Whats Your Favorite Year ES300?

[SW03ES]

Which one's the best?

Here's G1:

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/gallery/ES/ESG1

G2

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/gallery/ES/ESG2

G2.5

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/gallery/ES/ESG2_5

G3

http://us.lexusownersclub.com/gallery/ES/ESG3

[SW03ES]

I personally prefer the Generation 3. It took a while to grow on me though. Originally I didnt like the front end or the headlights, but now I've come to think that they're the best feature of the car, aside from the interior which is just gorgeous.

My second favorite is the G2.5. The exterior is great, very agrressive and it came in my favorite Lexus color, Graphite Grey Pearl. The only thing lacking in this model I felt was the interior.

Then the G1. The design of this model is timeless. It still looks good, even after 12 years on the market.

Then the G2. I felt Toyota took somewhat a step backwards with this car, and the Camry. It seems less upscale to me, I dunno.

And no, the G3 picture isn't my car, I dont have any pictures of my car yet. Its exactly the same except I dont have chrome wheels or tinted windows (but I will ;) ).

[ProZac]

Hrmmm i have gen 2.. but gen 2.5 looks RAD! what year is that? like can i get that bumber etc???

ProZac

[ProZac]

Awww... nobody likes my Gen 2 car.... :( Poor ~Max~ (my car's name)

[Rodders]

I think that the G3 is one of the best looking cars that Lexus has ever made - big shame we can't get it in the UK.

Apparently the new Camry uses the same body shell - but I really can't undertsand why Lexus doesn't release the ES here.

[Matthew_McNally]

I'm with Rod on this one.

the new model is simply stunning - hell of a pity we don't get it over here (damn those emissions rules).

the others models are all really nice - only thing I don't like is the two tone paint work.

need to see some interior shots now B)

[SW03ES]

So thats why there's no ES forum on the UK site? Wow, surprising. The new Camry (at least ours) is similar in style, but shares no body or interior peices.

I'll have to take some pictures of mine and put them in the gallery ;)

The generation 2.5 is 2000-2001. there's also more wood on the interior, and a wood/leather steering wheel.

[zeta]

i'm still growing on the gen 3.

but gen 2.5 is still my favorite. the original ES look just something i've been used to. and the red/clear/red tails just make it all the better.

[mxmx]

Can someone point out the differences in the Gen2 vs Gen2.5?

[Nabeel]

gen 2 vs. gen 2.5

Red/white tail lights versus red/amber turn signals/white. Revised front grille. More agressive front bumper. Optional 16-inch wheels that look frikin great. Like the style on the gen-1, but larger with sharper edges. Cars with the xenon headlamps have clear multireflecor-type lenses. Subtle, but noticable when you look at a xenon and non-xenon car back to back. Interior had a little more wood trim, around the radio and a/c controls.

[Nabeel]

Oh, and all ES are great cars, BUT.......

My fav has to be the old-school (and rare!) '92-'93 models with the manual transmission. Once I came across what has to be the rarest type of ES300 out there. It was about 3-4 years ago. Black/Black '93 ES300 5-speed. Cloth interior. no sunroof, no cd changer, no heated seats, no nothing. Just basic ES300 without any extraneous shet. I dunno why, but I gravitated toward that car on the dealer's lot for a good half-hour. Maybe the purity of the thing, the simplicity. Ok, I better get to bed because i am tired and I feel i'm not making any sense now. what was the original question? yeah, 'what is my favorite year es300?' Yes, i like the '92-'93 manual. What's that, gen 0.5? LOL :P

And off to bed i go.........

[NeiLtYmE]

The G1 's own .... although i wouldnt call it a g1 ... more like G 1.5

that picture seems like a 96.... and a the rims are the coach edition kinds... those own.. i have that same car.... the're more of the refined edition of the older 92-93 300's. but after that they tried changing the shape... and well.. it ended up looking da same... Just about.... actually side the side.. the 96 looked better than the 98... hmm... then ofcourse lexus messed up someone and have it a new look... the G'3 no offence to anyone who has them (cause they still own) look kinda egg like and are way too high... but the interior is great...

