxes", zymol over-the-counter and zymol direct (which are different) were two of the waxes. Zaino beat hands down with six months of findings on the wear and shine. The results were based on many person's input. I have done nothing less than Zaino on my '00 ES300 and it looks better than new. My opinion, for what it is worth.
  • mind18mind18 Member Posts: 5
    Anyone have digital photos to share of their new ES 300? Espically if you have it in black...:)
  • dsemmendsemmen Member Posts: 12
    I have been considering the new ES300, which I really like. But, I just drove a new 02 Camry and it is one nice car. And, can be topped out with every option including NAV (same one in ES300) for about $6000 less. The only thing you are not getting for that money, which would be in the ES300 is the wood trim and the Lexus name plate. Plus, the Camry has two inches more leg room in the back. And, they both share the same body and parts. I really like the ES300, but is it $6000 better then a similar equipped camry! I just read the Edmunds review of the Camry and they even made reference to these facts as well, stating "why would someone forego a Camry for an ES300 for thousands more"
  • s852s852 Member Posts: 1,051
    "Most people" will have a hard time time finding $6000 worth of visible improvement between a loaded 2002 Camry XLEV6 and an ES300.
    They will see improvement in the Lexus, but it may or may not be worth the price difference to them.
    When you sell the Lexus, you will get "some" of the extra money you spent back in resale, so it really won't cost the entire difference the MSRP shows (unless you can get the Camry near invoice and have to pay near full MSRP sticker for the Lexus).

    Some of the benefits are subjective like the prestige of driving a Lexus vs a Toyota and that is worth whatever you feel like it is worth.
    The styling is "different." Some will prefer the wild and daring ES300 styling and some will prefer the more conservative Camry styling. The interior is higher quality in the ES300 and there are some options available only on the Lexus. If you don't happen to want any of the exclusive ES300 options that are not available on the Camry, then getting the Lexus is harder to justify.
    You can expect better and more expensive service for Lexus dealers, but there won't be as many dealers to choose from so it might be inconvenient to drive to the Lexus dealer for a routine oil changes or warranty repairs.
  • gambhirgambhir Member Posts: 64
    Rebelsk-you cannot get AVS as reported earlier unless you order both Nav and mark levinson--this is a factory requirement--check www.kbb.com for verification

    Dsemmen--I think the saying "you get what you pay for" holds true here
    Lexus has a superior warranty. superior service and offers the niceties like rainsensing wipers, sunshades, mark levinson, superior wood and chrome trim, sunshade, AVS, etc--also once the bargaining begins, you will be a able to get a fully loaded ES for much less-there is more margin on the lexus so you have more room to negotiate

    Lenscap wrote a noice post while back highlighting the exclusive features

    ES is far quieter too and you get more ponies even if 20 or so than the camry

    No one turns around to look at a camry--they surely will at the Lexus

    My feeling is --it is worth every penny and a great bargain than other competitors
  • dsemmendsemmen Member Posts: 12
    Thanks guys for the opinions. I really appreciate them. If anyone else has anything to add, please jump in. Thanks.
  • s852s852 Member Posts: 1,051
    "Far quieter" is an extreme statement. The 2002 XLE V6 Camry is very quiet. Even if the ES300 is a few decibels lower, it is hard to notice.
    The styling is very subjective. Some people are appalled at what Lexus did with the exterior of the new model. A lot of people may need to wait for it to "grow on them."
    The only bad thing about the Camry styling is that it looks too much like an Avalon.
    The Lexus warranty is longer and better, but you can buy a Toyota extended warranty for the Camry that will be longer than the Lexus warranty if are planning to keep the car long enough for the longer warranty to be an issue.
    You can get better service with the Lexus, but if the nearest Lexus dealer is 20 miles or more away and a Toyota dealer is 5 miles away, then it is more of a hassle than it's worth.
    The interior is nicer in the Lexus and the engine had a little more power and that is where you can see some of the money went.
    He will need need to drive the cars back to back to decide.
    I am sure almost anyone would prefer driving the Lexus (unless they cannot stand the new exterior styling), but they might not like it so much more to pay the price premium.
  • gambhirgambhir Member Posts: 64
    Folks,
    In the brochure and advertised pictures, the glass of the ES seems to be heavily tinted--Does tinted glas come standard--I mean really dark glass--If so great--If not, what is te best way to tint them with approx. cost
  • davidh44davidh44 Member Posts: 19
    gambhir,

