As soon as mans had a kid his body became dadified and immediately incapable of climbing back there. It’s known scientific fact that u just get less limber.
I would kill for a car like that. So cool. I love rare manual luxury cars in the US market. And I’ve got an ‘03 X5 with the 3.0 M54 and a manual. Wonder just how rare some of these cars are and how many are left
I've been a Lexus customer for decades. This video reminds me of just how well built they were in the old days. Although I continue to acquire new Lexus models, sadly they don't live up to the quality inherent in the earlier versions. No more real wood, noisy 4-cylinder engines, hard plastic in places it didn't used to be, etc. Their reliability and build quality continue, but those original models were really outstanding compared to the current crop.
Very true, I worked at a Toyota dealer in the late 90's and the bosses had LS's GS, and later on the SC430, rock solid cars that made a lasting impression on me as a young man. I actually own a 2012 Lexus IS 350 now, last of the second gen, it's a beautiful red with beige interior low mileage (67k miles) with real wood, leather and a bank vault feel. I too have been in new ES, UX etc and they are good for sure, but not the built-without-compromise cars of the 90's and 2000's.
Sorry but I'd take an inline 4 (esp turbo) before I'd ever have a V6. The 2jzge and gte should've never left Toyota's lineup. But they wanted to be cheap and stick the effin 2gr-fse in every effin thing. IDGAF how smooth they can make a V6, it will never be an I or HO6.
@@robertehlers3757 Agreed. I own an 06 Avalon and I would argue it uses nicer materials and overall has a higher build quality than modern Toyotas or even the latest Avalon before it was discontinued. Although limited, anything that is ‘hard-touch’ in my car, feels solid and quality as well.
Doug is charismatic, but not particularly knowledgeable about the cars he reviews, often just stating assumptions as being facts. Bill from Curious Cars is much more informed on the cars he reviews and doesn't make anything up just to sound like he knows what he's talking about like Doug does.
I remember looking at these in the showroom when they were new and could easily tell how well put together they were (especially compared to American cars). Initially, I never thought that a Japanese luxury brand could ever compete with the established German brands, but Toyota's gamble really paid off.
After time for them to gain market exposure, even my military cohorts that were staunchly “American made only” people would have stories of how impressive these are. An example in this video is how much better the audio is when Doug is inside. I lusted after the SC400 for years.
Toyota essentially gave the engineers a blank check and told them to develop the best cars they could, no matter the price. Toyota's Century had been the Japanese Rolls-Royce for decades so they knew how to do quality and luxury.
I had a 1991 Acura legend 5-speed I bought used when I was younger. I brought it to my friends dad who was a Honda/Acura specialist. I remember when I brought car to him he walked me under it on the lift and said look at how it’s put together and engineered. Needless to say I had that car for long time and loved it!
My dad bought the SC400 brand new, fully loaded with everything, including the 12-CD loader and the phone in the center armrest, and had it shipped to Nigeria in the early 1990s. I pretty much grew up in it, and even though we owned a Mercedes V-boot and flat-boot during those years, it is absolutely one of my favorite vehicles ever and set the bar so high for my taste in cars in terms of what I was wowed by growing up. I couldn't wait to go with him whenever he drove it because, of course, it was our Sunday car, lol. Drives to the village were so much fun, and the speakers were amazing; I remember listening to Oriental Brothers and Lionel Richie on those drives-a big reason for my love of old music. And it aged so well. I remember being in boarding school in 2004/05, and my dad would come visit; its design would still stand out even those many years later. One of my life goals, and one I really wanted to do before he passed away, but will still do, is to own one of these in top condition. He had the dark green one with sparkles in the paint, and he kept that thing in such great shape. I almost cried the day he sold it.
Yup, and the cabin had so much space for a coupe. It truly was an amazing car, felt like a spaceship inside. As a kid it must have been huge in there for you, that's awesome. This is my all time most favorite car, had one after high-school in gold champagne color; truly had the best time of my life in that thing.
“Wasn’t much to love” about the styling…?! This was widely recognized, for a big chunk of the 90s, as *the* best looking car you could buy!! As a teenager, I drooled over every one that I ever saw in person. Still looks amazing, imo. Thanks for bringing this classic to the channel, Doug!
My wife has had her SC400 for over 25 years and refuses to get anything else as she loves it. One interesting design point is the body line that starts at the rear of the car is contiguous and flows from the trunk, down the sides of the car, through the front fender and around the headlight up into the hood creases. One continuous flowing line.
I used to work at Carmax back in the late 90s and we used to get these in alot. They were pretty cool cars. At the time they were really luxurious for a sports coupe.
The SC 300's assembly line was cutting edge. Toyota had to build the machines that built the car. Notice the gaps and the curves. Pre-1990 cars were not like that. The SC 300 was ahead of its time.
Not so much fun when they wear out and droop - I had to replace both of them in my Soarers, if I recall correctly it was about $300 NZD per hinge, and this is going back to the early 2000's - then I had to paint them and rig up a system of ropes to hold the door up whilst I replaced them because the doors are so insanely heavy nobody could hold it up that long.
@@Beer_Dad1975 I was thinking that's 2 more points of wear on each hinge, they must wear out and introduce more sag into that long door than a standard hinge would...
@@volvo09 Yup, and the doors are so unbelievably heavy they put a lot of pressure on what is quite a long leverage point - once it sags far enough it can catch on the fender and do some horrible damage if you don't replace it quick enough. To be fair both my cars didn't start to suffer the problem until they were around 10 years old and fairly high mileage - so it's not something that you have to worry about very often.
@@brucebartlett7571lol they do not. You think they do then go look at most of their current lineup in reliability. Outside of some electronics BMW has been shockingly way more reliable the past 8 years
Doug, you’re supposed to say “Cars and Bids” like “CAAARS AND BIIIDS!” drawn out with a proud smile 😀😀😀😀- as if you’re ALWAYS announcing its existence for the fist time! 0:40
Finally Doug, been waiting years for you to review one. I owned a '93 SC400 through college and for few years later. I got it with 150K and it still looked new. Drove it to 255,000 miles and could have kept going much longer. Loved that thing.
Tbh I like the toyota nameplates of the Lexus models because they are more interesting than just two letters (Harieer, Windom, Celsior, Aristo, Land Cruiser Cygnus, Altezzia etc)
I am a long-time Doug watcher and I rarely comment, but here, I get to. I owned a 1992 SC400 in my early 20's and it was phenominal! I got it from my aunt who ran up 25K miler per year (she was a real estate agent) until I bought it from her at arounf 112K-ish miles, but it was only 4+ years old when I got it. GLld to see this one was well taken care of, but a LOT of those dash cupholders were broken by the owners. But thet was pretty much it. I had a few repairs like a driveshaft with a worn u-joint and a few other small things. But it was one of the best cars I have ever owned. Drove it to 160K-ish and traded it in on a 1998 GS400 which was equally good. And I have to say, I am surprised Doug was not in love with the looks. This was considered one of the very best looking cars in the world when it came out with comparisons to the 60's Jag E-Type which is why it did so well. And yes, all that looks praise was true. I still think this is the best looking car I have ever owned.
