Good Idea or Bad Idea?

[thapranksta]

Hey, my wife and I are looking into buying a used 2003 Lexus ES300 with 64k miles on it (for her). The dealer is selling for $18.9k. The car appears to be in great condition. The transmission feels a little sluggish but I've read that that is a common complaint. Anyone have any personal advice or experience they would like to share? Thanks.

Since someone is going to ask how this relates to a Camry. Does the 2003 ES300 have the same engine as the Gen 5 Camry V6?

[dayvers]

buy for 15k

[geoff5093]

Yes the 2003 ES300 uses the 1MZ, which pushes 210HP.

I can't say if that price is justified or not since I dont know what kind of shape the cars in, or what features are included, but KBB for my area says it's worth $20K with 64K miles in excellent condition.

[Yazovets]

I would not buy an ES300, regardless of year or mileage. I drove such a vehicle once for half a day. That car honestly has no power, personality, or cornering ability. And it communicates nothing back to the driver with regards to steering.

The Mark Levinson system sounded very muffled and had insufficient power, too.

HI hope today's generation ES didn't keep all those traits...

[TRD VVTi]

You could buy a really nice really low mileage Camry for the kind of money. For slightly more you can get a really nice new Camry.

[gdanaher]

+1

-5 years old
-power train out of warranty
-priced like a low end Camry

or

-new car, not stunk up
-clean new seats
-full warranty
-priced like a 5 year old Lexus

[Georgenfla]

Yep, there are running specials here in central FLA for brand new camrys below $18,000, and thats a great deal...automatic even.

[thapranksta]

^Yeah, I know in places like Florida you can get great deals on new cars but I'm in Mississippi where dealers like to rape you as much as possible.

If the car was for me personally, I would just get a slightly old car with a good foundation to start modding. My wife likes everything there already. We are strapped for cash right now saving for a house and recovering from our wedding but she really needs a car.

The ES on a test drive really felt like it was lacking in power like Yazovets said. It felt weak for a V6. I'm figuring at our price range of $19k and below, something will definitely have to be sacrificed - mileage, features, and/or power.

Thanks everybody for your opinions and advice.

[Super Kaioken]

MS isn't too bad, try traveling to the coast and look for a car i got my car at 18K at 28K miles...back in 03 lol

[thapranksta]

No, MS isn't TOO bad but there are a lot of rapist on the loose at dealerships though. They will try to put you in a shitty car and talk you into thinking that the excessive shaking coming from the steering wheel is actually normal.

[marc780]

I dont think transmission should feel sluggish, if its normal then maybe consider a V6. Despite the snob appeal camry and lexus are almost identical except for interior details and wheels, etc. Drivetrain - which of course is what really counts - is the same.
You could find a 2003 camry or solara with leather seats, sun roof, V6 and the rest for about $15k and probably even lower miles.
Oh wait, thats kind of what i did. My wife didnt know what to buy for her next car so i steered her to a 2001 solara with v6. $15k out the door (2 years ago). She loves it. And i got myself a 2002 V6 Camry cause she wasnt going to have 2 of the same car in the house lol

[thapranksta]

ES300 comes standard with V6 so getting a bigger engine will not help. The transmission of the car seems to be the culprit. We are now about to close on a 2004 Avalon XLS with 34k for 19k. They come standard with V6 and are LOADED!!! The test drive showed a very smooth car with considerable power. The only thing with an avalon is the rather bland exterior (excluding the last body style).

[Dana_15]

Originally Posted by thapranksta

We are now about to close on a 2004 Avalon XLS with 34k for 19k.

Excellent, congrats

[JSM1284]

I sold my 07 Camry SE V6 for a 2002 ES300 1MZ 5-Speed auto, and have absolutely no regrets. The lexus has 95,000 miles and runs soooo much smoother, and quieter than the camry. The car drives like it just came off the showroom floor. Not as much power as the Camry had, but I dont speed or have to prove how fast my car is so it is perfect for me.

[thapranksta]

The ES300 is definitely a luxury car. As far as my test drive, the car drove very smoothy but it just lagged when you asked for acceleration for some reason. The Avalon was much more responsive. Maybe I had a bad ES300 but I've read similar accounts on the Internet. Edmunds.com is filled with reviews about the car where the lag of the transmission is a complaint. Despite that I still think the ES300 is a great car especially with its reliability record.