Very Interested In A 1995 Es300.. Need Advice!

[dustpur]

We are hopeful Lexus ES300 owners and would like some advice. I have been searching high and low for the average lifetime of a Lexus ES300, and I can't find anything. I did look at the review of the 1995 Lexus ES300 in Consumer Reports (consumerreports.org) and the car got high ratings, although the '95 model had a higher likelihood of engine problems than later models.

Anyway, we are looking at a '95 Lexus ES300 with 130K miles on it. The car rides very smooth, the engine is quiet, and the RPMs stay nice and steady during idle and while driving. No odd bumps there. However, there is a little bit of smoke coming out of the muffler, so I have to assume the engine is burning some oil.

We are bringing the car to an objective mechanic that specializes in imports tomorrow.

My question: am I taking a risk buying a '95 Lexus ES300 with 130K miles? Once I hit the boundary 150K miles am I going to start seeing my upkeep costs skyrocket? What is the general opinion hear on this car once the miles start getting high. If I take care of the car do you have an estimate of its real-world life expectancy?

Thanks!

[SKperformance]

you already know it is not worth it

if you see any smoke then unless it is 3000 then pass it by

it will cost alot to fix for its neglect

as it is usully from non oilchanges

[bbsal]

number one see if you can get any service records for the car and see how well it was mantained.also i own a 95 es and i must say i have had very few problems with mine other then the lights on the dash board going out but thats a common thing in all lexus es 300s.the smoke can be caused by several things.first check the oil and see how black it is.maybe it wasnt changed in awhile or maybe the car was sitting.as for the average life span i can say i seen a few with over 150,000 and all of them was still running strong.its hard to say how good the one your looking at is unless i seen it in person and also cars are all different because of how owners take care of them.how much are they asking for it?thats the biggest question.

[bbsal]

also i never seen a puff of smoke from mine.i also agree with sk.it sounds like the car wasnt taken care of but like i said how much are they asking and what kind of shape is it in?

[AusJapanWindom]

Got an even better answer.. Get a 96!!! :whistles:

[AusJapanWindom]

No seriously. The boys are right.. If you have even one doubt about it, then give it a miss.. Its alot of money to pay for something that wont last you long.. I know you may be eager. But as the old saying goes. Something better will come up! I honestly believe that. And then atleast you will feel better knowing about what you didnt have to do?

Chris

[dustpur]

Well, the deal is through near-family at a luxury dealer. She had her husband drop the price from a $7xxx price to $5000. The body is in perfect condition, as is the interior. The engine runs quietly, and a 30 minute test drive didn't reveal anything other than the bit of smoke coming out consistently. We actually have a small budget for a second car, and this is the first decent car in our price range if you can believe it. (My max is $5000.)

It seems the smoke is the only issue, so that's why I am having a hard time deciding. Of course, I'm not rushing anything, and the dealer is more than happy to give us time and room to decide.

I am also a bit unsure because I am getting different advice. A good friend that knows cars said that it wasn't a lot of smoke, and I may expect to get up to 150K before I need to do anything at all on the car. He threw out an estimate of 2-3 years of life left, but did say he hadn't owned a Lexus before.

But I figure you guys would know better since you have experience!

I will see what the mechanic has to say today and report back regardless of my decision.

Any other thoughts?

[KWV]

I have a '97 ES300 that has 76k miles, so I don't have a lot of experience as far as how long it may last you, but I can tell you from experience, if you have to take it to a Lexus dealer to be checked out, or have to buy parts from a dealer, you're going to be spending a lot more $ than you'd want to. I guess you're paying for the name there. Just something for you to consider while trying to make the decision.

[Piranha]

my 1995 ES300 has 184,000 miles on it. runs like new. i just need to replace a gasket soon but thats it.

[SKperformance]

white smoke is coolant black is rich and blue is oil

find out what kind

but if it is consistant then it is already on tyhe awy out the door

5 is not a bad price

but it will cost atleast 2500-3000 to repair or replace the engine

rebuilding it would be better

like i said you already know it has a bad problem just up to you how much you can spend to fix it