Is There A Huge Difference In Ride Quality And Noise

[godfather18]

Hey guys think about buying a 2001 ES300 and wanted to know if there is a difference in ride quality and cabin noise between a 1996 ES300 and 2001 ES300. Cause I have a 1996 ES300 and love the car but I love the 2001's look and styling a lot more.

[lexusk8]

I can vouch for the ride quality and such for the '96 and '01 ES since I used to own both of them (my '96 was a Coach Edition). You will notice more pep and acceleration with the '01 ES mainly because of the new transmission technology (VVT-i engine), thus more horsepower. Also aesthetically speaking, I think the '01 model looks sportier and more refined than the '96. When I had my '01 after a year, I thought to myself how simple and boring the '96 appears to be. For the interior, the '01 wins hands-down over the '96; it almost feels like sitting inside the LS430 :)

[backwoods lex]

My 2000 has terrible wind noise when driving at high speeds (45 MPH and up). It really drives me up the wall when the rest of the vehicle is so quiet. Very few creaks and rattles in the cabin if any though.

If you compare interior photos of the same year LS, the ES really appears to be a baby LS400 (but mechanically I'm sure the LS offers a lot more).

[SW03ES]

The 97+ is significantly smoother and quieter, and the 02-06 is even moreso.

My 2000 has terrible wind noise when driving at high speeds (45 MPH and up). It really drives me up the wall when the rest of the vehicle is so quiet. Very few creaks and rattles in the cabin if any though.

Your windows are out of alignment, and/or the weatherstripping needs to be replaced. This is a common problem with the pre02 ES because the windows are frameless, closing the doors by pushing on the windows screws them up, easily fixed.

[backwoods lex]

Your windows are out of alignment, and/or the weatherstripping needs to be replaced. This is a common problem with the pre02 ES because the windows are frameless, closing the doors by pushing on the windows screws them up, easily fixed.

Nice tip. I'll have to check it out.