Just Got New 2005 Es330

[LexKid630]

I just bought the new 05 es330 for my wife replacing her 03 gs430. since her gs had 79k miles and since it wasn't in such good shape, i didn't get much resale for it. I would like to keep this es330 a little longer and in better shape, so what should i do to keep it in perfect condition? What should i look out for; like problems with it etc.

I don't know if the es330 will perform as well as the gs430 in the long run considering the diffrence in price. I spent $50,000 for the gs430 and $39,980 for the es330. what makes the price so different? what do i gain and loose besides engine size to make the price so different? The 05 es330 has every option available, pretty much the same as the gs except quality in my opinion. It's the same blue (they said it was a special order, except i never pre-ordered anything LOL) as her old gs with the ivory interior w/wood steering wheel etc.. The navigation screen seems small to me, but they said it was just a hint smaller than the gs screen. I like the gs climate control/radio button positions better but they all work correctly (all she cares about). It is much smaller than the gs, but still comfortable as i would expect from a Lexus. The ride is smooth and the gas mileage! wow the gas mileage amazes me! That's the best thing about going from a 4.3 liter v8 to a 3.3 liter v6. I can tell the acceleration is less but it is fair for the gas mileage.

I asked the dealer about waxing it, and they said NOT to wax it for a while. does anyone know why they said not to wax it this early? I didn't wax the gs at all, and it is evident in the paint finish; i hope not to make the same mistake with the es330. My wife drives about 40k miles a year so i don't know if this changes how soon i should fix/add certain things etc. Anyone know of any ideas on what i should do first at this time?

do you think the es330 will perform and last as long as the gs430? Did i make a mistake getting the 05 es330 rather than the new gs430? My daughter has a 2004 es330 but it's different in looks; the interior seems much to plain to me, and the exterior lights are much to boring compaired to the 2005's sleek projectors headlamps. I love the new steering wheels (except for wood color); similar to the rx330. The radio+ navi controls on the wheel is a great feature; the gs430 had them as well.

I hope i made the right choice. does anyone have any input?

[jragosta]

I just bought the new 05 es330 for my wife replacing her 03 gs430. since her gs had 79k miles and since it wasn't in such good shape, i didn't get much resale for it. I would like to keep this es330 a little longer and in better shape, so what should i do to keep it in perfect condition? What should i look out for; like problems with it etc.

I don't know if the es330 will perform as well as the gs430 in the long run considering the diffrence in price. I spent $50,000 for the gs430 and $39,980 for the es330. what makes the price so different? what do i gain and loose besides engine size to make the price so different? The 05 es330 has every option available, pretty much the same as the gs except quality in my opinion. It's the same blue (they said it was a special order, except i never pre-ordered anything LOL) as her old gs with the ivory interior w/wood steering wheel etc.. The navigation screen seems small to me, but they said it was just a hint smaller than the gs screen. I like the gs climate control/radio button positions better but they all work correctly (all she cares about). It is much smaller than the gs, but still comfortable as i would expect from a Lexus. The ride is smooth and the gas mileage! wow the gas mileage amazes me! That's the best thing about going from a 4.3 liter v8 to a 3.3 liter v6. I can tell the acceleration is less but it is fair for the gas mileage.

I asked the dealer about waxing it, and they said NOT to wax it for a while. does anyone know why they said not to wax it this early? I didn't wax the gs at all, and it is evident in the paint finish; i hope not to make the same mistake with the es330. My wife drives about 40k miles a year so i don't know if this changes how soon i should fix/add certain things etc. Anyone know of any ideas on what i should do first at this time?

do you think the es330 will perform and last as long as the gs430? Did i make a mistake getting the 05 es330 rather than the new gs430? My daughter has a 2004 es330 but it's different in looks; the interior seems much to plain to me, and the exterior lights are much to boring compaired to the 2005's sleek projectors headlamps. I love the new steering wheels (except for wood color); similar to the rx330. The radio+ navi controls on the wheel is a great feature; the gs430 had them as well.

I hope i made the right choice. does anyone have any input?

←

There shouldn't be any real difference in how long it will last. The difference in price is due to the bigger engine and different market segments plus some difference in features.

There's no reason why either car shouldn't last you several times as long as your GS did. 79 K miles putting a $50 K car into poor shape indicates some serious problems.

Keeping a car looking good isn't a big problem. If you do the following, it should look good way past 150 K miles - especially the way your wife drives it. That's only 4 years.

