1997 Lexus ES300 | Retro Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 9 มิ.ย. 2024
- The 3rd generation Lexus ES300 brings more of its bigger brother LS400 features to the entry level luxury masses. With a base price just under $31,000
Show 1619 | Original Airdate 12-18-1996
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27 years later and that car is still extremely good-looking.
I wouldn't go that far...😂
Ya, let's not get carried away meow
I wouldn’t say “extremely good looking” but it is certainly a timeless design. Mainly because it’s pretty bland and just clean
Lmao extremely? That’s gonna be a no from me dog. 😂
And probably still running lol
The prettiest ES of all the generations. They did an incredible job transforming it from the super plain Camry to this beauty.
The ES is NOT based on the camry anymore.
@@mikeanthony706 The ES of this generation was
@alexlarson2466 Sure, I am aware for THIS generation, yes. However, the ES is no longer based on the Camry. The comment is misleading. Someone might think the ES IS based on the camry, but it is NOT. The key is, WAS
@@mikeanthony706 That's great information. However, nowhere in my comment did I say that the current ES is Camry based. My comment was specifically about the car featured in the review, so...
Not really. Lol this was blah
This generation of the ES was the one everyone wanted and for good reason. They were (and still are) great cars.
They wanted it because it was only a better value when compared to a Merc C-Class or 3-Series bimmer. It was a ripoff compared to an Avalon. Smart buyers stayed away because Toyota fans try to hide the fact that all V6 front wheel drive Lexus/Toyota products break down with shitty transmissions and fragile motor mounts.
@@headliner73390s Toyotas/Lexuses also have problems with ECU failure. You also don’t hear about it outside of the community. I learned about it the hard way
@@interstate366 again you had a bad experience does that mean everything is bad.
They want the newer ones troo
@@headliner733the Lexus ES had better materials than the Avalon which was just a bigger Camry with same Toyota appointments. Things like leather, electro luminescent instrumentation, and wood trim as well as paint quality were absolutely higher on the ES then those other two.
My first car was an Avalon that was passed down to me. She had some problems but I slowly fixed her and sold it for 3500. Found an 01 gold es300 and man what a dream she has been. Very reliable, decent mpg, nice interior, and the list goes on. Definitely a car college kids should heavily consider. Going on year 9 with the ES, another great car made by Toyota
I sat in one of these when I took auto tech. The driver's seat was so comfortable. I don't even think words can express how comfortable it was.
The 1997 Lexus Es300 still on the road. They are incredibly reliable.
this was the car that my dad had when i was growing up. only stopped working because it was rear ended and totaled. these were incredible cars and an incredible time for lexus, i have an sc400 now
These are still going on the roads. Crazy!!
Keep the oil and filter changes up to date, don't drive it like you stole it, and change the timing belt every 75k miles and it will outlast anything on the road today.
Same with the RX 300
im still driving one.
i drive a 97’ es300 with 236k. the timing belt was replaced at 200k. the oil stays CLEAN when i drain it after 3000 miles. I paid 1500 for the car and i’m gonna drive it until it dies!
I bought a 99 with 60,000 miles. This year. My daily
Simple elegant lines . No big tech screens and added on heavy equipment throwing codes . Just reliability.
Timeless design.
These were well worth the money back in the day.. the Benchmark package for luxury & reliability .. it just did everything it was suppose too do.. & still grace the roads today.. ❤❤❤..!!!!
I still see these on the road to this day. Almost all of them are in pristine shape, that's Toyota reliability for you. 😎😎
Being in good shape has nothing to do with reliability. Being in good shape just means the owner takes good care of it.
@@headliner733 most misleading comment ever. If a vehicle is not reliable from the start then its does not matter how much of effort owner puts. So stop posting misinformation
@@JDns-we4fw Someone gets it!
@@headliner733 he does not and stop been a fool
@@JDns-we4fw In other words, typical for that brand.
I love that you guys are posting these older videos. I miss these days.
We had to go with the Avalon back then because we needed the available 6 passenger seating. The Avalon from that period sure drove like a Lexus.
Beb , how much was the Avalon in 97?
A Lexus drives like a Toyota. Fun fact, those Lexus models are Toyota models in Japan. Did you know that? 😂😂😂
@@headliner733😂😂.you are wrong
@@b-genspinster7895I don’t recall exactly but my XLS with some options definitely listed south of 30k, maybe 28k?
