Lesux

In regards to your headlights, the problem doesn't seem to be the bulbs. I'm no mechanical expert, so maybe someone else in here can provide you a better suggestion. But if I were you, I would definitely ask the dealer to look into it. I could be wrong, but at first sight it seems to me to be a relatively minor issue to fix. Possibly a relay or a switch. Poor contact. I'm very gentle with my Lexus, maybe that's why they are gentle with me ;) P.S. Before I got into Lexus, I was driving a European brand and I was among the most, if not the most aggresive driver in town... My cars always needed more 'maintenance'...

I guess you must have HID. My 2009 ES 350 is the base model. Just regular headlights, not like the fancy ones in my 2009 RX 350. The bulbs I mentionned are about $25 for a pack of two. If you have HID, I recall another poster on this forum mentionning that you could buy them yourself and change your bulbs for possibly $200 each??? Maybe another forum participant can be of more help to you.

Take a look at your owner's manual, but for my 2009 ES 350, it was: H7 Low Beam 9005 High Beam (HB3) 9006 Fog Light (HB4) I bought them at Walmart in upstate NY. There is a video on the net which shows exactly how to go about changing all three types of bulbs. It was incredibly easy to do after watching the video. Look it up.

The only time I have vibration in the steering wheel is when I am at a red light. It is very, very light. I noticed it because I've never had such thing in the other 13 cars I have owned previously. I figured it is maybe a 'characteristic' of the ES350. No vibration whatsoever at any speed (city or highway). To me, it is a very small price to pay in exchange for what I'm getting out of my 2009 ES 350. People are not perfect, neither are cars...

My mpg were calculated using distance traveled and exact filling up of gas tank (until it is impossible to add one more drop). I am not sure that the car mpg meter provides an accurate reading.

UPDATE: I had the opportunity to drive the car last night and visibility has improved by between 200% and 400%. It is unfortunate the previous car owner didn't notice as it was plain dangerous to drive at night with such poor lights. OTOH, maybe he never drove out at night as he only did about 1,000 miles in winter between oil changes... Check your bulbs!

One more thing, you don't have to throw the old working bulbs in the garbage. You can keep them and if you have a spare car battery, during a blackout connect a bulb directly to the + and - of the battery using electrical wires and voila! Free light ;)

Two months ago, I bought a 2009 ES 350 with 19,000 miles. Not HID, but halogen. This is what the bulbs look like... The one on the left is the 'regular' light. The one in the middle is the high beam and the one on the right is the fog light. All three (6) bulbs are still working. Pay attention to the filament of the 'regular' light. I replaced all 6 bulbs with Sylnavia Xtravision. I used those on my previous European cars and had very good results in terms of durability, as well as performance. Hope it helps. http://i1053.photobucket.com/albums/s468/bernadetteshoe/100_9248.jpg http://i1053.photobucket.com/albums/s468/bernadetteshoe/100_9250-1.jpg 'regular' light http://i1053.photobucket.com/albums/s468/bernadetteshoe/100_9251.jpg high beam http://i1053.photobucket.com/albums/s468/bernadetteshoe/100_9255.jpg fog light P.S. Needless to say, night visibility was very poor and the worst of any cars I have owned prior to installing the new bulbs. I haven't yet driven at night with the new bulbs, so I can't tell you how much of an improvement. But I am expecting about 100% improvement given the condition of the 4 years old bulbs.

I recently purchased a 2009 ES 350 base model, not even NAV :o and yesterday I was on a road with no street light and I wasn't impressed with my headlights. Is there anything I can do, i.e. like changing the bulbs, in order to have more lights coming from the headlights? Thanks in advance.

You are entirely correct. I grossly underestimated the fuel wasted due to temporary stops. Nevertheless, I am very proud of my 30 mp(USA)g with the ES 350 :)

Nop, my ES 350 is the base model, not even NAV. I only miss the higher quality sound system and better headlights (that's for another tread in the ES 350 forum). From a financial point of view, it just wouldn't make sense to get a 2013 ES 350 when you can get a 2013 GS 350 for only $40 more!!! So I test drove a 2013 GS 350 premium package and I was positively impressed. What surprised me the most is how much I appreciated the 12" display. So bright and sharp. Once in the car, it doesn't take long to get used to the new dashboard. The bottom line is that it is too much of a car for me. I don't need so much power at my disposal. I agree with you and I am also underwhelmed by the 2013 ES 350. It is for this reason that I'm currently looking at 2011-2012 ES 350. The 2009 ES 350 I purchased two months ago was my first foray in the ES world and now I that appreciate it a great deal, I am looking for something newer and better equipped. I always buy my cars used. Lease options in Canada are never as good as in America. I like to buy used, maybe 2-4 years old with low mileage (preferably about 20K miles). If lease options in Canada would be as affordable as they are in America, I might lease instead and that would change the whole ball game. Again thanks for your input.

