I got this new ES330 for less than a week now. Put 400 mile on it.
The whole idea of buying this car, is all the review said it's smooth, quite...
I can clearly feel the transmission shifting while accelerating/de-accelerating, maybe it's not that smooth? I feel this is still ok;
Now for the quite, wind is minimum, I am quite happy; engine is ok, only can be heard when accelerate at about 3000rpm, now the road noise is not that great, and also bumps can be felt clearly...I remember some said in the review that even the railroad track is hard to notice, I don't think this will be the case, better tires needed or is the pressure?

Maybe I have too much expectation, and need better definition?

Thanks for your advise....I hope I can enjoy good music with ML sounds, but road noise kills the music badly...

 

Obviously you aren't gonna get a totally 100% isolated feel. The tires on your ES have alot to say on ride quality, sound and comfort. If they're not properly inflated you will get road noise...especially if it's a certain brand/compound.

In terms of smoothness and etc, this car is at the top of it's class. Perhaps your expecations are a little over exceeded? You do only have 400 miles which the car is hardly broken in. When you get past 10k, that's when the car is really broken in.

BTW, what was the last car you owned/driven prior to the ES?

 

My previous car was Nissn Altima, the Lexus is of course much much better (smoothness, wind noise on free way)...maybe I just expected too much...but, road noise-wise, I think they are almost similar...any tuning or setup that I can do to improve it? I hope it improves after several k...

 

Keep your tires inflated betweek 32-35psi cold...Don't fill your tires with air after 10 mins of driving. Which tire brand did they put on your ES? Keep in mind because of your leather interior, sound resonance in the cabin will obviously be more prounounced than compared to a cloth interior vehicle.

 

Will try that. What brand of tire? I don't know now...but, it's original one, shouldn't they be the same for all new cars? Only thing I know is that it's all season one, make difference? What brand is supposed to be the quitest?
Quite is my primary need, otherwise I would have bought Maxima already...

 

The tire brand/model is usually what affects ride quality due to compound and materials. I don't recall if Lexus is still using an H rated tire on the ES or not. I'm assuming they're V rated...possibly Bridgestone Turanzas, General, sometimes Michelin and Goodyear.

Maxima and quiet are in two different categories. Don't get me started on Nissan.

 

its only entry level luxury.. if you want something to sleep in.. go for the ls430

 

the new ES's in my neck of the woods are leaving the dealerships with:

Bridgestone Potenza RE92s, Michelin MVXM4s or Dunlop SP5000s.

I will say, that when I got my ES, the tires were maxed out at 38psi. Deflation to 32 psi smoothed things out tremendously.

steviej

 

Hey lovemov-

Why don't you go out to your car and look at the brand of tires that came equipped on it?
I'd be very interested to know. Mine came with Bridgestones, and I'm very satisfied all around. I'm running 32 psi.

 

I gonna take a look tomorrow, now it's midnight, isn't it?

So, what's the recommended pressure by Lexus, didn't read it from manual, I got missing pages?

 

No it's in your manual...also listed on your vehicle id plate on the drivers door or lower b-pillar. Another location this will be posted is in your glovebox.

 

Go have fun,its a LEX.
What did u have?

 

OK, it is Bridgestone, and found the paper on driver door, says recommended pressure 29psi, so shall I do 29psi? Why some of you guys suggest 32psi? 32 is better or 29 (noise wise).

 

29 PSI is more in line with the ES's intended use and ride / noise level. With 29 PSI ( all other things equal ) you will get a smoother ride, less noise over bumps, more heat buildup in the tires, slower steering response, less wear on the shocks / suspension (the tire absorbs more of the impact) , and more wear on the tire edges. 32 PSI (again all other things equal) will give you quicker steering response, less heat buildup in the tires, a rougher ride, more wear on the center of the tires, more wear on the shocks / suspension as the tires pass more of bump impacts through to them, and more road noise.

If you live in an area with smooth, dry roads, I agree with Flip.....32 PSI is OK. Otherwise go with the 29 PSI that is recommended.

 

OK, easy, I think I gonna make it to 30-31

Now I have just read some article, said 10F is about 1 psi; If the night is 60 here and noon is about 100, so the range will be 4 psi, make it 25-29 is better or 29-33 is better, is it safe at 25? When in winter, the temp will drop to 0F or even lower, it becomes 20psi or lower, would be too dangerous? I wonder how often you guys check your tire pressure? (I never check my older car, for 4 years, and never had any problem, now I am worried...)