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Lexus ES 350

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Comments

  • amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    This probably is condensation from the climate control.
    Very normal. :D
  • richard43richard43 Member Posts: 23
    the pictures i took were at cerritos
    about a month ago. so hard telling what
    they have now.

    car is more navy blue in the sunlight and
    more black when overcast. when i took the
    pictures it was slightly overcast - no
    direct sun. i've never seen it in direct
    sunlight as in so. calif it was overcast for
    weeks. i ordered the car in this color with
    light grey interior and is due in early october.
  • amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    I saw my car on May 4th. and bought it immediately. Picked it up May 5th...all registration, insurance transfers and what all were done by the dealer. It's a good thing I made this quick decision because it was the only ES350 UL that the dealer has ever received. Most all ES350's delivered to them was the non UL versions. I was told that to order a UL edition now, there is between a 3 to 4 month wait. He also told me that to get an Amber Pearl UL edition was very rare. I guess I was very lucky. This is my best ES so far. I previously owned a '91 ES250, '94 ES300, and a '03 ES300. :D
  • cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    I live in a dry, desert-canyon area and park my car in a garage. I love the black and am willing to commit (at least for now) to washing it on a regular basis. We will see how long that commitment lasts. :)

    I was also told that black shows every little fine scratch and scuff.... is this true? If this is the case, that is going to drive me crazy and I am going to be a psycho-witch about people around my car.

    I have a sand color now (kind of like the Golden Almond) that I am able to get away with not washing for long periods of time and it still looks good. The color barely shows the few fine scratches I have on top of my trunk from putting my purse down. Opps. :blush:

    I still have to see the Smokey Granite in person. Maybe you are right robynl, it would be easier for me to maintain concerning my history with light color cars. The dark colors seem to appear more prestigious but the white is still a contender.

    Hey, I am making progress. I have narrowed it down from 10 colors to 3. Black, White and Smokey Granite.
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    It appears to be true, cablondeblue. As I
    had mentioned before, my 2002 Maxima is
    the majestic blue color (dark blue.) This
    has been the most negative experience I have
    had with this car. Every scratch, scuff,
    ding, dent, paint chips, whatever else one
    can think of shows up on the dark colors.
    I'm trying to stick to my guns and getting
    a light colored car on my next purchase,
    even though a color like the smokey granite
    keeps beckoning to me. I also like the
    2006 Acura TL in the black. When they're
    clean, they look so, so sharp!
    Oh, well. I must be strong! No more dark
    colors!
  • kumar2kumar2 Member Posts: 12
    thanks a lot for the reply on the water condensation......i was curious becoz I have never seen it on any of my other cars
  • rocketdanrocketdan Member Posts: 28
    Cablondeblue,
    In the mid 80s I bought a black car because it looked so great sitting there clean at the dealers. I soon regretted it. Not only did it show dirt, but every little scratch. There was no recovery after just 6 months of normal wear. But even worse than that, I always lived in hot places -Phoenix, Ventura CA, and Tampa FL. The dark cars do get much hotter than light cars. I've been driving a white/tan Avalon for the last nine years and just went and ordered a white/tan (cashmere!) ES this week. I looked very hard to find something different but came back to the white for the same reasons I did last time.
    BTW, the heat is one reason I didn't go for a UL package, although I would have loved to get the ML stereo. I couldn't take the glass roof.
    I see you have been agonizing over the color. Good luck. But I'd advise against the black.
  • psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    ***BTW, the heat is one reason I didn't go for a UL package, although I would have loved to get the ML stereo. I couldn't take the glass roof.***

    Interesting.

    Do you think the glass roof generates more cabin heat than the metal roof?

    I would doubt it. The "glass" that they use has all kinds of fancy UV and polarizing filters built into it and doesn't "pass thru" virtually any heat from the sun. The metal roof on the lesser ES' are notorious heat conductors, however.