On one hand I want him to review my fully loaded Celsior with everything working, but on the other hand I love that you can find good low mileage examples for under 15k all day lol.
I sat in one at a new car show when they first came out, and those gauges were _beautiful._ Not only was the backlighting consistently bright, but the gauges appeared to be "floating" within the cluster. (Another Lexus innovation: To show off the gauges, the car had to be connected to an external power supply. This meant the radio, power windows, and other gadgets all worked. At the time Lexus was the only one doing this at shows; most other manufacturers were content to leave the cars inert. Now the external power thing is fairly common.)
I had a friend who was a regional manager at Enterprise rent-a-car in the 1990s and I rented one of these from him for a weekend trip from Los Angeles to Palm Springs. My wife and I drove out there in a red SC300 coupe that was very similar to the one you are reviewing here, except it was brand new and had only 4k miles on it. What a great car that was. Powerful, comfortable, and quiet. Such a great car for a road trip.
I owned my 95’ SC400 from 2005-2016! It was my first car and I have so many great memories with her. Every time I see one I get nostalgic. I’ve thought about getting another, but I know it won’t ever be the same. Fantastic car!
I’ve been waiting for this review for years. Long time Doug Fan, and long time Lexus enthusiast. I currently daily a 276k miles SC400. It’s a 1996 Platinum Metallic with a black interior. The car has held up fantastically, and I don’t even have a low miles or low owner car. I’m like the 4th owner, and at this age and mileage, more should be going on, but it’s not terrible. Currently at 276k, my trunk struts are also out, and my rpm needle doesn’t work. But besides that she’s fine, but has been kinda expensive to maintain, as expected for anything used as much as my car has. She needed alternator, water pump/ timing belt, radiator, and a bunch of other things, but I really believe in this car and that’s why I continue to shell out money for it. My last Lexus was a 200k mile 2012 IS250 which had no issues and I adored, and I’ve always wanted an SC so I sold the IS for my SC, as I wanted an SC and looked for or talked about this car LITERALLY every day for at least three years and I finally bought it 6 months ago. Love it, gets compliments almost weekly, and is lots of fun with the custom exhaust, but yes sadly she is a little expensive to maintain since I bought her. Glad to start the year off with a review of my car, I actually never thought I’d get to see one from you, my favorite car UA-camr. Hopefully it’s a sign though, I don’t want to give up on the car but a 300k mile and expensive to maintain vehicle has been seeming like a money pit sadly (roughly $6k in maintenance in my 6 months of ownership, and a few no starts and breakdowns). BUT! Maybe this video is a sign to keep going, so I’m gonna take it and try to run. Shoutout the SC community, if you know you know 👍🏽
@@foragingadventures I have a 30 year old volvo 850 and have put a few thousand into it over the past few years. It has 225k on the clock and yeah, there are things that have broken, but I love the car-FWD, 5 cylinder, 5 speed and very safe, but I'm not deluding myself that I haven't spent money on it.
That's about what the LC500h (V6 hybrid) costs now, not even comparing with the LC500 non-hybrid V8 that's certainly $100k-plus. Seems like a fair price considering the quality and luxury on offer and what it competed against.
I had a 1991 Toyota Soarer v8. Mechanically the car was A1, however things in the interior did start to wear such as the door trim coming loose, plastic door handle broke a couple of times, dash cracked etc… The car drove phenomenal and I had it for 18 years. The guy that brought it supercharged it and now lives on as a weapon.
I remember reading Car & Driver back when this came out, and one of the designers stated that they worked with sand filled balloons in order to come up with the ultimate shape of the SC. You can really see it in the front end. It doesn't appear unusual looking these days, but when it came out, it was completely radical!
Which item can you name that only doubled in 28 yeas? A loaf of organic bread? 1 kWh of home energy? Set of high quality tires for a luxury sedan? Bottle of regular coke? Ironing board? IKEA couch? Flooring? Timber to build a shed? Double glazed windows? Solar panels? Toilet paper? Grass fed steak? Fruit? I can't come up with anything that's close to only double.
@ Car prices don’t make any sense to me. It feels like most of them are at least 10% higher than what I can comfortably afford-or maybe I’m just broke.
My heated seats still work. At the light it feels like I'm sitting on my leather sofa. Very smooth car. No tune up since I bought it. But I don't drive it much till now But I'm buying all the tune up parts for it now.
I had one of these in a manual back in the early 2000s (used). The one thing I’ll never forget is how heavy the clutch was. Maybe something was wrong with mine but it was the hardest clutch to push down, 3x vs any other manual i have ever driven.
The SC was redesigned twice, ( 3 but we dont count 1995 as a real redesign ) 1992-1994 was original styling, 1995-1996 was the first “facelift”. Different fog lights. Different tail lights. 1997-2000 they added an entirely different and more attractive body kit. Bumpers, fog lights, side skirts, glass high beams. With some changes to the interior too. Then came the 2nd gen sc430 in 2001.
Usually the term 'redesign' refers to an all-new generation, based on how I've seen American reviewers use that term. What you're referring to would be described as a refresh or a facelift.
I had a 91 V8, and later a 96 3 litre - the '91 actually didn't even have fog lamps, it had lamps that would turn on when you indicated to supposedly help light your way around the corner (which were in reality, utterly useless)
Bought a 99 in 06 nice car ran beautiful had it 4years gave it to my nephew for graduation he still has it whith modifications on it know and stiil running strong ❤
Growing up in the hoods of LA in the early 00s all the cool guys had one of these or the Lexus es and I thought it was the most beautiful thing ever ! I still think it’s a really nice shape
Doug is the type of guy who goes to Boston to see a Kansas concert and Kansas to see a Boston concert. His favorite song is "More than a feeling is just dust in the wind".
I also have a Lexus from 1997, an ES300 with 220,000 miles, it fails emissions, has a leaky exhaust, every speaker is blown, and the suspension clunks. But it still runs 💪
Doug…we weren’t living in caves back in the 1990’s. My 1995 Chevrolet pickup had a CD player built into it. And the headlights on my 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V automatically turn on, dim themselves whenever needed, and turn themselves back off when they’re not needed anymore. We weren’t living in the Stone Age back then either!!! It even has air conditioning, power windows, power seats, and an antenna that can go up and down with the push of a button.
