Question About Buying A Lexus...

[jsteph67]

Soon I am going to be in the process of buying a good Used Car.

I need something that I can drive daily, about an hour drive both ways that is dependable.

My budget is about 15k. My question is, should I get an older LS or a Newer GS/ES?

In that budget I should be able to get a '02 or maybe an '03 LS or I could get a couple of years newer GS/ES.

And I figured if anyone knew what the best option would be, it would be you guys.

[vroom8]

Soon I am going to be in the process of buying a good Used Car.

I need something that I can drive daily, about an hour drive both ways that is dependable.

My budget is about 15k. My question is, should I get an older LS or a Newer GS/ES?

In that budget I should be able to get a '02 or maybe an '03 LS or I could get a couple of years newer GS/ES.

And I figured if anyone knew what the best option would be, it would be you guys.

I would get a newer LS...I have a 1992 and there are some issues that were worked out in later years. They are a dream car, however....you will never drive anything else!

The guys here can give you more information on the years to look at.

good luck!

[curiousB]

I have a '04 LS and bought it new. It’s been pretty dependable and nice car to own. Neighbor has an ES and they've had similar positive experience.

Since owning have had the following done, new tires x2, new brake pads all around x2, new brake rotors in rear (salt on winter roads rotten them out), will need new rotors in front in next 12-18 months, new passenger side mirror (over engineered mirror concealment feature broke and is only repaired as a complete assembly swap out $800), and new ride height sensor (caused headlights to point downwards), plus all routine oil changes/service intervals. I’m at 76k miles.

I once heard someone describe the LS and an expensive comfy couch on wheels. That’s a pretty good description. Very large and well appointed. If you don’t need the size you’d probably get better gas mileage in the ES and get a newer model for the same price. It’s the same Toyota quality (TQM) in the design and manufacturing so you can’t go too far wrong.

They are expensive to repair when they fail. The counterbalance is they don’t fail a lot. Don’t think it will never break down though or you may get a rude and expensive surprise.

[danxp]

you do realize that you are on an LS forum, right?

anyway, of course i'm going to vote LS... for some reason, the LS and GS/ES aren't THAT much different in prices... the ES actually keeps a pretty high value... now having said that, go for an LS... if you could cough up a few grand more you may be able to slot yourself into an 04+ LS... imho, a nice improvement upon the 01-03 ls430...

start here...

- autotrader

- cars.com

- ebay

- craigslist

- dealer auction (if you know a dealer that can take you)

good luck

[billydpowell]

I now have 2 97 LS400's.

I have owned a total of 6 LS's.

all get 20+ mpg.

and ride like a dream. (a good one)

I dont want anything else...

try it you'll like it

[1990LS400]

The LS, GS and ES are very different cars in the way they drive and "feel" and in interior and trunk space. I certainly don't consider them as being interchangable except that all will get you to your destination in comfort. Which one do you prefer?

An LS will be substantially more expensive to maintain than an ES and somewhat more expensive to maintain than a GS.

[amcdonal86]

If you are going to buy a Lexus, why not get a real one instead of a Camry with a tuxedo on?

[OmarG]

you should really test drive each model thoroughly to see which one meets your needs and expectations. They are all fantastic! I bought an 94 ES300 for my sisters boyfriend and he loves it. I drove it for about a week and they are very nice! Build quality is high, but the LS is unmatched for its era. Expect the same for es330's and LS430's. Both great but the LS is legendary

[mcat]

love my ls.

99 ls

[SW03ES]

If you are going to buy a Lexus, why not get a real one instead of a Camry with a tuxedo on?

My "Camry with a tuxedo on" rides and drives like a dream at 130k miles, still every bit as nice as when it was new. The LS is great, and I am seriously considering one as an upgrade but when I drive the ES I don't miss the LS. The LS is more car no doubt, but the ES is so much car you don't really miss the extra refinement when you aren't routinely switching back and forth between them. All of this plus its much cheaper to maintain and insure, new its half the cost and used you can buy one 2-3 years newer for the same money. Plenty of reasons to buy the ES...and thats why they sell so many of them.

