Best Used Luxury Car: 10 Reasons the 6th Gen Lexus ES Wins

That’s quite a bold claim to publish – I know. And, proving it is unquestionably a tall order, a very grand one.

That acknowledged, I used the 2006 ES330 (6th gen Lexus ES) for nearly a decade and understood the very soul of the vehicle. In that span, I also owned other vehicles briefly and drove a legion of others.

To date, I’ve found no match to the 6th gen ES – and below, I’ll share with you why it’s the best used luxury car you can buy today.

Before I tell you why, let’s get the concept of a luxury vehicle out of the way and, importantly, why you’ll appreciate owning one (especially a well-maintained copy).

What’s a Luxury Car?

Defining what constitutes a ‘luxury car’ is plagued with challenges that must be addressed first (if this article is going to make sense). Some ambiguity must also be first sorted and clarified.

First, the definition of a luxury car is plagued with subjectivity: what one considers a luxury vehicle may not be the definition of another.

Second, to compound an already complex situation, other vehicle models like the Avalon, Land Cruiser, and Crown wear the Toyota badge, a non-luxury marque. These models, curiously, offer refinement that rivals (and in some cases, surpasses the known luxurious marques), which begs the question: should a luxury car be classed by what it offers or the badging on its hood?

To rest the questions (and at least, get a working definition), a luxury car (for the purpose of this article) is one offering a combination of high-end materials, advanced features (at least for its time), and importantly, an overall refined and luxurious driving experience, over and beyond the basic, boring point A-B commute.

To simplify things, such a vehicle would also need to be badged appropriately, rolling off the assembly line of a known luxury brand.

Why You Should Consider Buying a Luxury Car

Undoubtedly, life is hard (and sometimes, exceedingly so). There’s no reason why your motoring should be. If anything, it should comfort you from the challenges life throws at you (it and your partner, of course).

This is where a great, luxurious vehicle comes in: you open your car, get in it, and feel truly insulated from the madness of the world once your door shuts.

As you drive through the harshness of the roads, instead of the vehicle throwing up road imperfections at your nerves and general skeletal system, you’re cushioned in a pillow-like reality and overall, enveloped in a cloudlike feeling.

As you glance at your dash, use the stereo, or see the AC vents doing their thing, you’re inspired by the genius and precision that went into making everything the way it is…that genius, unconsciously pushes you through the day as you work and make your mark on the world.

It’s truly an unconscious thing – but also, very real and extremely valid.

In a harsh, challenging world eager to see you fail at every opportunity, a luxury car and a supportive spouse (should you choose marriage) are non-negotiable. These two make everything else pale in comparison and ultimately make facing the world much more easier.

If you’re NOT interested in marriage, then, a luxurious car is even more important: why even remotely consider losing the support of both a spouse and a (good) car?

Best Used Luxury Car: 10 Reasons the 6th Gen Lexus ES Wins

Anyone can jump online and say whatever it is that they want. As long as they don’t directly (or indirectly, sometimes) cause another harm, they’re free to go on…it’s a free world.

This means that anyone with a publishing platform can boldly come out and declare a vehicle the best used luxury car and that would be that.

The meat of such a bold claim, however, is in the proof. Can those who say such things convince you (or, at least, argue their way out)?

Below, I’ve satisfied the tall order of the 6th gen Lexus ES being the best used luxury car you can buy today for the bucks.

1. Impressive Reliability

When Lexus launched in the US in 1989, the marque had a singular, tall and awe-inspiring order: make a sedan that would be better than the German options in terms of handling, value, longevity and importantly, reliability – and offered for a price point way less than what the Germans would go.

In essence, Japan wanted to make a luxury car that would beat Germany in ALL regards.

Now, if you’re familiar with the German offerings of the 80s – the W124 Mercedes, the S Klasse (and comparable offerings from Audi and BMW), you’ll agree that it was a period when options from Germany were at their peak.

To beat three world-class marques (each with various strong points) and all at their zeniths wasn’t just a tall order, it was akin to practical impossibility – especially coming from a plebian model manufacturer like Toyota just entering the luxury space.

However, as the LFA later proved, Lexus loves doing the impossible and redefining things. The company simply focused on the relentless pursuit of perfection and the rest is well known history.

After over a billion dollars in R&D, the original LS 400 debuted (with an indestructible V8) and with it the original ES, the ES250 (offered with a V6).

The success of the Lexus marque must have shocked Toyota itself: not only did the LS blow out the Germans out of competition, it went ahead to set the standards for what a Luxury car should be.

The ES rolling shortly off the assembly line followed in spirit and at last, the world could afford to have ‘luxury’ and ‘reliability’ all in one sentence, relating to a car (in an honest manner).

Decades after the initial 1989 launch, Lexus continues to top the reliability charts, as many independent authorities have shown. Sometimes, it’s the most reliable marque, year on year, for a decade straight.

