bichoo

Hi Lexusfreak. It was the touring model i test drove actually. It's a very nice car but not worth the money especially when the ES is in the same price range

I have a 05 ES330 and I"m finding the accelerator too 'hard'. I mean that you gotta give it some force compared to my other vehicles. It feel hard like my ancient 86' Tercel that I had! :D Has anyone found that their gas pedal is too hard? Can it be loosensed up a bit? I looked down that gas pedel and there seems to be some spring or somethin..maybe it can be loosensed up a bit so i dont' have to apply a lot of force to get the car moving? Any help would be great! thanks!

Excellent Review and after reading it, I headed out to Toyota to take their beast for a drive and compare it against my 05 ES330. The Avalon is loaded with a lot of features but after all, it's a Toyota and not a Lexus. I"m not gonna write a long review but to summarize a 30 min test drive: Avalon is no comparison to the ES or any other Lexus model for that matter. the car is a 'boat'..just a big Camry with more features. Handling was no better than a Camry, and doesn even compare to the ES. A lot noiser than the ES too. The interior is nice but is missing some of the lexus 'touch' like the chrome trim and the better plastic and vinyl. The wood trim is also horrible! Anyway, don't take me wrong, I love Toyota and it is a great car, but I just want everyone to know that don't compare it to the ES, the ES wins hands down! There is only 1 thing that I really loved about the Avalon, and that is the 280hp engine..that car can move! I wish my ES had that! :D But that is it..nothing else, i still wouldnt trade my ES for that boat..no way!

I know the ES330 doesn't come with one of those round, sharkfin type external antennas on top of the rear windshield like on the BMW's, but i'm looking for one to stick on. I was lookin at my new ES330 and i was thinkin it would look cool to have one. Of course having it the same color is impossible, probably have to be black. There are a lot of fake ones on ebay for really cheap, but is there a kind that anyone here has tried and recommends? thanks!

oh yea, forgot to mention, the es330 i got is leased so i'm not that concerned about the 17 inch alloy wheels. If i go to 16's, i gotta spend $300 bux on top of the cost of the tires just to get the steel rims. So i've narrowed it down to 4 options: 1.) 16 rims ($300) + 225/60/16 Dunlop M3 ($830) = $1130 2.) 16 rims($300) + 215/60/16 Michelin PA2 ($690) = $990 3.) Keep the 17 alloy wheels + 215/55/17 Pirelli Snowsport 210 = $1100 4.) Keep the 17 alloy wheels + 225/55/17 Dunlop M3 = $900 Interestingly i can keep my 17 inch rims for the winter and get the M3's for the cheapest of the 4 above. Only problem is i'm going a bit wider from 215 to 225. Any suggestions on what to do? This car is leased after all and only gonna keep it 4 years. If it was my car, for sure 16 steels rims would go on it. Comments?

The closest size i can get in the M3's without affecting the diameter of the tire too much is 225/60/16. Of coruse this means a 0.4inch wider tire but i have no other choice. Otherwise i can get the exact size in the Michelin Pilot Alpin PA2 but prefer to have the M3's. You think going from 215 to 225 will cause a problem for driving in the winter? 0.4 inches wider ain't that bad. Anyone have experience in this? thanks for all your help!

thanks for your replies. That defintely sounds like a good plan to get 16 inch steel rims. I want those dunlop winter sport m3 tires but they still don't make em in the correct size. I believe the 04 es330 have 215/60R16 tires. Any of you guys know about using different sizes safely so that it doesn't mess up the brakes or speedometer. I'm using this tire size calculator at: http://www.1010tires.com/TireSizeCalculato...p?action=submit Anyone used this? I think 225/60R16 should be ok although the tire is gonna be 0.4 inches wider which i didnt' actually want but oh well.

I"m trying to figure out which snow tires to get for my new ES330. I want the Dunlop M3 or M2 but they don't come in the right size. My only 2 choices are: Pirelli SnowSport 210 Michelin Artic Alpin PA2 I can't decide between the two. I know the michelin are not that great in the snow but are much better in we conditions and quieter. Anyone had experience with these tires? Suggestions?

I can't get the options separately. I"m in canada so the options and packages are limited. I am considering the extra money perhaps for the audio for #1 and the AVS #2. Gonna be leasing it so warranty is not really an issue since the lease term will cover it. If I want the Nav, it's an extra $2500 CDN, but i don't really need that. Btw, the AVS isn't the system that counteracts vehicle body roll (on tuns for example) and keeps the car level? Is that it the air suspension only on the LS430?

Thanks for the replies! Speaking of the ML stereo, is it as good as advertised? Been reading up on it and it seems that ML and it sounds amazing! Might consider going to the higher package just for the ML now! Hmm.. :)

I'm all set to get the new ES330 but having trouble deciding whether to get the Adaptive variable suspension or not? I'm here in Canada so it comes in an $2700 extra package that includes the mark levinson sound system. But $2700 is pretty steep and I haven't been able to get a clear answer or opinion as to exactly HOW AVS works and is it worth the money? In comfort mode, is the ride smoother than a ES330 without AVS or the same? The description from lexus says: "AVS is a computer-controlled system that continuously adjusts shock-absorber damping rates to help provide appropriate ride comfort and handling precision. Sensors monitor wheel speed, engine rpm, steering-wheel movement, brake application and vertical body motion to determine the ideal damping rate for each shock. The driver also has a console switch to select among four damping-firmness programs, from Sport to Comfort." From my understanding from this description, AVS does more than just a mechanism to switch between sport and comfort modes. So does it in comfort mode really provide a better ride than without AVS? And in sport mode, how sporty is it? Close to the G35 or Acura TL? Anyway help would be great! thanks!