    Hmmm. :confuse:

    'Inquiring minds want to know.'
  • cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    Thank you, Rocketdan and Maximafan, for your honest opinions and advice. It is not what I want to hear but I know it is true. Black is going to be a challenge for me to keep dusted, washed and scratch free. :cry: Why does it have to look so damn good in that showroom? Why does it have to scream out "You have arrived" and look so classy, but be so hard to maintain? I promised myself I would keep it spotless, but who am I fooling? LOL Even if I did, it is the visible scratches that is the clincher. That is unavoidable.

    BTW, Beverly Hills gave me the best quote (in writing) out of 5 dealerships. Of course, when I told my guy at Valencia that, he said he will beat any quote I have. We will see.
  • rocketdanrocketdan Member Posts: 28
    Interesting, indeed....

    I haven't really been able to find much on the materials or properties of the glass roofs becoming more popular in cars. However, I do believe most manufacturers of sandwiched glass products with UV protection only list about a 40% reduction in heat build up compared to regular untinted glass, even with 99% UV reduction. But, since neither of us probably has any good data here, it would seem we need to turn to forum members for an experiment :)(Alas, I can not participate since my ES is still on order.)

    A first experiment would require two cars, one white and one dark, to be parked side-by-side in the sun and have the internal temperatures monitored. My guess is the dark metal gets hotter. Next, a measure of a metal-roofed version side by side with a Panorama roof. My guess is that a white car/metal roof stays cooler than a Panorama roof. But only the experiment will tell for sure.

    Let's see...you have a nice Ruby, right? That'll do for the dark color!

    Does anybody have a source of reliable info on this roof's materials, safety, or heat transmission?
  • psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    I'd be happy to participate.

    It would be fun.

    Anyone else from the NY/LI area with a non panoramic sunroof up for an experiment?

    I should add that my ruby red has a black interior so, in the interest of consistency and validity, the "competition" should also have a black interior.
  • carrelman2carrelman2 Member Posts: 80
    Last week I called Lexus customer service inquiring when the "factory" body side moldings would be available.Today June 19th I received a call fron Lexus saying they now can be ordered. (Just in passing,I spoke to a salesman from a dealer last week who told me that at his dealership they have been putting them on all along. I asked "FACTORY" he said YES. What BS, I guess He lies to all his customers.
  • amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    I definitely gave this Body Side Moldings option a resounding NO, after I got the price to have it installed by a Lexus Dealer. Would you believe, $699.00 plus tax!!!
    Then after thinking about this modification I determined that I really like the slab sides of the doors without those strips to break it up. Body side moldings are really commonplace on just about every car manufactured today, so without it, it makes the ES350 very unusual...and these skinny lil moldings afford very little added protection anyway.
  • petlpetl Member Posts: 610
    Actually, it's becomming more common to see vehicles without side moldings. Most newly designed models do not have them. And, some cars that still have them are situated so low they wouldn't give the vehicle any protection at all. (You would need to have 2 sets of moldings on the Accord to get any protection against a similarly sized vehicle.) Moldings won't offer much protection when parked beside a truck or SUV (they are still very popular). At least without them, the option is there for the consumer to place moldings where they wish to have them. With the different size of vehicles on the road today it has become virtually impossible to protect against dings.

    I would also like to see moldings on vehicles. However, it appears that factory installed moldings will soon be a thing of the past (if the current trend continues). There are just too many different sized vehicles for moldings to be effective. I also believe that design and cut-backs are reasons why they are no longer on newer vehicles.
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    I also just started noticing this in the past
    couple of days. The newer cars have no
    bodyside molding whatsoever. My 2002 Maxima
    has it, but it still didn't save it from
    getting a nasty door ding on the driver's side
    about five inches above the molding. :cry:
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    On the subject of ES colors, cablondeblue,
    I saw a Golden Almond Metallic 2007 ES parked
    in someone's driveway near where I live. It
    had fairly dark tinted windows and it also
    had the "gold emblems" on it. I must say, it
    looked very nice. I like to picture some of
    these color choices, in my mind, with tinted
    windows(as dark as legally allowed) mostly
    due to the hot summers in Tampa and also
    because I think most cars, if not all, look
    better with tinted windows. I've seen the
    Crystal White ES with tints and a Smokey
    Granite also. They look really sharp!
  • cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    Tinted windows are a must, Maximafan. It really makes a different in how the car looks and keeps the interior a lot cooler. Every car I have owned has had dark tinted windows. I always get one degree darker than legal (aftermarket). Never been busted for it. ;)