@@MYLIFEISLEGENDARYMYLIFE836no you are wrong. Take a look at the Toyota Windom.
Always loved the first few gens of the ES especially this 3rd gen. Super clean styling, rear end that reminds you of the LS, relatively low and long and the frameless doors have always been an awesome touch.
*Literally one of the BEST vehicles ever made in the world*
I bought a '99 about 5 years ago with about 80k miles, 1 owner garage kept, I was surprised when the transmission broke, but after I fixed it, it has been bulletproof, still driving it today and it's smooth as ever
Daily driver is an 04 ES330. Everything works, has 153k miles. And is so plush and quiet.
I have the same car. Silver on black. only 60k miles. Love it.
I work with someone who still drives one.. from new.. original owner.. 350k miles and still gets him to work..
Admirable and smart!
I love the two-tone paint on the first three generations of the Lexus ES. This 3rd generation Lexus ES is the final generation with the two-tone exterior paint.
This is the third gen actually.
@@foxesamu thanks for the correction. Maybe I overlooked the generations of the Lexus ES. I'll edit my comment. I know that is the 3rd generation Lexus ES in the video.
@@theKevronHarrisTo be honest, the first generation model is often disregarded, as it was never supposed to exist in the first place.
The big RWD LS 400 was planned from August 1983 and developed from January 1984 as a flagship 1988 Toyota model, above the Cressida to celebrate Toyota's 50th anniversary in 1987. They budgeted for 4 years of development.
Took too long to develop, so they were gonna miss that target of late 1987. It was now mid-late 1989 introduction for this S-Class/Jaguar XJ competitor. Then the new E32 7-Series became another target (in 1986).
In late 1986, Toyota USA execs pushed for a separate brand & dealer network, so Lexus was created. Problem was, Lexus needed additional models and no longer just one big luxury car.
So a RWD midsize sedan (became GS), RWD luxury coupe (later SC), and FWD entry level sedan (ES) were ordered for development entering 1987. All using new platforms.
This meant at least 4-5 years and not being available until 1991-92. In 1987, this encouraged stopgap models to be quickly conjured up for late 1989 intro, instead of waiting for the all-new 1992 models to arrive in 1991.
In 1987, Toyota briefly thought about rebadging the upcoming Crown or 1989 X80 Cressida, Z20 JDM Soarer, or MK III A70 Supra, and V20 Camry to satisfy these segments for late 1989 intro until 1991, when new models developed from scratch were ready.
Ultimately the Crown and X80 Cressida were skipped for a 1990 Lexus badged RWD midsize, as were either the MK III A70 Supra or JDM Z20 Soarer for what became the SC. The next generation Z30 Soarer and new model S140 (GS) became those new RWD models for 1991-92.
Only the existing V20 Camry Prominent was modified during 1987 into the ES 250 and immediately sent to prototype testing. This happened quickly, while designers were still developing the 1992 ES 300 sedan in 1987.
The ES 250 was not supposed to exist, so it's practically a footnote today. Toyota originally wanted the ES nameplate to be introduced as the 3.0 V6 ES 300 and never the dowdy ES 250.
This was said many times during launch of the ES 300 in 1991.
Hands down the greatest channel on youtube.
I'm absolutely loving these retro review uploads! Keep up the good work guys.
These cars are still on the roads and running strong 💪🏼 can't say the same for the other contenders during the same period.
I love these ES's. In 1997 I joined a Toyota dealer in Melbourne (Au) and the general manager had one of these. It was a two tone dark red with the beige interior, took me 5 mins to full in love with it!. It may have been Camry based, but looked, felt and drove on an entirely different level to the top of the range V6 Camry at the time (I know I drovethem back to back, and often). These cars are too old now, very hard to find something with low mileage. These days I drive a very low mileage Lexus IS350 (2012).
Lots of these still on the road.
My cousin has a 2000 with a TRD supercharger and it’s actually a little sleeper and with 220k miles on it it’s still going strong.
Cool this is my car!!! Love my 1997 midnight blue es300!!!
Wow $30k starting in 1997 was crazy expensive considering a new one in 2023 is only $43,000 30 years later
I was surprised by the same as my parents had a brand new 2005 es and I remember it wasn’t that much more.
@@Wasabi9111Will you review a Lexus LS509h?
