2005 Lexus ES330
The Lexus ES 330, a benchmark for comfort and smoothness in the entry-luxury sedan category, shows off revised styling for 2005 and builds on its already impressive resume of luxury for the driver and passengers. Drivers seeking flagship-type design and amenities will find more of both in the 2005 model, along with the industry-leading quality that has been a Lexus hallmark since its inception.
New luxury features include enhanced seating comfort and adjustability, a new steering wheel with integrated audio and central display controls, voice activation for the available navigation system, and satellite radio compatibility.
The 2005 ES 330 is distinguished in front by a revised grille with additional horizontal bars and revised headlamps with projector bulb halogen low beams. The re-shaped lower intake valence is highlighted by a body-color horizontal bar and now houses larger, round fog lamps. From the rear, the 2005 ES 330 is identified by revised taillamps with twin circular bulb elements and a new chrome garnish above the license plate. The 2005 ES also adds four new exterior colors: Classic Silver Metallic, Blue Shale Mica, Sonora Gold Pearl and Oasis Green Pearl.
Customers can add a sporty new touch with newly available six-spoke 17-inch wheels in both silver and chrome finishes. The 215/55-VR17 tires are available in both summer and all-season tread to give customers their preferred choice to enhance handling response.
"From revised styling to color changes, new amenities and interior finishes, revisions to the ES 330 for 2005 highlight its understated elegance," said Lexus Group Vice President and General Manager Denny Clements. "The ES 330 is a great value story offering thoughtful attention to detail and luxury amenities often reserved for flagship models."
Lexus is the only luxury brand to maintain a distinct two-model strategy in the near-luxury segment, in which it also offers the rear-wheel drive IS 300 for more sport-oriented drivers.
The Luxury of Wider Choice
The more elegant exterior appearance of the ES 330 is complemented by revised interior design features along with newly available finishes and amenities. The ES 330 offers two new leather colors for 2005. Cashmere leather interior replaces Ivory, and Ash replaces Light Charcoal for the gray color. The instrument panel trim features a lighter silver finish with color-coordinated buttons replacing black buttons. With the Ash interior, subtle changes to the upper instrument panel and the headliner provide a fresh yet harmonious appearance.
Renowned for the quality and detail of its interior wood trim, Lexus now offers two kinds for the 2005 ES 330. In addition to the Burled Walnut, the ES 330 now also offers Golden Bird's Eye Maple matched with the new Cashmere and Ash interiors. The wood trim highlights the dashboard, center console and doors, which also feature chrome handles.
In more than just new surface treatments, the 2005 ES 330 indulges and pampers its occupants with luxurious amenities and innovative features that are intuitive and easy to use. The ES 330 now offers heated and ventilated front seats, as seen on flagship models. The standard mirror and seat memory system now holds settings for the eight-way power passenger seat in addition to the 10-way power driver's seat. Shifting the transmission into reverse automatically tilts both exterior mirrors downward to help make parking the car easier.
Effortless Performance
Lexus vehicles have always exemplified effortless powertrain performance. The ES 330 is powered by a 3.3-liter four cam V6 engine matched to a five-speed automatic transmission. Equipped with continuously Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i) and a three-stage variable intake manifold, the V6 produces 225 horsepower and 240 lb-ft. of peak torque to give the ES 330 V6 quick response at virtually any speed. The ES 330 has fuel mileage estimates of 21 MPG city and 29 MPG highway as well as the ULEV II (Ultra Low Emissions Vehicle) certification.
Grade logic enables the five-speed automatic transmission to provide silken performance even in hills, where it will delay upshifts to sustain power on inclines and hold a lower gear for increased engine braking on descents.
Advanced Passive and Active Safety
The ES 330 safety starts with a reinforced passenger compartment, which helps protect the occupants with front and rear crush structures. New for 2005, ES 330 is equipped with seatbelt pre-tensioners and force limiters for the rear seats.
The Lexus Supplemental Restraint System includes side curtain airbags in addition to the dual front airbags and front seat-mounted side airbags. The side curtain airbags extend from the A-pillar to C-pillar to help manage the impact energy to the head and upper body in certain types of severe side impacts. Advanced front airbags are designed to deploy at one of two speeds, according to impact force. The driver's front airbag also includes an extra low stage designed to deploy based, in part, on how far forward the seat is on its track.
Additionally, whiplash injury-lessening (WIL) front seats are standard.