    The glass is lightly tinted, and according to Lexus, blocks out almost 100% of UV rays. Outside looking in, it does darken the interior a decent amount. It's not dark glass though. The brochures and advertised pictures just make it look really dark because it gives a nicer effect (reflection, etc.).
    If you want a really dark tint, you should scope out your area for auto shops that specialize in tinting car windows, then get quotes from these places. What you don't want to do is try to do it yourself with off-the-shelf tint film. I wouldn't do it with any car, let alone a Lexus. If you've seen a car with messed up tint, you'll know what I mean. If you manage to get the film onto the window properly, after some time, it'll start warping anyways.
  • riezriez Member Posts: 2,361
    Wife and I looked over the ES300 yesterday. Looked over a loaded '02 Camry a couple weeks ago. Some big differences favoring the ES300 for me included the 5-speed automatic and more powerful engine in the ES300. The interior was also much nicer. So is the warranty and the roadside assistance.

    Another huge difference favoring the Lexus is the dealership, the buying, owning and servicing experience. The difference between the dealers was night and day. I felt like cattle in the cramped, ugly, noisy Toyota dealer. Salespeople were pushy and unfriendly. They didn't have a brochure or couldn't find one. Salesperson knew next to nothing about the car. The Lexus dealership was like heaven. Open, airy, beautiful, quiet, relaxed. The salesperson was friendly, not pushy, and very knowledgeable about the product. He sat us down to discuss colors and options. Gave us a nice brochure. Quick tour of the dealership. He didn't appear to mind that I wasn't quite done looking at other cars.

    I can only imagine what it is like getting your Camry serviced versus the ES300. Nice loaner car versus hitchhiking?
  • s852s852 Member Posts: 1,051
    It has already been mentioned several times that the interior is nicer and the warranty is better.
    The Lexus dealers have fancier buildings and usually better salespeople. Not always. The Lexus salesperson I saw was arrogant trying to sell a 2001 ES300 that I did not even like that much, so I did not even bother negotiating the price and just walked out. The Toyota dealerships I saw did not have cramped, dirty, showrooms or waiting rooms and were not particularly ugly.
    For people who do not want to research the cars ahead of time to find out about the options and colors before setting foot in the dealership, Lexus will usually have more knowledgeable salespeople.
    It just isn't worth $6000 extra to most people to look at marble floors in a Lexus lobby.
    Hitchhiking? Most car dealers have courtesy shuttles that will take you to work or home.
    Loaner cars at the Lexus are "subject to availability" not guaranteed.
    Anyway, rental cars are available either at the Toyota dealership or from a local agency (like Enterprise) that can pick you up at the dealer if you don't want to ride in the the shuttles. I been to a car dealer that had an Enterprise rental office right on the dealership grounds. $6000 pays for a lot of car rentals. Your could rent a limo each time and still come out ahead.
  • djlinkdjlink Member Posts: 3
    I've owned a fully loaded camry and an es300. Both dealerships were excellent, that said it would be tough to go back to the camry after having the es300 and experiencing the Lexus service. If you haven't had a lexus and don't think it's worth the extra that is understandable, but if you do spring for the car I doubt that you will regret it. I've got about 3k miles on a new gs300 and love it.
  • davidh44davidh44 Member Posts: 19
    Lexus service is nice, but we also pay for it in terms of much higher service prices. So I don't regard it as an advantage of buying a Lexus over a Toyota. If you consider it a privilege to pay more for a better service experience, then it could be a factor.
  • pjonkheerpjonkheer Member Posts: 22
    How much is everyone getting their '02 ES300's for??