1. Wash it regularly. I personally like the touch-free washes. They're not as thorough, but won't scratch the car. If you do it yourself, it's even better, but shouldn't matter that much. I would say at least twice a month.

2. Follow manufacturer's maintenance recommendations. I take mine in for service every 5000 miles.

3. Have it professionally detailed at least once a year (probably 2 or maybe 3 times for someone driving as much as your wife). Sure, it will cost you $150 to have it done well, but that's a small price for the benefit.

4. Keep the interior clean. If you spill something, clean it up right away. Don't leave clutter lying around.

5. Don't abuse it. It's not a race car.

None of that is time consuming or expensive, but if you do those things, you should at least double the life of your car - which makes the return on investment several thousand percent.

[vcv10guy]

Congratulations on your new purchase. Hope your wife and you (when you drive it) enjoys it. Another factor in addition to what was stated above as why the price between the ES and the GS430 you use to own is more dramatic is that the ES is a FWD car and the GS is RWD. FWD is cheaper to manufacture than a RWD car. The suspension is also setup differently as well between the two cars. The GS uses a double wishbone suspension (more sportier) while the ES uses a macpherson strut suspension. Those engineering differences as well as what jragosta said above contribute to the change in price. Either way you bought a solidly built vehicle that when taken care well will last you a very long time.

[SW03ES]

You didn't actually spend $39,980 on the ES did you? Thats list price!!!

You might be interested to know that the ES is actually larger than the GS, both in interior volume and in exterior size. I just mentioned that because you mentioned it seemed much smaller. I guess its all in the eyes of the individual because the ES seems significantly larger than the GS to me. There also aren't any differences about the interior of the 04 vs the 05 except the color of the wood on the cashmere and ash interiors and the color of the cladding around the door handles and the center stack, other than obviously the new steering wheel. Not sure what would make one appealing and the other boring ;)

As for not waxing it the dealer is wrong (as they usually are about detailing) there's no reason not to wax it. In fact, their prep department waxed it. On modern cars paint has been long since cured when you take delivery. Since its that dark blue (which is a different blue than your GS, your GS was Indigo Ink Pearl which would be a special order on the ES, the ES is Blue Onyx Pearl). I would find a good detailer and have it washed weekly and detailed twice a year. Get references and make sure you pick a quality detailer. Touchless washes are okay if there's no option but they aren't very thorough and will leave film on the paint surface and wont flush the wheel wells etc.

If you're going to wash it yourself its worth taking the time to buy the right materials and learn how to do it right. Washing a car (especially a dark colored car) properly so as not to damage the paint surface actually requires quite a bit of skill...

As for maintenance I don't have anything to add to jrag's post.

It should last you just as long. The GS cost more because it was simply a higher line vehicle, not neccisarily higher quality. When it gets dinged or damaged make sure that its properly repaired and with proper appearance and maintenance care it should be in much better shape after 80k than your GS430 was.

[LexKid630]

Maybe the reason the sales "woman" LOL. :P .told me not to wax it was because they had already waxed it and didn't want me to waste my time. :o I really have no idea. I didn't really think this lady really knew what she was talking about in certain areas. She told me that VVT-I stood for some bazar thing, when i already knew it stands for variable valve timing with inteligence. She told me that the "windows" dimmed when headlights were to hit it; i think she meant rear view mirror, and she aso said that for x amount extra (which i took, that's why the price was high) i could get this special deal with services and free car washes at sooner intervals along with the warranty or something like that. Also did the warranty go down since last year? I got a 6yr warranty, when i thought it was 8. Huh i don't know !! I explained to the salesmoman exactly what i put in this post, so she said this deal was a good choice for me, considering i'm not exactly the "feel like doing it yourself" kind of guy. I know it's sad but i would rather spend a few extra thousand for someone else to do the dirty work. I have to admit i do cut the lawn though..This new John Deere riding mower is so nice (not as good as a Lexus LOL B) I also don't really argue with salesman/woman when knocking money off the sticker price. She said that this one was very rare, so i just took it. Another thing she said was that the color was indogo ink pearl when actually now as i look at it; i can tell it's more grayer. That !! LOL She must have been new there....I probably only spent maybe 45 minutes before i had the keys and drove it off the lot. Oh and another thing, on one of the remote keys the unlock button has a relief; a down arrow, while the other doesn't. but they both work so i don't care that much. I am just glad that the es is comfortable for her. she seems to like it very much, even though she only drove it about 10 minutes as the test drive with another es330. I took my 03 rx to the dealer with my wife, and I took the es back. WOW what a smoother ride!! she had to take rhe rx back home...ha ha <_< I told her i was testing it out LOL. i like the es better than the rx without a doubt! The ride of the sedan is much better than that of the suv, i don't care if it IS a lexus. I think i did make the right choice, just hope my wife takes good care of it, unlike with the gs.

