View Poll Results: Which engine do you prefer?
Very quiet engine with less horsepower 3.3 liter
12
22.22%
Noisy engine with lots of horsepower 3.5 liter
42
77.78%
Voters: 54. You may not vote on this poll
Engine noise vs Horse Power
10-28-06, 05:14 PM
#16
Lexus Champion
LexBob...
Without question you got a car just like the cold started demonstrator I test drove. Whisper quiet at idle and generally so just as my 2 prior ES300 were so I was shocked at the noise level of my own car and the two loaners I drove in comparison.
I don't have any idea how many were made properly like yours as opposed to not. Someone, I think it was Wanderer, said there should not be so much variation car to car as he also drove several loaners and I think Riley on here agreed with him. I do as well.
There is no excuse for so many cars to be so dissimilar, they should be more
similar than not so where three of us have noticed such variations just as a result of problems with our own cars then notice no set standard among loaners we drive either. Off slightly one could understand, noticeably so is inexcusable.
When I would get loaner ES300's when I owned those they may have driven as though beaten suspension wise or interior wear but the engines all sounded similar when considering one to another, all were QUIET at idle and generally so at speed. And I never knew an interior rattle in either of them, wind noise at mirror on one of them which was repaired, not had an excuse made as with wind noise in this ES350 and for many others.
Without question you got a car just like the cold started demonstrator I test drove. Whisper quiet at idle and generally so just as my 2 prior ES300 were so I was shocked at the noise level of my own car and the two loaners I drove in comparison.
I don't have any idea how many were made properly like yours as opposed to not. Someone, I think it was Wanderer, said there should not be so much variation car to car as he also drove several loaners and I think Riley on here agreed with him. I do as well.
There is no excuse for so many cars to be so dissimilar, they should be more
similar than not so where three of us have noticed such variations just as a result of problems with our own cars then notice no set standard among loaners we drive either. Off slightly one could understand, noticeably so is inexcusable.
When I would get loaner ES300's when I owned those they may have driven as though beaten suspension wise or interior wear but the engines all sounded similar when considering one to another, all were QUIET at idle and generally so at speed. And I never knew an interior rattle in either of them, wind noise at mirror on one of them which was repaired, not had an excuse made as with wind noise in this ES350 and for many others.
We drove 3 different demo cars at two different dealerships before we purchased our car, and IMO all were quiet vehicles. I drove a neighbors ES350 before we purchased, and again IMO, as well as his, it was quiet too. Before the ES we had an '03 Avalon XLS, which is similar to the ES300 & 330, and it was a very quiet car too. I don't notice any more or less noise in the ES than I did in the Avalon. Maybe a lot of it goes back to an earlier comment about ones noise tolerance or preference? I'm not saying some cars don't have problems in this area, but we still don't know how widespread it might be.
10-29-06, 01:09 AM
#17
I want you guys to keep in mind three things that tie into each other:
By the time you added another 100lbs+ for the old equipment. Then stripped the much larger powerband.
That means almost every v6, or turbo i4 minivan sold in the last 15 years in North America would rape the ever living pee out of "that" ES 350 in absolutely any form of a race you could possibly dream up.
Hello 17 second 1/4 mile!
You'd be easily than the damned 1989 ES250 is once you do afew 100% completely free tweaks to it. bawahahahahahahaha!
I don't care how much anyone says, "I don't race" It's not about racing... It's about having a powerband. Frankly... The old engine doesn't ahve the poewrband for the flat out huge shear mass of the new car. Not only that, but all forms of economy would be thrown right out the window.
LoL!
Beams 1mz-fe & 3mz-fe
VS
2gr-fe out of a Camry (I.E. the ES 350 engine running 87 octane instead of 91, which takes away a whole 4 bhp peak. ooooooooLoL!)
- The 2gr-fe has a HUGE powerband advantage VS the 3mz-fe
- The full 2gr-fe drivetrain is a good 100lbs lighter than the full 3mz drivetrain
- The ES350 is already 3580lb+ curb weight
By the time you added another 100lbs+ for the old equipment. Then stripped the much larger powerband.
That means almost every v6, or turbo i4 minivan sold in the last 15 years in North America would rape the ever living pee out of "that" ES 350 in absolutely any form of a race you could possibly dream up.
Hello 17 second 1/4 mile!
You'd be easily than the damned 1989 ES250 is once you do afew 100% completely free tweaks to it. bawahahahahahahaha!
I don't care how much anyone says, "I don't race" It's not about racing... It's about having a powerband. Frankly... The old engine doesn't ahve the poewrband for the flat out huge shear mass of the new car. Not only that, but all forms of economy would be thrown right out the window.
LoL!
Beams 1mz-fe & 3mz-fe
VS
2gr-fe out of a Camry (I.E. the ES 350 engine running 87 octane instead of 91, which takes away a whole 4 bhp peak. ooooooooLoL!)
Pheonix, that is an excellent presentation.
