Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!

Lexus ES 350

1293032343553

Comments

  • amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    The color of the car in the photo is 'Aquamarine Pearl'. It is a bluish color, not greenish.
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    When you look at the color swatch of this
    color in the Lexus brochure, it seems like
    an intriguing color, particularly with the
    sparkle in the paint like the Royal Ruby has.

    But I saw one of these on a lot in town, and
    without tinted windows on it, I was not as
    impressed. I think this may be one of those
    colors where it will look nice with tinted
    windows, like the above picture.
  • daredmandaredman Member Posts: 2
    We just traded our third Lexus a (1997 LS400) on our new ES350. We also had a new 1990 ES250 and a 1994 LS400. While our 97 LS400 was great from the time we got it until we traded it, the brakes squeaked every time we backed out of our garage or driveway. Then, when we drove forward the noise stopped. It only squeaked when you first went in reverse. Three Lexus dealers said not to worry; and, that this noise was a normal part of the (brake adjustment) process? With "everything" else we LOVE about our new ES350, we're extremely happy the brakes do NOT squeak when we back up! I'd go see your dealer about that noise.
  • mookie18mookie18 Member Posts: 15
    Here's how I hack the Nav on my RX350 : Nav Hack
  • thaisharkthaishark Member Posts: 19
    Mookie18, Is this a 1 time hack or must it be repeated each time you start? Also does anyone know if this is the same for the Es350? Has anyone tried it?
    Thanks! :)
  • forthillforthill Member Posts: 34
    Does anyone know what the minimum configuration would be for the ES? I.E. what will they build and/or sell to you.
    I imagine you can't just purchase the base car ($29,410) and would need one or more packages/options.

    I would want pretty much a bare-minimum auto so I'm thinking the base plus the Premium Package ($1098), which itself seems to need Blue Tooth ($240). Also, what do they charge for the various paint colors as they all seem to be metallic, except for maybe black.

    A local dealer said they are all coming in with lots of options/packages and if I wanted a 'bare' car (like above) I'd have to order it ("..which nobody does any more...").

    Thoughts?
    Thanks,
    forthill
  • richard43richard43 Member Posts: 23
    i ordered a car with only the PREMIUM package ( but added on the spoke wheels, parking assist, FULL spare tire, accessory package )

    DID have to order the bluetooth - unfortunately. your $240 for this is invoice price fyi.
  • forthillforthill Member Posts: 34
    Correct, all the prices I quoted are invoice, not MSRP. I'm going to 'try' to pay under MSRP for my car, actually I want to lease it but I want to get the best price before kicking in th eleasing numbers.
    Also, what about the option sof WL (wheel locks), GN (cargo net), and LM (trunk mat)? They are listed as 'NA' here in Edmunds so does that mean they normally come with the base car or would the dealer try and charge me for them?

    Thanks,
    forthill
  • shop4mywifeshop4mywife Member Posts: 36
    +++ all the prices I quoted are invoice, not MSRP. I'm going to 'try' to pay under MSRP for my car

    It's not difficult to get anything below MSRP these days. It's about being at the right time at the right dealership to get a deal closer to invoice.
  • cyclopsstancyclopsstan Member Posts: 24
    "Does anyone know what the minimum configuration would be for the ES? I.E. what will they build and/or sell to you.
    I imagine you can't just purchase the base car ($29,410) and would need one or more packages/options.

    I would want pretty much a bare-minimum auto so I'm thinking the base plus the Premium Package ($1098), which itself seems to need Blue Tooth ($240). Also, what do they charge for the various paint colors as they all seem to be metallic, except for maybe black."

    According to the GM @ my dealership they are not making any of the base model cars at all, as the production model that they have is geared for simplicity, thus the real base model is what they call the premium package. By region they offer little add-ons to this 'base' package like wheel locks, full-size spare, the rear airbags & the steering wheel (which is the package I got.) The 2nd level is the 'premium plus' which adds the next package on top of the previous package. As does the ultra lux package on top of the previous 2. And like the 1st package, by region they have add-ons available for a few hundred more. Thus they are only building 3 packages of cars. This is why they are able to offer the 350 at such a relatively low price.
    Another option might be to check out the top end Camry, the XLE V6 w/ the top package will run you almost $31,000 MSRP while the LE V6 w/ top package & no leather MSRPs around $26,600 and is a great value.
  • psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    ***I would want pretty much a bare-minimum auto so I'm thinking the base plus the Premium Package ($1098), which itself seems to need Blue Tooth ($240)***

    Why don't you just buy a Camry?
  • shop4mywifeshop4mywife Member Posts: 36
    Does anyone have a dealer installed Spoiler? Would you mind to share what you paid for (the Spoiler and labor)?
  • forthillforthill Member Posts: 34
    ***Why don't you just buy a Camry? ***

    Because I am leasing an ES330 with them now and can possibly waive 6 months off of that lease if I sta with Lexus and lease another ES with them. Why should I look elsewhere, unless the deals are not really deals?

