LALVLexus

1996 Lexus ES300 Mileage when acquired: 38,400 Real, CarFax confirmed (and leather seat confirmed--hardly broken in). Paid $6,250, found the car on Craigslist here in the Los Angeles area. BTW take a look at online ads and notice that Camrys & Solaras 1996 - around 2002 go for even more money sometimes (with more miles) so I consider this a relative bargain, especially with all the features (sunroof, CD changer, leather, power etc.) Previous owners: one retired woman (original owner--showed on CarFax), then the retired couple I bought it from--it was their special car kept in a garage. Mods: 17 x 7 wheels, 215/50-17 tires. Much better handling, slightly firmer ride but worth it. Also much more stylish IMHO. Repairs/upkeep: after I purchased it I did some Preventative Maintenance which included changing all fluids (Transmission, power steering, antifreeze, brake fluid), had the A/C freon filtered/re-charged. Front brake rotors were warped so changed them out along with new pads. No problems at all so far--really nice car for the $7,000 I have in it. Insurance: I think it's about $1500 a year? It's less than the 2000 Solara I replaced. This site has been great for info. I see so many cars on here with 100k+ miles on them--I'll probably lose interest in the car before it wears out.

Actually I forgot to leave out one other possibility. Sometimes an older vehicle has low mileage on it because it was totalled/wrecked in a very bad accident, it sat for quite awhile, then someone decided to put it back together. I don't know the laws in your state but most require that these vehicles be registered as "salvage" or "rebuilt." A quick way to assure yourself that this is not the case is to check the VIN# (serial number located in the lower driver's side windshield/dash area) and compare it to the VIN tag that's on the fenders, doors, hood, and trunk lid. If any of these parts are missing it's suspect. You should also run a CarFax report, they usually catch these things. Even if it's not been totalled and one of these parts is missing the VIN tag it could mean that the vehicle was in an accident where that part was replaced. Hope this doesn't cast doubt on your potential low mileage purchase but thought you should know.

I purchased aftermarket for a couple of reasons: 1. OEM rims from the dealer are crazy expensive; 2. Used OEM rims seem to get a lot of money, even on Craigslist, and it's difficult to determine if they're straight--it doesn't take much to damage alloy/aluminum and I didn't want to pay for damaged goods. 3. I wanted my car to look different. I see more than enough '96 ES300 pearls rolling around--but haven't seen one with the 17s mine has. Nothing wrong with aftermarket so long as you keep the offset correct, don't go overboard on tires (215/50-17 max) and get the suspension aligned afterwards for the wheel/tire that you use. Best of luck!

Nothing wrong with an "older" Lexus with low miles on it. I purchased my '96 ES300 with 38,400 on it in April this year. It was a garaged car owned by a retired Asian couple. Any time you purchase a low mileage car the potential problems are: Belts / Hoses--rubber degrades over time and with non-use it can dry out. Depending on the climate where you live this could be an issue. Simply inspect and if some need replaced it's still going to be a low mileage car. Gaskets--again, these can dry out, depending on many factors. Inspect for leaks, etc. Sun damage--depending on where you live, if the car was stored inside/outside. More of an aesthetic issue. My personal experience with my low mileage '96 is that it's dry as a bone underneath--no problems. I did take it to a shop and have the A/C freon filtered/recharged, and all fluids changed (trans, power steering, brake, anti-freeze). I don't know if it related to older drivers or the low mileage but the front brake rotors were warped and I replaced them myself inexpensively (along with new pads). All told that '97 with 50k could be a great deal, just do your due diligence and check it out.

I purchased my '96 ES300 just this past April with the original 15" factory wheels on it. I wanted some better looking rims on it but wanted to keep things within original specs. Solution: went to Discount Tire / America's Tire and got a great set of 17" x 7" wheels along with 215/50 - 17 tires. The offset is correct (can't recall exactly what it is but they checked the books to make sure). No rub or clearance issues. Took the car in for alignment afterwards (just to make sure everything was ok) and they had no issues setting it up and doing an alignment. If you stick with alloy / aluminum wheels you shouldn't have any weight problems. I personally wouldn't go with 18's because the side profile would have to be so low it would degrade the ride. The bigger wheels/tires provide really good stability (I drive between LA & Las Vegas a lot for work) the handling is tighter due to the lower sidewall height, and the ride is only a bit firmer (which is fine by me.) Hope this helps.

Update: I received my emblems today and they are indeed OEM. Fit perfectly. The "LEXUS" emblem for the left rear trunklid did not have the plastic part that fit into the existing hole (although the part / pkg was marked with OEM sticker) so perhaps this is because Lexus made so many vehicles they wanted to make more of a one-part-fits-all for that particular item. It was easy to place it on the trunk lid (just make sure it's even from the lower edge) and all the parts had the sticky tape on them as well. Install was a breeze and IMHO they look so much better than the gold package (with all due apologies to those who like that kind of 90s thing).

I recently went through the task of replacing my '96 ES300 emblems. They were in fine shape--but gold. Very 90s. Because they have adhesive backing + the little plastic bit that goes into the body they are virtually impossible to remove without damaging. It's also quite fun to get the adhesive residue off the car. I looked into new emblems on e-bay but be warned: most of them are non-OEM. When I inquired about the front hood emblem being curved for the contoured hood I was told they were not but that I could make them fit. Yeah right--these are made of plastic and too much bending will result in cracking or the early peeling of the plating. Other supposedly complete OEM quality sets were not factory so did not have the little plastic part that fits into the hole and aligns the emblem. My solution: lexuspartsonline.com Rudy responded immediately to my inquiry, gave me the Lexus part no's etc. According to him they get them from a Lexus dealership (they're actually a Toyota dealership with an online store). OEM parts. And cheaper than the complete sets on e-bay ($95 including shipping). Note: they are currently being shipped to me so I can't yet comment as to true OEM status or quality. I'll post when I get it. In your case with your new paint chrome would look good. With fresh ones you could lightly sand them and have them painted by the shop. Further warning: sometimes automotive paint can "melt" plastic so consult with your bodyshop on what you want. Hope this helps.