LuxuryNow

Any tips on what to look for would be good, I've never owned a Lexus or Toyota before but are there any years in particular I should stay away from?

Also looking for advice on Avalons too.

BDSL

The 3rd generation (1996-2001) is reliable if maintained properly.
Check for service record and fluid leaks.

LuxuryNow

So they are kinda finnicky?

marcoes300

Hi ! Welcome to CL

you can use the search button on the top ( rigth) , there is alot of review about lexus es , of every gen !


goodluck and hope you gonna find the right one !


Marc

LuxuryNow

I have a feeling someone here who knows these cars can sum them up by generation.
Kinda looking for that vs. a sorting through a million different issues by year. Thx!

LeX2K

ES250 (first generation) was almost exactly the same as the V6 Camry. Nice car but lacks refinement versus the newer generations. Very reliable, although the engine was somewhat prone to headgasket failures.

ES300 (generation 2 1992-1996) 1992-1993, uses the 3VZ-FE engine, OBD1 compliant. Very reliable car, rarely if ever throws the CEL, will run on any kind of fuel and not complain, would probably run on horse ****. Headgaskets again were an issue if the engine was ever over heated. Optitron gauges had a habit of failing. Generation 2.5 (1994-1996) used the 1MZ-FE OBD2 compliant. Lighter engine and slightly better fuel mileage, more CEL happy.

ES300 (generation 3 1997-2001) used the same basic drivetrain as the generation 2, transmission was changed in 1999 (I think) to a newer (some would say worse) design. Later models went with variable valve timing, and a few visual enhancements.

Suspensions were basically the same between the gen2 and gen3 cars (generation 1 quite different). Frameless windows on all models for better or worse, wind noise can be a problem. But there are really no major issues or design problems with these cars (except engine sludge, which does not occur with proper maintenance). Electrical, cooling, body integrity, mechanical etc. are all excellent. I find my ES to be a very quiet car, I get used to it and don't think about it, but when I get into another car (even a new one) I notice the difference instantly. I rode in a 2008 Accord not too long ago, night and day as far as ride quality and noise isolation.

I don't know much about the generation 4 ES models, have no experience with them.

Hayk

iTrader: (1)

The 3ES and the 5ES are my favorite generations, so I would recommend the 3ES. If properly maintained, these cars last forever.

yeldogt

The 2000 - 01 are particularly reliable vehicles -- but they are getting old at this point -- and you will find that the nice low mile ones remaining are still surprisingly expensive considering the age and original cost.

I actually like the 01 we have vs the 05 we also own ......... I don't drive either as my primary car but when I take one I normally take the 01. The ES gets bigger each generation. They are all reliable -- you can't go wrong with any of them. As with any car you want to buy the lowest mile and newest one of whatever generation you chose.

Nothing more expensive than a cheap used car -- get whatever you pick inspected -- so you know what it needs

Segeltorp

All depends on your budget - buy as good a car that you can/want to afford, and keep $2k in spare for whatever will need to get done. I recently searched hard for a very cheap -92/-93 ES300. There were 3 common faults, auto transmission goes bad, head gaskets leak and the instruments doesn't work. Finally found a car where I paid $900 for a very well maintained -92. Drove better than most cars costing 10 times more. AC was cold, all electrics worked just fine. I scrapped it to get the engine and manual transmission, but it was a bit sad because there was not one single speck of rust and perfect factory paint..!