Long time friend of mine had his 2005 civic LX blow its head gasket on the way to work (radiology tech) and was overheating horribly whenever he gave it any revs. The car was doing okay up to this point with 147k miles but the time has come and it's starting to show signs of many systems failing and he is looking for a new used car.

He is not really the type to go for a flagship/any V8 or SUV so with that in mind and the Lexus product lineup in mind what do people here think would be the best, most trouble free car for him to move to? I am suggesting he look at an ES350 but I'm not very familiar with the other options or even particulars of the ES since I personally am a flagship/V8/top driveline sort of buyer. I only know the ES has a very solid driveline but past that I don't know much about the IS, RC or other cars since they never show up for repairs.

 

Thanks for the question. Before we can give you or your friend any credible advice, give us an idea of what he wants, or needs, most from a vehicle. Utility? Reliability? Comfort? Low insurance premiums? Sport-orientation? Power? Economy? Compromises will often have to be made, and there is probably no such thing as an automotive Jack-of-all-Trades, although the Subaru Outback, in a number of ways, comes close.

 

Low cost of ownership, good fuel economy, comfort and features, no real need for any utility at all past simply getting him where he needs to go reliably. He would like more power than he has currently but that's easily solved with literally almost anything ditto for increased comfort and features

 

Budget for this new to him car?

 

In general, the Toyota Corolla and Camry both have excellent reputations along those lines. But avoid older Camrys with the sludge/gel-prone 3.0L V6 (unless oil-change records are readily available) and 2006 V6 Camrys with the automatic....early-production 2006 automatics were troublesome.

 

Under 10k but he would like to get as much as he can for a given price and 5k is the preferred zone

 

There's an '02 LS 430 in Westerville that's on craigslist for $5200. Ad says it's a one owner with 134k. Of course, "one owner" and "original owner" do not necessarily mean the same thing, but sometimes they do. It looks like it might come from a good home.

 

I didn't know about the issue with the 06s, thanks for that. I'm well aware of the 3.0 issues having repaired a few myself

 

Sent it to him, thanks

 

Any car for $5k is going to have issues. Some of those issue can be overlooked, others can't. Best of luck.

 

I just bought a 98 GS400 with 82k miles for $3800. Car drives better than most new cars. An older well maintained GS300/400 might be a good option or even an 02-06 ES. I see them for great prices all the time.

 

Congratulations.

Not surprised that it drives better than newer Lexus products. Lexus, IMO, did some of their best vehicles in the late 90s and early 2000s.

Having said that, of course, you always roll the dice with something that old, although that is very low-mileage for something of that age.

 

If you looking for a used vehicle under 10k and has it to be reliable, why bother with a Lexus. I`d say pick up a newer camry or corolla/Rav4. Dead reliable, probably will have some early Toyota safety tech, and with good service records can be used to last for much longer then any Lexus without requiring anything other then an oil change and gas.

Lexus at that price point are going to have quite a few miles on it, older tech and safety ratings, and probably need a bit more upkeep then anything Toyota.

 

Considering your friend is coming from a Civic, maybe a used CT200h will be a good fit. It doesn't sound like your friend particularly needs a Lexus though. Rav4 was a good suggestion. I would stay away from the 02-06 ES, they have a known transmission design defect. We have a 2006 ES 330 that has been extremely reliable since new in October 2005. The reason I don't recommend it is because the transmission has always been jerky and hesitates sometimes around 2nd or 3rd gear. I am just waiting for it to implode but the darn thing keeps on ticking. It hasn't gotten any worse over the last 14+ years but unless you were familiar with it since day one, it would worry you during a test drive. Let us know what your friend ultimately decides on. What's the friend using for temporary transportation?

 

below 10k lexus hybrids nope, unless it has some form of warranty left over. While the systems are quite robust, long term its still a gamble