    Without tint, I feel like I am in a fish bowl and everyone is looking at me. :surprise:

    I have pictured all these colors with tinted windows. Think of the contrast of dark tinted windows on the Crystal White. Oh Yeah!

    I am still being stubborn about that black, though. I don't care if it is hard to keep clean and looks all scratched up after 6 months. LOL It is still repeatedly calling my name and luring me in. I have to be strong and somehow resist the dark side.
  • ljk1000ljk1000 Member Posts: 10
    I went through all the same stuff you're going through, and I held strong and stayed away from black and got the smoky granite. Now, all I see on the road are dark gray cars, just like mine.

    I am remorseful now. I wish I had that beautiful black, or the blue onyx, which looked black enough. I've been trying to figure out how I can exchange cars, but can't come up with any ideas. Maybe I'd feel better with the windows tinted.

    I say go with the dark.
  • austincharlesaustincharles Member Posts: 10
    If you have a dark color car then get yourself some Zaino products. About three hours every six month and a wash every week or two will give you year round protection with the look of glass.

    I have always had dark colors and these steps kept my cars looking great.

    I do wipe them dry after a rain to keep the water spots away. But a black car is pure class. They are not hard to keep looking good with a LITTLE effort.
  • seaweedseaweed Member Posts: 5
    I had wind noise on the drivers side aver 40 MPH. The dealer kept the car for a week performing extensive test to determine the source. They concluded it was the window to door rubber seal. They removed the seal and placed in some shims to make a tighter fit. This solved the problem.
  • et01et01 Member Posts: 5
    I've read a few people's postings (Yahoo Auto, Clublexus) that the transmission in thir brand new ES350 failed somewhere between 250 to 1000 miles. In most cases, they were offered another brand new ES350 replacement by the dealer.

    I have been considering getting a ES350 in July and this is a big concern for me. I like to hear you expereiences and comments.
  • tnfantnfan Member Posts: 18
    3500 miles and no transmission problems. From reading the boards it seems to be a very small number that have had problems.
  • cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    Does that Zaino product really work? That could be the solution to my dilemma. But does it help hide the appearance of fine scratches?

    Both of you are not making it easy for my to resist the black, as oppose to other people saying "Don't do it, I will regret it." I have never had a black car before so I can only rely on all of your opinions.

    Psychdoc and Rocketdan, have you conducted that dark color vs. light color heat conductor test for me yet? :D
  • carrelman2carrelman2 Member Posts: 80
    A few weeks ago I was talking to a salesman at a Lexus dealer about body side molding and he said no problem, the charge would be $900. Not even a Lexus part as they just became available yesterday. This is just a way for the dealers and salesmen to rip us off. Before I hung up I asked him what he was smoking. I would say the best way would be go to a local body repair shop have them get the moldings from Lexus and install them
  • shop4mywifeshop4mywife Member Posts: 36
    We have a black car in our garage - not a Lexus, but it's black! It's hard to keep it shine; that's all I have to say about the color. Maybe I haven't been committed myself to washing it every week; there must be better way to enjoy my weekends than doing car washes. :(
  • tdohtdoh Member Posts: 298
    Yes, black will show every surface imperfection more readily than other colors; I know--I own a black Yukon XL Denali and trust me...unless you properly/correctly know how to wash a vehicle, even a washed/clean black vehicle will still show swirls/fine scratches. And if you're one of those OCD types who would go bonkers over seeing swirls on your vehicle, you'll need to do a proper wax/sealant job too--and I'm not talking about taking the car to one of those automated touchless car wash facilities where they spray on their supposedly-superior wax/sealant stuff.

