im 17 as of 2 days ago and ive had my LS for about a year now. the older models are actually not TOO powerfull but i learned to drive on a combination of 20year old camry and 3 year old lexus :-D

 

Don't forget that there is a 166 hp V4 that significantly costs less to buy and to insure and to fill up on gas.

I swear, no one praises the value of 4-cylinder engines anymore...

 

JL22, unless your trust fund is due to kick out a payment in the near future, the RAV-4 would be a good if pricey choice. Consider a smaller Toyota, even a Hyundai for your first car. A good used car will save not just a lot of $$$ on purchase, but will be worth proportionally more at trade-in when you are ready to move up.

Statistically, you are most likely to do something ignorant, if not really stupid with your first car. Pick something that is solid, that offers a fair amount of protection (no Yugos), and is cheap to repair and maintain. When you have gained a few years of driving experience and maturity, go for a Lexus.

Most states now require insurance. While you are a student, most insurance companies will insure you on your parent's policy, making it expensive, but not punative. When you leave home (and school), complete coveratge on your own policy will be HUGELY expensive until you are at least 25. Give mom and dad a break, don't insist on a new $30K car to go out and smash - pick something easy to maintain and crashworthy. Have you looked at something like a 4 yr. old pickup?

 

I've turned 18 recently and the parents purchased the GS430 for me when I was 16.

I'm very grateful that they trust me with such a high-end car, but in all honesty, it's a lot for me to handle.

At my young age, no matter how eye appealing and powerful and luxurious it is, it's not suitable for a novice driver. I was lucky enough to get one and responsible enough to take the roads seriously. A poweful car like a GS430 could cause serious problems in the hands of an irresponsible teen.

But the ES300 is a good choice for a novice driver. But I personally think there are better choices out there. I personally love the ES and I think it's great for getting anywhere you need to get. But there are other car makers such as Hyundai, Mazda, Honda that make cars more suitable for the younger more inexperienced crowd.

If you can afford the ES, I say go for it, but you should carefully think out what you need it for. If you plan to go snowboarding often like you stated, it's not the most logical choice. You might want to consider a Subaru, which are great cars but just not up to Lexus luxury standards, or a used Toyota or Lexus SUV. A used Toyota 4Runner or Rav4 is a great choice. You can also look at a used RX300. The RX330 is great also but considering our age and knowing we get dings here and there, it's probably more appropriate to get the older model used. The RX330 is also going to be a bit more pricey compared to the 300.

All in all, the choice it up to you. But I would personally choose the RX300 which would seem to fit your needs perfectly.

 

I think a Scion may suit your needs much better than an ES300. Easier to drive with a nimbler body, snowboarding-friendlier (since you mentioned trips for snowboarding) with hatchback designs, lower maintenance costs with a non-luxury marque, and just about as reliable as a Lexus.

 

u should really look into a cheap vehicle and not something above 25k becuz i read a statistic somewhere that the first vehicle will most likely end up being damaged one way or the other.

 

my es300 was my first car when i got it 3 years ago for $5500. Great first car, still my favorite car I've owned. Im 19 now and I drive a 2000 solara.

 

You are an INTELLIGENT young man. I started out driving like you do and I haven't been sorry yet. You are going to save a lot of money further down the road in insurance and in points on your driving record. More people your age should have your views.

The ES is a good all-around car that is strongly Camry-based and is biased more toward comfort rather than handling...one of the few cars left in the market that do so. It has a good reliability record except for some of the electronic transmission control units in the 2001-2003 models which produced some quirky shifts. Older models with the 3.0 L V6 are quite maintenence-sensitive when it comes to oil changes...they are NOT forgiving of extended drain intervals and the oil gels up and damages or ruins the engine. This...as with any car......can be avoided with regular oil changes....so make sure the car you get has had them. This, of course, will be no problem if you get an ES from your parents...you will know its history.

You also mentioned that you want easy DIY oil changes. From what I have seen of the whole Lexus lineup none of them, for various reasons, are really easy in this area. The Lexus SUV's....RX, GX, and LX...are easier than the others because of their higher ground clearance...it's easier to crawl under the front end to get to the drain plug ( and take the panel off where applicable)

 

I don't think so in this case, Lil.....he sounds pretty sensible to me.

I do agree with you that a newer ( maybe brand-new ) cheaper car might be preferable to an older, more expensive car. And yes....as you said, Hyundai builds good products today.

 

Sometimes, insurance payments are higher than car payments. This might help...

Most and Least Expensive Cars to Insure