Best all round es300? 94-96 for sure

Neil

[SW03ES]

I thought the same thing at first. In fact when I started looking I didnt even drive the ES, I looked at the Audi TL and the Infiniti. Once I really started looking at the ES though, the looks really grew on me. Every day I like it more, and I get lots of compliments on it. In fact, I've never gotten any negative comments on it. Its just a beautiful car. Its also the best selling luxury sedan in the country, so somebody's gotta like it ;) Its just a very fluid car, theres no edges, its like a living organism.Plus the ride and drive when compared to other generation ES is not even comparable, the 02/03 is much smoother and quieter. But I'm biased...

The ES in the G1 picture is the 96. I didnt include a G 1.5 because the only changes to the car were (slightly) the rear taillights and the fog lamps. 92-94 had round ones, and 95-96 had the square ones. All the sheetmetal is the same, no other changes. The overall change in look between 99 and 2000 was much more dramatic.

[NeiLtYmE]

biased... yea me too... dont worry ...

but there a couple more changes between first gen and 1.5...

the tranny and engine are different... and they bumped the horse power up by about 20...

But all es's are great...

[SW03ES]

Nothing more visually though.

[akiraxtc]

I'd vote for Gen 2! I'm biased though :P

Seriously, If you can put gen 1 headlamps with gen 2.5 grille and bumpers, and gen 2.5 tails, it would rock :)

Somehow i like the headlamps on the Gen 1.

On gen3, if it's not because of the higher headlights, if i glanced at it from the front, it would look a lot like 2003 camry, rear side is totally different though.

[NeiLtYmE]

yup...

the camry - es300 unique differenciation ended after 96.... after that and until now... you can tell clearly that the es and camry are brother and sister....

o well .. thats only exterior though...

Neil

[SW03ES]

Eh, I've always seen the resemblence, even in the Gen 1. Its not so much a brother sister look as it is a family resemblence. I can see Toyota in Lexus and Lexus in Toyota.

[NeiLtYmE]

Toyota OWNZZ

[SW03ES]

Well, yeah ;)

[Nabeel]

biased... yea me too... dont worry ...

but there a couple more changes between first gen and 1.5...

the tranny and engine are different... and they bumped the horse power up by about 20...

But all es's are great...

Err....the hp only went up by only 3 (185 vs. 188). Torque went up 8 (195 vs 203). Engine block was now aluminum instead of iron, and the compression ratio was bumped up from 9.5:1 to 10.5:1. A lot of the major internals were changed, but driving a '93 and '94 back to back, you will feel virtually no difference whatsoever. Tranny was indeed a slightly revised version of the previous '92-'93 version.

Here is a rundown of changes between '93 and '94, in addition to the mechanical differences above:

- passenger side airbag added

- interior gets an outside temp button

- remote entry gets a 'beep' tone when locking/unlocking, volume adjustment is inside. (the earler models did not beep)

- cfc-free air conditioning system

- Lexus Portable Plus cellular phone becomes optional

- No more manual transmission

Changes between the '94 and '95 models were cosmetic:

- rectangular fogs instead of the round yellow projectors

- revised tail lights

- smoked headlight housings with faint horizontal lines across the lens

So yeah, there is a synopsis of changes withing the gen-1 ES300 production cycle. Its interesting to note that during the gen-2 cycle, Lexus followed a similar pattern. The car debuted in '97, received mechanical changes 2 years afterward in '99 (VVT-i engine, new tranny, etc.), and cosmetic changes the next year, in '00. It will be interesting to see if the gen-3 follows suit. The 3.3 liter engine will debut next year, but cosmetic changes are unknown so far....

[NeiLtYmE]

Hmmmm..... i guess i thought wrong.... i remember reading that somewhere though .... o well ....

yeah ... the 3.3 liters should be pretty nice... But that ruins the name.... so it ganna turn into a es330.....? Not cool

how come i dont have the smoked lines on the head lights.... hmmmmmm

Neil

[NeiLtYmE]

HeH HEH... looks like the G1 's are goin up !

[SW03ES]

Everything that I've heard is that the ES330 will have no sheetmetal changes. I've been told maybe smoked headlights, or slightly revised taillights, but nothing really that wouldn't bolt right up to the current one.

Personally I like the sound of ES330 better.

[Nabeel]

I'm betting Lexus will follow their already-established pattern for the ES series. So mechanical changes for '04 and cosmetic changes for '05. You heard it here FIRST :P