    Sometimes I wish I had not gotten my Denali in black; you can only imagine how long it would take for me to wash such a large vehicle, claybar it, buff out any existing swirls (made a bit easier by using an orbital buffer), apply a few coats of wax, then apply a few coats of sealant/polish to seal the deal (no pun intended) in order to get my black vehicle swirl/scratch-free. ;)
  • dreyfusdreyfus Member Posts: 24
    My dealer quoted me $299 installed for factory body side moldings.

    $300, $700, $900, these are huge differences in price quoted by different dealers. Something smells bad.
  • tdohtdoh Member Posts: 298
    I've not personally used Zaino products but from what I've read elsewhere, I've yet to hear one negative about them...as long as you apply the product correctly--which BTW you will need to apply multiple coats of wax and polish in order to get the best results. Still willing to go w/ black? ;)

    The following may be TMI (too much info) but...to truly minimize or cover up existing fine scratches and/or swirls, you really need to buff them out first; just covering them up w/ wax/sealant/polish only masks them...until the wax/sealant eventually wears off--and even then, more than a few wax products don't really do a great job of "covering up" those swirls/fine scratches.
  • cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    For God Sakes, a black car seems to be more high-maintenance than myself. LOL Just Kidding. Anything else it would require.....a warm blankie at night? No, that would probably scratch it.

    Of course, if I did decide to go black, I would have someone apply the wax/sealant and buff it out for me. How often does this crap have to be done? LOL And can I take it to a regular car wash with mechanical brushes and towel dry or does it have to be hand washed too? Wait, let me guess.....

    I hate when it doesn't come easy to get what I want. :cry:
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
    All you ever wanted to know about Zaino and never dreamed to ask: Zaino Car Polishes/Products. :)

    Mechanical brushes generally will scratch your car, no matter what color it is. Towels can do the same if they are polyester or if they have grit trapped in them.

    Personally, I use the touchless automatic washes and am quite pleased with them, but there are people who will tell you not to do that as well. ;)

    My two cents - I would never own a black car. No matter how careful you are with how you treat it, you can always get bombed by a bird, scratched in a parking lot, have to drive through a muddy or dusty road, get trapped behind a dump truck whose load is not well covered -- all of these things are a lot more consequential for a dark colored car than for a lighter one. These things are mostly unavoidable.

    But when a black (or any dark color, really) car is clean and shiny and perfect, it sure is beautiful, no doubt about that! I understand your dilemma.
  • austincharlesaustincharles Member Posts: 10
    Zaino works real well and is no harder to apply than most other wax/polishes, and alot easier than any paste or white residue waxes.

    A black car can be harder to keep up if you let it slide for to long. But to wash a new vehicle once every other week is not that much trouble. When said it is important to wash and dry correctly that is true. You have to take your time and not smear or leave any water on after the wash or you will have to start over.

    The Zaino will take me about 4 hours on my 250 diesel and about 3 on the BMW. That is claying,Z5,Z6,Z2,Z6,Z2,Z6,Z2,Z6,Z8.

    Less is better, and it wipes right on and right off. It IS that easy. It will leave you with a wet look that looks right off the showroom floor.

    The claying seems to frighten alot of people. But all you do is spray some lubricant (Z7) and slide the clay over your paint unitl you feel no more resistance and the paint feels smooth. Does not take no time to do a car.

    But if you hate to wash your car and just let it go like my wife does if i don't keep it clean than NO a black car is not for you.

