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Lexus ES 300/ES 330
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Comments
Buying out of state is an option, but it has some downsides like getting to and from the dealer to pickup the car, etc. Some out of town dealers will pick up and deliver or meet you half way.
Time for Lexus to step into the new electronic/Satellite age! Anyone have any info??
I doubt anything they apply will harm your car but I also know it won't "protect" your car as they say it will. The exterior application is essentially a wax applied to your car!!
Thanks
When starting it up the exhaust is noisy. However, with less than five minutes driving the noise dies down.
My local all-makes repair shop claims it is a hole in the exhaust manifold and wants to replace it. To me (always looking for a cheap way out) the fact that the noise ceases within a few minutes sounds like metal has expanded.
Has anyone any tips or any experience of this? The part they want to replace is the cast part that connects directly onto the engine.
During the service departments weekly teleconference with regional tech people in Atlanta, it was determined that the seat was creaking because of alignment pins that are used to locate the seat properly during assembly. The alignment pins can be easily removed, which took less than ten minutes, and the creaking problem was illuminated. If only the transmission problem could be fixed that easily.
I believe some professional tester uses sound meter to measure the dB. Maybe rating is from that dB number, which should be proportional to human's hearing...
BTW, jiamin, that knob adjusts how loud the beep sounds when key locks/unlocks the car. RX does not have that? I also drove RX330 as a loaner b4 and I think RX is much more noisy than ES. Just the engine noise along does it. RX300 was quieter than RX330 but still not as quiet as ES300. ES330 has a bigger engine but I doubt it's much more noisy than ES300.
I think the more accurate way for me to describe 04 ES330 vs 00 RX300 is: at low speed when I step on accelerator, RX300 is noticeably louder, maybe from its exhaust system; when coasting, RX is nearly the same as ES. When at highway high speed that wind noise increases, RX and ES are about the same, I can hardly hear engine sound from either. One time I was on highway I-5 from LA back to Bay Area. I passed many cars at just over 100 MPH (will never do that) for like 20 seconds. The overall noise seemd to have stopped increasing at some MPH. A very well designed car considering its size vs ES.
Again no doubt ES is quieter overall, but not like 9 point vs 6 point scale. My 02 QX4 is definitely noisier at any speed, accelerating or coasting.
Test drove RX330 months ago and only remember its noise level is not as low as some magazines said. Maybe due to its larger wheel/less rubber.
thanks.
My uncle has a 95 ES300 which I get tires for. Some recommendations if you want longer treadlife, a quieter ride, better traction and cheaper tires are:
Falken ZE Ziex 512 in H-rated. Just got them and personally they go well with the cars character. Being that it is H-rated, you will probably loose some ultimate handling capability, but they are very good in the rain, and have a 60K warranty. They are also very quiet and smooth riding.
Another choice would the Yokohama Avid H4S/V4S tires. These also have a 60 or 65K treadwear warranty. I had the previous version of these the H4, and they are very quiet and smooth riding and good in inclement weather.
The biggest advantage to these 2 tires are price, I got the Falken's at Sears in NJ for $68/tire so your size shouldn't be too much more.
The Yokohama's are around the same price, and both are alot cheaper and, IMO, better tires than the MXV4's, which will run you over $110/tire.
Another tire that is very well rated is the Bridgestone Turanza LS-H or LS-V tires. These come with a 50K warranty. You may want to check out the ratings from owners on Tirerack.com. Also, a couple of LS owners have these tires and are very happy with them. these generally run about $100-$110 a tire.
I'm looking for quiet tires with good handling. I might pass on the Falken since handling is very important to me.
I considered getting the Turanzas but found in older posts that they are actually noisier than the MXV4s. I'll read the reviews of the tires and make a decision then.
thanks again!
The Falken ZE Ziex 512's are made in a V-rated version also, which still has the 60K warranty I believe. Those will handle better than the H-rated tires. The H-rated tires handle pretty well to begin with, so I would think the V-rated will be a bit better.
You may also want to look into the Dunlop SP Sport 5000's. They are pretty good handlers with good wear and probably are as quiet as the MXV4s.
http://www.autointell.com/index.html
Lower profile tires usually last less. But I believe the 17" tires on the ES330 are still V-rated tires(16" are also V-rated).
The notice though is basically just to cover their [non-permissible content removed]*es. The tires should last more than 20K miles, but it all depends on driving style.
Thanks
I was thinking if the new ES 330's CD player can play those CD-R disks? (the ones that we burn from our computer) or not? It will be great if CD-R disks can be play in the new ES
B/c I heard some Japanese car's CD player don't support CD-R
My previous Camry beats this car hands down, and it was 10 years old. I won't buy another Lexus product until or unless this is fixed.
Also, the cupholders stink!
Suealbert
Go to this article to read about 8 year/80,000 mile warranty extension to correct rotten egg/sulfur odor due to catalytic converter probelm.
The following vehicles are covered:
2002-2003 Lexus ES 300s
2003-2004 Lexus GX 470s
2002 to 2004 Camrys
2003 and 2004 4Runners
2003-2004 Corollas
2004 RAV4s
2002-2004 Solaras
2004 Highlanders
2001-2004 Sequoias
2003-2004 Matrixes
After 4000 miles, I concur that the powertrain can be confused at low speeds (5-25/30 mph) when you press the accelerator after coasting for some time. This can result in a somewhat abrupt lurch forward. I am not sure whether this is necessarily a transmission problem or something related to the drive-by-wire programming.
OTOH, after only a few miles I had learned how not to evoke this response. (In a nutshell: Ease onto the accelerator after you've been coasting/braking, particularly while executing a "rolling stop.")
Other than this annoying but minor and easily circumvented problem, I can't find anything wrong with this transmission. And unlike my parents, I consider myself to be a demanding and perceptive driver. Shifts are reasonably quick and seamless, downshifts (albeit sometimes requiring a heavier-than-ideal throttle foot) and gear selection appropriate. At no time have I experienced anything that could be called dangerous.
It is certainly not as perfect as the tranny in the 7-series BMW I drove last week. I would also venture that the transmission does not quite match up to the polish of the rest of the ES330's mechanical components. But it is certainly within the acceptable range for modern cars in its class.
In summary, I don't regret advising my folks to purchase this car. IMO, it is the class of the near-luxury field (as long as you are not inclined to sporty driving) and the rest of the car more than makes up for what is a very minor powertrain issue.
At Toyota and Lexus dealers, and the Edmunds Town Hall website, owners frequently complain of hesitation and surging in 2004 models (Camry, Highlander, Sienna, ES330 and RX330). Yet, Toyota claims there is no defect, and no safety problem with the transaxle and drive by wire throttle/software system—this is “normal” performance because all their cars do it.
Based on the NHTSA database of 2004 owner reports:
• There are 13 reports of accidents with property damage, personal injury and one death related to the transmission/throttle system. (7 times the equivalent Ford and Honda accident rate!).
• Owners of V6 models (Sienna, ES330 and RX330) are 15 times more likely than Ford and Honda owners to file a hesitation/surging complaint—Could it be because a) they have more problems b) Toyota refuses to acknowledge (or fix) the problem and c) it’s NHTSA’s job to step in when a manufacturer won’t voluntarily correct their safety defects?
• The majority of V6 Toyota owners filing a hesitation/surging complaint state the car is unsafe. (Of the significantly fewer transmission complaints from Ford and Honda owners, none reported it as a safety hazard!)
Toyota's profit was $10.24 BILLION in fy2003, more than GM, Ford, and Daimler-Chrysler combined! Toyota/Lexus is charging (and we are paying) way too much for their diminishing quality