Hey guys name is Mitch and as you can tell by my post count I am brand new. Well, A deer took out my 2000 and now looking for a new/used car. I'm not new to forums so I molested the search button for a while now and all I can really find are people not happy with their 07' due to transmission issues.
I really couldn't find much about models after the 07' which I take is a good thing, another thing I didn't see really at all was any ES's sold in the classified or very very few which I take as a very good sign it's a good car.

Now, My question is, what should be looking for in this particular year and model of car? I wanted to make sure that I will be making a good buying choice from the forum members input.
Of course any year ES I would love to hear about your experiences with your car what you Love and hate about the car.

I could NOT find any Mark Levison upgrade models here in GA believe it or not and I don't know if it would be worth the money if I did.

Other cars we have looked at and would consider please give your input.
2011 Maxima
2010 Avalon,and Camry
2009 M45

 

Welcome to the forum. I would buy the 2010 or later just for the USB plug in the console for my smartphone. I have the 2009 and it has a 3.5mm Aux plug, but that's not as good as the USB. I also liked the chrome trim under the doors that the 2009 doesn't have. As far as reliability goes, my 2009 has 55k miles and runs perfect. Can't beat them for ride and comfort.

 

Welcome. I have a 2010 which we bought new and it now has 29,000 miles on it. It had been to the dealer once for the free oil change and that was it. My maintenance has been limited to oil changes and tire rotation. It still rides as new and still has OEM tires. It is almost boring to drive. I get 30+mpg highway and 25mpg city. My 29K avg is 27mpg and I burn reg. gas. Enjoy.

 

Why do you say it's almost boring to drive? Just curious!

 

Expect many replies.

To each his own, some people prefer fast corners and lightning torque, some get bored always navigating around road imperfections to remain quiet. In my opinion, while the car shines in comfort ride, it has enough power to perform virtually any fast maneuvers in everyday traffic.

 

I recently purchased a 2011 with Mark Levinson and panoramic roof. It took me a year to find the right color with Ultra Luxury at the right price. I would probably have been happy with the base stereo in retrospect, but the Levinson is far superior and sounds incredible with good sources. The flips side is that it can point out how bad a bad source is. The other benefit to the Ultra Luxury package, for me being a big and tall guy, is the driver seat thigh extension. As minimal as it is, it makes the seat that much more comfortable for me. Without it, and with most Toyota/Lexus products without it, the seat bottom feels too short and uncomfortable for me.

I agree with Poqman and would recommend a 2010+, not just for the USB. It's also a mid-cycle refresh which includes updates and tweaks that may not have been done to a previously owned older car. That said, the 2007-09s are solid and there are aftermarket technologies that can be installed for USB capability. I would think that at this point a 2007 would have shown a transmission problem by now and been fixed. But I would get it thoroughly checked by a Lexus mechanic and get a print out of the Lexus maintenance history. Maybe try to work the numbers to include a cushion for a transmission replacement should one be required.

I think the panoramic roof might allow a little more wind and road noise than the base model moonroof. It also has more moving parts so more to go wrong, but for a 6yr model run, there are few reports of trouble.

The only issue I have with the panoramic roof is being able to clean all of the drains and there just being more area to clean underneath and more gaskets to take care of. There are 2 drains that run on the inside underneath the glass to the rear and meet up with the outer side drain at the rear corners, but I can't find a way to snake them. So, should it ever get clogged, my fear is that water would build up and slosh around or forward and in the winter, possibly freezing affecting the seals. But, there are few if any reports of problems, so I'm not too worried. Just something I'll keep an eye out for and be sure to regularly clean.

I considered the Maxima, 2010 M35 (for it's 7 speed transmission and better mpg over the m45) and Avalon/Camry as well. If the 2011-12 Avalon had fit in my garage, I might have purchased one. But, it is a boat. It is close if not equal in features and ride to the ES. Great car, albeit not the prettiest. For me, the 2011 Camry seat wasn't very comfortable and the interior was just too cheap to enjoy. As far as the Maxima and M45, they both require premium gas and they don't get as good of gas mileage as the Toyota/Lexus offerings. That put them off of my shopping list.

Good luck with your search!

 

It's a soft cushy ride with easy steering and a good sound system. Very comfortable and easy to drive. If I want a fun car to drive on my back roads I take out the convertible.