    Thanks.
  • tony2puttstony2putts Member Posts: 1
    I recently purchased a ES300 with ML stereo, HID, Leather, Sunroof, Wood steering. MSRP was 36,200 and I paid 35,400. It is only a week old, but I'm very happy with the car so far. I'm not sure if that information helps. Good luck shopping.
  • gambhirgambhir Member Posts: 64
    Congrats--what color?
    i am surprised you have the ML stereo--don't think tey are producing it in isolation-comes only bundled with nav for now--did you custom order it?
  • rebelskrebelsk Member Posts: 65
    How do you like the Levinson System so far?
  • cavescaves Member Posts: 13
    The Bridgestone Turanza have a treadwear rating of 180.

    My 2002 ES has Toyo Proxes with a treadwear rating of 200.
  • cavescaves Member Posts: 13
    The GS 300 Chrome wheels cost us $ 850 installed.

    I did consider the Toyota Camry, we had a 1999 Toyota Solara which has a interior very similar in style to the 2002 ES 300. The interior of the Lexus was more inviting than the Toyota.

    I love good sound and the Mark Levinston stereo imaging was superior to the JBL system in the Toyota. The Toyota and Lexus dealers are just across the street from each other. The Lexus dealers provide more flexible service. M-F 24 hrs a day service and normal Sat and Sun. service, free car loaners, on-site maintenance at my job or home for no extra charge. If I decide to wait while my car is being serviced, they have computers available with internet access or a massage chair for a nap. My Lexus dealer really treats you well.

    I got nothing at the Toyota dealer and still charged high prices.
  • parnolaparnola Member Posts: 141
    I love the sound of your lexus dealer - what city are you in? Here in Dayton, OH our Lexus dealer gives great service, but the service hours are very confining (only open until 5:00pm M-F, closed Sat and Sun). No internet access either!
  • cavescaves Member Posts: 13
    I took a four day trip which covered over 1,100 miles from the San Francisco Bay Area to Los Angeles. These are my observations:

    Likes: Quiet cruiser and great ride (standard suspension). Handles well, the chassis feels solid without float. If it had better tires or wider tires it would perform even better. Averaged 26 mpg at a average speed of 62 mph.

    Dislikes: Accessing the dead foot pedal, my leg would contact the parking brake pedal.

    I would not order the wood steering wheel again. Hard on the hands since nothing is padded. If you hands get sweaty the moving back from wood to leather creates slippery feeling when going through curves.

    Navigation system is useless sometimes. The normal route from SF to LA is to take Interstate 5. The Nav. System avoided the interstates or highways no matter in Quick or Short or Alternative. We decided to follow the Nav. System instructions exactly. It normally takes 7 hrs, it took 9.5 hours. I experienced more of California than I ever knew. In LA area it would crisscross a freeway 4-5 times in a 10 mile area by following city streets. Whoever program this system does not like freeways.

    Word of advice: Get to the city first then activate your destination. Then it works great.

    The ML audio system is good for FM, very good on CDs, but AM radio, talk radio the speakers and interior panels would buzz. Turning the bass control down would help but something is wrong when they designed the system. Go to FM or CD it sounds clean.

    Suggestions for 2003 ES 300:

    The Optitron instrument panel lights are great, (white light), but the lights in the center console are that green-yellow, looks old fashioned. Use white light for the center console controls. My 2000 Mitsubishi Galant has white lights throughout the interior looks consistent.

    A place for parking lot tickets or cards. Kept looking for places to place cards or pens

    Cover the instrument gauge area completely with wood instead of partially.

    A little more engine power. Felt a little weak on the inclines.

    Just my thoughts.
  • cavescaves Member Posts: 13
    My Lexus dealer is Magnussens' Lexus of Fremont, California.

    They are one of the largest Lexus dealers in Northern California.

    I guess I'm lucky,
  • cavescaves Member Posts: 13
    Forgot one more suggestion for 2003 ES 300

    Place ex tenders in the sun visors. The sun visors do not have ex tenders on them to block sun light for driver or passenger side windows.