I still remember when the original SC300 came out in 1991. That was one of the top most beautiful and desirable coups on the planet at the time. Both the LS and SC were such awesome status symbols.
In 1998 my friend had a teal colored one and he let me borrow it to take my date to our High School prom with it. I remember feeling like I was the man when I pulled up and everyone was staring and jocking the ride. Thank you Lexus for the great time and great memories.
@@ingleringlet-snipps3rd449 It was something else in the 90s. Including that subwoofer. It’s funny to think when it rained and you wanted to change CDs you had to go to the truck haha
I absolutely love my 93 SC400. It has a 350z manual transmission on it and it is an absolute joy to drive. Definitely great platform, it’s a supra in a tuxedo!
13:20 This came out in 1991; yeah by 1997 it was starting to feel mainstream but remember in 1991 BMW was still making cars like the E30 and the Mustang was still on the fox body
Had this exact car, color and all years ago. I always felt the design was a product of its time and a great example of it. This biggest downside to me was the depreciation if you bought new. I got the '97 in '05 for $1500, all it needed was a power steering pump and a touch up job.
90s Lexus quality is amazing. My LS400 has just under 300k miles and the driver seat still has very little wear. A few creases but no rips or holes. Everything still works perfectly except for the wheel tilt. Great daily driver
Bro I never thought I’d see the car my dad had while I was growing up, on Doug’s channel. Little me got in and out of that back seat hundreds of times.
My dad coveted this, but was happy with his 91 Celica GTS. I still have it. Because he bought 2 more of them. The back seat is very similar. Lots of the options were beta tested in that Celica.
Back in 2009 I had a 1992 SC400 with the same color as Doug's show car, and I absolutely loved it. I always wished it had a manual though, but still it was a lovely coupe. After a few years I purchased a 1995 SC300 with its original manual transmission and it had an engine swap of the original Toyota Soarer, the 1JZ-GTE, or the 2.5L twin turbo straight 6. It had minor but tasteful mods, such as lowered, staggered rims, and custom exhaust. That was a blast to drive! I truly miss it!
My first car was a 96 Lexus ES300. Sunroof, disk changer, heated seats. It was only a SLIGHT downgrade from the SC. Even at 100mph, it felt like a cloud. You rarely see them on the road, worth looking into if you find one for cheap.
oh, memory unlocked! Years ago, I had a GS300. After an air show hundreds of miles from home, while parked, I decided to switch from jeans to shorts while sitting on the edge of the open trunk. Once done, I shut the trunk-only to find the keys were inside. Panic set in as I discovered the GS300’s "genius" design: the trunk was sealed off from the cabin by the gas tank, and there was a keyhole near the trunk button-just like on the SC300. Naturally, that keyhole was locked. After some head-scratching, I spotted a cop nearby managing traffic. Somehow, I convinced him to lend me his Victorinox knife-without mentioning my plan to pick my own car lock right behind him. With the knife, I stripped the insulation from two wires under the steering wheel while my friend held the trunk button. A few sparks later, the trunk popped open. Props to Lexus engineers for the unforgettable DIY adventure!
One of the best cars ever! My grandma had a 1992 SC300 which she drove for twenty years & then replaced it with a 2012 ES350. My friend has owned several SC's, his last one being a 1992 SC400 which he recently sold. I've driven both my grandma's SC300 & my friend's SC400 (both were black on tan) & they felt pretty similar in performance since the V8 didn't have that much more power.
@@jawadulkarim9498 you could still buy a slow one and get that nice analog, Lexus-quality interior though. The RC 300 and RC350 aren't really fast. And you can get the previous generation 350 for under $20,000.
9:00 Funny thing about the cupholders, The vertical one is essentially useless because the drink will push them down when you go around corners. the small central one is way better. This is the case for cups, Cans usually fare better with the pullout cupholder.
Saved up and bought a 97 SC300 as my first car. Absolutely loved it. I’ve moved on to a 23 IS350 f sport but I will always love the SC300/400 platform and hope to own a RSP one some day.
I've been waiting for Doug to review an SC for a while too since I've owned one for ~10 years now, but was surprised that he missed a few things: - The gauge cluster is electroluminescent to make it appear that the needles were "floating" over the gauges - CROTCH VENT - I'm not sure if this car had it, but the Nakamichi option in these cars was significantly ahead of its time in terms of power and overall clarity - Both of the front seats were fully electronically adjustable, even lumbar support, with memory settings - The memory seat option even included the position for the steering wheel - The rear view mirror was electrochroamatic via liquid - The SC shared a lot of subframe/suspension components with the Mk4 Supra
I have a 2001 Toyota Solara V6 coupe. 115,000 miles original owner family. Basically a two door camry and it has very little issues. Interior is still brand new and the quality is just crazy. Friends are buying new cars and keep having issues and my 25 year old car just keeps on going. Sad the cheap garbage they are producing now. Even Toyotas quality has really fallen off.
Wow Doug!! This one hits home. My oldest brother (RIP) worked at Toyota Puerp Rico for many years. One day he came home with that car and i went nuts!!!. After driving it for a while i told him: "So, this is a pimped out supra". I'll never forget his laugh🙏🏾
Back in the 1990s, here in Philly, a lot of the drug dealers had the Lexus SC300/400, the 2nd generation Acura Legend(sedan and coupe) and the Infinity J30.
4:30 I'm glad for Doug for mentioning about the over-engineered door hinges. I remembered this growing up when the car was introduced. Certainly, it is one of the best features I have learned about the SC.
Having loved cars since I was 2 and falling in love with Lexus at its inception, I was a 10yo immediately enamored with the ‘92 ES my aunt & a neighbor both bought brand new - and so much so that I bought an immaculate ‘92 ES after college, driving it for 10 years. That was 20 years ago and yet out of all the vehicles I love, the first-gen Lexus lineup is my favorite of all time, for their aesthetics, ergonomics, reliability, and overall “suppleness” that set it apart from the rest of the luxurious competition.
Awesome coupe. 1990s forever! I just got a 2000 Acura 3.5 RL Premium with all the options including working navigation and only 150,000 miles. I love it!
The 3.5RL and the 2nd Gen Legend are awesome, reliable Japanese Q-Ships. They are like "Sex on Wheels". Such a smooth car. I own a 2002 3.5RL w/o Nav. 290k miles on mine. 3rd timing belt and water pump. 2nd set of spark plugs. I've owned mine for 7 years. I do regular maintenance myself and big maintenance items, my local Acura dealer still honors and repairs it. They treat my RL with upmost care just like the new ones they work on.😊
I had 2 4.0 Ltd Soarers that I imported from Japan. They had fully active suspension (designed by Lotus) 4 wheel steering, sat nav, a touch screen and a reversing camera in 1991! Doug should review one of those, they were so far ahead of their time. There was also a Twin Turbo manual one which was fun.
