wilbanks95

I'm not sure if I'm posting in the right area or if this discussion was already talked about (I'm new), but I was wondering what gas mileage looked like on the 2005 ES 330. I'm planning on buying one, the price is $7500 and that's with 123,000 miles. Is that a good price? But overall I'd like to know the mpg, I know that websites say 27 on average but I was wondering what other people have experienced. When I took the car for a test drive, it said average mpg was 33 but I'm not sure if that was right. If anyone has any advice or things they'd like to tell me, feel free to. Thanks

jimbosr1

when i read the title i was wow 330miles a gallon

wilbanks95

Sorry, I changed it hopefully that helps. Lol

hypervish

Welcome to Club Lexus!

You will find more applicable information here: https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es300-and-es330-179/

$7500 is a good deal. Has the timing belt already been changed?

You can expect to beat 27 mpg highway if you can keep your foot out of it.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

welcome. moving to forum...

mmarshall

Welcome to CL .

Yes, you can post questions like this here in CAR CHAT, where we talk about any auto manufacturer or any vehicle on four wheels, and sometimes two or three, 24/7 around the clock, or post them in our specific ES forum.


First, this time of year (assuming you are in the U.S. or other Northern Hemisphere country country where it is now mid-winter) is not a good time of year for getting maximum MPG, for several reasons. A cold engine generally needs a richer fuel mixture (more gas, less air) to start and warm up properly, and takes longer TO warm up....especially if you are running the cabin heater, which takes some of the hot anti-freeze out of the engine and transfers it to the heater-core inside. Cold oil in the engine also means more drag, which uses more gas to make more power to overcome it. Cold air is thicker and more dense, making for more aero-drag (and load on the engine) than in the summer.. Denser air burns more gas with it, which means more power from the engine....that's why you accelerate faster in the winter.

If you live near a large city and/or othe rare as with dense stop-and-go driving, of course, that will use more gas, too....stop/go driving can make a huge difference. Using the A/C compresor (which often also runs with the defrost cycle) uses about 2 MPG on average. Carrying around unnecessary weight in the trunk uses extra fuel. So does underinflated tires...and tire PSI drops about 1 PSI for each 10 degrees air temperature.

This time of year especially, I don't think you're going to get 33 MPG with a Lexus V6...though it is (theoretically) possible in mild dry weather (no A/C) on level surfaces, at moderate speeds, lightly-loaded.

Last, I share your high opinion of the 4th-generation ES. (2000-2005) I consider it the best ES series ever done ...especially inside, with the beautiful interior genuine wood and the overall level of fit/finish. I wasn't anywhere near as impresssed with either of its two successors...the 5th and 6th Generation models. The only significant flaw in the 4th generation model was a couple of years (don't remember exactly which ones) of some acceleration/shifting quirks in the automatic transmission and electronic throttle-sensors. The factory came out with a couple of ECU updates/computer flashes to address those issues....ant Lexus dealer should have them, and they may have already have been done on your particular car.

Good Luck.

wilbanks95

I'm not sure about the timing belt. I'd imagine, but I will have to ask. Thanks for all the info especially about the winter and summer mpg. I live in the south so we don't really have snow. We have flat, long roads where I live so even the 27mpg is good for me as I'm a student and will be starting college within a week or so. Thanks for everything you guys.

mmarshall

Probably not this time of year, unless conditions are unusually ideal.

Level99Jew

I've got a 2003 300, and I get around 16 if I drive like a hoon and I get around 23 highway.

speedkar9

$7500 is a good price for only 123K miles. Have it properly checked out for mechanical issues or previous collision damage.

I get 11L/100km (21 MPG) on my ES330, roughly 85% highway driving in winter.

DamianYung

Welcome to CL! I also averaged about 21 mpg (combined) this winter in my 05 ES330, according to the multi-info display.

hypervish

The EPA estimate for highway is very conservative on the ES, during the summer I can regularly pull 30+ while doing at least 75 mph. I've seen almost as high as 34 out of my ES300 albeit under ideal conditions. You have to keep in mind the original EPA estimate was 29 mpg for highway, and that still seems more accurate than the "new" (2008) EPA ratings.

Just yesterday I returned from a trip to DC, 450 miles with an average of 28.6 calculated mpg. Not too shabby for winter fuel, drawn out open-loop for each start, low temps, cruise set at 72 mph.

Now yes this is a ES300, but the extra .3 liters would not make a huge difference in mpg. If anything it would improve mpg in my circumstances as mpg plummets when climbing large grades.

rlx101

best case scenario - 27-29mpg driving 55-65 on a highway in the summer IMO.

Its all downhill from there. Winter is low 20s to high teens, depending on local conditions.

330 engine is 3.3L vs 3.0 in 300, so combustion chamber is 10% more, may or may not be significant.