Hey there BITOG folks.
My current vehicle is an Accord Touring V6 - 2013. It's a great car, but there's enough lack of refinement in it (road and wind noise, rough suspension, mediocre sound system, sloppy, slow, rough and confused transmission, engine crippled by a VCM system that returns excellent mileage but leaves the car less responsive than my old '05 Accord V6) that it's starting to grate on me and I want something a little bit more relaxing so I can unwind on my commute in safety and comfort.
I'm considering buying a new Lexus ES350 sedan. As far as I can tell, it's got a decent reputation for reliability. The Avalon and ES both do very well on durability ratings. Lexus is a perennial reliability champ with JD Power and Consumer Reports. The engine has been in use for 12 years on a huge variety of models, the transmission for 10 in similarly prolific fashion, and the transmission/engine combo have been working together on Toyotas since model year 2007.
The whole thing seems immensely conservative in engineering, which isn't going to win comparison tests but should keep on rolling on and on like some sort of automotive cockroach. Or so I think.
Reliability is important to me. I am probably not unique on this website in that I am a somewhat anxious fellow and I do not like it when things do not work as they should - that's one of the main reasons I'm looking at this car in the first place. I want to make sure that this car lasts a very long time. Is there anything I should do to make sure it gets a decent mileage? I drive over 20,000 miles a year, so it's a vehicle that should actually have a chance to wear out rather than just corroding into a pile of rust shavings.
How is the U660E's reputation these days? Have they fixed its issues from the first days of its operation - flaring and so on? Is the transmission fluid *really* "lifetime", and if not when should I have it changed? How long does the 2GR-FE last - does it have a reputation for wearing out prematurely? Is there anything I should know? Should I pull a fast one and switch back to, say, a 0W30-weight oil (the engine was originally specced for 5W30) as soon as the warranty expires?
I apologize if I've put this in the wrong forum. Since there's nothing broken yet, and I'm looking at it as a prospective buyer, I didn't think that it needed to go in maintenance.
These and other questions are on my mind. Any input you folks can give would be appreciated.
My current vehicle is an Accord Touring V6 - 2013. It's a great car, but there's enough lack of refinement in it (road and wind noise, rough suspension, mediocre sound system, sloppy, slow, rough and confused transmission, engine crippled by a VCM system that returns excellent mileage but leaves the car less responsive than my old '05 Accord V6) that it's starting to grate on me and I want something a little bit more relaxing so I can unwind on my commute in safety and comfort.
I'm considering buying a new Lexus ES350 sedan. As far as I can tell, it's got a decent reputation for reliability. The Avalon and ES both do very well on durability ratings. Lexus is a perennial reliability champ with JD Power and Consumer Reports. The engine has been in use for 12 years on a huge variety of models, the transmission for 10 in similarly prolific fashion, and the transmission/engine combo have been working together on Toyotas since model year 2007.
The whole thing seems immensely conservative in engineering, which isn't going to win comparison tests but should keep on rolling on and on like some sort of automotive cockroach. Or so I think.
Reliability is important to me. I am probably not unique on this website in that I am a somewhat anxious fellow and I do not like it when things do not work as they should - that's one of the main reasons I'm looking at this car in the first place. I want to make sure that this car lasts a very long time. Is there anything I should do to make sure it gets a decent mileage? I drive over 20,000 miles a year, so it's a vehicle that should actually have a chance to wear out rather than just corroding into a pile of rust shavings.
How is the U660E's reputation these days? Have they fixed its issues from the first days of its operation - flaring and so on? Is the transmission fluid *really* "lifetime", and if not when should I have it changed? How long does the 2GR-FE last - does it have a reputation for wearing out prematurely? Is there anything I should know? Should I pull a fast one and switch back to, say, a 0W30-weight oil (the engine was originally specced for 5W30) as soon as the warranty expires?
I apologize if I've put this in the wrong forum. Since there's nothing broken yet, and I'm looking at it as a prospective buyer, I didn't think that it needed to go in maintenance.
These and other questions are on my mind. Any input you folks can give would be appreciated.
Last edited: