My mom is debating between an '05 ES330 or Certified Pre-owned 2001 LS430. Both fully loaded. The CPO'd has 39k miles and of course comes with the 100k mile warranty. It is in mint condition. The big hold up is that she's in Michigan and would have to deal with some snow. Would the LS completely BLOW in mild snow? I really like the features of the '05 navigation and the rain sensing wipers etc... but I kind of feel the LS430 is timeless in its styling and comfort. Please help us make up her mind

 

That is quite a gap to weigh against. For me, safety is the priority in deciding between cars, I don't know if the '01 LS had side curtain air bags at that time. What is she driving now?

 

The 2001 LS430 has side curtain airbags as well as rain-sensing wipers(i think it was an option, all i know is mine has it). I would go with the LS430.

 

I know the cars are night and day, price is a sticking point, both are about 37 grand or so.

Currently she's driving an Aurora, I worry a bit that she's used to driving a front wheel drive car in the winters...?

 

man, that's a big gap, for me i would probably choose the ls430 without a second thought

but i really don't know for sure its performance in the snow. with snow mode i think it might be ok?

 

nothing is better than a front wheel drive car in snow. given it's for your mom, safety is snow is crucial and you should let her drive something that she'll be comfortable in when it's snowing outside. why worry about the side curtains in the LS incase it skids and crashes in snow when you can have the es that will drive straight in snow to begin with !

 

I would suggest she drive both and see what she feels more comfortable with. Both will have traction control and so if she's seasoned with these conditions, she'll be able to adapt to FWD or RWD.

Winter aside, the LS is a more refined car and a pleasure to drive even though it is 4 years different. The ES is a nice car yet the differences between the two become obvious. Would she consider one of the AWD RX's? Another thought though it seems a step back, is the Avalon. I haven't driven a current variant...to me, when optioned out, I liked it over the ES. Sizewise, for passengers, it isn't that far off from an LS430.

 

Contrary to conventional wisdom here I would get mom the ES! And here's why:

I live in Pittsburgh and know about snow. The LS is not great in snow. It DOES handle much better with 4 snow tires, but if mom is like most drivers (versus we folks on this bulletin board who are really auto afficinados), she won't be bothered changing the tires twice a year.

Second, the ES is brand, spankin' new. Most "moms" do better with brand new vehicles to start with, I would think. Even at 37000 miles and the great warranty, there will still be maintenance and stuff happening. With a brand new vehicle, she avoids that for a while and can assume the maintenance as it ages.

Finally, (I had a 2002 ES before my '03 and now '04 LS), the ES is a great car! The FWD is just the ticket in Michigan. The level of luxury for the buck can't be beat and the quality is Lexus/Toyota all the way through. The '01 LS will last her a few years before major maintenance/repairs (even IF under warranty) become a PIA. The ES, however, will probably be a 10 year vehicle.

My only negative would be that an Aurora is a very heavy car. She MIGHT feel more comfortable in the LS after coming from the ES. But overall, I'd vote for the ES as the new mommymobile!.

 

Hey, thanks a bunch for the great insight. Your points are well taken. I think the first reason I swayed her toward an LS, is the point you mentioned, it's more comparable in size to her Aurora. She likes the size and weight of her Aurora, says she feels secure. But that said, the RWD car mid-season even with winter tread may be a bit frightening to her. So I "MAY" have her lead toward the '05 ES. Honestly though, I'm a bit undecided if I like the front and rear lights on the ES. I little less "timeless" than say the LS. Minor, I know. But something to think about when considering the WHOLE package.

 

Good luck, Wish you and your mother a safe winter.

A Lexus is a Lexus no matter what

 

LS430!

 

Undoubtedly the LS430 - the 8 cylinder with 37,000 miles should be as (if not more) reliable than the 6 cylinder ES330. This is just a start - the LS is far superior to the ES (even pre-owned) in almost all respects, even though the ES is also a great car!
Good luck!

 

Another question for ya, have you driven your '04 LS in the snow much? If so have you had winter tires on it? Was it manageable at least with the winter tires?

 

Yes, we had lots of snow here in Pittsburgh last winter. It ran great with Nokian tires. The funny thing, however, is that I just had them reinstalled for THIS winter. THEY ARE NOISEY. I didn't realize the noise last winter but they are loud. And, to be honest, it's a PIA changing tires twice a year. But the car sticks to the snow with 'em almost as well as a FWD. I have NOKIAN tires that were recommended by folks here. Expensive and hard to find, but they do work well. And supposedly guaranteed for 50,000 miles, although I did some spinning in my driveway and wore the back two down. But a snowblower for this year, however, so that shouldn't happen again.

 

LS430 HANDS DOWN!

I own a 2001 Ultra lux. Today I am driving a 2004 ES330 loaner while the LS is at the stealer for service. There is no way I would ever spend that kind of money on this car. The two cars are worlds apart. The ES feels like a Camry compared to the LS. Actually, I would probably buy one of those new Chrysler 300c's or a Camry and save some money before I bought an ES for 37 grand. I think with the LS being a heavy car with traction control, snow is not that great of an issue.

I wouldn't worry about maintenance issues, especially with the 100k warranty. I had previously owned a 93 LS that I bought with 118K on it and drove it to 200K with minimal problems. Thats why you're buying a Lexus and not a Mercedes or BMW.