PERRYinLA

From the PRNewswire:

Lexus Announces Pricing for New, More Powerful 2004 ES 330

TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Lexus announced today the upgraded
2004 ES 330 entry-luxury sedan will maintain its value position with a
manufacturer's suggested retail price of $31,725, which is unchanged from the 2003
model price. In addition to a more powerful 3.3-liter V6 engine, the ES 330
features newly standard leather seats with memory, as well as larger side impact
airbags (SRS), and an enhanced optional satellite navigation system....

LexFather

Wow, the new TL will be 33k starting from my understanding. That is aggresive pricing.

Horta

Lexus Announces Pricing for New, More Powerful 2004 ES 330




TORRANCE, Calif., Sept. 4 /PRNewswire/ -- Lexus announced today the
upgraded 2004 ES 330 entry-luxury sedan will maintain its value position with
a manufacturer's suggested retail price of $31,725, which is unchanged from
the 2003 model price. In addition to a more powerful 3.3-liter V6 engine, the
ES 330 features newly standard leather seats with memory, as well as larger
side impact airbags (SRS), and an enhanced optional satellite navigation
system.
The improved 3.3-liter V6 engine in the ES 330, which replaces the
previous 3.0-liter V6, produces 225 horsepower and 240 lb.-ft. of peak
torque, compared to 210 horsepower and 220 lb.-ft. in the ES 300. The
larger-displacement engine endows the ES 330 with better performance, with the
increased torque providing the kind of response the customer can feel and
appreciate in everyday driving situations.
"In its third year on the market, the new-generation ES sedan shows the
benefits of Lexus' thoughtful attention to detail and passionate pursuit of
perfection," said Lexus Group Vice President and General Manager Denny
Clements. "The more powerful engine and other refinements for 2004 help to
further hone our two-model strategy in the near-luxury segment, in which we
also offer the rear-wheel drive IS 300 for more sport-oriented drivers."
The ES 330 is nearly a second quicker than its predecessor from 0-60 mph,
at 7.2 seconds. Continuously Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i)
and a three-stage variable intake manifold (also featured on the previous
version) give the ES 330 V6 engine a wide torque curve for quick response at
virtually any speed. With the 3.3-liter V6, the ES 330 achieves the ULEV II
(Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) certification.
Lexus has also revised the standard five-speed automatic transmission for
the 2004 ES 330, matching it to the performance of the larger engine. Wider
gear ratios take advantage of the increased torque while enabling the ES 330
to achieve virtually the same EPA-estimated fuel efficiency ratings as the
previous model (20 MPG city/29 MPG highway vs. 21/29 for the 2003 ES 300).
New grade logic enables the five-speed transmission to provide improved
performance in hills, delaying upshifts to sustain power on inclines and
holding a lower gear for increased engine braking on descents. Shifting
smoothness has been improved in all conditions.
In addition, Lexus has augmented the impressive safety technology array in
the ES 330 for 2004. A new larger side airbag provides a greater protection
area that includes the torso. Standard active safety technology in the 2004
ES 330 includes daytime running lights, anti-lock brakes (ABS), and Electronic
Brakeforce Distribution (EBD), which helps proportion braking power to the
wheels that need it most. The optional Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) system
integrates ABS, EBD, electronic traction control (TRAC) and the advanced Brake
Assist feature.
Lexus trademark luxury features continue to enhance the ES driving
experience. The optional Lexus Navigation System for the ES 330 has been
improved for 2004. As before, the system uses a DVD for map storage,
containing the contiguous United States, plus major cities in Canada, on one
disc. This system includes multi-language selection and very fast route
calculation (about five seconds). The revised system features better,
easier-to-understand graphics, a larger point of interest (POI) database and
new convenience functions. The DVD map database now contains more than five
million points of interest (POI), compared to two million before. The
navigation system comes with a center-console mounted six-disc CD auto-changer
as well as a single-disc player in the dash.
Lexus infused the ES 330 with luxury features similar to the LS 430
flagship sedan, such as dual-zone automatic climate control with an air
filtration system. The optional power-adjustable accelerator and brake pedals
that were introduced for 2003 now include a memory feature that provides
greater adjustability for driver comfort. Seating comfort also has been
enhanced for 2004 with two new features. The passenger seat now includes a
power lumbar adjustment, and a new design for the front headrest hinge allows
the lower portion of the headrest to swivel toward the occupant. This
provides a larger support area and a more comfortable fit. Additional
standard luxury features include leather seating, a one-touch power moonroof
with sunshade, multi-information display with trip computer, Homelink(R)
compatible garage door opener, electrochromic auto-dimming inside and outside
rearview mirrors and a compass integrated into the rearview mirror.

