97 es300 - 385,000mi - looking for another
 

Hi,

New to the forum. I have a 97 es300 with 385,000 mi. Car has been great. Purchased it for the quality and have not been disappointed. Looking for another lexus. Not sure which kind. Kind of leaning towards a 2007 es350 or is350. Any thoughts or anyone looking to sell?

Chris

Wow, and i thought i had a lot of miles. Depending on where you live, the es might be the better choice with fwd. But if you are willing to get a is250, you can get it with awd. Unless is350's now come with awd, but i am not sure

IS350's come with AWD as of 2011 I believe, so he won't find any 2007's with them. Between the IS350 and the ES350, it depends on what you want.

The ES350 has a lot of interior and cargo space, it's very quiet ans rides very smoothly. I had one as a loaner and wasn't impressed by the interior design, it felt a little cheap for its time. Obviously it's leaps and bounds above the '97, but I was trying to compare it to its real competitors.

The IS350 is more of a sports car. It has a firm ride and might feel a little cramped on the inside. There is limited rear passenger room, and the trunk space is not as large as the ES's. I am 5'10" and my head was only about 1-2" away from the headliner(sunroof equipped) with the seat all the way down. On the other hand, it's very fun to drive and has a great looking interior. I especially liked the LED lighting and the dial-type switch for the sunroof. It gets good gas mileage as well - about 26-30 on the highway.

If you get either one, make sure it has keyless entry. The system is a real treat and will spoil you rotten.

Hi Chris,
Congrats on reaching 385,000mi. What went?
I have a 97 ES300 as well and currently at 265,000mi. The engine is good. I am hoping that it will get there however a little bit of rust has developed as we use salt on the road during the cold Canadian winter.....

Thanks.

I suggest you go on to the other forum and ask what are the good and bad and you can decide which one to get

[QUOTE=mysights;7202446]Hi,

New to the forum. I have a 97 es300 with 385,000 mi. Car has been great. Purchased it for the quality and have not been disappointed. Looking for another lexus. Not sure which kind. Kind of leaning towards a 2007 es350 or is350. Any thoughts or anyone looking to sell?

Chris[/QUOT
wow! that is great miles. can you share about your maintenance/repair records. are you using dyno or synthetic oil.

"can you share about your maintenance/repair records. are you using dyno or synthetic oil."

Yes, the car has performed better than I had hoped. Bought it with ~100,000 miles and have ridden ever since. The only thing I am religious about is oil changes every 5,000 miles. Just use regular oil - no synthetic. In the last few months it has started to use about a quart every 3k to 4k miles. I put one in and then change the oil at 5k miles. The traction control has not worked for a long time. After than, the rear struts was the only non maint. thing I had to fix until recently. The AC now does not work. I also have some rust developing and am trying to decide whether or not to put the money into having it fixed. My daughter will be getting this car once I get a new one.

edit - timing belt also - though I'm sure everyone knows that one. (had a friend with a lexus that let the timing belt go and had to replace the engine...)

2nd edit - Here is another question. I would consider getting a 2000 es300, but am thinking that is too old. As you can see I like to keep my cars a long time and my lexus has a lot of body noise, etc.

your post confirms that a regular oil is enough for longevity. no need for synthetics.