Confusion - Please Help Answer Some Questions

[wrightsports]

Hey everyone ...

I am new to the forum and would appreciate you guys clearing some confusion that I have ...

1) I have owned Chevrolet's my whole life and also recently owned a Buick Lacrosse ... I have placed over 100,000 miles on all of them and literally never had one issue with the 10 cars total that I have owned ... They last forever without any issues and that is never taking them in for routine maintenance either ... I hear great things about Lexus but just don't want to own a car that is "high maintanence" ... What can I expect from Lexus regarding reliability, etc, etc?

2) I am searching for a vehicle that has zero wind noise, tire noise, has luxury beyond on belief with great sound system and a car that rides on a cloud .. The Lacrosse I had was amazing I loved it but I really want to join the Lexus ES Family but I am concerned as I have heard multiple people say the ride is no longer Lexus quiet and smooth as they have adjusted the suspension and also the tire noise is an issue ...Your thoughts?

3) I test drove the new Cadillac ATS the other day and that care is awesome and the Bose sound system is amazing ... How does the sound system in the ES compare or not necessarily compare but how great is the sound sysem?

4) The ATS rides so smooth and it is a sport sedan so I am hoping the ES rides even smoother ... Thoughts?

Thanks guys and I appreciate your time and responses .. Talk soon!

[lenore]

I heard that the ATS is indeed a great ride. I don't believe the ES will be your choice, but you will have to test one to decide.

[LexBob2]

I heard that the ATS is indeed a great ride. I don't believe the ES will be your choice, but you will have to test one to decide.

I agree. Ride quality, quietness, audio quality is something you really have to experience and then decide if they meet your needs and expectations. Good luck in your search.

[wrightsports]

Hey guys ... Thanks for your responses ... Just curious why you think the ES would not be for me? I am really confused as I have heard how quiet and luxurious the Lexus vehicles are but recently I seen posts and reviews saying the es is not a smooth ride and has a lot of tire noise ... I am just really confused ... Thanks for your time guys and anything else you can give your input about I would really appreciate it ..

Thanks!

[pj8708]

Hi Brian and welcome to the LOC.

You've asked some good questions and have gotten some good answers. I'll try to add some more information for you to take into consideration.

I have owned a 2005 ES330, a 2010 ES350, and now a 2013 ES350. All three have been truly great cars, yet each had it's unique qualities. All had and have an excellent ride. The 2013 has been tuned to provide more responsive handling but without sacrificing the Lexus ride and quite cabin. Now, is it as quite and smooth as the 2010 Es was? To me, it is. But to you, you have no referance point other than the ATS. So asking about the ride and quite of the Lexus is of no help because you never drove an older one.

Reliability on all Lexus/Toyota products is excellent. Lexus has been the best selling luxury car or in the top three of the best selling luxury cars for the past 5 years. Reliabilaty is a big reason for that. I have never had better service or better technicians service my cars than my Lexus dealer. And in saying that I should tell you that my dealer also sells Cadillac and gives those customers the same high level of service.

One of the diffrences with the 2013 ES is the change from a Camry based chasis to using the Toyota Avalon chasis. This frame is longer and more rigid and also gives more interior cabin room.

Lexus offers the Mark Levinson premium sound system featuring 19 speakers surrounding the drivers cabin. I think the peak rrms is around 550 watts. (You should look that up) I'm pretty much a snob when it comes to sound systems. I've listened to the Bose system, and in fact I use some Bose products at home. However, the car Bose system does not provide the clarity and range that the Mark Levinson system does. One area where I think the Levinson system is a little weak is the low bass end. The Mark Levinson system comes packaged with the Lexus navigation unit.

Back to the ride and road noise for a last remark. Tires make a tremendous difference in the ride and outside noise on any car. As an example, last December when I took deliverly of my 2013, i saw that it had come from the factory with Bridgestone tires. Over the last few years there have been many disscuscions about what tires were best on which cars. I have foud that Michlen Primacy MX4 are by far the best choice for a ES350. They give a smooth ride and oh so quite. So, I had the dealer take off the Bridgestones and put on the Michlens at no charge to me.

I have not driven th ATS, and it sounds like a nice ride. But I think if you do some research you may find that the Cadillac product will not hold its value as well as a Lexus.

Paul

[wrightsports]

Paul:

Hey there and thank you very much for your response ... That is a good point in that since I have never driven one in the past how would I know :) ... I guess my thoughts in asking that is simply what I have seen from a few responses on hear about it having wind noise in the cabin as well as tire noise ... I really like the looks of the car and I simply need to get my butt to the dealership and drive a bunch of them ....

Thanks for your responses guys and please keep your thoughts coming ... Have any of you driven the new Buick Lacrosse as I am curious how the new ES rides compared to that car as I have driven the Lacrosse and it is extremely quiet with no wind or tire noise whatsoever so I was hoping the ES was as good or even better than that ...