5sp4banger

I went into a dealership today to look at the 330 and it was pretty nice, but the pricing isnt very aggressive. Basically there are all those little options they sneak into the price it ends up getting pretty pricy. They had a full loaded 330 with Navi-Levinson and it was stickering at over 38k. The car was pretty luxurious but i still cant justify paying over 40k with tax for a car with only 225hp that weighs 3500 pounds, IMHO.

The TLS has alot of horsepower and you can get it with navigation for 32k or so, but it has many squeaks and the interior is jsut okay (my brother has one). Too bad the ES doesnt have say 260hp with the rest of the ammenities, then i would say it would be truly worth every penny.

Almost forgot to mention the sport and luxury leveling suspension feature was pretty nice, not sure how well it works though.

titanskj10

the new TL has that future look to it and it really doesnt look good in this age. and just wondering, yall are saying that the price of the ES isnt aggressive enough? yall rather pay more for a car of less?

Buster

I believe I understand Honda's dilemma more than any outsider. Honda is currently in the middle of an automatic tranny crisis and Acura is taking the brunt of it. The auto tranny used in the TL/CL has been experiencing an unusually high failure rate since 2000. This unit is also in the Honda Odyssey and was in the Acura MDX until a newly designed MDX tranny replaced it. On top of that, there are a lot of complaints about rotors warping in the TL and the 2003 Accord.

Honda admitted last year to a 2% TL automatic tranny failure rate. After reading all the chatter on the Internet, I believe that figure is much higher. The failing TL tranny is the topic of discussion on Car Review and all the TL forums. There are many people complaining that their rebuilt trannies are failing in about the same amount of time their original unit did. Some are on their third, fourth tranny. There's an Internet petition and a class action lawsuit on it.

Last year, Honda claimed to have "redesigned" this tranny. It must still be on paper because the tranny in the 2003 TL (at least in early models) has also been failing.

Here's my take on what Honda is doing: Fixing the auto tranny and brake problems is quite an expense and the only way Honda could have kept from dipping deeply into the red was to consolidate and invest as little R&D money as possible in new designs. That would explain the 2003 Accord's bugs for one thing. It's as if Honda severly cut the R&D budget on that car. It appears to have not undergone a thorough testing before hitting the production line. A cut in the R&D budget would also explain why the 2004 TL automatic has been "blessed" with the same tranny and brakes that plagued the last generation.

The 2004 TL 6MT gets larger front brakes than the 5AT despite being 75 pounds lighter. What's up with that? Not only does the 6MT get larger front "Brembo" brakes, it appears that Brembo only supplied the front calipers and their dual piston pads. What company supplies the larger front rotors? It doesn't appear to be Brembo. The rear brakes appear to be the same units used on the last generation.

Then there's the TL engine... While Toyota provided the ES with an engine upgrade in the middle of last year and then went a step further by providing the 2004 ES with a 10% larger engine, Honda saw fit to only improve air flow in the 3.2 TL engine. That's the cheapest way to increase power in a car and that's what Honda did. Instead of taking the Accord's new 3.0 DOHC i-VTEC design and creating a 3.5 DOHC i-VTEC engine for the TL, they stayed with the old SOHC VTEC design of the 3.2 and provided it with a lousy, inexpensive 5% power boost. Personally, I think Acura is worried about pumping even this little increase in power into either tranny.