For the few years where it doesn’t end up tops, it still winds up in the top 3, displaced often by its parent, Toyota, and reclaiming its rightful spot the next year (usually).

The ES, designed with simplicity and relaxed comfort in mind, is perhaps Lexus’ best- known example of luxurious reliability. The 6th gen ES, the height of the model’s build quality, is perhaps the best example of how a car can be both luxurious and reliable (at the same time).

Nothing else embodies the relentless pursuit of perfection better than the 6th-generation Lexus ES (at least as far as reliability is concerned).

2. A Great Price

As I’ve noted elsewhere, price is the most important and consistent of the many things that need to be right before a purchase is made. Offer the best product in the market, price it wrongly, and watch your stock remain in your lot/shelves!

When the new 6th gen ES debuted, the Germans priced their competition closely around what Lexus was taking for their offer. It was around the 30k mark.

However, about 20 years down the line, it’s wisdom to avoid the German offers, if you’re not a passionate DIYer or a professional mechanic. This is because, through the years, they’ve lost the little reliability they may have had, initially.

The 6th gen Lexus ES, on its part, was a solid offer, reliability wise and 20 years after they rolled off the assembly line in Japan, they’re still kicking strong, unfailingly delivering their owners wherever they need to be with nothing but basic maintenance (maintenance that is often missed without any adverse effect).

But, that’s not the exciting part: a 20-year old Lexus, well maintained is as reliable as a brand-new one…

…and is offered at just about 15% of the MSRP when new, and well less than 10% of the MSRP of a current model.

Can you beat that?

3. True Luxury & Quality

The concept of luxury and quality materials is controversial, but it’s easy to end the arguments, once and for all. You only need two vehicles, side by side, one a true luxurious car with high-quality materials and another, a close call but a wannabe plebian offer.

In the US, for instance, the top of the line option for Toyota sedans, is the Avalon. Unfortunately, the cabin finishing of the Avalon offered around the time when the 6th gen ES debuted was not made of wood: it was simulated wood, AKA plastic. The same goes for the leather and a lot of other materials therein.

In essence, with other options, you have what I call theoretical luxury, a reality that fools you into thinking you’re being offered luxury when you’re not, in reality.

With the Lexus ES cars from the 6th generation, things are different: real wood surrounds you in the cabin, not some simulations. The gearknob and steering wheel are also finished in wood, besides the array that runs the dash and doors.

Further, leather covers almost everywhere, and where it doesn’t, soft-touch plastic it is.

Add the premium perforated leather in the front seat, which can be heated or cooled, as needed, and it’s clear there’s little to miss in a current model year.

4. A Refined Ride

If you’ve ever needed to ride through a pothole-laden road for the whole day in a vehicle that isn’t designed with comfort in mind, you’ll painfully discover that a luxury vehicle is grossly underrated.

Make it a journey and you’re certain to retire at the end of the day with aches and pains in every part of your body.

This is where the 6th gen ES truly excels: the ride is quiet – almost to the point of a whisper once the windows are up and the door is shut.

But noise isolation is just the beginning: the 6th gen ES drives in a superior manner, as if floating on the clouds (even without the optional suspension tune).

The AC cools just fine, and as the car gets you from point ‘A’ to ‘B’, you’ll be forgiven for driving around town aimlessly simply because of the superior comfort the vehicle provides you with as you run your commute.

Few cars offer better road refinement. But, at the price point a used ES retails for today, there’s simply no sensible option that beats it.

5. Great Fuel Economy

There appears to be an unspoken rule in the luxury car market: luxury and fuel economy shouldn’t go hand in hand.

On the surface, this makes common sense: after all, if a manufacturer goes out of their way to add options that make a vehicle luxurious, it will add weight and that weight, in turn, will mean poor fuel economy, not so?

Wrong! At least with this generation of Lexus ES.

Here’s how Lexus did it: They focused on the most important features that make a car truly luxurious without adding unnecessary weight: wood finishing, great leather, awesome soft touch finishing, superior sound proofing and an array of other stuffs.

The net result?

It’s easy to get close to 30 miles to the gallon, highway with the ES and in the city, I constantly got way more than 20 miles to the gallon and sometimes, as high as 25.

A luxury vehicle returning as much as 25 miles to the gallon in the city? It hardly ever gets better than this!

6. An Awesome Resale Value

The average person in the US keeps a vehicle for about 8 years, at which point the car is either traded in, passed on to another, or scrapped.

The above data may appear out of place in such an article as ours here. However, it points to a very important reality I’m about to introduce: vehicle owners do not generally plan to keep their cars for a lifetime (or even for a very long time).

If car buyers don’t plan to keep their cars forever, then, resale value remains an important consideration when these cars are bought (after all, no one is happy buying a vehicle for impressive sums today and getting next to nothing on it when they sell it in the future).

