funcrusher

Well some of you might remember that I was in an accident during summer. I didn't have full coverage so ended up selling her it would cost to much for me at the time to have it repaired the right way. It got banged up pretty bad on the passenger side.

I ended up getting a 04 Buick Park Avenue. I've always loved them. Clean, classy look and it's big and comfortable. I love her but it's not the same kind of love lol. I plan on fixing it up a little but am already thinking of a LS or GS in a few years. I think it's the same with everyone I know. They always end up coming back to Lexus. Other cars are nice but they're just missing something. I miss having people on here and fb who are obsessed with their cars and assist with every single issue.

I would go with an ES but I've already had 2. I love the ls 430's. Drop it a little low and that's all you need.

BDSL

Sounds like an ex girlfriend that you always want to go back to...

WILLYumD

There's just something about Lexus. Especially around the 2000s. For me there's an aura elegance but in a laid-back manner. (What Toyota/Lexus are spitting out right now is much too in-your-face for me.) They're also reliable as hell and treat the driver real well. If I had money for a new car, I'd rather get a GS400 and clean it up.

lostape45

Take note of my signature, I have owned three Lexus' and I'll always miss my first ES

BDSL

When I was young, my old man gave me his 97 ES300. I thought to myself "This is an old person's car....I see grandma and grandpa driving these ES300 all the time....why..."

Then the ES started growing on me for the following reasons:
- extremely reliable (reached +280k miles over 18 year span in this crappy Canadian climate) on original transmission, engine, alternator, PS pump, starter, etc....
- extremely easy to work on (I can do engine oil and transmission fluid change without raising the vehicle)
- parts are fairly inexpensive because parts are interchangeable with Toyota vehicles
- extremely quite and comfortable (especially good when you have a long commute)
- at the end, it saved me a lot of money (whereas my colleagues and friends have to spend $$$ every few months on repair bills and/or new vehicle after 6/8 years or 100k miles whichever comes first.)

speedkar9

I'm in the same bucket as the OP. I sold my Lexus ES330 a few months ago and am now looking at getting a newer ES350 or GS350.

I think once you get used to a certain level of refinement, craftsmanship, quality of materials and a quiet ride its hard to give up.

kodavis

I bought an 05 ES330 5 months ago and I'm seriously considering trading it next year for an ES350. While the car is quiet and comfortable, the jerky transmission is a pain in the butt. I also feel that it needs more padding on the door where your elbow rests. Gas mileage isn't that great either. Have you driven an 07 - 12 ES350? Is the transmission smoother?

speedkar9

Yep as a matter of fact, I test drove one just 2 days ago. There isn't as much throttle lag and the transmission jerkiness isn't as violent as it was in the ES330. Its not absolutely perfect (a la 3ES for example), but its much better than 4ES. However going from a 4ES to 5ES will be a downgrade in terms of interior quality. The material finish just isn't there anymore. Visibility is noticeably worse in the 5ES due to its high belt line, high dash, and very low sloping roof. Its very smooth and quiet overall, though the electric assisted steering is too smooth, and you get a lot of torque steer when pushing the engine.

Its too bad the poor tranny programming affected a lot of Toyota/Lexus vehicles that would have been in my price range, including the RX330/Highlander and Gen 2 Solara or Camry SE.

Stereorob

totally agree. I feel this way about the LS400s. ive had a bunch of them and just cant drive anything else. not even a Ls430 or Ls460. I always go back.

in a way it kind of sucks to get into the Lexus black hole death spiral nothing even comes close. totally ruins the experience with other cars. like you said, once a lexus driver, you really cant drive anything else, especially the older ones. theres just nothing else like them and other cars just have something "missing" about them that I really cant describe. its not about the brand, or the status symbol or the luxury, they are just the best cars in the world and ive never been able to leave. ive tried many times but lexus has its claws in me and never letting go.

and now please please take my advice and heed my warning.

these cars are old. very old and they wont ever make them again.
the ES300 was a mass produced car that wasn't horribly expensive new, and now they have fully depretiated down to almost scrap value and people are buying them for there kids as there first car... -to destroy.
kids buy them to thrash around, modify, and cut up, -which causes them to be destroyed.
people buy them as cheap throw away cars as beaters just to abuse, not maintain, and drive into the ground.

nice examples are getting tough to find and time is NOT on your side, and they will only get rarer.
the ES300 is a delightful car, and can go 350k+ miles is watched after, but they are not as tough as the old LS400s and fade away pretty quickly if not taken care of.
not trying to take a dump on them, but I work in a lexus dealer service dept and see this happening right infront of my eyes, every day.
im just telling you what I see straight from the horses mouth, and being brutally honest as someone that knows these cars and well.

if you want another old ES, don't wait. start looking NOW!!!!! you need to act fast because the numbers are beginning to dwindle. right now more are being junked and crushed every day. 1st and 2nd gen ES are becoming a rare sight on the road these days, and the few I do see are decrepit looking and very tired. however the saving grace is that they made so damn many of them that there are still clean, non abused examples out there but they wont be around much longer. ive been searching for a clean early build LS400 now for several years. they just don't exist and I HIGHLY regret not getting one 5 years ago when they could still be found. don't make the same mistake as I did man!!!!

!!!!!!!!!!!!!ACT NOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

speedkar9

I see your point about they not making them like they used to. For me I had to step up into the GS350 to get the level of interior quality and refinement I was looking for, as the 5ES didn't have as good quality as the 4ES I had did.

Generally speaking on the used car market, the more popular the car, the less its owners care about the car and won't take care of it as much. Step up a class or two and not only does the quality go up, but so do the maturity of its owners, and hence better used samples you'll find on the market.