10-29-06, 05:59 AM
#21
Lexus Champion
10-29-06, 06:32 AM
#22
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
It really depends on what you are comparing the ES350 to. As I noted earlier, the ES is much quieter than my previous TL. Don't know how quiet the new G series will be. People who own other makes get in my ES 350 and can't believe how quiet it is. People who owned previous ES 330 models might think the car is noisy. Depends on what kind of car you are conditioned to. I can tell you this, after driving the ES for a few months, it would be very hard for me to go back to a ride like an Acura TL. I am spoiled.
I do agree that the cold start engine knock is not normal. But, once she warms up she is good to go. But, I have to hear some cold engine noise in return for more horses, that is fine with me.
Bob, I do understand you are having more issues than the average ES 350 owner and I hope you do get them resolved. And, as to driving the 350 loaners, I have about 1,000 more miles to 5K and I will bring her in for her first service and take out a 350 loaner if available.
I do agree that the cold start engine knock is not normal. But, once she warms up she is good to go. But, I have to hear some cold engine noise in return for more horses, that is fine with me.
Bob, I do understand you are having more issues than the average ES 350 owner and I hope you do get them resolved. And, as to driving the 350 loaners, I have about 1,000 more miles to 5K and I will bring her in for her first service and take out a 350 loaner if available.
10-29-06, 08:04 AM
#23
10-29-06, 08:16 AM
#24
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
I wish Lexus offered a product like that. But, don't get me wrong, I still feel the ES350 is quiet.
Last edited by MD350; 10-29-06 at 08:57 AM.
10-29-06, 11:14 AM
#25
Driver School Candidate
Join Date: Sep 2006
Location: NY
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I owned 2003 ES300 before trading it in for ES350. In general I don't find ES350 noisier than ES300. In fact I find ES350 is quieter at highway cruising speed than ES300. The only problem is the clatter noise many people observed in the morning, this clatter noise typically goes away after 1 mile. So I can live with it.
My dealer told me that's normal due to the new injector design. I think it is probably true. I compared it with another ES350 loaner, they sound practically the same. Also, I don't hear the clatter sound at idle, only when I depress the gas pedal (no noise when I release the gas pedal). So the nosie seems to be somehow related to the fuel injection rather than any moving part in the engine. For those who hear the same sound, do you have the same observation?
My dealer told me that's normal due to the new injector design. I think it is probably true. I compared it with another ES350 loaner, they sound practically the same. Also, I don't hear the clatter sound at idle, only when I depress the gas pedal (no noise when I release the gas pedal). So the nosie seems to be somehow related to the fuel injection rather than any moving part in the engine. For those who hear the same sound, do you have the same observation?
Last edited by theredkid; 10-29-06 at 11:26 AM.
10-29-06, 12:15 PM
#26
That is exactly what mine does in cold mornings. At first start up / idle, no noise, as soon as I put the car in drive and pull away, cannery works. This morning, at 888 miles , my first transmission problem - second to third gear shift, the shift went "zing" and the idle went up slightly but the shift caught. 8/06 build is no guarantee not to have problems. To the dealer this week. Just want to get it documented so any future issues at vehicle turn in, esp on a lease vehicle.
10-29-06, 12:39 PM
#27
Lexus Champion
That is exactly what mine does in cold mornings. At first start up / idle, no noise, as soon as I put the car in drive and pull away, cannery works. This morning, at 888 miles , my first transmission problem - second to third gear shift, the shift went "zing" and the idle went up slightly but the shift caught. 8/06 build is no guarantee not to have problems. To the dealer this week. Just want to get it documented so any future issues at vehicle turn in, esp on a lease vehicle.
Wow, your car sounds like my 06/06 build date.
You mentioned gears 2 to 3 and that is what mine slips in most often but once in a while it also slips 3 to 4.
They aren't going to be easy with you about claiming 2 to 3, they were not at all with me even though I had under hood recordings of it doing it.
Let me know if every now and then you start to notice 3 to 4 does it too.
Neither is very consistant about doing it, and the 3 to 4 is less often than 2 to 3.
10-29-06, 01:45 PM
#28
I am going to refrain from posting on your trans here, but shall do it on the Cold RPM spike thread as that is trans related. We should probably try to stay on topic here for once!
10-29-06, 02:40 PM
#29
I was just hoping that the transmission problems would pass me by but no such luck. My wife is starting to have buyers regret already and wishes we got the 2007 Town Car (two tone paint and all) but after two Town cars, it was getting old staying in the 80s. Was time to get into the new millenium!
10-29-06, 02:49 PM
#30
Lexus Champion
I was just hoping that the transmission problems would pass me by but no such luck. My wife is starting to have buyers regret already and wishes we got the 2007 Town Car (two tone paint and all) but after two Town cars, it was getting old staying in the 80s. Was time to get into the new millenium!
In looking up the HP Vs. interior noise level issue, I noticed the 07 G35 is hitting the pavement any moment now or day now with 306 horses and it's noise level interior is nearly identical to the ES350. I also saw on IS Second Generation a couple of guys posting on them so now I gotta go check them out.
Give me horsepower with quiet please...LOL..and throw in no cannery and no wind tunnel testing when I'm not in a wind tunnel and who knows what could happen.
