I have traded in my 2001 ES 300
05-05-06, 02:01 PM
#1
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I have traded in my 2001 ES 300
Well ladies & gents, I am offically no longer a Lexus owner. After alot of research (which isn't a strong enough word to be honest for those that know me well lol :whistles: ), consideration, number crunching & everything else in between I have traded in my 2001 Lexus ES 300 for a 2006 Subaru Forester XT - Turbo. In a nutshell, this machine is scary fast & imo, one of the ultimate 'sleeper' vehicles currently available on the market......at least in Canada....at any price. I have not been able to wipe the smile off my face for the last 2 days. I plan on posting pics soon, but it might have to wait until I return from my trip to Washington D.C. later this month......I'd also like to have the car tinted before I do. 
Many of you know that we purchased a 2003 Forester XS for my wife late last year & (my wife & I now both commute a fair distance - over 33 miles one way now that my work re-located at the beginning of this year north of Toronto in a snow belt area) after a full winter, the capabilities of the Forester with it's full time AWD system is simply out of this world! Lexus has decent electronic aids that are helpful, but they are still no match (even with the Goodyear Triple Treads which my wife's Forester also has) for AWD which was one of the deciding factors in my switch. That & the fact that recently I have been experencing some problems with my ES that would have cost me a good chunk of $$$ to fix now that the Lexus extended warranty has expired (go figure!) & the TB & WP replacement was fast approching now that I have clocked over the 70k mile mark among others but I can see I am already writting a novel here lol.
I got top dollar for the car on trade in the end....which took a while (I wasen't about to let the dealer 'steal' that car from me no matter what) & saved over $12k Canadian on the FXT from new (the Forester I purchased was a Subaru Canada executive driven demo with 8,000 miles on her......original with all service history), not to mention the tax savings of the trade difference which is 15% here in Ontario! Plus I got a fantastic financing rate too boot & in the colour I wanted too (Crystal Grey Metallic).
I have nothing negative to say about my ES (or Lexus as a brand). The car ran pretty much flawlessly during the time I have owned it. It was just a decision I made (along with my wife of course). Would I buy another Lexus? Yup, depending on what they offer 5 - 7 years down the road. I did seriously consider another Lexus (specifically a 2004 or 2005 ES 330)....but my heart really wanted was a 2006 GS 300 AWD whcih was simply never going to happen. I was not a huge fan of the new ES 350.....mainly because of the interior styling & I wanted AWD this time around.
I had the 2005 Subaru Outback XT Turbo or H6 VDC on my short list, but it was out of my budget & considering the current fuel prices showing no signs of getting lower anytime soon (the OB weighs over 3600 lbs as well), we felt the Forester was the smarter move.
I'm not writing this thread to say Goodbye just so you know......I have made many good friends since I've joind LOC (and CL) & plan to stick around a long time....Which might be a good or bad thing depending on one's point of view lol :whistles: Many members have helped me out immensely during my time here (especially steviej, among others) & to all of them, I am greatful & can't thank you enough! To be honest, I want to be here long enough to get Monarch to finally switch to synthetic oil & have SW finally put Goodyear Triple Treads on his ES ......j/k guy's.
I guess perhaps a name change is in order now huh? If any of the moderators have a chance, I beleive Subifreak is available.
Much appreciated! 
Many of you know that we purchased a 2003 Forester XS for my wife late last year & (my wife & I now both commute a fair distance - over 33 miles one way now that my work re-located at the beginning of this year north of Toronto in a snow belt area) after a full winter, the capabilities of the Forester with it's full time AWD system is simply out of this world! Lexus has decent electronic aids that are helpful, but they are still no match (even with the Goodyear Triple Treads which my wife's Forester also has) for AWD which was one of the deciding factors in my switch. That & the fact that recently I have been experencing some problems with my ES that would have cost me a good chunk of $$$ to fix now that the Lexus extended warranty has expired (go figure!) & the TB & WP replacement was fast approching now that I have clocked over the 70k mile mark among others but I can see I am already writting a novel here lol.
I got top dollar for the car on trade in the end....which took a while (I wasen't about to let the dealer 'steal' that car from me no matter what) & saved over $12k Canadian on the FXT from new (the Forester I purchased was a Subaru Canada executive driven demo with 8,000 miles on her......original with all service history), not to mention the tax savings of the trade difference which is 15% here in Ontario! Plus I got a fantastic financing rate too boot & in the colour I wanted too (Crystal Grey Metallic).
I have nothing negative to say about my ES (or Lexus as a brand). The car ran pretty much flawlessly during the time I have owned it. It was just a decision I made (along with my wife of course). Would I buy another Lexus? Yup, depending on what they offer 5 - 7 years down the road. I did seriously consider another Lexus (specifically a 2004 or 2005 ES 330)....but my heart really wanted was a 2006 GS 300 AWD whcih was simply never going to happen. I was not a huge fan of the new ES 350.....mainly because of the interior styling & I wanted AWD this time around.
I had the 2005 Subaru Outback XT Turbo or H6 VDC on my short list, but it was out of my budget & considering the current fuel prices showing no signs of getting lower anytime soon (the OB weighs over 3600 lbs as well), we felt the Forester was the smarter move.
I'm not writing this thread to say Goodbye just so you know......I have made many good friends since I've joind LOC (and CL) & plan to stick around a long time....Which might be a good or bad thing depending on one's point of view lol :whistles: Many members have helped me out immensely during my time here (especially steviej, among others) & to all of them, I am greatful & can't thank you enough! To be honest, I want to be here long enough to get Monarch to finally switch to synthetic oil & have SW finally put Goodyear Triple Treads on his ES ......j/k guy's.
I guess perhaps a name change is in order now huh? If any of the moderators have a chance, I beleive Subifreak is available.
Much appreciated!
05-05-06, 07:52 PM
#6
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
Nice vehicle! Love Subies. Congrats!!! 
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Good choice of vehicle 
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