This is where the 6th gen Lexus ES truly shines: it’s easy to sell it for the same price one bought it, more than 5-10 years ago, provided it has been well taken care of. If you’re lucky, you’ll easily sell for a sum greater than what you initially paid for it, after years of use.

Effectively thus, the ES defies the general concept of vehicle depreciation as we know and understand it today.

That’s the power of a well-made used luxury car, especially one made by Lexus.

7. Great Looking – Even for the Age

There’s something about a well-made car, especially a sedan: it’s ageless and glides through time like it just rolled off the assembly line.

Take the original LS 400 – one of the best sedans ever made. It still looks good on the road and apart from sporting some features even brand new cars today can’t boast of, it perfectly fits on the roads and gives the aura that it doesn’t just belong there, it still is the king of the roads!

Now, it’s important to note that the 6th-gen Lexus ES isn’t exactly a head-turner, but it sure is a well-made car with all the curves and lines any properly-made vehicle ought to possess. Besides that, the sweeping headlights make for a visually appealing profile, and the vehicle’s overall rendering evokes nothing but desire.

…it’s a fine bottle of wine that does nothing but gets better with age. And this is something that can’t be disputed.

Summary: A grandpa or their teen grandchild can equally rock the car without as much as any feeling of being ‘out of tune’ in it.

8. Features That Still Make You Smile…

Twenty years is a lot of time: a kid born 20 years ago isn’t a baby anymore; most are running postgraduate degrees or successfully taking on very challenging tasks in their chosen endeavors. The ‘children’, born 20 years ago are already taking on the world!

Seeing that a lot can happen in 20 years, there’s usually little to get excited about in a 20-year-old car (on average): the features aren’t likely to excite even a grandpa – except that this is wrong, at least, as far as the ES is concerned.

Powered with heated and cooled seats, heated sidemirrors (that tilt downwards when put in reverse), adjustable pedals, an auto dimming rearview mirror, a functional compass, an auto rear sunshade, a power sunroof, remote opening of the windows etc, there’s something on the ES that will likely keep you smiling and wondering what in the world made Lexus slam that feature as far back as when the vehicle rolled off the assembly line, new.

The best part? Most new vehicles today don’t have what most of the ES models had, standard, back in the day (not even as options).

What’s the point of a new car, exactly?

9. Easy Availability of Parts

My father once owned a 504 Peugeot sedan, and it was with the car that I learnt – and mastered the revered art of driving. Expectedly, I have fond memories of the vehicle and when the opportunity presented, I looked to see if I could own one again.

I was shocked: the parts aren’t simply in the market. Peugeot, to the best of my knowledge, doesn’t make them now, and the aftermarket community isn’t very strong to keep the parts supply flowing, at least for the location I wanted to buy and keep the car.

This isn’t the case with this generation of ES. And, this is why.

Most of the parts Lexus used for the ES are still very much being made directly by Toyota right up until today, and these parts can be bought brand new from the various dealerships that stock them around the world.

The reason for this is simple: most parts are shared, between other Lexuses (or Toyotas) and continue to be shared, even to this date.

Besides that, there’s an impressive aftermarket community that ensures a steady supply of needed parts, making sure that should you decide to own one, parts availability would be the least of your worries.

Then, there’s the used parts/junk – for those who want to go cheap and keep costs low.

The best bit is that these parts aren’t just available – they’re READILY available, all over the world. This guarantees that as far as you need the parts and can pay, a supplier already exists very close to you, ready to sell.

And, lest I forget – for a good price too.

10. Very DIY Friendly

There’s a famous saying that you can’t fix stupid.

While the above refers largely to human behavior, it can in equal measure, also apply to cars. If a car is engineered in hell, there’s little you can do as a technician: that car will keep on being your source of pain until it’s discarded.

It’s worse if you’re a DIYer or one who loves to tinker with engines every now and then: you’re likely to spend unnecessary hours attempting to fix ‘stupid’.

This is where this generation of ES truly excels: despite having an impressive array of tech and being way ahead of its time, the Japanese kept things simple (and as an aside, that has contributed in no mean measure to the marque’s famed reliability, worldwide).

If you love to play with cars now and then, the best used luxury car for you, without question, is the 6th-generation ES. All you need to start your repairs on it is a Haynes repair manual, some basic hand tools, and an average intelligence – nothing more.

Very few makes, models or years offer this level of ease of repair today.

Closing Thoughts

The major reasons most folks keep away from luxury cars is quite simple and to the point:

1. They’re usually expensive to buy;
2. Have poor fuel economy;
3. Are expensive to run/maintain and importantly,
4. Have horrible resale value.

The 6th gen Lexus blows off all that to the dust and offers the peace of mind and economy of a plebian model while keeping all the creature comforts common/expected from a luxury vehicle.

This is one choice no one regrets; great chances are that regrets won’t start with you.

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