[90LS400Lexus]

I have owned two Lexus, still have one... but gen 1 LS400s (a 1990 and currently a 1991). I have not been lucky enough to own a newer one, (I have wanted a 1995-96 and have dreamed about a 2001 LS430) but alot of fans seem to say that aside from the minor (but costly) issues that plague the early ones that the gen 1 was one of the highest quality LS400s made as far as build quality, etc. I would say that the gen 2 would also rank right up there.

lol @ a Camry in a tux with the LS400. I had a 93 Camry LE V6 and loved it. If I could go back, I would choose my 93 Camry LE with 212K over either of my LS400s, mainly because I had NO issues with that car and it was a much cheaper car to own and maintain and the interior build quality was just as nice as my LS400s. In fact, the redesigned 92 Camry took alot of traits from the 1990-92 LS400. :) Strange, but I looked at a few 92-96 Lexus ES300s and there were some interior areas that looked "cheaper" than the Camry.. such as the console area of the dash on the ES didnt line up as nice as it should have on alot of those.

Well, I am getting OT here. If you can afford a nice LS, thats perfect... or getting an even newer ES may not be a bad thing either... I love the looks of the 03-04 ES models, but I was not a fan of the 07-09 Camrys, so probably would not be a huge fan of that ES unless it rode better than the Camry. The new Camry rides too harshly for my tastes. I like soft and cushy riding cars.

[amcdonal86]

If you are going to buy a Lexus, why not get a real one instead of a Camry with a tuxedo on?

My "Camry with a tuxedo on" rides and drives like a dream at 130k miles

So would a Camry.

It's as much of a Camry with a tux on as the Acura TL is to the Honda Accord. Sure it's a decent car, but I don't really consider it a real Lexus when 90%+ of the parts are shared with the Camry!

[SW03ES]

You don't really know what you're talking about. The ES shares its platform and engine with the Camry along with some suspension architecture. Its about 20%, not 90%, and gets less with every passing generation. Not one body part is shared, not one piece of glass, not one piece of interior trim save the turn signal stalks and such that are also shared with the LS. The ES is no more a "Camry" than an RX.

You might want to try driving one, its a great car, much smoother, quieter, and better appointed than the Camry. Same is true of the TL. The ES is Lexus best selling car by a mile, and the RX is the best selling vehicle in the Lexus line...by a mile. Both based off the Camry Platform.

The ES is every bit as much a "Lexus" as a Toyota. Your LS is just a Toyota too...as are all Lexus vehicles by the virtue that they are a marketing division of Toyota. What about the RX, LX, and GX? Not real Lexuses either?

We're all Lexus owners here...no need to be denigrating towards other vehicles in the line. If you want to voice your opinion fine, but "Camry with a tuxedo on" is offensive and not appropriate.

Well, I am getting OT here. If you can afford a nice LS, thats perfect... or getting an even newer ES may not be a bad thing either... I love the looks of the 03-04 ES models, but I was not a fan of the 07-09 Camrys, so probably would not be a huge fan of that ES unless it rode better than the Camry. The new Camry rides too harshly for my tastes. I like soft and cushy riding cars.

The 07+ ES is a very good riding car. Not sure why the Camry is so much firmer, but it is I've driven them both.

[vroom8]

Owned a Camry for a while...a few years ago....loved it. It was a sky blue metallic , and was a beautiful car.

Never had a mechanial issue with it in 3 years...thought i would buy one again...until i seated myself in the 1st generation LS....altho they have mechanical issues that are quite expensive...they are worth every dime...it is the ultimate ride, and they are beautiful inside and out.

[jcrome04]

FYI if you decide to fall asleep and crash while cruising at 80mph you'll be A'Okay! B)

but don't take my word for it! lol

[SW03ES]

First hand experience! At least you can laugh about it...

[nc211]

As my name to the side shows, I've had a LS, and now have a GS. If you're not comfortable with, or don't feel the need for, the size of an LS, and the ES doesn't quite ring your bell, the GS is a perfect fit between the two. It has a heavier and meatier feel to it over the ES, but not as lumbering as the LS. It's no corner screaming sports sedan. If you get one with the V8 (400/430), it will go forward very quickly, that's about it in terms of "sports sedan". Cornering is more inline with the LS. The ES is more nimble on it's feet, and quite fun to drive. It's perfect if you live in a high traffic area, as it's easier to manuver around and such. The GS isn't all that bad, but it feels more like a boulevard cruiser, just not quite at the level of the LS.

As you can see on here from these posts, the LS is the top of the line pick in the Lexus sedan line up. But, as SWO said, they're all Lexus cars. Which means luxury, quiet, smooth, and dependable. If you're even somewhat handy with a wrench, maintaining one is no more costly then any other typical car. The expense of a Lexus in your garage isn't so much in the parts, but the labor! It's criminal what some of these mechanics, especially dealerships, charge for labor. It's not just the Lawyer-like hourly rates, but the book-times they charge for a repair. A repair could take 30 minutes in real time, but they'll charge you the 4 hours the "book" says it takes.