I was thinking the same thing. Inflation adjusted their tested model here is the equivalent to $66,000 today.
And still John calls it a bargain.
Right?! My grandparents bought a new es300 in 1993 and spent around 30k. With inflation that was a lot of money for a midsize lux sedan. It sure held up and stayed in the family for years. You pay a premium for quality I suppose
Still running smoothly to this day
I remember back in 1992, my Mom was looking for a new sedan to replace our Grand Caravan that we no longer needed. She test drove an ES300 at Lexus Monterey Peninsula and liked it but my parents thought the $25,000 price at that time was too high. Ended up buying an Accord.
Lol, it was probably even more than that. A 1992 ad, shows it even started at $26k for a manual and automatic ES 300s cost almost $27-28k.
Nice story btw.
You could buy a brand new Accord in 2004 for $24K, as I recall.
I love this channel! A total throwback to when i was growing up! No⚡bullshit is the most important thing I've noticed 🤷
Same. I grew up watching it on pbs. But I enjoy it even more now reminiscing of the cars I grew up with
Can I just say, of all the awful music Motorweek has had over the years, the music in this video is GORGEOUS. I would LOVE to find a recording of the piece; it's begging to have a future funk or vaporwave remix!
Stylish, no cvt or ugly laptop on the dash. Nice machine.
I bought one of these Lexus ES300 about 8 years ago with 179,000 miles on it and drove it until it had 298,000 miles. Never had any major issues other than regular maintenance and changing out one of the power steering hoses. Great car!
“The 4 speed automatic transmission now also adjusts shift programs for you” ie they finally got rid of the ect power button.
Those are pretty solid track numbers for a V6 back then.
Still one of my all time favorite cars... Styling is still handsome.
My dad owned the 98 version of this car, and it was the smoothest car I ever drove. I inherited it when he passed and drove it until 2010. Unfortunately, he never took care of it, and it started falling apart on me. My dad never took care of his cars, he would swap them out every few years.
Back then when Lexus said something like “the relentless pursuit of perfection”, you kind of believed them.
That car was perfect
My dad had a jet black one. Really nice smooth car
Always with the nice music.
I really want a soundtrack of 80s and 90s MW reviews.
Graduated high school in 97, great times. My friend’s dad bought a brand new green ES in 98, that was a beautiful car……and they haven’t aged all that bad.
When they still had bumpers instead of an enormous monstrosity of a grill.
Spindle grille FTW!
Back then when Lexus said something like “the relentless pursuit of perfection”, you kind of believed them.
People kept complaining how boring lexus looked and drove so they took an audi grill and squeezed it by the hips 😂... That's really yo's fault because they was fine as they were😂
@@jermainec2462Yep. Live to complain about Lexus products, not so much the rude and arrogant staff.
these old Lexus must hold up pretty well, i know a couple live streamers who drive them
Those seats look so comfortable compared to any of today’s cars
IMO, the 97-01 was peak ES. The clean and inoffensive styling, while boring, has aged well.
Yes, they cleaned up the styling language introduced for the 92 model and made it more crisp.
They had to bastardize it next gen, in order to give room to the 2000.5 IS 300 sedan at the entry level.
Problem is, that eventually killed both the Avalon and GS.
@@nwezetx1good observation, im learning now
I think this the era where owners noticed that this car has the same engine as the regular economy box camry. Lexus had to stepped up their game after that.
The last good looking lexus up until the latest redesigns. Minus the s class copy cat ls430 post face lift was also pretty good. I'd love one of those in charcoal grey metallic with the chrome 5 spoke wheels.
This gen was a much better looker than the 92-96.
Recently picked up an 01 ES300 with 113K. Rides and feels brand new.
And wait did he say a newer year car was less expensive in 97!!😳
1996, not 1997. Check the episode description and go to the cpi Gov date inflation calculator. The amount is even higher adjusted for inflation.
This brought back some memories...I had this car in black and gray ext/tan int about 25-ish yrs ago. The "electroluminescent" guages were so ahead of their time and combined with the buttery smooth leather and quiet ride made the car feel extraordinary for its time. Such a fantastic car and so lovely to drive. It served us well until my wife was in a bad accident with our 1 yr old twins in the back, totaling the car (other car was an S10 Blazer, pretty sure it was totaled as well because it rolled). Everyone inside was safe, thankfully (the other driver was okay, too), in spite of serious damage to both cars. Because Lexus's hold their value so well and due to prices increasing in subsequent years we actually got more from the insurance payout than we paid for the car. Definitely one of my favorite cars that I've owned.
my first car!