[LexKid630]

Oh and this es330 was a special order from another couple, but they decided to back out or something. That's why the woman said it was very rare, actually i don't think there is another one like it anywhere unless specially ordered. the sticker on the inside door panel says December of 04. It's March!! It must have been hanging around for a while.

[SW03ES]

Actually no, the Blue Onyx with the cashmere interior isn't special ordered, thats the standard interior for that car. Had it had a black interior or to a lesser extent a grey one it would have been rare. My dealer has several Blue Onyx/Cashmere ES' on the lot. It may have been a dealer requisition or something and thats why she said it had been special ordered.

She does sound ignorant, but most salespeople usually are. I had to explain to a computer salesman at CompUSA yesterday what wireless internet was and show him the wireless routers...that he sells...and explain how they work. His name tag said "Certified Product Specialist". As a salesman (a fully competent one knowledgable about his field) dumb salespeople who don't know their product really irritate me. Its because of them we hesitate to tell people what we do for a living...

As for the remote, some keys have the down arrow and some don't, I don't know why. Both of mine don't but the keys to my dad's 98 LS did, and I've had loaner ES' that have the arrow and some that don't. My guess is the keys are made two different places.

As for the ride, I've had my car 2 years now and 45k miles and I still "wow" at how it rides sometimes. I've been in training seminars all week up in Gaithersburg and its about a 25 minute ride on the highway each way and I glided home today relaxing with the radio turned off. Its a very smooth and quiet car, moreso than the GS (which is designed to be sportier). The LS is smoother and quieter, but not by much. The ES is a lot of car for the money.

[chrispiss]

for the waxing...when my mom's explorer got rear ended, they repainted the rear hatch and said not to wax it for a month or so because the chemicals in the paint needed that long to fully dry and settle. they said if we waxed it too early, the chemicals would get trapped and bubbles could form.

[SW03ES]

Thats true of a repaint but not of a new car, its even getting that bodyshops have such sophisticated paints and ovens for curing that some paint jobs can be waxed immediately even when they're repaints.

For instance his car was built in December 2004, its 4 months old the paint is well cured. Most cars, especially foreign cars are well over a month old even when you buy them RIGHT off the lot. Plus they're hard cured with huge amounts of heat at the factory after they're painted.

[jragosta]

I just bought the new 05 es330 for my wife replacing her 03 gs430. since her gs had 79k miles and since it wasn't in such good shape, i didn't get much resale for it. I would like to keep this es330 a little longer and in better shape, so what should i do to keep it in perfect condition? What should i look out for; like problems with it etc.

←

I'm still curious. How did you manage to completely trash a 2 year old $50 K car in only 79 K miles?

[ImranS]

You got the wood steering wheel, I so should have gotten it, but I didn't want (or want to pay for) the navi

Jealous...very jealous...lol

Its not diificult to take care of a car, take pride in it!

[SW03ES]

In the US all ES' have the wood wheel. I've only seen one that doesn't.

jrag- I've seen people destroy far more expensive cars in far less time. I've detailed 12,000 mile $80,000 Mercedes that look like 10 year old cars outside and ash trays inside. Its just unbelievable what some people do to cars.

These are before pictures of an Avalon a member on Autopia (ebpcivicsi) detailed. It was last detailed by him about 6 months ago, so all this was done in 6 months.

Her excuse was that "she works out of the car" my question was if she hauls livestock. I work out of my car, doesn't look like that.

Here are a couple of after pictures, he does great work.

[vcv10guy]

Yikes that Avalon is filthy. How did the passenger seat go so dirty looking? That guy does good work though, the car looks very clean.

[LexKid630]

I just bought the new 05 es330 for my wife replacing her 03 gs430. since her gs had 79k miles and since it wasn't in such good shape, i didn't get much resale for it. I would like to keep this es330 a little longer and in better shape, so what should i do to keep it in perfect condition? What should i look out for; like problems with it etc.

←

I'm still curious. How did you manage to completely trash a 2 year old $50 K car in only 79 K miles?

