Newbie - Look To Buy 95 Lexus Es300 - Have Questions...

[wannalexus]

I am looking to purchase a 1995 Lexus ES300 to replace my current 1997 Nissan Maxima. I am considering one that is for sale (82,000 miles - $7,500).

My questions are as follows:

1. How reliable are the timing belts on these vehicles? Have any of you had a timing belt go on one of these? My vehicle has a timing chain.

2. The Lexus has 188 HP. How fast are these vehicles. Are they quick to get up and go?

3. Is the stereo in the vehicle a good sounding stereo?

4. Are there any common problems that crop up with these vehicles that I should know before I buy one?

5. If you were to convince me to get rid of my Maxima (130,000 miles) and purchase this Lexus, what would you say?

I appreciate any feedback. It will be hard for me to part with my Maxima, especially because of its reliability. However, the reason I am looking at the Lexus is because it too is very reliable.

Thanks again!!!

[94LexusES]

1. The timing belt needs to replaced at around the 90,000 mile mark, along with the water pump.

2. They are pretty fast despite only having 188 HP. I don't think i've lost a race against a car with similar horsepower.

3. The Lexus Premium Sound System is a good sound system, better than most.

4. Leaky valve cover gaskets!

5. I'd go with the reliability factor. I've seen Lexus' cars with over 250,000 miles and still running strong. Your getting a 11-12 year old car that was only driven at an average of around 7,000 a year!

[BOBZ]

I am looking to purchase a 1995 Lexus ES300 to replace my current 1997 Nissan Maxima. I am considering one that is for sale (82,000 miles - $7,500).

My questions are as follows:

1. How reliable are the timing belts on these vehicles? Have any of you had a timing belt go on one of these? My vehicle has a timing chain.

2. The Lexus has 188 HP. How fast are these vehicles. Are they quick to get up and go?

3. Is the stereo in the vehicle a good sounding stereo?

4. Are there any common problems that crop up with these vehicles that I should know before I buy one?

5. If you were to convince me to get rid of my Maxima (130,000 miles) and purchase this Lexus, what would you say?

I appreciate any feedback. It will be hard for me to part with my Maxima, especially because of its reliability. However, the reason I am looking at the Lexus is because it too is very reliable.

Thanks again!!!

My 96 has been so good I bought a 2003 and now have both. You'll enjoy the car I'm sure. There are tons of parts and accessories on ebay for these cars too

[blk_on_blk]

I bought a '95 with 163K miles on the odo... it's been well maintained, clean history, and I tore it apart to do a new stereo install and I'm impressed with the build... good clean Toyota design, with a few quirks.

The V6 is nice in that the torque is high, even with a 188hp rating... that gives a nice 'ooomph' to the engine's thrust... always got to look at the torque band when considering an engine's performance. For a nice daily driver, a paralleling torque and hp band is a good balance, BMW does this quite well.

Just as a point of reference, I got mine for $4800. So, with your low miles, it sounds like a decent deal.

[Sauce]

I got my '95 ES 300 with 200K+ miles on it for about $1800. The previous owner treated the car like junk. His idae of fixing it was putting some kind of clear epoxy on anything broken. Nasty way to treat a car that treats you so good. Despite his best efforts, however, the car runs almost like new. The engine is quiet and has excellent acceleration. The cab is very quiet, and the ride is smooth. You can be going a good 75 mph and feel like 35 mph. The car did need some repairs, but they were all either standard repairs like belts, etc., or repairs to damage caused with the previous owners cheap "fixes" and neglect.

My ES 300 has been on the road for over 250K miles now, and there is no indication that it won't be on the road for another 250K. If you're get a well-maintained, low-mileage '95 ES 300, and you also maintain it properly, you can almost certainly bet that you will enjoy it for many years to come.

Cheers!