Difference of ES300 and Camry v6

Here's my humble opinion since I have had both.

The ES300 (which I now have) has a better turning radius than my Camry. It drives, for me, an lot smoother on the highway. It has a lot more amenities like heated front seats, ABS, bunch of other stuff. I have had 4 Camry's before this ES and really like them but the ES is just a step above the Camry.

Russ

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New Camry can have heated seats, ABS is standard here in Canada with the V6. The V6 VVTi engine is now on the Camry too, at least here in Canada. Used to be that the VVTi heads were reserved for the ES300, that changed here in mid

2002. I'd say extra insulation, different suspension tuning, trim differences, and extra dealer care (and profit for both the dealer and Toy) are the biggest difference to the XLE They certainly do use the same body shell, and I would expect one to last just as long as the other. Are the extra comforts, insulation, dealer care worth the extra $$ to you?

So that means, other than the extra insulation, the engine are pretty much the same as well as the performance.. Then I should ask myself whether the $10K price difference worths the supsension, service and trimming.

Oh. I was thinking at 150,000 miles, my Camry would be scrapped. Nice to see that my car would last well beyond that.

Thanks!

differences,

I'll add: Adaptive Variable Suspension. It's really nice switching from soft setting for surface roads, and stiff setting for when you're driving fast on the freeway.

I'm now at 276,000 miles on my 92 V-6 and aiming for 300,000

Back to your original question. I've just traded in my 2000 ES 300, and my wife is still driving her V6 2000 Camry. I just picked up the new 2003 ES, and love it, but for your question - 2000 ES or new Camry - I've got to tell you, it's the Camry hands down.

The 2000 ES was the end of that style, while the Camry was completely redone in 2001 or 2002. While the 2000 ES served me well for a long time, the truth is, it wasn't far removed from the Camry pedigree. Other than some trim and comfort features, you could jump back and forth between the two cars and never know the difference.

The new Camry, however, is considerably bigger and better inside, and the amenities have grown although the price is roughly unchanged. So, look at it this way, would you rather have the redesigned Camry, or an older Camry with a nice L on the hood. I know how I'd go...

You're getting mixed up, I'm not the original poster nor did I ask a question.

You're not comparing a 2000ES with a 2003 Camry, are you? Fact is both the Camry and the ES have the same design cycle.

And if I may add to the comparison: The ES has the alarm fob built into the key, so you carry only one piece, not the usual two when you go drive the car.

I don't have that option in my ES 300, but mine has the Automatic Headlight Leveling system. To test it, I need a couple of overweight people to sit in the rear seats of my ES 300 at night to see if the headlights do actually point a couple of degrees lower when I start the car. Any volunteers?

On second thoughts, maybe I'll just skip this test :)

According to Consumer Reports, the sports setting on Adaptive Variable Suspension only makes the ride rougher without improving the handling.

I test drove an 02 ES 300 with the adaptive variable suspension. The difference between the settings were hardly noticeable and I also did not notice much of a difference in handling. In fact, I bought a new GS 300, since I thought the suspension on the ES 300 was way too soft, even with the variable suspension set on the firmest position. If you go with the ES, test drive one with and without the variable suspension. The variable suspension is not worth the money, in my opinion. I have read reviews from professional auto testers which have said the same.