The facelift of this one was when they got it just right. Larger wheels and changes like new taillights made it look more premium than it was. All of them were great car with silent interior and perfect front seats. The competition was behind this model. Acura TL was way cheaper looking and materials were inferior. The Infiniti I30 was an ugly car and depreciated like a BMW in later years. Infiniti did have the J30 which was V6 RWD but had a love it or hate it styling from the C pillar back.
Yep, peak period to get an ES was late 1999 to early autumn 2001.
Next gen was a convoluted late 90s effort to be experimental in the geriatric market, since the IS was now targeting the younger buyer at the bottom end.
Best channel for me .👍
I wanted one when new and I'd still take one now. Would look great parked next to my 06 tacoma.
super sharp car
2:47 John: BUT SWITCHING TO THE SPORT SETTING ADDS SOME BUMP HARSHNESS AND NEAR SPORT SEDAN PROWESS! LOL
But no oil pressure or voltmeter gauges.
everything about GM I needed please guys
A 64dB cabin back in '97? Holy cow that's astounding.
This turned wayy more heads that the new ES does these days.
Ditto for Acura Legend vs the new Acuras.
OG Acura Legend was peak Japanese “Sport luxury.”
wish i could own one of them
That sweet hotel lobby jazz music at the beginning 😂 love it
I still see some of them driving on the roads today.
Definitely the best looking iteration of this model. Just sold my 97 Es300. In 9 years of ownership, all that went wrong was a wire to one of the park lights coming loose.
MW shorts reviews are the best! Many 90s car still look nice and modern or im just old and used to those cars?
I had 2 of these, one 97 and another 00. Loved both of them, 97 I did all sorts of work to slam it on coilovers but when it was all OEM, it was probably the smoothest most quiet vehicle I’d ever driven.
Can you upload a retro review of the 2003 Toyota Tundra? Thanks.
This was the generation of ES that really differentiated itself from it's cousin the Camry
Alot of that also had to do with the gen 3 Camry being very Lexus-like
That was the 2013 version which started sharing the platform of the avalon.
@@ditiprel4This is a fair point in terms of engineering, but it's really the 2002 model.
@@nwezetx1 Agreed. I have an 04 es myself and that thing is really nice. I meant the platform changed in 2013. The 2002 really was the first one that started making the es more upscale than its camry sibling
@@ditiprel4The ES used the same universal midsize FWD "K Platform" as the Camry from July 2001 to September 2018, like the Camry also did from July 2001 to June 2017.
What changed in September 2012, was the shift from the Camry shared shorter K Platform version to the larger Avalon "K Platform" variant.
The 2002 ES 300 blurred the lines between the Camry much better than both this generation and the 1992 model year redesign.
Unlike the 1992 ES, this ES generation kept the high quality tenets enjoyed by the outgoing ES generation, while for greater differentiation between the trio of Camry/Avalon/ES, Toyota downgraded the Camry for the 1997 model year based on marketing and fiscal reasons.
The 1992 Camry was made as nice as it was, because back in 1988-89, Toyota was fumbling again on whether to replace the RWD 1992 Cressida with a 1993 model year version of the X90 JDM Mark II. This would be sold parallel to the future GS 300. Or they could develop a larger FWD sedan not yet in development, to rival the US domestic FWD big cars.
In the end, Toyota decided by 1990 to cancel a RWD Cressida replacement and began developing the Avalon for late 1994 intro.
In order to dominate in USA and satisfy demanding American execs, they also created the Camry SE V6 and XLE V6, to fill the gap to be left by the discontinued Cressida after 1992. They decided to base the Camry on the future ES 300 platform in 1988.
Previously the top Camry model was the LE V6, but the XLE V6 was ridiculously high end for this class to cover Cressida buyers. Eventually when the Avalon joined 3 years later, this became an issue and with the Yen raising prices significantly, cost cutting was implemented much harsher for the '97 Camry.
ES 300 also got a little hurt, because it was also at risk of becoming the equivalent of $60,000 MSRP per Bill Clinton's trade tariff threats against imports in 1995 at GM's request to charge 100% in duties on luxury cars. A $30k Acura or Lexus would become $60k and LS 400 would become $100k overnight.