The front passenger occupant classification system is designed to help determine whether a child or an adult occupies the front passenger seat. If the system determines that a child is in the front passenger seat, an indicator light will display "Airbag Off" and the front passenger airbag, front passenger side airbag, and seatbelt pretensioner will be deactivated. If the system determines that an adult is in the front passenger seat, an indicator light will display "Airbag On" and in case of severe frontal collision, the front passenger airbag will deploy at either "High" or "Low" speed depending on the severity of the impact. Additionally, the front passenger airbag and seatbelt pretensioner will activate.
Standard active safety technology in the 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.
VSC helps control loss of lateral traction while cornering on slippery or dry road surfaces by using throttle intervention and/or applying individual wheel braking to help control any discrepancy between where the driver is steering and where the vehicle is heading. Brake Assist can determine whether the driver is attempting emergency braking and, if the driver has not stepped hard enough on the brake pedal to engage the ABS, the system applies maximum braking power until the brake pedal is released.
Navigation System Now With Voice Activation
The optional Lexus Navigation System for the ES 330 adds voice activation for 2005. 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). Map modes with easy-to-understand graphics show freeway exit information, an intersection guide, upcoming exits (a benefit if the driver passes an intended exit), points of interest at the exits and a compass.
The DVD map database contains more than five million points of interest (POI). The database for Chicago, Detroit, Los Angeles and New York features "building footprint" graphics, which show a 3D rendering of buildings in their locations. This feature can be useful for identifying buildings and their surroundings. System functions include multi-route calculation, route preview, simplified highway junction graphics, and a dual-map screen mode. The navigation system comes with a center-console mounted six-disc CD auto-changer as well as a single-disc player in the dash.
Ride Quality Benchmark
Lexus designed the ES 330 as a ride quality benchmark in its segment, exemplifying the brand's reputation for this luxury attribute. The four-wheel independent suspension is mounted to anti-vibration subframes with high rigidity to help provide stable handling. A nearly flat underbody and other exterior details contribute to the low 0.28 coefficient of drag and help reduce wind noise to ultra-low levels. Lexus uses extensive sound absorption material in the ES 330, which reduces noise in the cabin by absorbing it, not merely blocking it. An active engine mount helps cancel out vibration on every power stroke. Special engine mounts further reduce vibration at idle, and a two-stage muffler reduces exhaust booming at low speeds.
The optional Adaptive Variable Suspension system (AVS) is a feature generally seen in LS 430 competitors, not the entry-luxury segment. AVS enhances ride quality by continuously changing each wheel's shock absorber damping rate in response to road surface conditions, vehicle speed, steering and braking inputs, and even vertical vehicle movement. The driver can choose between four settings ranging from Comfort to Sport.
Flagship-Style Luxury
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 standard premium audio system in both models features a five-channel amplifier and seven speakers. The ES 330 includes both a CD player and a cassette player. Automatic Sound Level (ASL) adjusts volume up or down in response to ambient noise. Like most Lexus models, the ES 330 offers an optional high-end Mark Levinson audio system in combination with a DVD-based navigation system.
Available XM Satellite Radio provides CD-quality sound and a wide selection of music and news/talk stations coast-to-coast. The subscription service, offered at an additional cost, features 71 music stations and 29 news/talk and entertainment stations, with about half of all stations broadcasting commercial-free.
The optional power-adjustable accelerator and brake pedals give drivers greater adjustability for comfort and include a memory feature.
Additional standard luxury features include a one-touch power moonroof with sunshade, multi-information display with trip computer, Homelink® compatible garage door opener, electrochromic auto-dimming inside and outside rearview mirrors and a compass integrated into the rearview mirror. The power windows on all four doors provide one-touch up/down control with jam protection. Two convenience features borrowed from the LS 430 include water-repellent front door glass and four door courtesy lamps that illuminate the ground and doorsill areas.
The luxury ambience is enhanced by standard footwell lighting, a center console LED interior light, and sun visor vanity mirror lamps that turn off automatically when the visor is closed. Another option that brings the ES 330 even closer to the LS 430 is a power rear sunshade that lowers automatically when the transmission is shifted into reverse.
Lexus' traditional attention to detail is further demonstrated by a front seat design with a front headrest hinge that allows the lower portion of the headrest to swivel toward the occupant. This design provides a larger support area and a more comfortable fit. Additional luxury options include heated and ventilated seats, High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlights with dynamic auto-leveling and rain-sensing windshield wipers.
The 2005 ES 330 will be available beginning August 2004 and will have a base manufacturer's suggested retail price of $31,975.