Agreed, I mean the ES was IIRC the cheapest model, but there were only 3 model classes up til 97, so one has to be the cheapest. But the ES was still about the size of a camry IIRC, so it wasn't like an A3 or a BMW 3 series, which are true entry level luxury models. My dad had a 97 ES300 which basically was a nicer Camry(that drove better). When Lexus first launched, like Doug said, they had the ES250, and I have no idea how that drove.
![Lp. Сердце Вселенной #60 РОЖДЕНИЕ ЛОЛОЛОШКИ [Финал] • Майнкрафт](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/YoR0pAV9FVQ/mqdefault.jpg)
I miss when Doug would attempt to get into the back seats
Not with those joints at that age
The world needs backseat Doug
I miss when Doug didn't sell used cars on the channel.
@@raynash4748 then he was promoting cnc motors whatever because they were the supplier for his reviews
As soon as mans had a kid his body became dadified and immediately incapable of climbing back there. It’s known scientific fact that u just get less limber.
Left out my favorite interior quirk!! The tiny little fold down micro sun-screen that covers the 1" space above the rear view mirror.
@@KyleR_cc my golf 4 also has one😆
My friends ls400 had that little quirk too I love em
Acura Legend coupe has them as well. My friends thought it was hilarious!!
Kennan's birds dad and Jan 6th or something
@@nikolas7030 my dad had one when i was a kid i vividly remember that feature
I got a factory manual Lexus SC300, i love it to death, the 2jz screams, the W58 rips, everything about the car is incredible
I would kill for a car like that. So cool. I love rare manual luxury cars in the US market. And I’ve got an ‘03 X5 with the 3.0 M54 and a manual. Wonder just how rare some of these cars are and how many are left
I considered that transmission, both times I bought mine… but I think I just had lost the energy. I traded in a Camaro 5 speed on my first one.
@@immenseconflict i Drive one right now… 92 5 speed she runs amazing im the 2nd owner
I've been a Lexus customer for decades. This video reminds me of just how well built they were in the old days. Although I continue to acquire new Lexus models, sadly they don't live up to the quality inherent in the earlier versions. No more real wood, noisy 4-cylinder engines, hard plastic in places it didn't used to be, etc. Their reliability and build quality continue, but those original models were really outstanding compared to the current crop.
So true. I had a loaner ‘24 RX and observed everything you mentioned
Very true, I worked at a Toyota dealer in the late 90's and the bosses had LS's GS, and later on the SC430, rock solid cars that made a lasting impression on me as a young man. I actually own a 2012 Lexus IS 350 now, last of the second gen, it's a beautiful red with beige interior low mileage (67k miles) with real wood, leather and a bank vault feel. I too have been in new ES, UX etc and they are good for sure, but not the built-without-compromise cars of the 90's and 2000's.
Sorry but I'd take an inline 4 (esp turbo) before I'd ever have a V6. The 2jzge and gte should've never left Toyota's lineup. But they wanted to be cheap and stick the effin 2gr-fse in every effin thing. IDGAF how smooth they can make a V6, it will never be an I or HO6.
@@robertehlers3757 Agreed. I own an 06 Avalon and I would argue it uses nicer materials and overall has a higher build quality than modern Toyotas or even the latest Avalon before it was discontinued. Although limited, anything that is ‘hard-touch’ in my car, feels solid and quality as well.
The reliability and build quality are gone too. Take a good long look at Infiniti. That’s the future of Lexus.
the best thing with doug is he gives u a history lesson of each car u definitely never knew before, i truly enjoy that
A used car sales man has better info than Doug.
^lmao what a miserable human
Doug is charismatic, but not particularly knowledgeable about the cars he reviews, often just stating assumptions as being facts.
Bill from Curious Cars is much more informed on the cars he reviews and doesn't make anything up just to sound like he knows what he's talking about like Doug does.
@@JacobPaul-ix7oc Nah, Bill from Curious Cars is good but Alex On Autos trumps them all when it comes to car knowledge!
@@JacobPaul-ix7ocno soliciting bro
I remember looking at these in the showroom when they were new and could easily tell how well put together they were (especially compared to American cars). Initially, I never thought that a Japanese luxury brand could ever compete with the established German brands, but Toyota's gamble really paid off.
After time for them to gain market exposure, even my military cohorts that were staunchly “American made only” people would have stories of how impressive these are. An example in this video is how much better the audio is when Doug is inside. I lusted after the SC400 for years.
Except for the future iteration of the SC. The SC430 is sucks & people like them for some reason.
Toyota essentially gave the engineers a blank check and told them to develop the best cars they could, no matter the price. Toyota's Century had been the Japanese Rolls-Royce for decades so they knew how to do quality and luxury.
@@banginbadger75 why do you not like them?
I had a 1991 Acura legend 5-speed I bought used when I was younger. I brought it to my friends dad who was a Honda/Acura specialist. I remember when I brought car to him he walked me under it on the lift and said look at how it’s put together and engineered. Needless to say I had that car for long time and loved it!
My dad bought the SC400 brand new, fully loaded with everything, including the 12-CD loader and the phone in the center armrest, and had it shipped to Nigeria in the early 1990s. I pretty much grew up in it, and even though we owned a Mercedes V-boot and flat-boot during those years, it is absolutely one of my favorite vehicles ever and set the bar so high for my taste in cars in terms of what I was wowed by growing up. I couldn't wait to go with him whenever he drove it because, of course, it was our Sunday car, lol. Drives to the village were so much fun, and the speakers were amazing; I remember listening to Oriental Brothers and Lionel Richie on those drives-a big reason for my love of old music.
And it aged so well. I remember being in boarding school in 2004/05, and my dad would come visit; its design would still stand out even those many years later. One of my life goals, and one I really wanted to do before he passed away, but will still do, is to own one of these in top condition. He had the dark green one with sparkles in the paint, and he kept that thing in such great shape. I almost cried the day he sold it.
Wow! I so wanna know you. Let me guess, Dad is an oil magnate?
you must be a nigerian prince, fr. $40K to spend on a car... back then, esp. in nigeria.
Yup, and the cabin had so much space for a coupe. It truly was an amazing car, felt like a spaceship inside. As a kid it must have been huge in there for you, that's awesome. This is my all time most favorite car, had one after high-school in gold champagne color; truly had the best time of my life in that thing.
@@L8PRODTV probably another $20-40k in import duties!
@hassan_codes Haha let's just say he knew enough of them.
“Wasn’t much to love” about the styling…?! This was widely recognized, for a big chunk of the 90s, as *the* best looking car you could buy!! As a teenager, I drooled over every one that I ever saw in person. Still looks amazing, imo.
Thanks for bringing this classic to the channel, Doug!