My between-the-line interpretation of the carefully worded phrases I've seen on the 2004 TL lead me to believe Acura's R&D budget was extremely small and they had no choice but to cut every corner they could. However, a severely limited budget isn't enough to bail out Acura. There must be a decent return on that small investment. That would explain the high entry price of the TL. Honda has to cover the cost of all those tranny rebuilds and rotor replacements. By carrying over many expensive parts from the last generation TL like the whole drivetrain, Acura saved a bundle. If I remember correctly, the 6MT is the same unit being used in the Accord coupe and TSX. I don't know if Honda did anything to strengthen the unit to handle the TL engine's higher power output. After the 5AT fiasco, I wouldn't trust Honda to have done the right thing on the TL's 6MT.

So, if you're considering a TL, read what TL owners are saying about the last generation before getting emotionally involved with this new, somewhat mechanically disappointing TL. It ain't all it should have been for that high entry price.

Buster

The price of the ES330 is lower than I expected considering the standard equipment. What other car for under 35 grand approaches the ES in plushness? The Maxima ain't it, that's for sure! The TL isn't nearly as quiet or luxurious and the sporty G35's interior looks cheap in comparison. By my standards, the Camry is the ES330's closest competitor.

By the way, I clipped a Quirk Nissan ad from the Boston Herald. They're already selling base 2004 Maxima SE's for 3 grand under MSRP! It's not a trick ad, either. The price will be lowered by December and lowered again by next spring. It's been a Quirk tradition for over 7 years. I bought my brand new 1997 Maxima GXE from Quirk for the exact advertised price of $18,062 (with floor mats) back in late March, 1997. It's been great, but it's time for me to count my blessings, sell it while it looks and acts like new, and buy a new car. As much as I like the ES330, I'm more attracted to the Camry 3.3 SE V6. I just want to be damn sure the 5AT tranny programming glitch has been licked before I make a move.

LexDiamond

Qurik tradition is to give there customers 0% customer service.

I would never deal with them.

Buster

That's news to me because I have never spoken to their service manager. I live much closer to Kelly Nissan and have used them for warranty repairs and a couple little things. I consider Quirk a wholesaler.

The problem I had back then was that the salesman at other dealers in the area kept insisting that Quirk couldn't sell me the car at that price and make a profit. They were trying to squeeze another grand out of me. I had to find out, naturally. They were wrong. Their little game of insisting I was wasting my time going to Quirk backfired.

Kelly never held the Quirk badge on my trunk lid against me, so it was worth it for me to save a grand. The car turned out to be very reliable despite 3 accidents. Kelly's body shop is top notch. You'd never know my car had body work.

LexFather

Buster that was awesome, I totally agree. Even Honda's new president said they are going back to basics with quality, admitting it has gone downhill.

LexusPia

My niece who lives in OH just picked up her spanking new 2004 ES330. She said the sticker was $37k but she only paid $33.7k for it (no trade-ins). She was planning to pick up a year end 2003 model but when the salesman said she could have the new 2004 for only about $1k more. She said that was a no brainer decision.

Gekko

lexuspia - what options/package did she get? loaded with ML and NAV?

pushpin30

I just got my '04 ES330 yesterday, Mark Levinson with navigation, VSC, HID, heated seat and wooded steering, with power rear sunshade for $35,000. Think the sticker is almost 38k. Thought I got a good deal, I live in NYC though.

pushpin30

I just got my '04 ES330 yesterday, Mark Levinson with navigation, VSC, HID, heated seat and wooded steering, with power rear sunshade for $35,000. Think the sticker is almost 38k. Thought I got a good deal, I live in NYC though.

JAS300

Pushpin30

Could you please tell me where did you get your Lexus from? I am looking for ES330 for my parents and I am also in NYC. Thanks