    My current '04 ES has a premium package only (again pretty much what I call a base, bare-minimum car)

    forthill
  • drextremopsdrextremops Member Posts: 8
    The wheel locks, cargo net and trunk mat will come under the Preferred Accessory package. MSRP of that is $194. A lot of the ES came with that package already. When I purchased my ES through the weekend, all the 10 or so ES that they just received has it. Availability with the PM will be very short but you could always try.
  • mookie18mookie18 Member Posts: 15
    I have to do it everytime I start. I don't really mind it, my only complaint is doing the Hack after the RX has been sitting out in the sun all day. The Nav screen can be very hot and I need to press on the screen for 5-8 secs before I hear the beep.

    The RX350 comes with a Gen 5 Nav. Not sure what the ES350 has.
  • mmoss1mmoss1 Member Posts: 9
    who would you get to install this system in the 350?
  • cleblanccleblanc Member Posts: 45
    I actually ordered the VAIS SLI unit when they had a group buy a couple weeks ago. It should be arriving today. I am planning on having it installed either by a place in CT that is an authorized retailer of the VAIS units or there is a mobile Tweeter nearby that I asked them about. They said to bring the unit in so they can check it out to determine if they could do it and give me a price. I am hoping that whoever does the install can do the Nav hack at the same time. The unit does not have as much use without it since Lexus stupidly disabled the details screen while the car is in motion.
  • mmoss1mmoss1 Member Posts: 9
    Please let us know how this goes, and what you get accomplished.

    Thanks!
  • robynlrobynl Member Posts: 38
    Well, guess what I found out today?? As of a month ago they are no longer making Ruby with the UL package. My cousin lives in Atlanta and is in the auto industry. He spoke with internest sales manager at Nally and her field rep told her that they are no longer making the Ruby in the UL package. If you want it, it has to be special ordered. Unbelievable!! The very color and package they display at the Chicago Auto show they decide not to build anymore. Supposedly they are still makeing it with the Navigation, just not the UL package. guess I will have to special order it.
  • garmogarmo Member Posts: 20
    Got a couple of "no problem" replies. You are the only one that had an experience with the transmission at low speeds similar to mine. What did your dealer say?
  • cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    WHAT??? :surprise: How reliable is this source of yours? What does "special Order" entail? More $$$, I assume.

    The only reason I have been dragging my feet is because I have been unable to see the color in person and I will not make such a big purchase without seeing it on the lot with my own eyes. Two times this last week the dealer called me (at the 9th hour) and told me there was a Ruby UL on the lot that a person ordered and is picking up. Giving me about a half hour to spare. I never could make it over there because I have had back to back listing appointments and working late.

    My salesman assures me that he can get the car, color and UL package for me as soon as I decide what the heck I want. (But then again, it seems he would tell me he could part the Red Sea if that is what I wanted to hear.)

    Psychdoc, you have a Ruby UL Package, don't you? What is your address again? hehe
  • psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    ***Psychdoc, you have a Ruby UL Package, don't you? What is your address again? hehe***

    Happy to give you a ride any time you want!

    ;)
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    cablondeblue,

    I saw a Royal Ruby ES350 in town the other
    day. It was either a Premium Plus or Premium
    model since it didn't have the panorama roof,
    just the regular sunroof. This one had the
    seven-spoke wheels in the chrome finish.
    The car was gorgeous!!!
  • cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    Thanks guys. I am getting so anxious, I should just go for it and order Ruby without seeing it in the flesh. (Hopefully it will not be a "special order.") From what I have read in this and another forum and the pics I have seen, I can't go wrong. Mr. salesman says if I don't like it when it comes in, I don't have to take it. (Again.... anything you want to hear, Darling.) :)

    I am getting concerned because first they do not offer Sirius Radio anymore, now there are rumors of Ruby not being available. By the time I get my act together, they are going to discontinue the car all together.