I agree. The SC was a gorgeous car and still is to this day1
Agreed. This was always a head turner
No it wasn't. I can name at least 30 cars off the top of my head from the 90s that looked better.
@@elnyoutube123 Opinions are for everyone. The fact is that there was a pretty large consensus at the time that this was a beautiful, futuristic car
My wife has had her SC400 for over 25 years and refuses to get anything else as she loves it. One interesting design point is the body line that starts at the rear of the car is contiguous and flows from the trunk, down the sides of the car, through the front fender and around the headlight up into the hood creases. One continuous flowing line.
That's why she's still married to you. She found a good thing and she's keeping it lol
Wish you both more years of happiness.
Happy New Year bro
My wife, she is dead.
@treywylie My '93 did not come with the dash mounted cupholder. I bought one and self installed it. Also, mine was setup with a cell phone kit.
What about it's replacement, the SC430?
@@MidniteSon I bought the 02 sc430 after I was done with my 93 sc400.
The convertible was cool, but the car missed the mark.
I used to work at Carmax back in the late 90s and we used to get these in alot. They were pretty cool cars. At the time they were really luxurious for a sports coupe.
they still are and break less then modern cars
The SC 300's assembly line was cutting edge. Toyota had to build the machines that built the car. Notice the gaps and the curves. Pre-1990 cars were not like that. The SC 300 was ahead of its time.
facts
@@MikeForsythe hi Mike!
@@toyotafather 🫡
Lexus. The most quality cars in the world. Period.
@@spilot1016Lexus used to be a car to dream about owning. Now they're a bunch of re-badged toyotas, not the other way around!
That doors hinge situation is neat.
Mercedes CL actually has that too, at least on the C215 model.
Doug has a video on that car as well.
Not so much fun when they wear out and droop - I had to replace both of them in my Soarers, if I recall correctly it was about $300 NZD per hinge, and this is going back to the early 2000's - then I had to paint them and rig up a system of ropes to hold the door up whilst I replaced them because the doors are so insanely heavy nobody could hold it up that long.
Yup had the same in my CL55
@@Beer_Dad1975 I was thinking that's 2 more points of wear on each hinge, they must wear out and introduce more sag into that long door than a standard hinge would...
@@volvo09 Yup, and the doors are so unbelievably heavy they put a lot of pressure on what is quite a long leverage point - once it sags far enough it can catch on the fender and do some horrible damage if you don't replace it quick enough. To be fair both my cars didn't start to suffer the problem until they were around 10 years old and fairly high mileage - so it's not something that you have to worry about very often.
Such a pity they don’t make em like that anymore
Right? Simplistic reliable luxury and performance. It's not rocket science.
What cars are being made to the same quality now, in respect to competitors?
Lexus absolutely still "makes em like that"
Lexus still makes the RC and the LC lol
@@brucebartlett7571lol they do not. You think they do then go look at most of their current lineup in reliability. Outside of some electronics BMW has been shockingly way more reliable the past 8 years
I have a supercharged 1993 sc400 and will drive it forever. Only 200,000km on it so far and everything works
Doug, you’re supposed to say “Cars and Bids” like “CAAARS AND BIIIDS!” drawn out with a proud smile 😀😀😀😀- as if you’re ALWAYS announcing its existence for the fist time! 0:40
I love that I see you here regularly
Dang I didn’t realize you were a motor head like that man throwback
Cocklate raiin
loud and proud brotha
With jazz hands.
Finally Doug, been waiting years for you to review one. I owned a '93 SC400 through college and for few years later. I got it with 150K and it still looked new. Drove it to 255,000 miles and could have kept going much longer. Loved that thing.
Ah yes, the TOYOTA SOARER in the Gran Turismo series of videogames
Tbh I like the toyota nameplates of the Lexus models because they are more interesting than just two letters (Harieer, Windom, Celsior, Aristo, Land Cruiser Cygnus, Altezzia etc)
The jzz30 soarer came with a 1jz-gte though. Way better than the NA 2jz the sc300 has.
I love my Soarer! It's a very different driving experience from an SC, quite a bit firmer.
@@lcalvom Yeah, let it come to GT7! Next review: Mazda Cosmo! Another beauty from Japan!
@@ThatSilentGuy Lexus were probably trying to sound German, and then it stuck.
I am a long-time Doug watcher and I rarely comment, but here, I get to. I owned a 1992 SC400 in my early 20's and it was phenominal! I got it from my aunt who ran up 25K miler per year (she was a real estate agent) until I bought it from her at arounf 112K-ish miles, but it was only 4+ years old when I got it. GLld to see this one was well taken care of, but a LOT of those dash cupholders were broken by the owners. But thet was pretty much it. I had a few repairs like a driveshaft with a worn u-joint and a few other small things. But it was one of the best cars I have ever owned. Drove it to 160K-ish and traded it in on a 1998 GS400 which was equally good. And I have to say, I am surprised Doug was not in love with the looks. This was considered one of the very best looking cars in the world when it came out with comparisons to the 60's Jag E-Type which is why it did so well. And yes, all that looks praise was true. I still think this is the best looking car I have ever owned.
need more old lexus reviews
More older cars in general 🫠
after his profound love for the LC500 he has found the time to make this video for the SC!
SC is NOT long gone. LC500 is the new SC. It's direct replacement for it, down to having a V8 option.
Who told you that
the SCs replacement is the RC, the RCF has the 2UR V8.
@@Kacpa2 that's exactly what I was thinking.
@@mvarez the RC is too small to be a successor to the SC. the LC is definitely a more viable replacement.
New shocks would probably be a significant improvement in ride and handling.
10:46 also a testament to how well the previous owner took care of it!
That’s exactly what he said at 16:49 LOL
And just like that the price of the SC300 is through the roof
already are , SC400 are hard to find give the 1jz in them, and importing a Toyota Soarar V8 is just too pricey now.
I@@Cobalt_027 i have a sc400 97
On one hand I want him to review my fully loaded Celsior with everything working, but on the other hand I love that you can find good low mileage examples for under 15k all day lol.
@@Cobalt_027 SC400 is 1UZ not 1JZ. you could get a 1jz gte in a soarer but not a lexus.
i bought an sc400 last year for $1000 and also have a SC300
@@Mid-no3pk I need him to not review a cheap fun car so I can actually get something good..
You can tell Doug is my age when we know about how big a deal Electroluminescent gauges were in the late 90’s.
I sat in one at a new car show when they first came out, and those gauges were _beautiful._ Not only was the backlighting consistently bright, but the gauges appeared to be "floating" within the cluster.
(Another Lexus innovation: To show off the gauges, the car had to be connected to an external power supply. This meant the radio, power windows, and other gadgets all worked. At the time Lexus was the only one doing this at shows; most other manufacturers were content to leave the cars inert. Now the external power thing is fairly common.)
