berlinrl

Before I place my order for a TL, I felt like I should test drive the
ES330. I know, everyone says it's an 'old man's' car, but I had to
see for myself, and confirm the TL was right for me. (Come on guys,
I know you are going to flame me!) :tflamer:

This car soooooooo unimpressive.

The first thing I noticed was the 'lack of luxury'. In pictures,
the dash and interior look gorgeous, but in real-life, the plood,
guages, etc. look pretty tacky.

Then there is the ride . . . so sedate, boring, and borderline underpowered.

Needless to say, this isn't the car for me. So if you want a FWD luxury/
sports sedan there aren't too many choices.

Rachel

brucedeb1

Hi Rachel,
IMHO you chose the wrong car to compare to the TL. You should have selected the GS300. The horsepower is closer, the ride stiffer and sportier. The interior will still leave you wanting better though. When you add up the costs and features as well as performance results you will come to your same conclusion though. The TL beats them all hands down. Good choice in the TL. You won't be dissappointed!

berlinrl

Brucedeb1, I need the FWD/AWD for our Western Pennsylvania winters so the GS300
was not an option.

brucedeb1

VQ35DE

The GS300 is NOT as quick as the ES330 so, there's actually a bit more sport with the Camry V6...er...ES330.

doogles

Rachel,
i agree. I live in the South Hills area of Pgh., and I went with the TL because I wanted the FWD for the snows (maybe some members can do great in the snow with RWD, but not me--I'll stack the odds in my favor). AWD would have been okay with me, but not on the G35--I just couldn't get past the interior, not to mention that I would have to drive all the way into Monroeville to get it serviced. I have 2 Acura dealers within a 15-20 minute drive. Being a life-long Honda guy, the TL was a no brainer. I didn't even test drive the G35 (I didn't want to make the choice any more difficult). Lexus makes a nice car, no doubt, but I thought that the TL was a great combo of power, performance, price, probable reliability--and FWD.

berlinrl

Hi doogles, fellow Pittsburgher . . .

I'm in Gibsonia (North Hills) and work in Churchill. Where did you buy your TL and
for what price ? I'm coming from a '95 Maxima which has been such an excellent
car in the snow, and although not as luxurious as the TL, has been a fun, reliable
vehicle.

The G35's interior was so tacky . . . I couldn't get past it.

doogles

Hi Neighbor!

I'll send you a private email, I stirred up a hornet's nest when I bought...!

SilverTL

tl all the way!

g35 - nice car but still has the nissan 'cheap' interior feel about it. RWD in minnesota = slip and slide 5-6 months of the year. now, can it be done? ofcourse it can but why go through the agony?

e330 - just a BORING car - plain and simple. spongy brakes and vague steering.

jrock65

ES330 interior > TL interior

to me.

WIbugb

I drove both and am much happier with the TL-the ES 330 handling is softer, the acceleration is not as quick and although I liked the wood interior, the silver trim is growing on me. The last time I drove the ES 330 the Lexus salesman told me to go drive the Acura as long as it was fresh in my mind-and I never went back.

One other thing-where could I find the additional silver front bumper trim as seen in the Nighthawk Black TL on the website?

Almost Jake

The 05 G35 has an updated interior. I saw a picture in one of the mags, it looks better, but still not close to the TLs.

I agree that Nissan/Infinity have an interior problem. The G wouldn't work for us for a number of reasons, like the control layout, interior space, feature set, stiff shifter, heavy clutch, as well as the interior quality.

We loved the outside and handling characteristics, and were ready to buy. However, then we looked at the TL, and went back to take a second look at the G. All of a sudden the G's interior flaws came into focus and we headed to the Acura dealer.

Expecting to retire in MI, I didn't look forward to a HP car with RWD. The TL is perfedt for our needs.

jrock65

Which mag had a pic of the 05 G35 interior?

johnb34

ES300....something my father should be driving

catsailr

I also test drove an ES330 before buying the TL. The ES330 is a nice car, but I like the TL much better, even though I am an old man.

roadman

Then you may want to look into a set of snow tires and wheels because the TL with stock tires (or performance all-season) is poor in the snow

dougpt10

Just curious as I have driven my TT with Kumhos on it for 3 winters, yes it's AWD but it was still a trip every snowstorm even though it was manageable. regardless of tires FWD should be a breeze no?

Boxcar

Steering wheel audio controls are still not available with the ES 330. Even my sister's 2001 Buick has them.

On the plus side, they are a lot cheaper to lease. Without bargaining, it was $435 a month including tax, no money down, on a 48 month lease with a car with navi. I then got a phone call from the salesman that he would blow me away with a new price if I came. I told him about the audio contros and he admitted that Lexus is behind the times and that the RX330 got them for the first time this year.

Mrike

I also compared the ES330 to the TL. Haven't bought anything yet, but I have ruled out the Lexus. I really liked the interior of the ES330 - it just seemed more luxurious than the TL (although the TL certainly has more cool tech stuff.) Two main reasons I didn't like the Lexus:

1. Lots of complaints about the ES drive-by-wire technology. It shifts slow and sometimes switches to the wrong gear. I experienced it during the test drive. I came around a corner doing about 5-10mph. As I accelerated, the car hesitated and "thumped" as the computer seemed to be looking for what gear to shift into.