Thanks!

[wrightsports]

Test drove one today and wow what a car .. Fit and Finish are so high class .. Cabin is quiet .. Sound system was excellent!

[bc6152]

I test drove a Buick LaCrosse turbo before buying my '13 350. I found the ride satisfactory but not as smooth as the Lexus. The fabric sunroof cover really disappointed me. Even though the Buick had more HP - I think around 300 - I felt that the 270 HP Lexus had better acceleration. I also drove an Infiniti and didn' t think that car measured up to the Lexus either. I have just passed the 2000 mile mark and hear no tire noise at all with Michelin MX4's. I find the cabin to be extremely quiet and have the premium sound system - not the $4000. Mark Levinson system. FYI on another Lexus blog you will find a post 27 pages long regarding issues with this option. I agree with the other members that only you can decide what car is for you. What I think is fabulous you might not. Lexus is consistently ranked at the top for resale value and build quality. I believe that their dealers are first rate due to the many remarks from members and my own experiences.

[wrightsports]

Thanks for your thoughts as I appreciate it very much!

[pj8708]

I test drove a Buick LaCrosse turbo before buying my '13 350. I found the ride satisfactory but not as smooth as the Lexus. The fabric sunroof cover really disappointed me. Even though the Buick had more HP - I think around 300 - I felt that the 270 HP Lexus had better acceleration. I also drove an Infiniti and didn' t think that car measured up to the Lexus either. I have just passed the 2000 mile mark and hear no tire noise at all with Michelin MX4's. I find the cabin to be extremely quiet and have the premium sound system - not the $4000. Mark Levinson system. FYI on another Lexus blog you will find a post 27 pages long regarding issues with this option. I agree with the other members that only you can decide what car is for you. What I think is fabulous you might not. Lexus is consistently ranked at the top for resale value and build quality. I believe that their dealers are first rate due to the many remarks from members and my own experiences.

A guy actualy wrote 27 pages evaluating the ML system? The guy was either being paid my ML if it was positive, or a competitor if the review was negative. Personaly, I think the guy was off his medication. lol

[bc6152]

I test drove a Buick LaCrosse turbo before buying my '13 350. I found the ride satisfactory but not as smooth as the Lexus. The fabric sunroof cover really disappointed me. Even though the Buick had more HP - I think around 300 - I felt that the 270 HP Lexus had better acceleration. I also drove an Infiniti and didn' t think that car measured up to the Lexus either. I have just passed the 2000 mile mark and hear no tire noise at all with Michelin MX4's. I find the cabin to be extremely quiet and have the premium sound system - not the $4000. Mark Levinson system. FYI on another Lexus blog you will find a post 27 pages long regarding issues with this option. I agree with the other members that only you can decide what car is for you. What I think is fabulous you might not. Lexus is consistently ranked at the top for resale value and build quality. I believe that their dealers are first rate due to the many remarks from members and my own experiences.

A guy actualy wrote 27 pages evaluating the ML system? The guy was either being paid my ML if it was positive, or a competitor if the review was negative. Personaly, I think the guy was off his medication. lol

The 27 pages consisted of pro and con by established members of the web site. By reading the posts one would gather that a problem does exist with the subwoofer, and that ML is addressing the problem along with Lexus. I don't have the ML option and am happily satisfied with the premium system that came with my car.

[pj8708]

I test drove a Buick LaCrosse turbo before buying my '13 350. I found the ride satisfactory but not as smooth as the Lexus. The fabric sunroof cover really disappointed me. Even though the Buick had more HP - I think around 300 - I felt that the 270 HP Lexus had better acceleration. I also drove an Infiniti and didn' t think that car measured up to the Lexus either. I have just passed the 2000 mile mark and hear no tire noise at all with Michelin MX4's. I find the cabin to be extremely quiet and have the premium sound system - not the $4000. Mark Levinson system. FYI on another Lexus blog you will find a post 27 pages long regarding issues with this option. I agree with the other members that only you can decide what car is for you. What I think is fabulous you might not. Lexus is consistently ranked at the top for resale value and build quality. I believe that their dealers are first rate due to the many remarks from members and my own experiences.

A guy actualy wrote 27 pages evaluating the ML system? The guy was either being paid my ML if it was positive, or a competitor if the review was negative. Personaly, I think the guy was off his medication. lol

The 27 pages consisted of pro and con by established members of the web site. By reading the posts one would gather that a problem does exist with the subwoofer, and that ML is addressing the problem along with Lexus. I don't have the ML option and am happily satisfied with the premium system that came with my car.

27 pages to tell you there is a problem with a 10"inch speaker? I can see 27 pages for a review of "War and Peace", but really, I have to see this for myself. Can you post a link of this disertation?

[LexBob2]

Test drove one today and wow what a car .. Fit and Finish are so high class .. Cabin is quiet .. Sound system was excellent!

