I am on the verge of buying a Lexus ES350, but don’t want it if I have to use premium gas. Must I use premium and what will happen if I don’t?
Check the owner’s manual. If it says “Premium required,” then you will have to use premium.
If it says “Premium recommended,” you might be able to use something else, but I wouldn’t.
DO NOT take the salesperson’s word for this. You must read the manual for yourself to see what it says.
We are on the verge of buying a new vehicle and the ES350 is one of the vehicles my wife wants. I looked at the owners manual and it said Premium is recommended, but NOT required.
Part and parcel of owning a luxury vehicle like this is giving it the fuel that it needs. The trick is what’s written in the owner’s manual.
If it says premium is REQUIRED, then you have to use it or else you’ll be risking serious engine damage.
If it says premium is RECOMMENDED, then you can use lower grades with an accompanying reduction in performance, and maybe mileage as well.
At least you’re being careful enough to ask this question before you buy the car. I’ve lost count of how many people come on here who already own the car and ask “Do I really have to use premium??”
I’m I missing something here? If you drive 25,000 miles per year, you are probably talking about a $200 annual difference in fuel cost. You are considering writing a pretty large check to buy a lexus but are worried about an additional couple of $100 per year (less than $.01/per mile)?
it said Premium is recommended, but NOT required.
That means it will dumb down the car when it senses it does not have premium. That means it will have less power, acieration and mileage.
It is hard to guess just how much it will suffer. You might even end up paying more overall for fuel since you will be using more.
You’ll definitely get less performance from the engine. You may also get less fuel mileage as some motors to compensate for lessor octane burn more fuel in the process.
Not to burst your bubble however a Lexus ES350 is nothing more than a Toyota Camry V6 with an upgraded interior and different looks and a pristine badge.
If the $1000 you would save(if mileage remains the same) over 100,000 miles of driving using regular fuel concerns you. I would suggest maybe the loaded Toyota Camry 4 cylinder.
Exactly…I made the same argument to my wife. Why worry about using Premium for a total cost savings of MAYBE $200/year. It should NOT be a determining factor in buying a car.
A radical method for new/used car shopping:
Walk into a showroom and ask to be shown only those vehicles that run reliably on regular gas. Tell the sales agent you will absolutely not purchase a car that either requires or recommends premium fuel. And, while we?re at it, no timing belts, just timing chains, please.
Following these two simple rules will end having to re-hash these issues every couple of weeks.
Have you EVER bought a car??? I’ve YET to find the salesman who knows anything more about a car then how to start it and fill the gas tank. Anything technical is usually well beyond their knowledge base.
Not to burst your bubble however a Lexus ES350 is nothing more than a Toyota Camry V6 with an upgraded interior and different looks and a pristine badge.
The Lexus interior is definetly bigger. Yes they are on the same platform, but the Lexus does have a bigger interior. Same with the Avalon.
The Camry, Avalon, Lexus ES350 and Hylander all share the same platform. But they are NOT the same vehicles.
The fuel tank for that car is 18.5 gallons. The price difference between regular and premium is 20 cents. Even if you waited until the tank was bone dry(which you shouldn’t), you’d only spend $3.70 more than if you filled up with regular. putting it into that perspective, does it really seem that bad?
you might save money by just adding small amounts of octane boost, if the engine knocks, then use it, but you dont have to if it doesnt
Amen!
Most car salesmen are so woefully ignorant about the products that they are selling that it is not wise to rely on anything that they say regarding the vehicle’s operation. Some are slightly better than others, but they are all oriented toward one thing and one thing only, and that is to sell you a vehicle regardless of whether it fits your needs or not.
The best example of an incredibly ignorant car salesman was the one who waited on my brother several years ago. My brother pointed to the Traction Control button on the dashboard, and asked what it did. (Note–my brother knew the answer, and he was trying to assess whether the salesman had any technical knowledge of the car.)
And, what was the salesman’s reply? The salesman confidently stated, “Oh–that makes the car heavier”! My brother replied, “Wow, I am really impressed that the mere pushing of that button allows the car to defy the laws of physics”, and then he exited the showroom in search of a car saleman who was not an idiot.
As a former salesman I can assure you that it is quite true. Guys would always come to me for the answers after giving what I found were funny answers. However, I must say that I ran into a lot of customers who thought they knew a lot more than they really did- such as, did you know that the Lexus is just a Camry. Ignorance is everywhere, not just on the sales floor. Oh yeah, I lost a lot of sales to less than honest car salesmen, but got a lot of referrals as well.
ref
I have met two new car salesmen who knew their products inside out and proved it by showing me everything at delivery. One sold Mitsubishis and the other sold Subarus.
If you can’t afford premium fuel, you can’t afford a Lexus.
You may want to look at the interior dimensions specs and then decide which car is “bigger” on Lexus vs Camry. However they may do a good job on illusion/feel which makes a great bit of difference even if interior may be smaller.
I have looked at the specs. I also sat in them. The Lexus has far more leg room in the rear and is wider then the Camry. The space the Camry says it has is NOT usable space. It is definately smaller use interior. One thing you’ll notice right away is my wife can comfortably sit in the rear seats when I’m driving the drivers seat all the way back. In the Camry her knees hit the seat. It’s comfortable, but the Lexus has more room.
I actually did find one also…just recently too. In our car search we looked at the Acura TL. The salesman was very well informed. He knew the product and all it’s features and comparison vehicles. We loved the car and the dealership…but my wife wanted something a little bigger. If it had the same dimensions as the Lexus or Camry we probably would have bought it on the spot. But these salesmen are so rare.