←

The 03 gs430 wasn't trashed, it just had a few minor dents and scratches on it etc. It was my wifes car and she has to drive a lot each day; she manages to hit around 40k miles each year!! It's a lot of driving and it was evident in the look before i sold it. She had hit a deer in the front so there was some body work done, but then another car scraped the front side a little . After i cleaned it last week it looked o.k, but not like a 2 yr old car; more like a 5 or 10. She is a horrible driver and treats cars like dirt. That i won't lie to you I sold it this year because of the high mileage. I figured that if she kept it any longer it would have been in even worse condition and the mileage would have been over 120k miles in only 3 years. At least it's only 2 years old, still considered somewhat new. The car worked very well but i was worried about how much longer with her driving it was going to last.

[LexKid630]

The gs430 didn't look anything like that avalon! not at all....No one who drove it ever smoked, or put dirt on the floor like that etc. The interior was very clean, just had a lot of papers and folers etc. everywhere. The back seat had NEVER been sat in at all. I don't think the back seat had ever seen daylight to tell you the truth. The rear was like her fileing cabinet..LOL The passenger seat hadn't been sat in much. She had never taken drinks or food in it at all; there weren't stains or anything. The interior even had a strong scent of the new car smell! It was like new. The exterior was the problem.

Nothing was wrong with the engine or transmission (that anyone could tell). She ahd always put premium fuel in, and all services were done at the correct times. Actually, if the car had been repainted all around, it would have looked really new.

[jragosta]

I just bought the new 05 es330 for my wife replacing her 03 gs430. since her gs had 79k miles and since it wasn't in such good shape, i didn't get much resale for it. I would like to keep this es330 a little longer and in better shape, so what should i do to keep it in perfect condition? What should i look out for; like problems with it etc.

←

I'm still curious. How did you manage to completely trash a 2 year old $50 K car in only 79 K miles?

←

The 03 gs430 wasn't trashed, it just had a few minor dents and scratches on it etc. It was my wifes car and she has to drive a lot each day; she manages to hit around 40k miles each year!! It's a lot of driving and it was evident in the look before i sold it. She had hit a deer in the front so there was some body work done, but then another car scraped the front side a little . After i cleaned it last week it looked o.k, but not like a 2 yr old car; more like a 5 or 10. She is a horrible driver and treats cars like dirt. That i won't lie to you I sold it this year because of the high mileage. I figured that if she kept it any longer it would have been in even worse condition and the mileage would have been over 120k miles in only 3 years. At least it's only 2 years old, still considered somewhat new. The car worked very well but i was worried about how much longer with her driving it was going to last.

←

OK. Now I understand. I"m glad to hear it wasn't neglect that caused the value to drop. I HATE to see expensive cars neglected.

One thing you might need to readjust your thinking on. 120 K miles isn't that much for a high quality car that's well maintained. Your new ES should push 200 K without problems if you properly maintain it. Granted, at around 100 K, you're going to put some money into it on a timing belt and so on, but that's way cheaper than a new car. I'd suggest that you start out with a plan to keep that ES 4 years at 40 K miles per year and then maintain it that way. Even if you DO sell it earlier, you'll get more for it.

[LexKid630]

Nope it was never neglected, just ware and tear for 79k miles.

[Geo]

Congrats on the car. Glad you can afford a nice car for the wife. If it would have been me and the bad luck of the wife I would have gotten her a Corolla. :cries:

Also someone mentioned ES having only wood steering wheels ? My 01 does not, are you talking of the newer stuff ?

Later, George

[alank22181]

I just bought the new 05 es330 for my wife replacing her 03 gs430. since her gs had 79k miles and since it wasn't in such good shape, i didn't get much resale for it. I would like to keep this es330 a little longer and in better shape, so what should i do to keep it in perfect condition? What should i look out for; like problems with it etc.

I don't know if the es330 will perform as well as the gs430 in the long run considering the diffrence in price. I spent $50,000 for the gs430 and $39,980 for the es330. what makes the price so different? what do i gain and loose besides engine size to make the price so different? The 05 es330 has every option available, pretty much the same as the gs except quality in my opinion. It's the same blue (they said it was a special order, except i never pre-ordered anything LOL) as her old gs with the ivory interior w/wood steering wheel etc.. The navigation screen seems small to me, but they said it was just a hint smaller than the gs screen. I like the gs climate control/radio button positions better but they all work correctly (all she cares about). It is much smaller than the gs, but still comfortable as i would expect from a Lexus. The ride is smooth and the gas mileage! wow the gas mileage amazes me! That's the best thing about going from a 4.3 liter v8 to a 3.3 liter v6. I can tell the acceleration is less but it is fair for the gas mileage.