Consumer Reports no longer recommends the LaCrosse due to much worse than average reliability. It gets the big black dot in that area. It has been a sales success for GM though.

[bc6152]

I test drove a Buick LaCrosse turbo before buying my '13 350. I found the ride satisfactory but not as smooth as the Lexus. The fabric sunroof cover really disappointed me. Even though the Buick had more HP - I think around 300 - I felt that the 270 HP Lexus had better acceleration. I also drove an Infiniti and didn' t think that car measured up to the Lexus either. I have just passed the 2000 mile mark and hear no tire noise at all with Michelin MX4's. I find the cabin to be extremely quiet and have the premium sound system - not the $4000. Mark Levinson system. FYI on another Lexus blog you will find a post 27 pages long regarding issues with this option. I agree with the other members that only you can decide what car is for you. What I think is fabulous you might not. Lexus is consistently ranked at the top for resale value and build quality. I believe that their dealers are first rate due to the many remarks from members and my own experiences.

A guy actualy wrote 27 pages evaluating the ML system? The guy was either being paid my ML if it was positive, or a competitor if the review was negative. Personaly, I think the guy was off his medication. lol

The 27 pages consisted of pro and con by established members of the web site. By reading the posts one would gather that a problem does exist with the subwoofer, and that ML is addressing the problem along with Lexus. I don't have the ML option and am happily satisfied with the premium system that came with my car.

27 pages to tell you there is a problem with a 10"inch speaker? I can see 27 pages for a review of "War and Peace", but really, I have to see this for myself. Can you post a link of this disertation?

I would but don't know how to post a link of a specific thread...

[BB11]

Hi Brian and welcome to the LOC.

You've asked some good questions and have gotten some good answers. I'll try to add some more information for you to take into consideration.

I have owned a 2005 ES330, a 2010 ES350, and now a 2013 ES350. All three have been truly great cars, yet each had it's unique qualities. All had and have an excellent ride. The 2013 has been tuned to provide more responsive handling but without sacrificing the Lexus ride and quite cabin. Now, is it as quite and smooth as the 2010 Es was? To me, it is. But to you, you have no referance point other than the ATS. So asking about the ride and quite of the Lexus is of no help because you never drove an older one.

Reliability on all Lexus/Toyota products is excellent. Lexus has been the best selling luxury car or in the top three of the best selling luxury cars for the past 5 years. Reliabilaty is a big reason for that. I have never had better service or better technicians service my cars than my Lexus dealer. And in saying that I should tell you that my dealer also sells Cadillac and gives those customers the same high level of service.

One of the diffrences with the 2013 ES is the change from a Camry based chasis to using the Toyota Avalon chasis. This frame is longer and more rigid and also gives more interior cabin room.

Lexus offers the Mark Levinson premium sound system featuring 19 speakers surrounding the drivers cabin. I think the peak rrms is around 550 watts. (You should look that up) I'm pretty much a snob when it comes to sound systems. I've listened to the Bose system, and in fact I use some Bose products at home. However, the car Bose system does not provide the clarity and range that the Mark Levinson system does. One area where I think the Levinson system is a little weak is the low bass end. The Mark Levinson system comes packaged with the Lexus navigation unit.

Back to the ride and road noise for a last remark. Tires make a tremendous difference in the ride and outside noise on any car. As an example, last December when I took deliverly of my 2013, i saw that it had come from the factory with Bridgestone tires. Over the last few years there have been many disscuscions about what tires were best on which cars. I have foud that Michlen Primacy MX4 are by far the best choice for a ES350. They give a smooth ride and oh so quite. So, I had the dealer take off the Bridgestones and put on the Michlens at no charge to me.

I have not driven th ATS, and it sounds like a nice ride. But I think if you do some research you may find that the Cadillac product will not hold its value as well as a Lexus.

Paul

My first post, thanks Paul, I am in the process of considering 4 cars, avalon, ES350, RX and Highlander, but quiet and comfort are my hot spots. I drove the Avalon and Highlander yesterday,next monday the Lexus cars. The higlander was not bad but I have read about intermittent wind noise, not ok if this is true, I am selling a 2015 Subaru OB with 2K miles for that reason. The Avalon had almost no windnoise on the test, but did have Road Noise and did have 18" Bridgestone tires, and I figured this was probably part of the problem. Any info to me would be great, I am not looking for a sports car, just a nice reliable quiet car. I would consider the '16 models but you never know with a first year, that is what I have with my OB now. Thanks

[BB11]

I wanted to add that I found out the tires that were on a Hybrid Avalon with 17 inch wheels that I had driven that were very quiet, they were indeed Michelins, not sure if they were the MX4's or not, I called but they just told me the brand even though I asked about the model. This tells me that I really will have to negotiate whether I buy an Avalon or a 350 on the tires...thanks again

[Devi2]

I will be test driving the 2015 ES this weekend. Thank you all for the informative discussion. Just the tips I have been looking for.