YouDontKnowJack

Leakage.

A new car will have an almost perfect seal around the o-rings, etc. After a bit of wear-in there is just enough leakage that the ATF oil pump does not have enough capacity during a 3-4 upshift at moderate throttle openings (~low engine RPM) to pressurize two (three?) gear engagement drum clutches and the lockup clutch AND makeup for the leakage volume all at the same time.

Most especially with the ATF still cold and therefore of fairly low VOLUME, not enough to fully fill the sump.

And of course the leakage around those seals will also be worse with the transaxle COLD.

Sum of tolerances.

what is the ideal solution then? some super wear resistant seal? is there even such a thing?

probably no fix either. ever. Many people are getting failed replacements.

What's f**ked up is that the transmission flare usually doesn't appear until well into your ownership of the car.

What's the difference between the transmission in a new car vs 1000-mile car, I don't know.

I have noticed that the interior materials do seem more fragile than those on mine, but do you get a sense that the entire car seems more fragile?

I'll answer that with a resounding HELL YES it seems more fragile. And this is only based on my own ES350 precious baby. It feels/sounds like the interior plastic panels are gonna pop off any minute when going over small bumps.

Of course, they don't fall off. But the es300 feels sooo much more solid than my 350.

I'd say the car is fragile.........

compared to the es300. Now this is more apples-apples.

at 67000 miles, my es300 feels more solid than this 350.

also, from the loaner car I have, the wood & plastic on the center console isn't too good, and squeaks a little on very slightly rough roads. when you push on the wood, it makes the same squeaks.

so yeah, in that sense, it is more fragile.

running premium mobil fuel. all other fluids are factory standard.

now that you mentioned it, i found quite a few people with the same clackity clack engine noise over at edmunds forum.

the noise does cheapen the car. I'd expect this in a yugo, but not a lex.

bought it in september. so i'm assuming the build date was around end of august or early september. the car was still wrapped in plastic at the dealership. looked like it just came off the boat.

does it sound like the noise is from the pistons?

or is that clattering from a belt or something spinning?

i don't know if i'm just being picky and paranoid. Even my old 98 camry v6 isn't as loud as this.

here's a short video of the sound i hear. This was recorded while parked, but i do hear it when accelerating ~0-40mph and when stopped at a traffic light

http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6554519013712569288

click.

sounds like an old benz huh?

When you stick the car in park mode, the engine emits a diesel-like noise, like those old benzes from the 80's: clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack-clack

i can hear it when i'm just starting to accelerate too, until the engine growl drowns out the clackclack at around 40mph.

is this engine noise normal?

it's not as loud as the old benzes, but it's still noticeable, and it transmits to the cabin when the radio is off. When i want a silent car, i don't want anything but growl to transmit to the cabin. not the clackclack.

edit: video link http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=6554519013712569288

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i got my first ever car tint, and during night time driving, car headlights behind me scatter vertically along the defroster lines. Is this normal? or did the guy stick it on improperly? i think they used 2 big sheets of tint on the back window.

got 10% off sticker, base model + premium package only. 3 months ago.

this is on a 1998 toyo/lexus es/camry

I can open the front right door from the inside, but not from the outside.

When I pull on the door handle from the outside, it's not latching onto anything, so it won't open.

anyone know what part might be malfunctioning?

i'm looking at the repair manual, and there are tons of parts in the front door. looks complicated.

i guess they assume we are the kind of people who call for roadside assistance rather than DIY'ers.

i suppose the stupid black plastic covers are permanently removable?

do the plastic covers serve as sound insulation too?

i wonder how much headspace is cut off by double moonroofs

today is media preview day at chicago.

should be a ton more pictures online

the backside looks like a hyundai.

same goes for the GS and the camry. all of them look hyundaish.

i liked the curve of the GS backdoor window and the outgoing ES window. That was one thing that set it apart from the cheap look of the last camry. now they're both the same doors and windows.

in the end, the camry is still butt ugly, and the ES is bland.

I see the ES as the IS' fat sister.

this is the camry taped up. not the lex.

notice the cheap look

the front end of the ES in the brochure reminds me of an acura..... :(

I'm afraid to see the new ES...Although each other car released (including the new LS) looks good, I fear the ES will somehow look even more like a camry. The rear of the camry looks exactly lexus like and I don't know what they are going to do to change that. The rear of the camry already looks like the rear of the LS, and the ES is a baby LS.

yeah. the butt of the camry does look like the LS a little

the back also looks like a hyundai.

and of course the front looks like a mazda.

isn't this car supposed to be shown at the most recent auto show?

the new camry has a nasty bullnose, rhino nose, whatever you wanna call it.

i wonder if that will carry over to the ES.

you know toyota..... they always underpower their engines.

280 hp? pfftt.

They'll probably limit it to 240hp so that they can keep adding 5hp to the subsequent year's models.

the back angle shot looks nice. nice flowing lines.

the hood borrows heavily from the IS with the raised hood, and the front lights are reminiscent of the current LS.

the side mirrors are too big and clunky though

wait. so you guys don't go to the dealer to get an oil change?

I know it costs like $20-25 to change the oil on our camry.

but it costs $40 to change it on a lex. But they also wash the car, so i guess i'm paying for that too.

Y'all still crying over the ES rough shifting transmission.  It's a shame that Lexus put this car on the market with this problem and then deny there's a problem.  Lexus should be made to put salt and pepper on every one of them and eat 'em. Get another brand of car and tell Lexus what they can do with all ES's.  No, my wife's 2003 isn't the only year model with the crappy rough lurching shifting.  One of our best friends bought a 2005 and it shifts the same.  They are terribly dissappointed but we tried to warm 'em.  Told them to buy any other brand except a Lexus but some people have to learn the heard way.

Poppi

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yeah. my car is an overpriced camry. haha.

well, at least the leather seats are a lot nicer.

my next ride will be a bmw 8 cylinder. The ultimate driving machine.

crappy car wash? I haven't had that problem with Longo Lexus here in Cali. They seem to wash the car even better than I can. and i use the good stuff; meguires.

I think i'm gonna bring in the ES to get the patch. You guys say it makes the car feel peppier?

Last time I was at a red light, an '02 v6 camry beat me. I didn't gun it, but the old man driving the camry probably didn't gun it either. His car appeared to go faster. Maybe it's because my ES feels like a boat and doesn't have enough horsepower to tug its weight.

I have to say, my best ride is my 98 v6 camry. This thing listens to me. When i press the gas, it responds quickly.

no way!

Lexus has one ugly butt, and it's on the new GS. it does not look luxurious at all.

When i first saw JUST the rear end of the new GS, I thought it was a HYUNDAI!!!..... until I saw the L logo....

I'd say overall, lexus is going down on rear end design. The new IS350 rear looks ok though.