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Lexus ES 300/ES 330
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Comments
Thanks
The SC is the only Lexus coupe, but the tiny back seat and high price removes it from consideration.
The styling of the ES330 is so frumpy and the IS is so cramped, 90's-looking and un-Lexus-like.
I imagine Lexus will update the styling of the ES330 for the 2006 model year, but there is only so much improvement you can expect from new head and tail lights.
A sexily-styled Lexus coupe in the same price range as the ES330 should be a hit.
There will not be any coupe based on the ES. A FWD coupe in this price range would be particularly bad since most buying a coupe would want a RWD performance car (notice the FWD Acura CL was dropped because of poor sales after only three years).
Your opinion of the ES looking frumpy is interesting. I happen to love the look of the ES. Many friends who have the last ES tell me how much more upscale and substantial my car looks compared to the last one. I guess to each his own.
As for the coupe, there WILL be an IS coupe when the car is redesigned about one year from now (as well as a convertible I believe). This, too, has been confirmed by Lexus. You should wait a year as this may be the car you're looking for.
The ones buying for performance, would get the IS coupe or a G35 coupe and those looking for a Mercedes coupe alternative would get an SC.
I think the current ES330 looks like it was designed for an older driver (like people who cross shopped the car with Toyota Avalons rather than BMWs and Acuras) than the previous 2001's. Maybe, you could call it "upscale," but it has zero sportiness to it. On the other hand, the IS300 is too sporty, unrefined and "Toyota-like" for being a Lexus.
The Lexus GS blends sportiness and luxury well sort of the way BMW and Acura do, but it is in a different price class than the ES.
Oh well, if they have already decided against a coupe too bad.
Maybe the new IS sedan and coupe will be a better compromise between, sportiness, style and the expected Lexus-level of comfort than the current IS and remain in the current price range. If so, that should take care of it.
If somebody is that concerned about door chips they just seem to be more careful when they open their door. Also, the guards can vibrate over time and chip off the paint by themselves. Plus, after a few months they cannot be removed without leaving a mark.
Not to mention the fact they are very unattractive.
Check them out at mats.com.
Also, I read somewhere that if you push one of the seat memory buttons twice, this will cause the driver's seat to move all the way back. Is this true?
Thx in advance...hope to be joining the ES ownership club soon!
As for mudguards, I can't find them. The dealer says that they're not available - which is a shame since the design of the wheel wells means that lots of mud ends up on the car. If anyone knows where to get them, I'd be interested.
Even Honda/Acura, which had the front mud guards standard for so many years, have moved away from them. Part of this is because a lot of Honda/Acura owners complained and also over time they may vibrate which leads to rust.
Also, I'm not sure what you mean when you say the design of the wheel well means mud winds up on the car. My ES's wheel wells are no different than any other car, and I have had no problems with mud and other debris sticking to the areas behind the wheels.
But, if you must have the mud guards best of luck in your search.
Ummm, I recall seeing the first CL in 1995 or 1996 when I lived in Virginia. Acura/Honda has offered the CL for a long time with few changes. That may be why it stopped selling. The Accord coupe was a better buy with cleaner styling.
fowler3
The CURRENT Acura CL was dropped after three years. The CL's history:
1/3/95 - Introduced as the concept CL-X
3/15/96 - On sale; billed as a near-luxury coupe
3/1/00 - After four years, redesigned model on sale; billed as a performance coupe
Spring 03 - Acura annnounces CL will be dropped at end of 2003 model year
The first CL lasted four years, a short time by car standards. The car's focus shifted from luxury to performance with the redesigned model. As I said, performance coupe buyers (especially for cars $30,000+) want RWD. That, combined with the fact the coupe market is not that big, is why the current CL was dropped after only a three-year run. Acura wanted to use the development dollars on bigger volume cars.
The I car price I am interested jumps upto around 32999 which comes to be 1600 over invoice before tax/tags and this is for Base +premium plus(as seen on Lexus.com)
what do you guys think.
However, I test drove an ES330 and the base radio will impress few. It sounds pretty mediocre at best. Maybe worse than the base stereo in the 2001 ES300.
If you care about sound quality enough to inquire about it, you will not be satisfied.
As for the sound quality, I'd have to disagree with s852. It's not a bad stereo at all. If you're a teenager playing your stereo at ear-busting levels, you'll be disappointed. If you're one of those audiophiles who pretends that he can hear the difference between $50 audio cables and $100 audio cables, you'll also be disappointed.
But for the average Lexus owner, it's a nice enough sound system. Not world class (that's why they offer the ML upgrade), but certainly a nice, pleasant stereo.