    Then you will have to drive me to work, Psychdoc.

    ;)
  • psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    What??!!

    No lovely ruby red and now (horrors!!!) no Sirius?

    Thank goodness I have my Sirius at home and tape Howard Stern's show. I can't tell you how happy I am that they maintained the cassette tape player in the car. And what a shame it is that they deleted this on other high end cars.

    Driving you to work sounds like fun but the commute from NYC to CA is just a bit long.
  • amf1932amf1932 Member Posts: 79
    All things being equal as far as optional equipment which car would you prefer, the '07 ES350 or the GS300 AWD? Advantages and disadvantages??

    I'm asking this because I got into a discussion with a friend of mine who went into his local Lexus dealer and they were able to discount the GS to about the same price as the ES.

    What's your take on this situation and what would you do, and why??
  • psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    I thjink the GS looks positively horrible. Reminds me of the old AMC Pacer. A really ugly hatchback. And fitting it with the underwhelming 3.0 liter engine at the same time as they were using a 268hp 3.5 in the Avalon??!!

    File this under: "DUH."
  • tomclarke1tomclarke1 Member Posts: 5
    Went to order my wife a new ES350....salesman told us that someone at Lexus made an
    unexpected assembly decision removing xenon headlights and the sensors from the
    preferred package....problems has been rectified but cars will not have these two items
    until fall...any ideas as to why....and is this a no kidding reason to wait to reorder in the fall?
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    I hear you on the cassette player! I know,
    some people are going to call us "Old school"
    but I don't care. I've still got some good
    cassette tapes that I've made over the past
    several years. FYI though, you can only get
    the cassette player in the ES if you get the
    navigation system. Without the nav, no
    cassette player. I like to play my XM Roady
    through the cassette player in my current
    car. I love it, no interruptions, no
    interference.
  • patpat Member Posts: 10,421
  • philo82philo82 Member Posts: 10
    While I have no "inside information", doesn't this seem to be disinformation put out by auto dealers designed to spur people to buy as soon as possible? Don't play their game. I'm also considering a Ruby Red UL, but am waiting until prices come down - hopefully within the next few months. And if the prices don't come down appreciably, then so be it. I refuse to chase a car. The auto dealers may have what I want, but I also have what they want - my money (which is more important), and which translates into their sales commissions. And right now it's in my pocket, not theirs. Let's see how car salesmen (and their sales managers) manage to pay their monthly bills with a lot full of unsold shiny new cars.
  • motownusamotownusa Member Posts: 836
    You know that the GS can be had with a 300 Hp V8, right ?
  • psychdocpsychdoc Member Posts: 147
    ***You know that the GS can be had with a 300 Hp V8, right ?***

    Not in awd and I would never own a rwd car here in NY.

    Still, of course, it leaves you with the hideous hatchback appearace of the GS, it's cramped interior quarters and spartan interior appointments.

    Face it, the GS is a styling disaster not unlike the current generation SC (which is right up there with the most horrific looking cars of all time).
  • cablondebluecablondeblue Member Posts: 72
    Don't hold back, Psychdoc. Tell us how you really feel. LOL

    I finally saw the Ruby Red yesterday. It is a very nice color. The blazing sun was directly overhead so parts of it was that beautiful sparking Rudy but then the sides of the car took on a darker maroon shade. Hmmm. Maroon.

    Of course the car was just delivered and filthy. (Didn't help my whole "keeping dark colors clean" theory.)

    I will have to take one more look at it. I was a little tired and cranky because I just got back from riding bikes at the beach and was viewing a red, dirty car in over 100 degree weather. :sick:

    (The suspense builds.)
  • lrnlrn Member Posts: 1
    I have the very same problem: the transmission seems to hesitate at 20-40 mph, not knowing whether to shift up or down, and finally engaging with a lurch that is rather rough. It is intermittent, and not sure the exact conditions under which it happens, but it seems as if I can replicate it if I have let off the accelerator pedal for a few seconds and then want to increase speed again. It is indeed annoying and uncharacteristic of a smooth-shiftng Lexus under all conditions. I called the Lexus service guy and they said the car was too new for any experience or reported problems. So I can only hope a service bulletin will come out some day. Has any one out there had a service performed for this particular problem? Thanks for any advise you can provide.
  • nightattacknightattack Member Posts: 16
    2007 Toyota Camry Woes
    Check this site out; it may explain the tranny problems, since the 2007 Camry & 2007 ES350 use the same V-6 & 6-Speed Automatic tranny.
  • iycrraiycrra Member Posts: 24
    There were some posts earlier about tilted sidemirror when shifted from nuetral to reverse mode.

