92 sc three

I'm looking to get either a 90-93 LS 400 or a 92-94 ES 300 as a daily driver. I know they are at opposite ends of the scale & they each have their own (expensive) problems, LS: cluster & HVAC displays, PS pump / alternator & A/C system vs. the ES: Oil leaks, Transmissions & Engine gelling. In the long run, which one would be less of a money pit?

Any help would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Dan

lexusk8

I would pick the '92-'94 ES as a daily driver. As far as major mechanical issues (such as the engine and transmission), I think the ES wins easily over the LS. My friend's 1990 LS400 had a leak in the main seal for his tranny system, which runs close to a $1K repair If you could detect leaks and such in their early stages, you can save yourself lots of money. Plus, the ES holds up better in the long run especially during the wintertime with its FWD capability

Go with the ES...

squarehat

To be fair, the early ES's (92-96) have the same cluster issues that the LS400s have. The 92-93 ES had a different engine that hasn't had gelling problems. Frankly, most of the gelling stories (for the newer 1MZ-FE engine) I've heard were on '97s.

ES should be a better winter handler (especially if the LS doesn't have TRAC), and should be more fuel efficient.

Edit: I see that you're in So. Cal, I guess the winter handling isn't too big of an issue. I still think for the mechanical issues, it's more dependent on how the car was taken care of than whether it's an ES or LS. The minor electrical gremlins (cluster, climate control panel, alternator) have been known to pop up on all of the Lexus models of that vintage, but when you compare them to another brand of car, they're pretty darn reliable for an 11 year old vehicle.

Stefwilli

I would say go with thw ES over the LS. With the es you'll have cheaper up-keep cost, because the parts you can get from any 92 camry V6. Plus then we can have one more member in our forum.

D2-AUTOSPORT

Yeah buddy, YOU NEED IT!!

(Dont feel bad, the 1st Gen GS forum is as quiet as a mouse lately too)

squarehat

Great point, Stef. I've saved some big money this summer on CV joint and brake replacement by going to a indepedent shop that was used to working on Camrys.

92 sc three

Thanks for the replies so far. FWD isn't really a major factor in Southern Cal, although I've never personally owned a FWD drive car (worked on a bunch though). I know I can't go wrong with either choice.

Jayson

As far as upkeep costs, you should definitely buy the ES. However, I hate FWD vehicles because under hard acceleration (merging onto the I-5 would be perfect) my G20 used to pull to the tire that had more grip, very scary! That may not be common with Lexus FWD vehicles, but as for me that was enough to never purchase one again (regardless of manufacturer)!

I don't care what people say. Older Lexus models, like my 95 SC400 is still expensive to maintain, but not as expensive as a comparable German made vehicle of the same year. If you do go the ES route, take your car to Toyota for servicing as that year's Camry and ES are so darn close to one another that parts should readily available at a much lower cost than your good ol' Lexus dealership.

Take care,

LexDiamond

ES300 they are much sportier (the earlier es300s) and in my opinion much more attractive. They also offer better gas mileage, less mainteance costs and repairs and so on.


ES3

XenonES3

This is a tough question to answer. Personally, I'd say the LS400. It's the better car.

Only clear advantage to the ES is its clean-up-to-date styling. People still mistake my 95 ES for a newer one. Whereas the LS looks classic, but clearly dated.

Don't be fooled by maintenance costs. It's true the ES300 is a less expensive car to begin with, so one might logically assume it is cheaper to maintain, but it is by no means cheap to maintain.

At 95K miles, I replaced the rear-main seal ($1,000 job like lexusk8 mentioned earlier) and at 104K miles replaced the CV half shaft ($600). Not to mention regular service intervals, and the costs seriously add up.

Either way you chose, I'm sure you'll be happy.

Good Luck!

92 sc three

Thanks everyone for the replies. At this point I'm leaning torwards the LS. I'm thinking while both are great cars, the build quality & materials used in the LS probably have the advantage over the ES.

Thanks again,

Dan

meZoom!

Both choices may be "not cheap" to maintain. I think, though, that a 92 ES would be quite different from a 94ES...same goes for the LS.
exactly what year LS were you comparing with what year ES?