    In the pursuit of perfection
  • mvatz1mvatz1 Member Posts: 1
    I am considering a 1998 Certified ES 300 with 30k miles. Also considering a 2002 Maxima GLE or Accura TL 3.2. I know they are very different cars, but I'd appreciate any input on experience with the pre-owned: service, longevity, etc.
  • norcalmike2norcalmike2 Member Posts: 133
    Caves; The sun visors can be adjusted. Swing the visor to the side window and pull back. It will go back about 6". On a test drive I did just that and said to myself "What a cheap departure from the little plastic sun visor extenders on my 2000 Solara." Hope this helps.
  • parnolaparnola Member Posts: 141
    I had a '97 ES which I bought certified with 32k miles and drove it to the 90k mark. Only problem I ever had was the leather looked worn on the drivers seat which they fixed under the warranty. It was a great car, though the new ES seems to really push the car into a higher class - I test drove it last week and did not feel like I was in an ES the way I remember them.
  • hunter001hunter001 Member Posts: 851
    "I experienced more of California than I ever knew. In LA area it would crisscross a freeway 4-5 times in a 10 mile area by following city streets. Whoever program this system does not like freeways"

    Maybe you need to check your NAV settings. In the Navigation in my Acura 3.2TL, there are options like "Minimize Freeways", "Minimize Tollroads" etc. Maybe your NAV is set on "Minimize Freeways" ?!!! It could be worth checking it out. Your "problem" could have a "solution" as simple as that !!

    Later...AH
  • dardson1dardson1 Member Posts: 696
    Lexus has moved to the slab side look.....mono-chrome....everything top to bottom painted the same color. Lexus has forever used two-toned paint (bottom and top of the profile different colors)....I'm glad I bought an 01. It's only a perception, but visually dividing the profile makes the car look longer, lower, and leaner. The fashion today is to make everything look like a 49 Mercury. I know retro is in, but that doens't make it good.
  • jjpcatjjpcat Member Posts: 124
    I agree w/ you about the service from that Lexus dealer. My wife and I have bought 2 Lexus from them. The price was great and they really treat us well. They told me they spent $10k on that massage chair. On the contrary, my sister who own a MB and a Porsche has much more to complain about the quality of her cars and the dealers who sold them, e.g., she got Honda and Mazda as loaners.

    I also agree with you about the wood steering wheel. It doesn't look good while it's practical harmful. It seems to me Lexus like that though, because so many new Lexus come with that.

    I am surprised about your gas mileage. For our 98 ES300, we could usually get 27-28mpg for a long freeway drive and we were driving much faster than your 62mph. If we were doing 62mpg, we might have got 29-30mpg. Note that 98 ES was rated as 19/26mpg while 2002 ES was rated as 21/29mpg.
  • mmamidimmamidi Member Posts: 1
    Hello everyone,
    I was looking at a '99 ES300 for my wife with 16k miles in Oyster color. It looks virtually new outside and inside. They had it listed at $26.9k and the salesman offered $25.8k + TTL. This is less than the Edmunds TMV (I think about $27k). I know there is a lot of concern about the accuracy of the TMV, especially with a new model out now. The salesman mentioned also that there's a special finance rate of 4.9% for up to 66 months just for certified ES300s and RX300s.

    I have looked at other dealers on the internet in surrounding cities - and they typically had listed prices $1k more than this dealer's list.

    Any suggestions on the pricing of this car would be appreciated. It really is quite a beaty, but there may be dozens more ES300s coming off lease now with the new model out.

    Thanks
  • autos3autos3 Member Posts: 24
    As the current owner of a 00 Acura RL and a 02
    Acura TL-S, last night we drove to our local Lexus dealer and drove the new ES. WOW! We decided to trade our TL for the ES. Don't get me wrong the TL is a great car, but Acura has room for improvement with the TL. Our car is 8months old and has suffered from several annoying returns to our dealer. Our RL has been flawless and we think the RL, though 7years in current form competes well with the new ES.

    Can't wait til Saturday to pick up the new car!
  • tgif888tgif888 Member Posts: 351
    What is your trade-in value of your TL-S?
  • lenscaplenscap Member Posts: 854
    I'm sorry to see you don't like the look of the new Lexus models. You may like it, but the two-tone look is clearly out of style. Lexus used that to imitate Mercedes, which had the different color lower cladding on most of their models when Lexus came out in late 1989.

    Now, however, that look is simply out of date. Mercedes no longer uses that look and Lexus is clearly moving away from it as well. The monotone look is certainly not retro as most cars never had the lower cladding to begin with.