    I have ulta package and I can't get it to work on mine. Something wrong with mine or this just can't be done. Thanks.
  • zekeman1zekeman1 Member Posts: 422
    Move the left/right selector switch for your mirrors to either the left or right mirror, then shift into reverse...it's covered in the owners manual on page 41.
  • carrelman2carrelman2 Member Posts: 80
    For those of you who are interested, Body Side Moldings are now available and can be ordered by the parts dept.They are available in colors that match the color of the car.
  • sirrafsirraf Member Posts: 55
    When you leave the side mirror switch in either the right or left position then when you back up the mirror will move downward. If the side mirror switch is left in the middle position then the side mirrors will not move downwards when the the car is placed into reverse.
  • blindmantooblindmantoo Member Posts: 139
    "I am getting used to it but the trans feels like it does not know if it wants to up or down shift between 10-20 mph when decelerating."

    I have a '07 Camry V6SE and notice the same thing when slowing down. It actually feels like the tranny upshifts when reaching 10 - 20 mph when slowing to a stop. Did you ever get any resolution from the dealer? I find myself manually downshifting often just to prevent it.
  • fdenowitzfdenowitz Member Posts: 2
    I have owned my ES350 for 11 days, 3 of those days it has been in service, still is. The car suddenly shuddered between 1st & Second grears and my check engine and VSC lights went on. My friend has had her ES 350 for 3 weeks, she boke down completely in Florida's Panhanhadle where there are no Lexus Dealers nearby. She has her car at a Toyota dealer. Anyone else have this problem? Does Lesxus have a fix or do I have a Lemon along with, I am sure, many others? :sick:
  • fdenowitzfdenowitz Member Posts: 2
    Please read my thread #1700, my issue started in a very similar way to your issue
  • wireguy1wireguy1 Member Posts: 7
    Just found out our Ruby Red with Premium Plus which is on the water,will not have the xenon headlights and sensors that was part of the original sales agreement. The sales guy said he didn't know what happened but said that he could not get these 2 items till the fall. We decided that the back up camera was more important than the back up sensors and decided the xenon lights were not a necessity. We are taking the $$$ for these options and applying it to the E-sport alloy wheels. At least the car will have a nice look!
  • prigglypriggly Member Posts: 642
    I have owned my ES350 for 11 days, 3 of those days it has been in service, still is. The car suddenly shuddered between 1st & Second grears and my check engine and VSC lights went on. My friend has had her ES 350 for 3 weeks, she boke down completely in Florida's Panhanhadle where there are no Lexus Dealers nearby. She has her car at a Toyota dealer. Anyone else have this problem? Does Lesxus have a fix or do I have a Lemon along with, I am sure, many others?

    There is nothing worse than a mechanically unreliable car unless, of course, that car is billed as a "premium" car and sold at a premium price.

    It is incredible that Toyota would unleash yet another generation of cars with defective transmissions upon unsuspecting buyers. But then, isn't that what these car forums are for, so that people can read of inherent automotive flaws in cars no matter the make and avoid them?

    If experiences such as yours continue, it won't take long before Toyota products undergo the same reputation transformation that has befallen Mercedes-Benz.
  • richard43richard43 Member Posts: 23
    how did you find out about the moldings becoming available? are you going to order them and have them put on your car?

    two weeks ago i ordered a car - due in october - and wanted the moldings but couldn't. when i asked my salesman if it was possible to order them later and have them put on later he simply told me to talk the parts department in a few months
  • zekeman1zekeman1 Member Posts: 422
    You ordered a car in very early July for delivery in October??!! Is it being hand built? :)
  • forthillforthill Member Posts: 34
    12 weeks is not out of the ordinary. If Toyota is sending over cars not configured to your liking then the only way to get one that way is to order it.

    forthill
  • shop4mywifeshop4mywife Member Posts: 36
    Toyota? Or Lexus?
  • maximafanmaximafan Member Posts: 592
    I was just thinking the other day if the
    ES was going to have the same tranny
    problems that are being reported on the '07
    Camry. I was really hoping that it wasn't.
    Oh, well. Seems like wishful thinking.

    Fdenowitz, I hope your problem is resolved
    swiftly and competently. Good luck!
This discussion has been closed.