Shift_ Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Hello everyone!! Let me just first say my name is Mike and I am located in Austin, Tx and this is my first post :). I hope to come here more often to get techY help or answer questions also. I am not to knowledgable on LEXUS. But the reason why I am here is b/c tomorrow I might be a new owner of a 1995 Lexus ES300. My questions to you guys/gals is that I can't really find any thoughts/reviews on the model Lexus I am going to be getting and I was wondering if any of you can share your reviews of your ES300s here? I was wondering what is the horsepower in the ES300 V6? Is there anything bad about the 95 models?? Anything I need to be aware of for recalls or issues?? If anyone can share your thoughts about this year ES300 (1995) I would really apperciate it :)l. Thanks , Mike aka Shift_ Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blake918 Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Welcome Mike, it's good to have another southerner here :D ...it seems like everyone lives in the NE :( . Anyways the 94-96 ES has 188hp. These are not sports cars....more emphasis is put on a smooth comfortable ride. If you floor it though, they can get out of their own way!!! There are a few common bugs in the first ES300's like flickering needles(mainly[not all the time] after 95k miles), wind noise when traveling over 50mph from decaying/dried weatherstriping, pop the hood open and make sure it stays open by itself b/c the struts will fail out(about $100 for the 2), crappy cupholders, bad location of power point, the antenna mast gets old and fails(the antenna motor turns, and it makes a bad grinding noise), and make sure the engine and tranny fluids were changed regularly because serious problems can occur if not like oil sludge and tranny failure. I think that's about it; any other complaints guys?...... The Good: powertrain that is soooo smooth and quiet it leaves very little to be desired, typical Lexus fit and finish, the rear and front profiles(mainly the projector headlights) as well as an excellent looking interior, silky smooth ride w/o terrible amounts of body roll, auto climate control is always a plus, pretty decent stock stereo, everyone thinks that your car is less than 5y/o B) , 18-20 mpg in the city, and nothing is better than loading up the cd changer, opening the sunroof, and going for a drive on a nice Saturday afternoon :) . Tell us a little more about the ES you are looking at... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift_ Posted November 26, 2003 Author Share Posted November 26, 2003 Hi Blake and thanks for the quick input and reply. The Es I will be getting is a 1995 model. It is the two tone white and tan/cream color bottom. It has about 122K on it. It's fully loaded w/ leather , sunroof and told me it has a disk changer. Physically I have no idea how this Lexus rides or performs. I am getting this car that is about 80 miles out of the Austin area. The sales rep and I negoiated on a price and I agreed. He told me that the car looks like new and you would not know if this car was a 1995,,, so he just simply told me that this car was MINT :D,,, which is always great to hear. I told the rep that if we agree on price and what he told me was true,, I will purchase it. So we came to a truths and off I go tomorrow to get it. B) I figured the horsePower was not going to be over 200,, but I hope the performace can stand up to my old 1998 Nissan Maxima (not the se 5-spd). I really loved my Maxima,, but the body shape I could not stand to long (no style). From what I hear on here they seem to be a classy car with a good family performance,, and that is all I am looking for. I am not a rice racer or love to put on a trash can muffler on it. I just simply want to roll in class with a nice style to it. I went to Ebay and looked at some 2 tone white/cream bottom ES300 and they look so nice. So all the ES300's (1995-1996) has 8 speakers w/ a small amp under the front passagner seat??? ReallY?? If so,,, I bet the system sounds nice? Who is the manufacture of the stock stereo?? Thanks Mike Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shift_ Posted November 26, 2003 Author Share Posted November 26, 2003 Basically it looks like this one. The main thing that I might change out are the rims. I like the other ones that came stock which look like the 5 star kinds. Oh the price I am getting it for is 6100.00 Is that a good price :)?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blake918 Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 I just simply want to roll in class with a nice style to it. You are definantly looking at the right car for that!!! I believe that all of the ES's have the 8 speaker setup which is made by Pioneer. I'm not big into stereos, so the stock one is excellent to me! Eventhough the car only has 188hp, she can really get around; I think mainly due to the tranny which will hold gears up to 5500+ rpms. The price if it's mint is probably pretty good. I paid $6200 for my '94 w/ 105k, but it had a few interior problems and a small mechanical glitch. I probably put about $1500-$2000 into my '94, so it truley seems like a new car now! Now I'm thinking about spening $400 on all new weatherstripping; I want it to be dead silent inside :D ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Wubbman Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 You're getting a good car, Mike. I have a '95 with 105k miles on it. People have no idea its a '95 though! If it is what the sales rep says it is, you are looking at a great deal. Despite its age, it should perform well. Stomping the gas pedal will definately make it move with a purpose. It should also be very smooth, with very little to no vibration at all speeds. Even if the weather stripping is old, it should still be quiet inside at all speeds. A little bit of wind noise is normal though. Like Blake, I have no problem with the stock system. Great sound. $6100 seems to be a good price. It all depends though. Mine was $8500 (had 101k on it at the time, exterior was beautiful, interior was immaculate, some new apholstry, a few new dash fittings, new floor mats). Test drive it around town and at high speeds on the freeway and see how it does. Overall, I bet you will be very pleased. Let us know how it turns out. Here is a pic of mine after a wash on a nice sunny day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dmccombs Posted November 26, 2003 Share Posted November 26, 2003 Hi, For price reference, I just bought a 95 ES300 for $8000 from the local Lexus dealership here in Albuquerque New Mexico. The car has 98,500 miles and has had it's 90k mile service done. The car is in perfect mechanical shape. I had it checked out by a mechanic and had the few items he mentioned were fixed by the dealer (included in the $8,000). The car has the leather option, 6 CD Changer, new fog lights, and has service records showing that is was regularly serviced by a lexus dealership. Any dealer will let you borrow the car and get it checked by an independant mechanic. If you do this and it checks out, $6100 could be a great price. Even if you need a few repairs, ir could be a good price. With 122k miles on it though, I highly recommend the visit to a mechanic so you better know what you are getting. Good Luck, Darrell McCombs Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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