I want to know what car is better, gs400 or es330?
02-18-16, 07:07 PM
#31
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If its been stored inside, not driven through 16 yankee winters with all the salt, and always maintained, you should be good to go.
I daily drive a 1992 SC300 with 92k miles, runs like a new car, factory paint looks great. All of the rubber door seals, vacume hoses, etc look like new. Age isn't that big of a deal, its how the car was used and maintained over that time that matters IMO.
Honestly the OP should buy the car in better condition, weather it be the ES or GS. If he's even looking at the ES, he probably isn't that picky about the way the car drives/performs. Plus the ES is a lot better on gas, but gas is cheap now so whatever.
I daily drive a 1992 SC300 with 92k miles, runs like a new car, factory paint looks great. All of the rubber door seals, vacume hoses, etc look like new. Age isn't that big of a deal, its how the car was used and maintained over that time that matters IMO.
Honestly the OP should buy the car in better condition, weather it be the ES or GS. If he's even looking at the ES, he probably isn't that picky about the way the car drives/performs. Plus the ES is a lot better on gas, but gas is cheap now so whatever.
02-21-16, 10:03 PM
#34
Driver
02-23-16, 09:28 AM
#36
Pole Position
it really IS apples to oranges. If you favor quality and performance over simply having a "newer" car then the GS is the way to go. TBH like the other guy said, cars are NOT made like this anymore. Think about it like this, when the GS was made pre 2000, the value of the US dollar was MUCH stronger then it is now, hence if its a car in the 50k range you can bet at least half that amount went towards the price of parts and actually building it. As cars get newer, companies find ways to decrease costs for cheaper parts to offset the higher production costs (rent, wages, parts, shipping). There is a reason people value older cars more then new cars. If you were only able to drive a GS when it is brand new to compare it to a brand new ES, then you will truly realize the difference. MSRP of the ES aka hyped up Toyota is 32k, MSRP of the GS400 was about 47k. that's $15,000 more in quality and performance. Just compare a 3GS' quality of the body and interior parts to a 2GS. I am willing to bet my car that the majority of the MSRP on the 3GS was spent on labor/rent in comparison to the 2GS where you can tell more was spent on quality parts. Most importantly, NO modern Lexus has the engine/tranny of a 2GS or 2LS, those are legendary! Like I said, if your preference in life is quality over quantity (like me) then the GS is the way to go. I even chose my 2001 GS430 over a 2006 GS430 just based on how cheap the 3GS feels in comparison. The GS will easily drive over 300k miles when maintained, the ES330 would be LUCKY to get past 200k on the original engine/tranny. those 2nd gen GS' were built to literally set an example. The 4GS is actually much higher quality then the previous models, but still the engine/tranny are NOT what they used to be and will NOT last as long because frankly, there are MANY more people with money to spend now compared to 98-2000 when quality was the first priority for Lexus. Performance has now surpassed quality as their main concern when producing a car. If they are selling over 10 times the amount of cars (probably more, just a guess) they did pre 2000, it is safe to assume the more you mass produce something, chances are the quality will go down at least slightly to offset cost of labor/rent.
02-23-16, 11:02 AM
#37
Lexus Test Driver
the old ES as well as the new one is FWD, roomy, cushy, soft, and docile.
the old GS is RWD is fast, fun to drive, but not as much room inside and not as soft.
as others have said, finding 2nd gen GS400s that haven't had the absolute crap kicked out of them is going to be tough to find. it was considered a sports sedan and still is today, but then even more so.
youll have a better chance of finding a clean, unmolested ES all day long. if you want a nice old GS, prepare for a fight, or an adventure, treasure hunt depending how you look at it. hell, it took me 6 months to find my clean 95 Ls400 and I felt like Indiana jones at some points in the hunt due to all the crazy places I had to go and sketchy situations I encountered along the way. lol
the old GS is RWD is fast, fun to drive, but not as much room inside and not as soft.
as others have said, finding 2nd gen GS400s that haven't had the absolute crap kicked out of them is going to be tough to find. it was considered a sports sedan and still is today, but then even more so.
youll have a better chance of finding a clean, unmolested ES all day long. if you want a nice old GS, prepare for a fight, or an adventure, treasure hunt depending how you look at it. hell, it took me 6 months to find my clean 95 Ls400 and I felt like Indiana jones at some points in the hunt due to all the crazy places I had to go and sketchy situations I encountered along the way. lol
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02-27-16 07:11 PM