    Also, not all Lexus models had the two-tone look. The original SC300/400 and GS300 (except white) never did.

    My 1995 ES300 is black with a gray lower body. I liked it in 1995, but now it just makes my car look really dated.

    As we all know, looks are very subjective.
  • autos3autos3 Member Posts: 24
    Our TL-S is Pearl white/Black non-nav w/8k for mileage. The trade value was $28,000.00. We paid $30500.00 new. MSRP on the ES was $367??.00
    and we are paying $35,250.00, not a bad deal in our eyes.
  • lenscaplenscap Member Posts: 854
    I'd say you made a fantastic deal on the ES. Here in my area (Chicago) the dealers are not budging off of list.

    What did you like so much about the ES vs. the Acura?
  • gambhirgambhir Member Posts: 64
    I read something on mileage on a trip in california a new owner took--th mileage will improve--wait till your first service--after a few refills it will be improve

    Also my car has arrived from japan--expected to arrive here at dealership next Friday--so I can hardly wait--will let you all know when I get it
  • cecconceccon Member Posts: 22
    I have a 93 es 300 with 154,000 miles on it. The only non-routine maintenance on the car involved the air conditioning going out at 140,000 miles, whioch cost aropund $1,000. It still runs well and looks great. I could probably get another 50,000 miles out of this car.

    On a different note, I looked at the new es 300 a few weeks ago, and did not care for the design of the front end. I was passing a dealership today and went in and looked at the car again. I have totally changed my opinion on the design, and think the design of the front end is ahead of its time. I felt the same way about the front end of the Mercedes e class with the round headlights. I didn't like it at first, but now think its one of the best looking cars around.

    I have now decided I'm going to try and lease a new es 3000. Do you think I could get a lease for around $500 a month on a 5 year lease, with no cap reduction?
  • autos3autos3 Member Posts: 24
    We will miss our TL-S, but we also have a 00 RL.
    We have returned to our Acura dealer with the TL for the following...the pearl paint on the front/rear bumpers in so miss-/-matched to the rest of the car, particularly highlighted when the car is less and 100% clean...also, with fall season in full bloom in upstate NY our fan for the climate control has been clogged 2times and will sound like a jetplane when turned on, ACURA states this is a "normal trait" to the TL's climate system and will probably clog again...the front seats make tons of strange noises...the sunroof when fully opened vibrates...ABS brake sensor replaced...and seals around the front windshield coming off.

    None of these small inconveniences have left us stranded, but we CERTAINLY have come to expect more from Acura, we have owned several since 1986.

    One other small complaint I have is the TL's Xenon headlights. Comparing them to our RL they are note the same. The RL's appear to us to be brighter, and remain "bluish" during the entire time they are on, the TL's are blue for 30 seconds and then appear almost halogen from inside the car, also the RL's xenons seem to pick up sign reflectors better than the TL's. I know this may seem trivial to some, but to us they are not the same type bulbs, and have become spoiled by the RL's xenon headlights. Anyone have any feedback on the 02 ES xenon bulbs?
  • rebelskrebelsk Member Posts: 65
    I am trading in my Acura RL for the 2002 ES 300 and was wondering how you compared the two cars in terms of comfort as well as performance.
  • lenscaplenscap Member Posts: 854
    I think your message was meant for autos3. He's the one with an RL.
  • autos3autos3 Member Posts: 24
    What year is your RL? I feel our 00 RL is on
    par with the 02 ES. This says alot for the RL, which is 7 years into its current form. I look forward to my drive to work everyday with the RL. It is comfortable, solid, reliable, and yes, fun to drive, and with a killer stereo. Our new 02 ES has the ML sound system, but I think the BOSE system in the RL competes well.

    Neither the RL or 02 ES will win many drag races, but clearly, these cars are meant to be lux crusiers, not sports sedans. I believe with our 00 RL and 02 ES we have the best 2 entry-level lux sedans available, and if Acura introduces another rebate, ($5000.00 when we purchased our 00) on the 02, I will be the first
    in line at Northeast Acura to purchase another. I quess you can tell I love the RL.
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