Ultimately this never happened, yet this meant that the ES kept its high quality compared to the notably dingier for '97 Camry. It meant the price premium for the ES and Avalon could be better justified too for once.
So the ES 250 was heavily Camry derived for Gen 1, while the flip side for Gen 2. An all new platform was created for the 1992 ES, which was borrowed by the Camry instead and cut down moderately.
For Gen 3 it kept those qualities, while the Camry was significantly downgraded.
For Gen 4 in 2001, the ES 300 joined the K Platform, removing the sporty aspect and heavily leaned on the discount luxury side.
Gen 5 ES 350 in 2006 just kept the same formula, just with much more tech added. Then the big change happened when the ES was moved to the Avalon sized class in late 2012, still on the same K Platform introduced in 2001, just much bigger.
In 2018, all of the FWD mid-large cars were now on the new modular TNGA-K in different sizes.
still see tons of these on the road... can you say that about anything other than Lexux/Toyota and Honda/Acura? Probably a few exceptions but not many...
I knew a guy who owned a gold one.. well over 350K miles on it.. shame cause it got towed and he didn’t want to get it out.. he told me, pay the fee and I’ll give you title.. never thought it was worth it
"30% stiffer chassis" Said by every single manufacturer, about every single new car ever produced, since the beginning of time, until the end of time.
I wonder how many are still out there running
None. All rusted into oblivion within 2 minutes.
Nothing says tin can than a jdm
A lot of'em, especially JDM.
Lol cope harder@runoflife87
@@WelcometofacsistubeI see them often living in South TX, they’re respectfully in moderate - decent condition. So probably depends on the climate of where you’re living.
@@WelcometofacsistubeBro, you're clearly the one here who needs to cope. These were incredibly reliable and you can find these for sale all day long for reasonable prices. Many are still on the road today due to the Toyota build quality.
3:47 was that Ronnie Milsap's "There's No Gettin' Over Me"?
I have a 2001 and still going strong
This guy understood the concept of TH-cam short almost 30 years ago.
this channel is just da best.
Such a shame there was no wagon version.
At this point, the Camry wagon had been discontinued.
@carexpertandy the Camry wagon actually got another generation outside of North America. It's very rare though.
Actually there is but in Japan. The Jp version is called the Toyota windom 2.5g and comes with a 2.5L engine instead of the 3.0
😂😂😂
@@ThatFoo.frmTha713.Yes, but not true either. Windom was a JDM rebadge of this car with higher optional equipment. No wagon version, except the Camry Gracia.
Both models had optional GPS navigation from introduction in 1996.
Softest headrests of all time ! Loved this car
Seats were sooo comfortable. Beautiful ride. Still see em
A car that's as reliable as a hammer. Unbreakable.
Very nice and beautiful this Lexus ES300
old os definitely GOLD
i wish i had the this model of Lexus ..
it’s more luxury stronger and simpler
Xtra groovy music in this one!
I love it !
Modern classic
I had one... All white wit black 20in Wheels. Clean... And everyone loved that car!!
Very clean timeless design reminds me of an old Legend
Long live the 1MZFE 🥳
What's the name of the song that played in the background? It fits perfectly with the car!
3:47 was that Ronnie Milsap's "There's No Gettin' Over Me"?
Ahhh. The days when inflation was slow low that an improved car could cost less.
That's shoddy reasoning. The ES became expensive due to the Yen exchange rate, during the mid-90s, when this generation was introduced.
Lexus had to cost cut a little to hold the line on price
Known as the Toyota Vienta in Australia & New Zealand.
Old is gold
First car and forever favorite car
They got this one pretty loaded up for only an extra $4k! $4k in options today gets you a special paint color ;)
Yesss finally 😎😎
Anyone know why these weren’t big with tuner scene? It seems like if you changed wheels and tires, added exhaust and intake this would be a cool sporty sedan.
I think it's mainly because they were automatic transmission only.
I seem to remember the most handsome men driving this model!
Lol, interesting to say the least. Although the crowd here is notoriously chauvinist or homophobic.
I still see a black one driving around in my neighborhood!
they tested an ES in 92 with the 5 speed and it did 0-60 in 7.9. interesting what a tad more power did.
I wouldn't trust that. They also tested the Camry SE V6 and did it in 7.2 seconds. The driver made a shifty launch on the '92 ES.