@@benjaminrobinson3842 Lexus's gauge clusters were multi-tiered. The dials were on a different plane than the warning lights and so on.
I had a friend who was a regional manager at Enterprise rent-a-car in the 1990s and I rented one of these from him for a weekend trip from Los Angeles to Palm Springs. My wife and I drove out there in a red SC300 coupe that was very similar to the one you are reviewing here, except it was brand new and had only 4k miles on it. What a great car that was. Powerful, comfortable, and quiet. Such a great car for a road trip.
I owned my 95’ SC400 from 2005-2016! It was my first car and I have so many great memories with her. Every time I see one I get nostalgic. I’ve thought about getting another, but I know it won’t ever be the same. Fantastic car!
16:48 I hope the original design team and fabricators see this and take pride in their work... quite a testament here
I’ve had my 2000 SC 300 for 20+ years now. Silver with a spoiler and only 118,000 miles. I plan to keep it for another 20 years or so…
Doug the type of guy who gets trapped inside a sleeping bag with Kennan.
Doug is the kinda guy to eat pizza with a fork and knife.
Ewww
Doug the type of guy with same haircut since high school
@@ProToolsApprovedand that pizza has pineapple on it…
@@zzygyy
It got him the girl he wanted...
I’ve been waiting for this review for years. Long time Doug Fan, and long time Lexus enthusiast. I currently daily a 276k miles SC400. It’s a 1996 Platinum Metallic with a black interior.
The car has held up fantastically, and I don’t even have a low miles or low owner car. I’m like the 4th owner, and at this age and mileage, more should be going on, but it’s not terrible. Currently at 276k, my trunk struts are also out, and my rpm needle doesn’t work. But besides that she’s fine, but has been kinda expensive to maintain, as expected for anything used as much as my car has. She needed alternator, water pump/ timing belt, radiator, and a bunch of other things, but I really believe in this car and that’s why I continue to shell out money for it. My last Lexus was a 200k mile 2012 IS250 which had no issues and I adored, and I’ve always wanted an SC so I sold the IS for my SC, as I wanted an SC and looked for or talked about this car LITERALLY every day for at least three years and I finally bought it 6 months ago. Love it, gets compliments almost weekly, and is lots of fun with the custom exhaust, but yes sadly she is a little expensive to maintain since I bought her.
Glad to start the year off with a review of my car, I actually never thought I’d get to see one from you, my favorite car UA-camr. Hopefully it’s a sign though, I don’t want to give up on the car but a 300k mile and expensive to maintain vehicle has been seeming like a money pit sadly (roughly $6k in maintenance in my 6 months of ownership, and a few no starts and breakdowns).
BUT! Maybe this video is a sign to keep going, so I’m gonna take it and try to run.
Shoutout the SC community, if you know you know 👍🏽
$87,899.69 inflation adjusted. I didn’t make that up. That’s hilarious.
It better have been good for that money!
So what? Buy a BMW for the same today...then drive it for 30 years.
@@weirdshibainuin what world do you live in that a BMW can last 30 years? BMW is junk won't last over 5 years from now
@@foragingadventures I have a 30 year old volvo 850 and have put a few thousand into it over the past few years. It has 225k on the clock and yeah, there are things that have broken, but I love the car-FWD, 5 cylinder, 5 speed and very safe, but I'm not deluding myself that I haven't spent money on it.
That's about what the LC500h (V6 hybrid) costs now, not even comparing with the LC500 non-hybrid V8 that's certainly $100k-plus. Seems like a fair price considering the quality and luxury on offer and what it competed against.
I had a 1991 Toyota Soarer v8. Mechanically the car was A1, however things in the interior did start to wear such as the door trim coming loose, plastic door handle broke a couple of times, dash cracked etc… The car drove phenomenal and I had it for 18 years. The guy that brought it supercharged it and now lives on as a weapon.
I remember reading Car & Driver back when this came out, and one of the designers stated that they worked with sand filled balloons in order to come up with the ultimate shape of the SC. You can really see it in the front end. It doesn't appear unusual looking these days, but when it came out, it was completely radical!
Plaster filled balloons.
The cars of that era were sublime. We had Nissan 300zx Twin Turbo, Nissan Maxima SE 6 Speed, Lexus SC 300, Acura Legend, Mazda RX7..
I've had my 1995 sc400 since 2009. Great car.
98 SC400 here with a six speed manual that I swapped from a 350z, love driving this thing hard
7:45 $45,000 in 1997 is roughly equivalent to $90,000 in today’s money.
You can honestly remove $5000 from all the extra options but still expensive regardless
Which item can you name that only doubled in 28 yeas? A loaf of organic bread? 1 kWh of home energy? Set of high quality tires for a luxury sedan? Bottle of regular coke? Ironing board? IKEA couch? Flooring? Timber to build a shed? Double glazed windows? Solar panels? Toilet paper? Grass fed steak? Fruit? I can't come up with anything that's close to only double.
@ Car prices don’t make any sense to me. It feels like most of them are at least 10% higher than what I can comfortably afford-or maybe I’m just broke.
Which means it costs the same as a current LC adjusting for inflation..Maybe even a bit less as the SC400 cost more than this one.
@@Cloxxki Many more dollars are in circulation now which makes everything more expensive. Thank the US Govt.
Everything you touched in that interior felt premium. With the added rear lip spoiler that you could get with the SC400 the car was a real beauty.
My heated seats still work. At the light it feels like I'm sitting on my leather sofa. Very smooth car. No tune up since I bought it. But I don't drive it much till now But I'm buying all the tune up parts for it now.
90s luxury is best luxury. Super comfortable, reliable, and cheap. Not every luxury car also has to be a sports car.
@bwofficial1776 but if you turbo that model they go pretty fast.
I had one of these in a manual back in the early 2000s (used). The one thing I’ll never forget is how heavy the clutch was. Maybe something was wrong with mine but it was the hardest clutch to push down, 3x vs any other manual i have ever driven.
I have a ‘96 and I agree, it’s pretty stiff.
The SC was redesigned twice, ( 3 but we dont count 1995 as a real redesign )
1992-1994 was original styling, 1995-1996 was the first “facelift”. Different fog lights. Different tail lights. 1997-2000 they added an entirely different and more attractive body kit. Bumpers, fog lights, side skirts, glass high beams. With some changes to the interior too. Then came the 2nd gen sc430 in 2001.
Ewwww 🤮 the 430
Usually the term 'redesign' refers to an all-new generation, based on how I've seen American reviewers use that term. What you're referring to would be described as a refresh or a facelift.
i got a 1996 and 1997 i love them!
