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Lexus ES 300/ES 330
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Comments
Got my black garnet yesterday with all options excluding AVS-what a treat-the car is quiet and super smooth-I love the instrument cluster-the NAV is very good-Surprisingly I had thought the ML will be a disappointment--it wasn't--quite good
The car also seems pretty quick (well, okay not the quickest:) but it wasn't slow either--
Only complaints so far--my windows fog very quickly (more than my previous ES) and I had to learn how to caliberate the compass
I still can't get the universal homelink work on my garage door--don't know how to do it--the manual procedure doesn't work--any suggestions
Beautiful car
Gold package looks like on this color
Seats are A+ --very cushy and cozy--only problem is getting out of the car to go into the office building!
If that is the case then super
The only problem no is my wife wants to drive it to work and so do I --and that is a problem:)
More as I drive it--completed 100 miles--like the trip computer a lot
Regarding ML--I am an average listener so I guess my demands are few and I am satisfied with it.
People give lot of curious looks: two problems--I am experiencing some tailgating--the person behind me stops the car too close to mine to observe it :-(
and yesterday a BMW 325 pumped the pedal and dangerously overtook me just to prove that he was superior--Interesting because ES ha smore power and torque than a 325--I ofcourse ignored him like a true cautious Lexus owner
So my advice to the folks here is--people will admire your new car--don't give in to their challenges though--not safe at all
It depends on where you live. If you live in a area which gets no snow, you most probably will get the summer tires. People living in wintery climates get all-season tires.
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pl. see kbb.com and it lists all season tires as a requirement for chrome wheel
oil filter is easy to change--I always have the dealer do it as part of service
Mileage is too early to tell-have not refilled it even once--but I am expecting avg 25 with 60% highway and 40% city
Enjoy your new ES300.
Where did you get $2,800 under sticker? Is the car loaded? I assume you're not ordering it from the factory, if you expect delivery in a week.
Mine's not anywhere near fully loaded (no nav, no levinson, no vsc, etc.). I could've got the one off the lot, but I opted for the one coming in next week that'll still be wrapped in plastic when i get it.
Dealer claimed the NAV will play a DVD in the disc changer. Does anyone know if you can??? We keep getting a GPS map type message when we attempt this.
@80 MPH plus I hear a little wind noise around the drivers
side B pillar. Should I complain to dealer?? The car is so eerily quiet, a noise like this seems out of place.
Color is a little dark for Vegas dust but is beautiful when polished. NAV is a cool toy. ML could thump a little more and be louder but I think it sounds crisp.
Tried to push wife into CL type S(GREAT LEASE RATE!!) but she complained that the high bolsters were uncomfortable. The Lexus was way smoother/quieter but the Accura flat hauled. After driving a Cobra for 4 years I guess she wanted to be pampered!!I then tried to push her into the GS430 but she didn't like the styling!!!
The main attraction to the wife was the SC430 style front end. Does anyone else see this???
It was tough to buy a car with no major incentives but the ES did get to the wife like no other car I've seen in our near 19 years of marriage.
Wish list??? MORE HORSEPOWER and rear wheel drive.
_Rainsensing wipers do not start till rain hits really hard--so small droplets dont trigger it making me nervous sometimes
--rear sunshade goes down when in reverse but doesnt come back when shifted back in drive
otherwise just wonderful
Thanks. Bill
And yes, JM sells more new Lexuses than any other dealer.
Anyway, besides this problem, the car is wonderful. There are FEW ES 300 at the four Washington DC area dealers (two in VA, two in MD). We bought ours at Pohanka Lexus in Chantilly, VA...they had one unsold ES 300 in thier showroom, all others coming in are mostly sold. We were lucky since the airline crash in NY did not delay our car getting to the dealer--boat docked in Newark, NJ. Salesperson said there would be delays with other cars coming in...
We only we able to get about $850 off sticker...At the other northern VA dealer, it was even less..only a couple hundred dollars...
How many people have the cargo net listed on their window sticker? Although you can easily buy it at the dealer for about $30, it seems some cars are having the net installed at their US port (and added to the window sticker) and others are not. Just curious.
I think summer tires would be better than all-season tires for Los Angeles, being that LA has spring-like weather for a good majority of the year with the only adverse weather condition being some rain every now and then during the winter and spring months.
I'm not sure how the summer and all-season tires compare in terms of brand and quality though. Maybe somebody else can answer that.
Just passed the 2,800 mile report. Used the ZAINO polish on my black beauty, and am glad one of the folks on the list recommended it. Gives a deep, wet-look finish.
I put the GS300 chrome wheels on it last week; cost about $900. Well worth it. The dealer has tinkered with a few new ESs by putting chromes from the '01 ES on them; I love the way these angular wheels look on the '01, but on the '02 they leave me cold.
Of course, all of us who own one believe ours is the slickest one in town, but mine really is! With black paint, dark tinted windows and classy chromies, it is my little stealth fighter. I'll Email you a photo if you send me a note to Robert@BassLawFirm.com.
RANDOM MUSINGS: I'm getting a bit of wind noise at 70-80 mph, but maybe I'm too sensitive; the car is otherwise quite cocoon-like.
Visibility out the rear quarters isn't the greatest. I feel like I really have to crank the neck around to make sure I don't turn into someone when making a lane change, esp. at night. Partly my own fault for dark-tinting the rear windows, but hey, this is Scottsdale, where you can fry an egg on your dash after being parked in the sun for an hour in August.
The auto-trunk opening button on the key is balky; doesn't always open the trunk when I want it to. Is there a special place to aim the beam?
The trans is still a little timid and tentative in deciding which gear to pick when you accelerate from low speed. Factory, hear this: is this a software issue?
Every passenger to date has raved about the comfort and roominess in the back.
Still a very happy camper after 6 weeks, but I'm putting too many miles on it. Sure glad I own it outright; a lease would kill me with the amount of driving I do.
Even if you can't hondle a discount, don't worry, this car gives you more than adequate style, comfort, room, distinctiveness, performance, ambience, panache and elegance for your buck.
So bite the bullet; Go write the check and drive it home. You and your friends will marvel at the car. Don't forget the HID lamps and the wood steering wheel. You'll feel like a million bucks driving it. How can you go wrong?
Cordially,
RNBESQUIRE
Scottsdale, AZ
INKY
I can't find my owner's manual right now, so if anyone knows how to reset the wipers, plese let me know. ('96 ES300).
Thanks,
Dave
Dave
Lexus had fewer than half the problems of an average car.
The study measures the durability of four and five year old cars and trucks. An average 1997 car had 3.82 problems vs. 1997 Lexus models' 1.73.
The LS 400 and LX 450 were #1 in their respective categories, while the SC 300/400 and ES 300 were in the top three.
I'm interested in getting one, but do not want to pay MSRP.
Dave
Craig