    Most people don't even care for a showroom shine with no defects, they just want a clean car with no swirls. Zaino will keep that from happening with about 3 hours twice a year and a wash every other week.

    good luck black is classy though
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    I don't have the time to do that stuff either.
    Also, even if I tried, I'm not sure I could
    do it right anyway. I've taken my car to my
    local car wash two or three times a year for
    the real wax jobs. (The car gets washed every
    week, if not every other week, except during
    summer, due to afternoon rainshowers that pop
    up in the Tampa Bay area) Unfortunately,
    there's different types of waxes that they do
    at my local carwash and they're at different
    prices. I thought I had them do the most
    expensive one, which is the two-step process
    type that's supposed to take out minor
    scratches and swirls, but I've been very
    disappointed so far. It seems like every
    day I discover a new scratch or scuff.
    Stay away from dark cars! Unless you don't
    mind waxing it about every other week!
  • bhammanbhamman Member Posts: 7
    What about these paint protection packages that lexus offers for $$$$$. Are they worth the price to help protect your investment?
  • austincharlesaustincharles Member Posts: 10
    I think that you should find yourself a better car wash, and a outfit who uses better products. Taking the highest price is foolish thinking. If you have your car detailed three times a year and it gets washed every other week and it still looks like that then that should tell you something. They don't know how to detail or they just don't care and they are taking your money.

    I looked at a few black cars around here that I think have never been detailed and they look better than how you explain yours. They were washed and at a quick glance i didn't see any swirl marks.

    One good quality detail will take out almost all swirl marks and if they use good products then a proper wash and dry will keep it looking good. If you want better then wash and wax more.

    But a detail three times a year,a wash a week and you still have swirls then something is wrong. I would find another detailer. Maybe you could find a paint shop to detail your car because the car wash kids are not cutting it. Hell most that i've seen are high school kids and the older people who work their, well how do i say this, are not the brightest. From what i have seen i would not want them touching my car.

    Also you might want tyo try a "brushless" car wash. From what I hear they seem to be a little easier on your car.

    But i don't seem to have near the trouble you are having with a dark color. I have to say that it could be the products. The most trouble I have is keeping the break dust off the BMW rims :sick: But with Zaino that too washes right off. I just then can't bring myself to just wash the rims. So i end up washing the whole car once a week.

    good luck
  • wintermelonwintermelon Member Posts: 18
    I have asked several dealers around my area (Bay Area on the West) for my color combinations, and I was told that they do not see this car available on the whole west coast!
    Does this mean that I must place a special order and wait for months or should I check other dealers. IF so, what is the best way to learn if this car is available from other dealers and is it a good idea to ship between states. I am thinking that it's very costly? I was looking for White w/ Black or Ruby w/ Black.
  • philo82philo82 Member Posts: 10
    I'd like people's opinion on whether it's worth waiting for this option to become available (I was also told by a salesman that it is a special order item, and that it would take 3 months).

    Does this option provide enhance your safety significantly, given its price ($1800 invoice/$2250 MSRP)?

    Thanks!
  • amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    This was the only option that wasn't included on my ES350. I also was told the same thing about this being a special order item. After thinking about this for awhile, I decided that when you're driving on a highway with the cruise control turned on, you have to have your full concentration on driving and not to use some sort of electronic device to determine when to slow the car down.
    I think you get the picture. :D
  • philo82philo82 Member Posts: 10
    Thanks for the feedback, amfl932. It is greatly appreciated. I was also leaning towards your point of view.
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    It's not the swirls that I see on my car.
    It's the paint chips, especially on the
    front bumper and front part of the hood.
    And then there's various scratches probably
    about two inches in length in different
    spots on the car. Actually, if you were
    to look at my car, oh, say, standing 20 to
    25 feet away from it, it looks shiny and in
    good shape. It's when I'm right up on it,
    especially at the front of the car that I
    get really concerned. This is a leased car,
    so I may have to try to get some feedback
    from the Nissan dealer when I get ready to
    turn it back in to see if they'll try to
    charge me extra for some of these things.

