Lex3486 Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 I ran across an ad for a 2000 ES300 in the paper at my local Toyota Pre-Owned center and they are asking 17,990 for it and it's got, I can't remember exactly, but somewhere around 75-80k miles. The thing is, they accidentally ran it in the paper as 14,700 so they said they'd honor that price for us since it's what was printed. Do you guys think this is the deal of a lifetime? Seems pretty good to me...the car is flawless from what I can tell. There's just one thing; it's got the 97-99 5 spoke wheels on it instead of the 6-spoke wheels most 00-01 models have. Am I just not knowledgeable enough about the later year ES300s or is that strange? I don't think I've ever seen a 2000 or 2001 with those wheels. Makes me think maybe something is up...it has new Michelin HydroEdge tires though B) We're considering trading our gas hog Land Cruiser in on it, but they're gonna low ball us with the trade-in value; about half of what it's worth retail... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bartkat Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 According to Edmunds.com Trade in = $13,594 Private party = $15,530 Dealer Retail = $17,454 You should still be able to get dealer wholesale for your trade-in. Otherwise it isnt all that great of a deal. The car shown on Edmunds has 5 spoke wheels. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex3486 Posted November 23, 2004 Author Share Posted November 23, 2004 Wow, so I guess they did come with them after all. That's comforting. That car you pictured looks to be the exact car, only reverse the colors; dark on top, light on bottom. It's no doubt a beautiful ride; perhaps the best color for that bodystyle, IMO. It's so dark it almost looks black. Reminds me of my baby...it's been so long...(I'm referring to my busted ES300...) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unlisted Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 Wow, so I guess they did come with them after all. That's comforting. That car you pictured looks to be the exact car, only reverse the colors; dark on top, light on bottom. It's no doubt a beautiful ride; perhaps the best color for that bodystyle, IMO. It's so dark it almost looks black. Reminds me of my baby...it's been so long...(I'm referring to my busted ES300...) ← 01 was the 1st year of the redesign. have a lexus dealer pull service history to check for sludge problems Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
nicksan Posted November 23, 2004 Share Posted November 23, 2004 I bought a Certified 2001 a few months back for $24k at the Lexus Dealer. It had 22k miles on it, chrome wheels, all interior options, etc... I saw a bunch of 2001's before that one. As an example, I remember one that had about 27k miles that I saw for like $19k. It was in very nice condition, but it wasn't at the Lexus dealer. So I'm not sure I would categorize the one you saw as a deal of a lifetime. I went with a Lexus dealer because I felt more comfortable with warranty service etc. In retrospect it's a good thing I did, because the car's been at the dealer 5 times already for various repairs. Not indicative of the reputation of the brand and model mind you, I was just unlucky. Still battling but at least the car runs great now. Issues outstanding are mostly non-critical issues. Good luck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SW03ES Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 01 was the 1st year of the redesign. have a lexus dealer pull service history to check for sludge problems ← Actually no. 2001 was the second and last year of the refreshed version of the ES that came out in 1997. The refresh debuted on the 00 model. 02 is the first year for the current ES. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexusfreak Posted November 24, 2004 Share Posted November 24, 2004 Sounds like a pretty decent deal.....& sw is correct about the redesign info. B) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
NeiLtYmE Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 some one should be tuning in real soon about thier exciting new purchase Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexusfreak Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 I'm a bit suprised that the car has Michelin Hydroedge tires on it......that is a good tire to be sure but is well below the speed ratings Lexus call's for on the ES. If you have the 205 60 16 factory spec.....it should be a "V" speed rating. THe Hydroedge is only a T speed rated tire I'm suprised both the previous owner or the actual tire shop never mentioned this. It's about 3 speed ratings below what Lexus say's it should be. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviej Posted November 25, 2004 Share Posted November 25, 2004 THe Hydroedge is only a T speed rated tire I'm suprised both the previous owner or the actual tire shop never mentioned this. It's about 3 speed ratings below what Lexus say's it should be. ← The Hydroedge is an awesome tires. Even though it is 2 ratings below factory fit (V > H > T) it can still attain 118 mph if aired properly. However, how many of us see 118 mph on a daily basis? Second, another slight disadvantage will be in cornering. The car may lean a little more than if it had V or H rated tires. I switched to H rated all seasons simply due to availability and pricing for my winter tires. Honestly, at the speeds that I drive, I wouldn't know the difference if you blindfolded me and had me drive two identical cars, one with Vs and one with Hs. The ES is governed to speeds around 140-150mph. It is very hard to go over that. The manufacturer's tire rating must at least cover this hence the V rating. In actuality, how many of of even attempt a stupid stunt of trying to get to that speed? H and T rated tires are perfectly ok depending on your driving. The V-rating is not a requirement. steviej Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexusfreak Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 The cornering issue on the lower speed rating was going to be my next comment. Your right steviej, they Hydroedge is an awesome tire (my sister-in-law put them on her 2000 Ford Focus from my advice). Not many folks go the top speed the tires are rated for....this is true......the ride just might be more sloppy with more than normal 'body lean' that one might expect is all. I think in certain sizes the Hydroedge also comes in an 'S' speed rating which is down to 112 mph. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spatel0169 Posted November 26, 2004 Share Posted November 26, 2004 Also the Hydroedge is about 20% cheaper and has a longer treadlife at 90k miles compared to 40k for V rated Michelins. The 215/60-16 size has a 94T rating which I think is good enough. I'm definitely going with Hydroedges when a replacement is due ... unless of course one of the gurus here advises me against it! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lex3486 Posted December 2, 2004 Author Share Posted December 2, 2004 Well, we bought it. It's a truly awesome car. And, I noticed someone was talkin about the rims bein 16's...they're 15's. The 16" 6 spokes that somewhat resemble the 92-96 wheels were actually an option, not standard. Our car has the 15" 5 spoke wheels typically found on most 97-99 models. Still sharp wheels, and I doubt mom will be trying to hit 118...myself on the other hand...haha, j/k. I get all the speed I need in the SC nowadays. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lexusfreak Posted December 2, 2004 Share Posted December 2, 2004 That's awesome news Lex! :D Enjoy the new ride!! B) Post pics. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steviej Posted December 3, 2004 Share Posted December 3, 2004 kewl!!!!! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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