I had a 91 V8, and later a 96 3 litre - the '91 actually didn't even have fog lamps, it had lamps that would turn on when you indicated to supposedly help light your way around the corner (which were in reality, utterly useless)
@@Beer_Dad1975 I remember those they didn’t work on my 94 or my dad’s 95 lol
Bought a 99 in 06 nice car ran beautiful had it 4years gave it to my nephew for graduation he still has it whith modifications on it know and stiil running strong ❤
Growing up in the hoods of LA in the early 00s all the cool guys had one of these or the Lexus es and I thought it was the most beautiful thing ever ! I still think it’s a really nice shape
@@roymccraw8226 yup we called the GS the Gangster Lexus back then..
Ha "cool guys" more like the cool guys who you knew slanged.
@ I was gonna leave that part out😭😂
Doug is the type of guy who goes to Boston to see a Kansas concert and Kansas to see a Boston concert.
His favorite song is "More than a feeling is just dust in the wind".
What a great first review of 2025!
I also have a Lexus from 1997, an ES300 with 220,000 miles, it fails emissions, has a leaky exhaust, every speaker is blown, and the suspension clunks.
But it still runs 💪
Doug…we weren’t living in caves back in the 1990’s. My 1995 Chevrolet pickup had a CD player built into it. And the headlights on my 1978 Lincoln Continental Mark V automatically turn on, dim themselves whenever needed, and turn themselves back off when they’re not needed anymore. We weren’t living in the Stone Age back then either!!! It even has air conditioning, power windows, power seats, and an antenna that can go up and down with the push of a button.
I love how Toyota uses the exact same cruise control stalk even as recently as the 2020 Sienna
This car inspired soooo many car manufacturers and celebrities including Biggie Smalls who rapped about it in his music
...and then there was sir mix a lot with his diablo and wu tang clan with their Mazda MPV
it was also the car karl malone's dad was murdered in :D
@@illuminate4 karl malone? you mean that kiddie diddler basketball player?
@@illuminate4 not sure if you’re confused or if this is true but it was Jordan’s dad and it was over an SC400
@@ethannguyen6180 thats what I said is it not? i think theres a miscommunication somewhere
My dad had a SC400 and absolutely loved it. Someone caused an accident and totaled it. He went out and bought another one. Awesome cars
I still remember when the original SC300 came out in 1991. That was one of the top most beautiful and desirable coups on the planet at the time. Both the LS and SC were such awesome status symbols.
Yes! He said the design is ordinary, but I think this is a really beautiful car.
In 1998 my friend had a teal colored one and he let me borrow it to take my date to our High School prom with it. I remember feeling like I was the man when I pulled up and everyone was staring and jocking the ride. Thank you Lexus for the great time and great memories.
Nice Review. Still have my SC 400. Hell of a car to have in the 1990s Now have a modified LC 500 and i’m so happy Lexus continues to make great GT’s
Nice the LC500 is my dream car.
I loved the Nakamichi sound system in the '94 SC400.
@@ingleringlet-snipps3rd449 It was something else in the 90s. Including that subwoofer.
It’s funny to think when it rained and you wanted to change CDs you had to go to the truck haha
@@MikeForsythe Yes, and that was absolutely state of the art for car audio at the time!
One of my managers where I work has this car but it’s the SC400 with the V8 in a green color he’s had it for almost 30 years and it’s still kicking
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was able to scoop a factory manual sc300 last year, what a joy to drive!
Sadly this Lexus' is soaring up in value.
I see what you did there
Lexuses
I knew this one was gunna be a soarer
10k is a lot to you?
@@pokFryRicebich lol
I absolutely love my 93 SC400. It has a 350z manual transmission on it and it is an absolute joy to drive. Definitely great platform, it’s a supra in a tuxedo!
This video just made me remember how much I miss my SC400 😢 such a great coupe
13:20 This came out in 1991; yeah by 1997 it was starting to feel mainstream but remember in 1991 BMW was still making cars like the E30 and the Mustang was still on the fox body
Had this exact car, color and all years ago. I always felt the design was a product of its time and a great example of it. This biggest downside to me was the depreciation if you bought new. I got the '97 in '05 for $1500, all it needed was a power steering pump and a touch up job.
90s Lexus quality is amazing. My LS400 has just under 300k miles and the driver seat still has very little wear. A few creases but no rips or holes. Everything still works perfectly except for the wheel tilt. Great daily driver
4:44 the only thing missing on this Lexus is a manual transmission. Pity Doug was not able to find one with it.
Bro I never thought I’d see the car my dad had while I was growing up, on Doug’s channel. Little me got in and out of that back seat hundreds of times.
My dad coveted this, but was happy with his 91 Celica GTS. I still have it. Because he bought 2 more of them. The back seat is very similar. Lots of the options were beta tested in that Celica.
Back in 2009 I had a 1992 SC400 with the same color as Doug's show car, and I absolutely loved it. I always wished it had a manual though, but still it was a lovely coupe. After a few years I purchased a 1995 SC300 with its original manual transmission and it had an engine swap of the original Toyota Soarer, the 1JZ-GTE, or the 2.5L twin turbo straight 6. It had minor but tasteful mods, such as lowered, staggered rims, and custom exhaust. That was a blast to drive! I truly miss it!
My first car was a 96 Lexus ES300. Sunroof, disk changer, heated seats. It was only a SLIGHT downgrade from the SC. Even at 100mph, it felt like a cloud. You rarely see them on the road, worth looking into if you find one for cheap.
The es 300 is a major downgrade from a sc 400
@@MyKeeP81 But it's still a great cruiser, which is telling how great the SC400 is.
My dad and all of my siblings including myself had drove the Lexus SC400 in college with the nakamichi sound system 👍🏽
Doug the type of guy to swipe as many McDonald's napkins as possible to save on buying toilet paper.
He actually does kinda seem like that type of guy wth
Don’t forget ketchup, salt, and forks
oh, memory unlocked!
Years ago, I had a GS300. After an air show hundreds of miles from home, while parked, I decided to switch from jeans to shorts while sitting on the edge of the open trunk. Once done, I shut the trunk-only to find the keys were inside. Panic set in as I discovered the GS300’s "genius" design: the trunk was sealed off from the cabin by the gas tank, and there was a keyhole near the trunk button-just like on the SC300. Naturally, that keyhole was locked.
After some head-scratching, I spotted a cop nearby managing traffic. Somehow, I convinced him to lend me his Victorinox knife-without mentioning my plan to pick my own car lock right behind him.
With the knife, I stripped the insulation from two wires under the steering wheel while my friend held the trunk button. A few sparks later, the trunk popped open. Props to Lexus engineers for the unforgettable DIY adventure!
Very soft leather that is prone to excessive wear. I enjoyed mine.
