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Should I Go For An '04?


1lola1

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I am totally disillusioned with my '03. I liked my '00 much better. The dealer told me they expect to have the '04s in by next week. Is there any possible way to get a good price for mine (I own it with about 9,000 miles) and a good price for the '04? Or will they just take me over? :wacko: Also, is it reasonable to expect that the '04 trans will not have the same problems? Does anyone have the millenium silver?

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All because of the transmission? Have you tried adapting your driving style? As I've said many times, the transmission shifts seemlessly and perfectly for me. steviej feels the hesitation, but he's adapted his driving style so it no longer bothers him.

You're going to get screwed on the 03 trading it in.

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I think you shuould wait for Lexus to have a fix for it. if you get a 04 be prepared to loose a lot . keep complainning to Lexus until they get sick of you. I don't think the problem has to do with your style of driving. Make Lexus put up or else.

is the only only. good luck.

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The fact that Lexus lowered the sticker price on the '04 will make it even more difficult to get a good deal on a trade in of an '03!

I sorta doubt that they corrected anything in the '04 transmission. I'll drive one soon and I'll report back.

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I don't think the problem has to do with your style of driving. Make Lexus put up or else.

I'm not saying the transmission isn;t designed poorly, I'm just saying that maybe if he tries to adapt his driving style to the transmission, as I and others have, he'll enjoy the car a lot more.

Banging Lexus' door down isn't going to help, he may as well just adapt to it, and find happiness.

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truthfully nobody should have to adapt there driving for a transmission.there shouldnt be a problem in the first place and the fact that lexus still didnt fix this problem kills me!

but anyhow i wouldnt trade in the 03 for a 04 because you will lose money!no doubt about that!keep the 03 and wait and see if lexus ever fixes the problem.i doubt they will though.

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truthfully nobody should have to adapt there driving for a transmission.there shouldnt be a problem in the first place and the fact that lexus still didnt fix this problem kills me!

My sentiments, EXACTLY! :angry:

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I agree, there should be a fix. I'm just saying, I'm out enjoying my $40,000 car as much as I can, while others are spending their days calling the Lexus dealer and being all upset. There comes a point where you just gotta say "hey, its a problem but I can adapt to it, I'm going to start enjoying my purchase as best I can." Thats how life is, gotta roll with it. If it bothered me at this point I'd say "Well, Lexus will find a way at some point, or someone will come out with a shift kit or something that will solve the problem, may as well learn to live with it until then"

StevieJ has the shifting concern, he's learned to live with it to the point where it no longer bothers him. Its never bothered me. All I'm saying is we're enjoying our investments a lot more than you guys.

I'm not excusing Lexus, I'm just saying that as a person there's a time when I gotta say "this is ruining my experience because I'm allowing it to". If there's nothing you can do about it, its useless to worry. The other option is to get out of the 03, but thats going to cost you between 5-10k.

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The other option is to get out of the 03, but thats going to cost you between 5-10k.

You're assuming that the '04 will have corrected all the transmission problems. I doubt it, but when my dealer gets them in and it's fixed it's going to be bye,bye to my '03. ;)

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My bet is it isn't fixed. People have similar concerns with the RX330.

Issue is, its just the way the transmission is. So until they totally revamp it, add a gear, whatever, its going to remain that way. Its not really a problem, its more of the way the tranny works doesn't mesh with the way some drive. This is evident in that some owners get those notices and say "What? Whats wrong with my transmission?!?" and post here frantic.

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In 2002 when Lexus released their newest generation model they called it, "Electronically Controlled Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i)" This is exactly what they call the '04 transmission. The change in gear ratios(wider ratios) is because of the increased HP. I have a feeling, and I hope that I'm wrong, is the newest transmission will exhibit the same idiosyncrasies as the previous models. Only time will tell. <_<

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In 2002 when Lexus released their newest generation model they called it, "Electronically Controlled Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i)" This is exactly what they call the '04 transmission. The change in gear ratios(wider ratios) is because of the increased HP. I have a feeling, and I hope that I'm wrong, is the newest transmission will exhibit the same idiosyncrasies as the previous models. Only time will tell. <_<

You're right that only time will tell, but you can't merely wave away the wider gear raitios and say that it's the same transmission just because they call them both ECT-i. Clearly, some major changes have been made - that's my only point. Someone said that they hadn't changed anything but only added the electronic fix. That statement is definitely wrong. You can't change the gear ratios with an electronic fix.

There have definitely been significant changes in this model. No one (outside of Lexus) knows whether it will fix the problem yet or not, but I don't like people throwing around comments that Lexus hasn't changed anything when they clearly have.

I'll know on Wednesday, but I never noticed it on any of the 03 models I drove, so that probably doesn't say much.

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I'll know on Wednesday, but I never noticed it on any of the 03 models I drove, so that probably doesn't say much.

Like me and a lot of others your driving style and the shifting dynamics of the transmission mesh just fine.

Like Alan though I'm skepitical that the new gear ratios will fix the issue.

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Like me and a lot of others your driving style and the shifting dynamics of the transmission mesh just fine.

Like Alan though I'm skepitical that the new gear ratios will fix the issue.

I never claimed that the new gear ratios would fix the problem. My point is that if the gear ratios are different, they've done more to the transmission than just change the software.

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I've finally "warmed" to the new body style. We made a trip to Bakersfield, Ca. this afternoon and took the '04 es330 for a spin. The tranmission worked smoothly for both my husband and myself. They had a loaded es330 ..nav, lev, AVS, Adjust pedals, chrome wheels, etc. that we bought on the spot for $37,037. :magic:

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I've finally "warmed" to the new body style. We made a trip to Bakersfield, Ca. this afternoon and took the '04 es330 for a spin. The tranmission worked smoothly for both my husband and myself. They had a loaded es330 ..nav, lev, AVS, Adjust pedals, chrome wheels, etc. that we bought on the spot for $37,037. :magic:

What was the MSRP?

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The MSRP, es330 with all options including chrome wheels, was $40,344. We're satisfied with our purchase price of $37,037 (plus taxes & license) Others may do better if they chose to haggle more and wait longer :)

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It seems that the East Coast does not offer the options of AVS or Adjustable Pedals. The most expensive option package for the East is $5611.00 and $6344.00 for the West.(MSRP) So if you want to get ALL the options that Lexus has to offer, that's where you gotta go. ;)

The MSRP w/ALL options in California for a 2004 ES330 is: $38,694.00

The MSRP w/ALL options in New York for a 2004 ES330 is: $37961.00

All this information was taken from Lexus.com website!

Actually all you saved off the list price was: $1657.00.

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A lot of west coast dealer will ship out to the east coast for about $700 too. You also almost always get a better price on the west coast because the dealers have more inventory, its easier access from Japan.

$40,344 isn't actually that much cheaper than the 03...

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