Are they Toyotas? Yeah, they are. And if you ever buy a part for the car, it'll come in a Toyota box, not a Lexus box. But, are they nothing more then a dressed up Toyota? Well, not completely. Take the V8 4runner and GX470 comparison. Both have the same engine, same driveline, same frame. But, can you put 4runner brake rotors on a GX470? No. Can you hear the engine humming in a GX470 like you can in a 4runner? No. Can you hear road noise in the GX like in the 4runner? No. And the interiors are night and day in terms of luxury and comfort. I love my 4runner, now approaching 80k miles. But when the time comes to replace it, it'll probably be with a GX470, not another 4runner. In this day and age, you can't avoid the cross-sharing of components between badges of any car anymore. Porsche to VW and Audi. BMW to Mini and a couple of others I can't remember. MB used to tie to Chryster. Ford to Mazda, Lincoln, Jag, Volvo. GM = Caddy, GMC, Chevy, Pontiac, etc... Toyota to Lexus and formerly Pontiac via the Vibe. Nissan to Infiniti, Honda to Acura. If this sort of stuff bothers you....then there's always Hyndia, Kia, and Suzuki.

[df4801]

I looked at both and I actually like both the LS and ES. But the price difference used was just $2-3K, so I decided on the LS as a better value and a better car. I hope upkeep doesnt make me regret it! LOL

One other point, my mechanic friend (take it for what its worth) told me the LS is engineered to a much higher standard than the ES.

[nc211]

I don't know about that higher standard stuff. I do think the LS probably requires a little more initial attention due to it's size and the rear-wheel drive nature of the car.

My GS would actually be an ES, if my wife had liked the way the model years we were looking at enough to generate a response beyond the "it's ok". Now, also consider she'll only go to a car lot on sundays so she doesn't have to deal with a salesman, and doesn't have to get out of our car to look at them. And, our last car (Mazda 3) was selected (after MONTHS of a frustrating search) because the salesman (I forced her to go with me on a Saturday), said the magic words of "and this is where you can plug in your ipod".......fast forward 1/100th of a second later, and i heard "I love it, I want it". So...you be the judge on that one.

[SW03ES]

Yeah if I were buying a used one I'd buy the LS. Its definitely engineered to a higher standard which it oughta be being originally twice the cost.

The LS is *definitely* more car, but it is also a significantly more expensive car to purchase and own.

[billydpowell]

L uxury EX port U nited S tates

LEXUS.

now you have it.

it is the best that TOYOTA can make.

L uxury S edan

LS

why settle for less?

try it, you will like it.

[PilotguyPA28]

I think you should look at the number of miles you'll be putting on your vehicle. If you're putting 100+ miles a day then you're really going to take a hit on depreciation down the road. If you don't care about that then get the LS (I have one).

[SW03ES]

But that hit is going to be lower on a used car than a new car at least...

[tcbted]

I've owned an LS400 (2000), ES300 (2000), and an LS430 (2004).

I loved all three cars.

I can't say if my ES300 was just an embellished Camry, because I've never been in a Camry.

What the car was, IMO, was a superb entry level luxury car.

Dependability was top notch, as was the smoothness, quietness, and first rate build quality and materials.

I preferred the LS sedans, mostly due to the longer wheelbase ride comfort, rwd, and extra level of solidity.

The LS seem to have more proprietary technology on board ... looking around the interior, most of the pieces

don't seem to be shared with a similar Toyota product offering, other than a few switchgear pieces.

I've had two annoying failures on my LS430 which couldn't have happened on the simpler ES300.

My folding power outside mirror went awry, swinging around even when turned off. The cost to fix was

around $1k CDN with tax. Also, my headlight level sensor failed, causing a blinking AFS light.

A module sitting on the control arm was replaced, at about $700 including tax.

Once fixed, my turning headlight feature resumed ... one useless feature I could live without.

Funny thing, I actually prefer the basic premium sound in the ES over the Levinson sound in my LS430.

I just can't get the proper bass response or sound imaging out of the more complex Levinson system.

The LS400 Nakamichi system was wonderful ... the one car I miss selling was that 2000 LS400.

Should've kept it.

If I put a lot of miles on my car, I would proudly purchase a newer ES.

If I'm a low mileage driver, which I am, I would rather buy a slightly older LS and enjoy the extra

level of luxury. But, some of those extra features are ridiculously expensive to repair should they break.

[someguy]

Ive had both es and ls and although the es really is a camry with a tuxedo, its a really nice tuxedo ;) I really like both equally. Different riding experiences, but both very nice