The problem is that you can't get ML along. To get it you then have to dough out $$$$ to get NAV also. That is stopping many people from getting ML. I just think that a base audio for a lexus should be better.
Maybe the ML will be standard in the updated 2005 ES330 since the 2004 Acura TL now has a great stereo system standard and the 2005 ES will be getting a mild facelift and probably some new standard features.
Thanks in advance if anybody knows anything.
Wife's 01 with the stock stereo sounds darn good to me. It has sharp highs and generous lows. I think the thing in the middle behind the back seat is a subwoofer (does the '03 have that?). What ever it is it can generate a clear bass able to vibrate the rear-view mirror (and my driver's seat). The sound is clear, sharp, and undistorted at all but the highest loudness levels. Suits me fine.
I drove an 02 over-night last year while we were having service (you can't beat that for a loaner car). While I didn't have time to give it a thorough test, I did slide in a CD. The stock stereo sounded good but not like the one in our '01. When we bought the '01 the sales manager (straight as an arrow with me throughout the process) told me there was no reason to buy the upgraded stereo as the stock one was just as good. I'm wondering, did Lexus bump the standard stereo down a notch to ecourage an upgrade?
I've been listening hard to my stock stereo. I wouldn't consider it a world beater, but it's adequate for the average Lexus owner. However, I think I want something with better highs and more solid bass. I'm thinking of upgrading the speakers.
Does anyone know where I can find the detailed specs on my system (04 ES330 stock stereo). It looks like a 6 1/2" in each door, subwoofer on the rear deck, and tweeters in the front door. Any information on the details would be appreciated.
Also, for L.A. locals, have you had any experience with the service dept at Longo in El Monte? thanks.
The stereo in my RX300 is FAR superior; in fact no comprison.
hk2la - I get a lunging sensation similar to what you described when stopped (e.g. at a traffic light) with the A/C on. It feels like I was bumped from behind by another car. It was attributed to the A/C compressor turning on and off.
According to reviews and specs on this site the '01 had a standard 195 watt system compared to the new version with an 86 watt stereo. Too bad considering you gotta cough up $6k to upgrade to the ML available only with the Navigation option.
Maybe the ML stereo will move to standard equipment next year at the refreshening of the model or they will add some kind of reduced price "Value Package" including the ML stereo to spark interest as the ES330 moves into its final few years of this body style.
I do agree that the price to upgrade the stereo along with Navi is a little steep. I'd like the better stereo, but I'm not really interested in the navi.
I'm also looking at the M45, and that radio stereo sounds much better to me. Any opinions?
The package breaks out like this:
Nav - $1,650
Premium Package (6-disc CD/outside mirror memory) - $570
ML - $900
Both of these options are in high demand and that is why they package them together. It may not be what everybody wants, but it's probably easier to have these cars equipped in as few ways as possible when shipping them here from Japan.
As an aside, it's interesting to note the price of the nav went down this year vs. 2003. It used to be $2,000 (now $1,650). The ML went down also as it used to be around $1,200.
I'd bet many buyers presume that even a base audio in a Lexus got to be decent enough, so why bother with all these additional options, only to realize later that gee, how come it sounds so.., so-so. But most would just have to live with it and focus the feels to the body, and eyes, and maybe soul, but just say sorry to the ears!
V-6 w/nav as a back-up option)
Did that mean, to the dealer, that the XM module could be retrofitted into an ES330 purchased now at some point in the not-to-distant future? I suggest you push them on this a bit, if you haven't already. XM should sound fantastic on the ML stereo.
Note to lehighlexus -- the 2004 Acura TL now offers XM standard -- to the extent Lexus/Toyota could at least state that it can be done on the ES330, with an approximate price, that would give me some comfort that I dont have to give up XM to get an ES330. Thanks
Either way, since I could care less about a Nav System I'm looking at $3k for a good sound system which is kinda stiff.
Well, you could easily spend that much on a comparable third party stereo - and it probably won't sound as good since the ML is tweaked for the car.
However, you might want to try out a nav system some time before making your decision. I had one on my old Acura and loved it. I wish I could have gotten one in my ES330 (but it would have put me over the budget my company allowed). They're very, very useful.
Of course, if you've lived in the same small town for 50 years and never leave town, it's probably no good to you. But we loved ours.
If you were that unhappy with the 2002 ES 300, why didn't you test drive the 2003 before agreeing to buy it? It seems a 5-minute test drive would have alerted you to an issue with the transmission if it was that bad. Same for the 2004, why not drive it first?
Again, I hope everything works out to your satisfaction. It's amazing Lexus kept giving you new cars.