One of the best cars ever! My grandma had a 1992 SC300 which she drove for twenty years & then replaced it with a 2012 ES350. My friend has owned several SC's, his last one being a 1992 SC400 which he recently sold. I've driven both my grandma's SC300 & my friend's SC400 (both were black on tan) & they felt pretty similar in performance since the V8 didn't have that much more power.
if they made these again with all the original goodies I’d buy one in a flash
Lexus RC
They are currently making this car’s successor. You should buy it.
@@devongee1776the LC is a closer spiritual successor than the RC. RC is meant to be more performance oriented
The LC 500 and RC are already on sale and nobody is buying them. Put your money where your mouth is
@@jawadulkarim9498 you could still buy a slow one and get that nice analog, Lexus-quality interior though. The RC 300 and RC350 aren't really fast. And you can get the previous generation 350 for under $20,000.
Doug the type of guy to review a cherry red SC300
My dad had one of the early LS400 and it was amazing. Almost silent, incredibly comfortable, and went like a rocket ship.
I miss my 1997 black on tan SC 300
9:00 Funny thing about the cupholders, The vertical one is essentially useless because the drink will push them down when you go around corners. the small central one is way better. This is the case for cups, Cans usually fare better with the pullout cupholder.
Now this is what I call a perfect first car
If you can find a good one that is lol
Guess I got lucky
@@Shadidd absolutely not. Parts are incredibly expensive, hard to find, or discontinued.
@@MJ_868 aah my bad
Oh come on, Doug - you are old enough to know that CD players were very common in cars by 1997. A rarity in 1987, sure.
Doug, we love you Doug
Kevin, I love you Kevin, Kevin.
@@PasleyAviationPhotography
Pasley, I love you Pasley.
Waiting for my Camp LeJeune lawsuit check for flying lessons.
@@thisismagacountry1318 magacountry I love you magacountry lol
@@StevenIvoire Steven, i love you Steven
@thisismagacountry1318 definitely fulfill that dream, one of my biggest regrets.
Saved up and bought a 97 SC300 as my first car. Absolutely loved it. I’ve moved on to a 23 IS350 f sport but I will always love the SC300/400 platform and hope to own a RSP one some day.
That thing was a spaceship when I was I was in High School. In no way that was conservative in styling back then.
I've been waiting for Doug to review an SC for a while too since I've owned one for ~10 years now, but was surprised that he missed a few things:
- The gauge cluster is electroluminescent to make it appear that the needles were "floating" over the gauges
- CROTCH VENT
- I'm not sure if this car had it, but the Nakamichi option in these cars was significantly ahead of its time in terms of power and overall clarity
- Both of the front seats were fully electronically adjustable, even lumbar support, with memory settings
- The memory seat option even included the position for the steering wheel
- The rear view mirror was electrochroamatic via liquid
- The SC shared a lot of subframe/suspension components with the Mk4 Supra
Wow, seriously this was awesome. Thank you!
Wow, what a trip down memory lane for me. I had an SC300 and an LS400 in the early 90s. LOVED those cars. Thanks.
I have a 2001 Toyota Solara V6 coupe. 115,000 miles original owner family. Basically a two door camry and it has very little issues. Interior is still brand new and the quality is just crazy. Friends are buying new cars and keep having issues and my 25 year old car just keeps on going. Sad the cheap garbage they are producing now. Even Toyotas quality has really fallen off.
Nobody asked. Nobody cares.
@charleydrummond8789 Always one depressed angry guy in every comment section. Hope you get some help dude.
I had a 93 SC400. What a beautiful car that was.
pretty soon doug is going to be sitting down the entire review.
Wow Doug!! This one hits home. My oldest brother (RIP) worked at Toyota Puerp Rico for many years. One day he came home with that car and i went nuts!!!. After driving it for a while i told him: "So, this is a pimped out supra". I'll never forget his laugh🙏🏾
Back in the 1990s, here in Philly, a lot of the drug dealers had the Lexus SC300/400, the 2nd generation Acura Legend(sedan and coupe) and the Infinity J30.
4:30 I'm glad for Doug for mentioning about the over-engineered door hinges. I remembered this growing up when the car was introduced. Certainly, it is one of the best features I have learned about the SC.
U.K this was a "Soarer" and it was a motorway rocket.
Especially when moded.
I always wanted one.
Having loved cars since I was 2 and falling in love with Lexus at its inception, I was a 10yo immediately enamored with the ‘92 ES my aunt & a neighbor both bought brand new - and so much so that I bought an immaculate ‘92 ES after college, driving it for 10 years. That was 20 years ago and yet out of all the vehicles I love, the first-gen Lexus lineup is my favorite of all time, for their aesthetics, ergonomics, reliability, and overall “suppleness” that set it apart from the rest of the luxurious competition.
Awesome coupe. 1990s forever! I just got a 2000 Acura 3.5 RL Premium with all the options including working navigation and only 150,000 miles. I love it!
The 3.5RL and the 2nd Gen Legend are awesome, reliable Japanese Q-Ships. They are like "Sex on Wheels". Such a smooth car. I own a 2002 3.5RL w/o Nav. 290k miles on mine. 3rd timing belt and water pump. 2nd set of spark plugs. I've owned mine for 7 years. I do regular maintenance myself and big maintenance items, my local Acura dealer still honors and repairs it. They treat my RL with upmost care just like the new ones they work on.😊
I had 2 4.0 Ltd Soarers that I imported from Japan. They had fully active suspension (designed by Lotus) 4 wheel steering, sat nav, a touch screen and a reversing camera in 1991! Doug should review one of those, they were so far ahead of their time.
There was also a Twin Turbo manual one which was fun.
ES is the "Executive Sedan", not "entry-level".
Yet ... Was entry level
@@technom3598 True!
Agreed, I mean the ES was IIRC the cheapest model, but there were only 3 model classes up til 97, so one has to be the cheapest.
But the ES was still about the size of a camry IIRC, so it wasn't like an A3 or a BMW 3 series, which are true entry level luxury models.
My dad had a 97 ES300 which basically was a nicer Camry(that drove better). When Lexus first launched, like Doug said, they had the ES250, and I have no idea how that drove.
ES was the entry Lexus based on the Camry.
IVE BEEN WAITING FOR THIS VIDEO FOR SO LONG DOUG THANK YOU
Strangely posistive doug review
Putting a CD009 in my SC400 soon
"everything in here works"... now do this with a 30 year old german car I bet it will be "nothing in here works"
True
My 12 and 15 year old vws have more than enough problems in interior stuff😂
My 5 year old Mercedes has an interior that is falling apart!
Do that with a 30 year american car…..hold on……there aren‘t any😂😂…..all fallen apart!
My 35 year old 3 series BMW would like to have words with you.
I had a '98 that I was insanely in love with. Bought it in '04. The car was flawless