    Hopefully, it wouldn't cost me anything but
    my security deposit. Hopefully, maybe
    nothing. If not, then I'll probably get an
    estimate to fix up some of the dings and
    to do some touching up and go that route if
    it ends up costing me less.
  • cleblanccleblanc Member Posts: 45
    I wouldn't worry too much. That sounds like normal wear and tear. I just returned to Nissan a 2003 Murano 4 months early. I was about to start exceeding my miles. I did do some touch up painting on some chips and made sure the car was as clean as possible. You have to do an inspection prior to turning it in. When you call Nissan they will set it up. The whole process went very smoothly. I was worried too about some scratches I had everywhere but it all worked out great. Good luck.
  • psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    I was looking for White w/ Black or Ruby w/ Black.

    I got the ruby with black (UL) and it's gorgeous.

    Best of luck in your search!
  • psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    "Dynamic Radar?"

    Hell, I can't remember the last time I ever used any cruise control in any car I've ever owned.

    Frankly if they deleted any cruise control, I'd never miss it (and believe me, I'm a gadget freak!).
  • wintermelonwintermelon Member Posts: 18
    Thanks for your reply, psyhdoc. Can you tell me if yours was a special order or did you just happen to see it on the lot and picked it up?
  • psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    ***Can you tell me if yours was a special order or did you just happen to see it on the lot and picked it up?***

    Actually I originally ordered the moon shell mica based on the color swatches in the brochure. The salesman actually had one allocated for me. So I went around to dealerships to see it "in the flesh" and (thankfully!) found one over at the Massepequa dealership. It was simply unspeakably awful and I decided on the spot that I wouldn't be caught dead riding in that 'Maty Kay reject' color. I called my salesman in a panic and told him that that color was simply off the boards and that, if need be, I'd wait patiently for a UL car in any of four colors with any interior. They were ruby red, the darker brown, black and smokey granite. This was on a Sat. He called me that Mon. and told me that he was able to allocate me a red/black UL that (as luck would have it!) was on the same shipment as the god-awful moon shell mica. As this was really my first choice, I was ecstatic! Two weeks later I picked up my car and I've been in heaven ever since!

    Like I said, best of luck in your search.
  • shop4mywifeshop4mywife Member Posts: 36
    The Lexus of Merrilville has a Ruby with Black interior in Premium plus package.

    Give it a try! Good luck.
  • wintermelonwintermelon Member Posts: 18
    Thanks, psychdoc and Shop4mywife!
    Now that I can be certain that the color combination DOES exist in regular production, I can be a little patient and see if I can catch one nearby (even southern cal). I just checked the MerrillVile Lexus site but unfortunately it's a bit far from me in IN. It's just hard to believe that there isn't ONE single car like that on the whole West region. I hope there isn't any geographic factor when it comes to inventory distribution.
  • cyclopsstancyclopsstan Member Posts: 24
    I have a ruby and I know that my dealer told me that 7% of the cars will be built in that color. With the highest %'s in white, black, tungsten & granite (of course.) The rarest will be aqua as its only available by special order.
  • tdohtdoh Member Posts: 298
    And to add to that--your typical swirl mark and fine scratches are created due to dirt/dust particles being "ground" into the clearcoat surface during washing/wiping/drying...or heaven forbid, into the paint itself if the clearcoat has worn away. The "proper" way to get rid of (note I did not say "cover up") these swirls is to use a orbital buffer and grind away just enough of the clearcoat using a fine cutting compound (e.g., 3M swirl remover compound). By doing it this way, you're basically smoothing out/down the clearcoat surface so that it's smooth again--sorta like wet-sanding.

    Also--just waxing the vehicle is not sufficient; w/o applying a sealant over it, the elements (sun, rain, etc.) will cause the wax to eventually wear off in no time.
  • paco0322paco0322 Member Posts: 10
    I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one having difficulty choosing between the lighter or darker colors. Can those of you who have the charcoal or the ruby let me know how easy it is to keep clean and looking nice?

    With respect to cablondeblue, I'd prefer not to have to wash my car every week - or more :-)
  • cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    :P

    I am still deciding. Glad you asked that question about the Ruby and Smokey Granite though. I was wonder the same.
This discussion has been closed.

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