I asked the dealer about waxing it, and they said NOT to wax it for a while. does anyone know why they said not to wax it this early? I didn't wax the gs at all, and it is evident in the paint finish; i hope not to make the same mistake with the es330. My wife drives about 40k miles a year so i don't know if this changes how soon i should fix/add certain things etc. Anyone know of any ideas on what i should do first at this time?

do you think the es330 will perform and last as long as the gs430? Did i make a mistake getting the 05 es330 rather than the new gs430? My daughter has a 2004 es330 but it's different in looks; the interior seems much to plain to me, and the exterior lights are much to boring compaired to the 2005's sleek projectors headlamps. I love the new steering wheels (except for wood color); similar to the rx330. The radio+ navi controls on the wheel is a great feature; the gs430 had them as well.

I hope i made the right choice. does anyone have any input?

←

Your Lexus salsperson should be taken to the woodshed and thrashed! I bought my ES 330 here in Virginia for $28,000 including a end to end warranty, taxes, etc. It is completely loaded with every option imaginable. The dealer is fantastic and provides me a free carwash/cleaning every time I take it in for ANY reason. This is the best car I have ever driven and my Passengers love it because this is a well designed PASSENGER car.

The best way to make sure the car lasts is to treat it well. With you warranty and service contract take it to your service at each 2500 mile intervals. They will clean it, wash it, perform warranty and reg mantenance at no cost to you. When I lived in VT, I drove 35,000 miles without blinking an eyelash. In NE the car needs to be cleaned more often because of salt, corrosion and below zero weather. Let the dealer keep up the vehicle; if anytrhing goes wrong THEY give you a FREE loaner. What could be any easier?

If you ever visit DC, come to Pohanka Lexus in Chantilly and drop in and get set for an experience in people first.

ACK

[LexKid630]

Congrats on the car.  Glad you can afford a nice car for the wife.  If it would have been me and the bad luck of the wife I would have gotten her a Corolla.  :cries:

Also someone mentioned ES having only wood steering wheels ?  My 01 does not, are you talking of the newer stuff ?

Later,  George

←

I think he meant that all the 05 es330's had wood steering wheels. The later es's didn't ALL have them. I think they come in certain packages. But i don't think it is necesarily the navi package, b/c the one i test drove didn't have navi and it had the wood wheel. but i do like the wood/leather steering wheel better than w/o. B)

[SW03ES]

alank- $28,000 for a 2005 ES330 with nav and levinson (fully loaded) is absolutely not possible, not new. Thats $7,000 below invoice, theres no way that price is legitimate.

I had some bad experiences with Pohanka Lexus...

Did they tell you to bring the car in at 2500 intervals?!?! Thats extremely overkill. Somethings rotten here...

LexKid- The only way to get an 02+ ES without the wood/leather wheel in the US is to special order it. It is an option, but its an option 95% of all ES' shipped with.

[monarch]

The only way to get an 02+ ES without the wood/leather wheel in the US is to special order it.

←

Last year here on the west coast it was routine to see strippper '04 ES330's on dealers lots like this one: http://www.saber.net/~monarch/33114.jpg without the wood / leather steering wheel

[LexKid630]

Your Lexus salsperson should be taken to the woodshed and thrashed! I bought my ES 330 here in Virginia for $28,000 including a end to end warranty, taxes, etc. It is completely loaded with every option imaginable. The dealer is fantastic and provides me a free carwash/cleaning every time I take it in for ANY reason. This is the best car I have ever driven and my Passengers love it because this is a well designed PASSENGER car.

The best way to make sure the car lasts is to treat it well. With you warranty and service contract take it to your service at each 2500 mile intervals. They will clean it, wash it, perform warranty and reg mantenance at no cost to you. When I lived in VT, I drove 35,000 miles without blinking an eyelash. In NE the car needs to be cleaned more often because of salt, corrosion and below zero weather. Let the dealer keep up the vehicle; if anytrhing goes wrong THEY give you a FREE loaner. What could be any easier?

If you ever visit DC, come to Pohanka Lexus in Chantilly and drop in and get set for an experience in people first.

ACK

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I can't believe you got a new 05 for 28k miles!! thats 11k less that the one i got!! I can't believe it was that less; it must have been used.

[LexKid630]

...and i don't even know why anyone whouldn't want the wood on the steering wheel..it makes the car's interior look so much more luxurious ;) it does end up looking raddy with rings marks as they develop over time, but that's just use.

[SW03ES]

There's no way he got a new ES for 28k unless its a totally base model.

Monarch- Really? Not the case here on the east coast, like I said I've only ever seen one without the wood wheel.