2. From the outside, the ES330 looks just like the Toyota Camry! Boring! Evertime I see one of these cars on the road, I have to wait until I can see the hood or trunk emblem to know if it's a Lexus or Toyota. There's no way I'm buying a $35k car that has no external personality.

My 2 cents.

Going to make a decision this weekend if I want the TL, G35 or BMW X3. I know the X3 is completely different than the cars, but it's such a sweet little SUV!

berlinrl

The saleswoman who took me for the ES330 test drive was very nice, and by the
end, we'd had a nice conversation. As I began the test drive, she asked me what was important for me in making a decision about this car purchase. I told her
that I was looking for the perfect balance of luxury and sportiness. After the drive,
she told me that from my answer, she knew the ES330 wasn't the car for me. She
even agreed with my assessment of the Lexus!

She even encouraged me to buy the TL, as in her opinion was the best choice for what I wanted. She also said that in her opinion, I shouldn't consider the G35 because it doesn't hold its value and isn't nearly as good a car.

1SICKLEX

No Lexus has ever had fake wood, or "plood". The Wood in the ES 330 is a red stained Walnut. You are blind as a bat with his eyes covered by black paint flying in the darkest cave known to man if u think the interior is that bad.
The TL is clearly the sportier car here.

DevilMayCry

Damn Slick, don't get your blood pressure
up!

GaleForce

The ES is gross. Has as much sport as my grandma's town car.

TLGator

In fact, it's Toyota's version OF your grandma's town car.

1SICKLEX

:toothless , oh the car is boring to drive, no doubt, but one of it's best attributes is the interior.

EFlecha

ES330 :rocketwho Lexus needs to pass a law.. 1. only in Florida where 2. 55 and up need only apply.. and i aint talking the speed limit..

moahdriven

the es330 is actually a really nice car...although the exterior styling isnt too great, ive driven it and its a really fun car to drive, although i have to say the TL is nicer in every aspect

claud

Lexus lists top speed for an ES 330 as 143 mph. Have you ever checked what B&W lists for 3 series?
This is a nice some what sedate car for ones wife . You can't beat lexus service. TL is sportier. I think ES gets better gas milage.
ES styling doesn't do much for me. TL has an Italian look like Alpha Romeo.
What ever blows your skirt up!

claud

BMW330 top speed is limited to 128

BLEXV6

Is there nothing you don't know about Lexus?

GaleForce

He lies! Hang him!

BLEXV6

You cannot compare the GS300 to the TL as they are in diffent leagues, especially price.They are also rather dated, looking interior wise like a mid 90s Japanese interior.

1SICKLEX

Your the turd that got banned at Acura-CL b/c u thought your TL was better than anything short of the chariot Jesus has. I am not sure the exact date the range topping V-12 Lexus debuts....crap.

claud

BLEXV6,
In case you don't know cars, the TL is the mid level sedan in the Acura line. The RL is the top, and the TSX is below it. In the Lexus lineup The LS is the top sedan, with the GS300/400 the midline, and the base is/are ES330 and IS 300. Line for line, The TL competes against the GS 300/400, BMW 5 series, etc.
TL has also been designated as "entry level Luxury" and is supposed to compete against Caddy CTS, Infiniti G35 , etc.

VQ35DE

The TL (in its last incarnation, at least) competed against the Lexus ES300 and Infiniti I30/35. (read: Accord V6 vs Camry V6 vs Maxima/Altima V6) All three being entry level luxury sedans. With the 2004 models, I still see the ES330 as the TL's competition (with the G35S thrown in over the aging I35).

The GS300 is more in line with the RL (and M45). As for the BMW 5 series comparisons, I'm willing to bet that few buyers in this category are cross shopping the 5 series and the TL.

$.02

elessar

Heh heh heh... this thread is funny, because my parents just bought an ES 330 a week ago. They were looking at that and the Maxima. I actually lobbied pretty hard to get them to buy the ES, precisely because it's an old man's car. :p Although my dad liked the Maxima's styling better, he agreed that it was too torquey for them (they're in their late 60's & early 70's). I drove the ES yesterday, for the first time besides a quick trip to the gas station, and I'm convinced they made the right choice for them. It's smooth as silk, but has almost no low-end torque. Still, I took it on the highway, and it's got decent enough power to go 80 mph and still feel incredibly smooth. It's just really hard to "gun it" in that car - I tried, and the car pretty much said, "Um... what? Ohhhh, you wanna go fast!". It'll do it, but it'll take it's time getting there. Like I said, perfect for an older couple. I do think that, despite what one of the other posters said, the interior is really nice. Softer leather than the TL, and real wood trim, instead of that yellow-ish fake stuff (which is why I got mine with the quartz interior - goes better with the modern, high-tech TL, IMHO). In the end, they're 2 different cars for 2 different types of drivers, but both are damn fine automobiles.