Hello, I am new here and I have come here to get expert and personally advice on three cars. I will be purchasing a car soon and narrowed it down to a 1999 Lexus es300, 1999 Lexus Sc, and a 2001 Toyota Avalon. I want the down right comparison. I figured coming to a forum would give better insight than randomly searching online. I know these is a lexus forum but as upscale as the avalon is, some of you lexus owners must know something about it.

Just some good comparisons, and if anyone knows, which one has the better system? Idk if the Nakamichi Audio or JBL audio is better.

 

For starters welcome! All three are solid choices and have proved to be reliable. The ES and Avalon will be most similar as they are FWD. Avalon is bigger though. The SC being RWD is going to be much sportier and less efficient especially getting the V8. But all three come in V6.

 

get the SC!!
they are becoming harder and harder to find in great condition as time moves on........

 

I need some more lol. Im bout to buy a car soon i need more reasons.

 

I had an es300 and my friend had a same gen avalon as the 2001 one and we both agreed the Lexus was a lot nicer. Maintenance wise they were very similar, but the Lexus just felt more well refined. The leather inside the cabin made the lexus beautiful while the avalon felt like an economy car with its dull plastics. Outside it was a lot more subjective, but we both agreed the Lexus look more modern despite being older.

However, if you want any hit of sporty, get the SC. The es300 and the avalon both felt like boats.

 

I would rule out the SC because it is so different compared to the other two cars you listed. For a car with "appeal" the SC is better than the other two, but it is so different, i would just not consider it. Wierd how you figured to include it, lol.

Between avalon and ES, what are the prices? It seems to me the Avalon would be the better buy. It is newer by 2 years, probably more comfortable due to bigger size, and most likely has less miles.

However, if you care about badge appeal, go with ES.

My 2 cents. Good luck

 

Im alil switching on sporty or not. I like sporty cars but i favor practicability alil more. I have driven some coupes and raising your seat a couple times is annoyin.

 

lol only because im switching from a mustang so i have a slight chingly ness to coupes

 

my ex, at the time I had the ES, had an SC and the handling/power of the car trumped my ES in every way. It felt so much better to floor the v8 vs my v6. But practicality went to the ES for sure, it was easier on gas and had much more room to carry stuff.

Regarding the seat, just have all your passengers enter through the passenger side, that's what most coupe owners do.

 

If you are switching from a Mustang, you might as well switch ALL THE WAY. Get something completely different; a Honda Odyssey will do.

Lol jk.

As it stands, i would still go with the Avalon. Im willing to bet that the ownership experience will be better for you than the other two, mostly because it is newer, bigger, and may have less miles.

But you shouldn't listen to any one person on here and take their word as fact. At the end of the day, it is your car. Drive what you enjoy. And hopefully the option you pick really connects with you.

 

Get what YOU like, not what others like. You'll be the one living with the purchase, not them.

 

The SC is the driver's car and definetly the looker of the bunch. Much better balanced, quicker, and better handling. If you're carrying people in the back seat or need a big trunk, the other two are the clear winners. If its just you or one other person riding all the time, get the SC, the back seat is big enough to fit real people in a pinch unlike a Mustang.

Personally I like the Avalon a bit better than the ES. Granted the ES has a better interior with the cool gauges and real wood. But the Avalon is the same car under the skin in terms of driving dynamics and has the same v6 engine, so they drive about the same. The main reason I love that generation Avalon is the space. The trunk is HUGE, the back seat is better than anything short of a long wheelbase Lexus LS, Benz S-class, there is enough head-room to wear your cowboy hat, visibility is excellent from all seats. The ES feels kind of tight in comparison, the Avalon gives you Fleetwood Brougham type of space in a package that isn't much bigger than the ES300 or standard Camry.

 

While the SC will be the most fun it will cost the most $$$$ to fix and maintain. I would go with the ES here as it mixes low cost of ownership (ala Avalon) with Lexus luxurious.

 

If its been maintained, an SC really won't cost any more than the ES or Avalon. Granted there are a couple of expensive problems like the power steering leaking onto the alternator on v8 models, leather seats just don't hold up like they should IMO, rear suspension bushings to name a few. These are all 10-20 year old cars we are talking about, so I say reliability is best determined by number of miles and how well the previous owner treated it. Keep in mind that ALL of these cars need regular timing belt changes, should be a $600-700 job on any of them at your Toyota dealer, so look for that as well while you're shopping.