NEWBIE HERE!!

I went to the dealer last week and put a deposit on an ES 350 Ultra Luxury. The price we are going to pay is $39,625 w/o tax & less than 43,000 with tax. Am I getting a good deal?

Also after all the reviews I read I'm thinking twice about the ES. I can't believe all he trouble people are having with this car. Especially since we always believed Lexus is one of the most reliable cras on the road.

BTW, we don't have the car yet because the color I want isn't available and they are waiting for the next allocation to let me know when the next shipment is.

 

Welcome to the Club!

I'm glad to hear that you are interested in the ES350. Unfortunately, there are some people who have had problems with the new ES, and they are quite vocal in this forum. However, there are also a lot of people that love their ES and have had no problems. Since this is a new generation/redesigned ES, it still has some kinks that need to be addressed, and most have been slowly fixed through recalls and service bulletins.

As for the Ultra Luxury package, it will be more costly than other ES because of its rarity. Most people are paying near MSRP for the Ultra Lux package. What is the sticker price of the car you want (compared to the price they offered to you)?

 

L Rod, I agree with Philip's comments. Keep in mind that Lexus has sold something like 60,000-70,000 ES350's since it was launched last year (33,000 in Jan-May '07 alone). There are A LOT of good ones out here with satisfied owners.

Hopefully the number of cars with major issues is on the decline as Lexus addresses them.

 

I'm not 100% sure what the sticker price was i think it was 42ish I just wanted to make sure I was getting a good deal b/c i thought i was...
I'm glad I found this forum I found out a lot of information and I look forward to getting my car - I just got a little scared when I read all the problems. My husband owns a MB S550 and we are not too crazy about the quality of the car. I currently drive a 99 gs300 and we figured lexus is one of the most reliable cars out there so why stick with them KWIM...
Talk about rarity I want white exterior with black interior UL & they can't find one for me. I should get an answer tomorrow. I'm keeping my fingers crossed.

 

I did my research on the ES350 and I haven't come across a review yet that mentioned any problems until I stumbled upon this forum. All the reviews I came across highly recommend this car. In fact, it's a Consumer Reports Best Buy! I totally agree with you, LexBob, with so many cars sold during the first year there has to be some problems. I just hope I receive one of the good ones.

 

In my opinion, these forums are better than Consumer Reports because you are hearing from real owners who drive the car day after day, mile after mile.

I can tell you that there is a transmission issue with the car. Not all of them have it, but some do. It is also an issue on the 07 Camry V6. There is a TSIB to fix this issue. There is also an issue with cold engine knock, which my car has. On cold starts when the outside temperature is around freezing, the engine sounds like a diesel for about 5 mins until warmed up. Lexus says this is normal. I don't believe it is normal.

Since you are looking for a rare car (white on black), you are going to pay a higher price for it. If you were picking a car off the lot in stock, you will be able to negotiate a better deal. My UL had a sticker price around 44K, and I paid $2K over invoice back in August of 06 when these cars were very new and rare. You should be able to get a better deal today than I did IF you buy a car in stock. It depends how badly you want your color scheme.

I will say that the ES UL is a lot of car for the money. It upsets me that there are some issues with the car, but nothing is perfect. I have high expectations of a car. I just wish Lexus handled the situations with their customers differently.

Good luck and I hope all works out with your purchase.

 

I agree with you too, it is better to hear from customers. I feel like we should be allowed to test drive any car we are interested in for more than 5 minutes. My question to you is would you recommend this car to your friend or would you tell them to stay away from it?

 

In case you haven't checked it out, here is a link to Edmund's Consumer Ratings and Reviews. Makes for interesting reading and gaining additional insights.
http://www.edmunds.com/lexus/es350/2...dex...1.Lexus*

 

Call Ray Catena dealership in NJ and negotiate the price with them. You will get a better deal. Than, go to your dealership and tell them to match it. You should at least save another $1k.

Regarding problems with ES350, and being one of the "vocal" posters who had buyback of the car and moved into GS, my advice is to wait for '08 model. I do have faith the problem (tranny) will get resolved, but I just not sure if their new firmware is 100% an answer to that. It takes a little longer to iron out such a serious problem. Just my two cents...

 

got a quote from ray caterna NJ on a UL today...39.2k after fees (except taxes)...they only have a red one in stock though. This should be a very good price compared to other dealers that I have talked with.

 

Yes, I would recommend it IF my friend could take the one they were going to buy home for a 24 to 48 hour test drive to make sure their tranny does not have the flare. If their is no flare, I would give a

If the dealer does not let you take the car home for a day or two, then take your business elsewhere. There are too many forum members who got stuck with cars that flare and they have been very upset.

 

May sound stupid but my husband isn't home and I really don't understand the whole tranny flare thing. Canyou explain it to me PLEASE. TIA!

 

Basically, to keep it simple, it is a slip. On some cars, the tranny will slip from 3rd to 4th gear when it is cold. Usually will only do it once, on your first drive of the day, usually while you are still very close to your home. Once the car is warmed up, it seems to run normally. However, some have complained about minor flares (or slips) during other driving conditions. Others say their car is perfect and runs normally.

The RPM gauge will spike during the slip

Lexus has replaced many transmissions and bought back several cars from owners because of this issue. Others have had cars bought back under lemon laws.

Hope this helps.

 

my SP asked me if I was interested in a red one when they were trying to locate the color I want. That's probbly the one he was talking about.

 

I believe my 1999 GS 300 does that. I think my 99 does a lot of the things people on here are complaining about. On cold mornings I hear the cars engine more than normal & other things sound familiar. I just figured the car was getting old. Guess not! That was probably a problem from day 1. Besides that my car has always been reliable. Thanks for the input!