Today, for the first since I bought my 2009 ES 350 (19,000 miles) in February, I had an opportunity to go on the highway. I set the cruise control at 62 mph (100km/h) for 240 miles and obtained 30 MPG (US), or 36 MPG (CAN) or 7.4l/100km. Driving strictly in the city (no highway at all), I manage 22 MPG (US), or 26 MPG (CAN). One thing I find fascinating as well as puzzling, is the following: When driving on the highway, the engine RPM was constant at 1,800. And when I drive in the city, I basically never go higher than 1,700 RPM. I tend to stay between 1,400 and 1,600 (yes, I am the slowest driver on the road - and at the next traffic light, I catch up with at least 80% of all the drivers who passed me ;) I basically never reach 1,800 rpm during my daily commute and yet, I am having a lower mpg. In the past, I always had higher mpg on highway compared with city, but that was when I was driving a European car and I was driving like a freaking maniac reaching rpm in the 3,000 from every traffic light. I always was the fastest kid on the bloc. I forgot to say, I only use regular (87) gas. Anyway, your 2 cents is welcome.

Thanks a lot for your reply. I was waiting to hear back from you before deciding to test drive one. I'll be at the dealer on Friday for an oil change (RX 350) and I'll ask to test drive the used (3,000 miles) 2013 GS 350 AWD they have for sale. I'm glad you really enjoy your car as much as I am currently enjoying my ES 350. But I guess we always want more :)

FWIW, I have a 2009 RX 350 and I carefully monitor my mileage when driving on highways. I use highways as a reference because I can drive at the same speed (cruise control) for hours and it makes comparaisons reasonable. I was shocked when my MPG dropped by 20% because I removed the Michelin LX4 tires and installed the Cooper Discoverer winter tires. There was no snow yet. It was a clear road with nice weather. I drove at the same speed than with the Michelin. And I drove 480 miles. There is no mistake in my calculations. I lost 20% of my usual MPG only because of the tires!!! P.S. I didn't buy those tires, they came as extra with the vehicle when I bought it in 2011. I still have the original Michelin as I only have 24,000 miles on the RX.

For those who have owned such cars, can you tell me how does the 2013 GS 350 AWD (Luxury or Technology package ) compare to the ES 350 (2009-2012) in terms of comfort, ride and quietness? Thanks.

$3.80 for regular in Watertown, NY.

To answer my own question, in case it can help anyone else; the battery has 630 CCA. It is made by Panasonic and specs can be found here http://ecom.toyota-gib.com/Default.asp?WCI=ProductDetails&WCE=PID:6676NTD:0

I bought this earlier today, http://www.harborfreight.com/digital-automotive-battery-analyzer-66892.html and it is pretty neat. It has mostly postive reviews and most importantly, one poster mentionned that he verified the results compared to professional equipment and it was very close. Very neat to have the actual CCA. I got 549 CCA out of the 580 CCA written on the battery of my 2009 RX 350. Does anyone know what is the CCA for the battery of a 2009 ES 350? Can't see it with all those pieces of plastic over it. Thanks.

Have a look over here, it might give you an idea of what's out there http://www.cargurus.com/

America is a very important market for Lexus. The median age is 37.1 and 1 in 4 Americans is over the age of 55. Attracting younger buyers at the expense of older buyers is a no-win situation. The LS460 is still rated as comfy as the previous generation in spite of the so-called improvements. One way or the other, I still love Lexus and I intend on keep purchasing them. Comfort and quietness are my main priorities. So my next car will either be a ES 350 MY2012, a GS 350 MY > 2012, or a LS 460 any MY after 2009.

I know it is too late for you, but the January 2013 issue of CR has an interesting review of the 2013 ES 350/ES 300h and it confirms your suspicions. Interestingly, the 2013 ES350 is apparently the same platform than the Camry and the same powertrain than the Avalon. The December 2012 issue of CR has an evaluation of the 2013 GS. All in all, it seems the new generation of the ES is less comfy than the previous gen., while the new GS is a major improvement over the previous generation. Hope it helps someone.

Any battery can be damaged by those high current fast chargers. High current charging is bad for battery and no battery manufacturer would recommand using one. Also, when lead acid battery is charged at high current, it can overheat and also can produce hydrogen gas. That is what can cause explosion. The ones I use produce between 0.8 and 3.2 Amps. The MXS 5.0 produces up to 5 Amps, which is within what Lexus recommend, as per owner's manual of my RX 350.

One more thing, instead of only relying on what a technician told you about your battery, you could always buy this http://www.ctek.com/int/en/chargers/Battery%20Analyzer and see what it says.

One more thing, if I recall properly, the owner's manual of the RX 350 states that the battery should not be charged with more than a 5 Amps charger, or it could explode, or something to that effect. Also, CTEK has updated its products. It is best to visit their web page. The MXS 5.0 seems like an ideal product.

If you need such a charger on car that is driven often, something is really wrong with your car's electrical system. Alternator not being able to produce enough current or devices on your car using too much. Battery on my car is original and may need to be replaced in couple of years, but I would use it until I need a jump. Like I wrote in the post following the one you quoted, I use such charger when I won't be using a car for more than 3 weeks in a row. I have too many toys and can only drive one at a time. I should move away from the city and buy a four/five cars garage ;) Wonder if the wife will go for it... lol!!!