Es300

[robnjo]

Hi there.

We are just in the process of buying a '94 ES300. It has 77k miles and is in very nice condition. We would like some advice, however, before we sign on the dotted line!

We think the price is ok (£4k). At the moment we drive a Toyota Hilux Surf which, for a diesel, is too thirsty. We get about 18mpg or less. Can anyone give us some rough figures for a sensibly driven ES? The dealer said 28-36 mpg, but is this just a ploy to sell it to us? Messages we have read on here suggest that they are also very thirsty!

Also the cruise isn't working properly due to a faulty ECU. What is this like to replace and how easy is it to get hold of one?

One last thing, it is badged on the back as a Lexus ES300 but the alloys have Toyota on the hubs. Does this mean it's a re-badged Windom?

Any help greatfully appreciated - we are due to pick the car up on Tuesday (3rd Aug) so any advice before then would be good :)

Many thanks

Rob and Jo

[skperformance]

well this is rather late for information to help you in your decsion.

The windom is just a rebadge of the ES unless it is left hand drive it is a windom and not an ES 300 as i haven't seen a left hand drive windom

the ecu shouldn;t be too hard to get a hold of one from Japan dirt cheap

it is located behind teh dash on the passengers side,acessed from underneath

My milage i great but i don;t have your engine even though it is teh same year cars.

Also my roads are quite different

[323]

cant believe no one (apart from skperformance) replied to this??!! come one whats wrong wit you lot eh?! thought this is a friendly forum? yeah as skperformance said its bit late to help wit your decision(hopefully u already picked up the ES300)

as skperformance said is only badging. lot of aristo/altezza etc badges been repalced with lexus ones in uk....my mate also got a altezza but added a lexus emblem at hte back & the centre caps already got lexus badges on.

as for ECU, well the ES300 is same chassis & engine as a camry, so source one of a camry 3.0??

[jdmparts_guru]

cant believe no one (apart from skperformance) replied to this??!! come one whats wrong wit you lot eh?! thought this is a friendly forum? yeah as skperformance said its bit late to help wit your decision(hopefully u already picked up the ES300)

as skperformance said is only badging. lot of aristo/altezza etc badges been repalced with lexus ones in uk....my mate also got a altezza but added a lexus emblem at hte back & the centre caps already got lexus badges on.

as for ECU, well the ES300 is same chassis & engine as a camry, so source one of a camry 3.0??

Hey ... This is indeed a friendly forum, but the thing is that the Es300 and Windom are rare cars ... most of us would not just like to reply for the sake of replying, if we are not confident about our advice.

Your reply is also of not much use ...

for more info on the LHD ES300 you can visit to the us.lexusownersclub.com forum.

[jdmparts_guru]

The ES and the Windom are basically the same car. I am aware that some RHD countries are now selling the current model as a Lexus ES300, but most of the previous models I have seen are rebadged Toyota Windoms. The easiest way to check if this is a Lexus or Toyota is to look at the steering wheel (airbag) and the stereo installation.

The reason why that there are so many used Windoms, is because these can be have very cheaply from Japan, since used cars have a very short economical life in Japan due to legislation.

A few things .....

Is this a Lexus or Toyota authorized dealer... do they offer some kind of warranty?

Is there a full service history or was it only recently imported? Note, a lot of cheap used Japan imports have water damage.

if you want to fix the cruise control ... ask the dealer what the problem is. If they are sure that the ECU is faulty I would be able to source you a RHD Windom ECU for GBP100 - 200. However, I would doubt that it can be solved by replacing a 'faulty' ECU, since then I would guess more functions would not work.

[323]

Your reply is also of not much use ...

for more info on the LHD ES300 you can visit to the us.lexusownersclub.com forum.

well i replied on a basis of a suggestion, doen mean its correct but worth a try since the camry 3.0/Es300 uses lot of identical parts & very much the same perforamance figures?i mean i not a mechanic but obviously the body panels & interior is different right?. thats all. i was only trying to help. there was no need to say is not much use(another way of calling me useless but in 'nicer' terms) as if u dont appreciate it.

oh yeah this subject is not about a LHD ES300 btw.

[323]

sorry to post again. last note i posted as i was confident in replying but not so sure now so i wont nxt time?? but everything you said i/some people already know & is not really the answer to the original question, i mean yea sure you helped by saying the ecu cost £100-200. but lot already know some cars been flooded in japan etc..whats this gotta do wit the orignal question? did this person ask about that? as i stated o the previous post. yet again where did LHD es300 come from? apart from skperformance mentioning it.

finally yes u can get RHD ES300 officially particular in hong kong as one some countries, seeing that u from hong kong you should know? as when you said your 'aware' meaning not so sure..........

sorry to go on, thats me finished now.

[LennyLexus]

Ladies dont break a finger nail now will ya :)

I would replied to the post (badging question), must not have been on the site that day....

I think a lot of us just hit todays Posts

[cadifan]

RHD Lexus' are not rebadged Toyota's as they export models with some minor differences.

Toyota Windom's are the local Japanese market cars (so no left hand drive models) where the Lexus ES300 is the export version which is available in both RHD & LHD.

[ColinBarber]

RHD Lexus' are not rebadged Toyota's as they export models with some minor differences.

Toyota Windom's are the local Japanese market cars (so no left hand drive models) where the Lexus ES300 is the export version which is available in both RHD & LHD.

←

All Lexus are re-badged Toyotas, Lexus is just marketing not a manufacturer.

[krisby]

RHD Lexus' are not rebadged Toyota's as they export models with some minor differences.

Toyota Windom's are the local Japanese market cars (so no left hand drive models) where the Lexus ES300 is the export version which is available in both RHD & LHD.

←

All Lexus are re-badged Toyotas, Lexus is just marketing not a manufacturer.

←

yes and no, Lexus and Toyota are in fact different! They are not a simple rebadge. For example, an Aristo only has a 4 speed box and does not come with leather, whereas a GS300 does, I would guess the same applies to a windom/ES or LS/celsior.

In NZ we have masses of Windoms (actually looking at buying one shortly), and a lot of berks do rebadge, but that is more on the LS or GS, not so much ES, if you have a windom, thats ok.

Certain cars are made for Lexus only and subsequently badged as toyotas, but now Lexus is officially selling cars in japland then it may well stop.