First drive impressions of the ES350...
04-11-06, 05:15 AM
#1
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
First drive impressions of the ES350...
It was a sunny and clear Spring day in Parsippany, NJ. When we arrived at the Eastern Region Headquarters there were four ES350's lined up to look at as we got off the bus. Visually the ES350 can look stately and sporty at the same time. The ridge lines on the side of the hood create muscle shadows and reflective surface changes that make the car interesting to stare at. I think they could have given the 5th generation ES a new moniker, it is that different. When viewed from the front you get the sensation that it has been pulled out on each side like taffy to make it wider. In fact it has similar dimensions to the 4th gen but the track is 2 inches wider. When viewed from the side the fast back roof and swept lines make you think that it is ready to rumble. I have to laud the designers at Lexus Finesse. The tail view might even be my favorite as the lights are a work of art and the twin exhausts give it a more agressive final salute as it flies past you.....
After breakfast they just told us to jump in and gave us a map to have a pre planned route for the tests. First our group of four tested the GS450h and RX350 but that is another story. After about an hour we switched over to the ES350. The first time I entered the car was at the back passenger seat. As I sat down I felt like I was in an LS. The seats are so comfortable and roomy. The floor in the middle has very little hump left and is almost flat , The extra 2 inches of wheel base length is evident in the rear legroom. The leather comes in two grades depending on the package. The one we drove first was the standard leather. I could not get over how soft they made the leather and the cushioning everywhere you touch including the side and back surfaces of the seats. The California Walnut continues to exude its high polished luxury and gives this car an aura of elegance unmatched in this class of vehicle. We had a Cadillac CTS and an Acura TL with a Mercedes C350 thrown in for comparison. The quantum leap that Lexus has wrought with this car will make the engineers in the Faderland furious. The Acura interior reeked of plastic and even the large 8 inch Nav. Screen just emphasized the poor graphics of the Acura system. The new Gen 5 Nav system makes you want to stare at its VGA screen and may be a safety hazard. Bluetooth can be had with or without the Nav system. Voice commands can used to pair phones if necessary.
As we smoothly pulled away from the curb I noticed how easily we accelerated. There were four of us in the car and we just attained cruising speed without any groaning or complaining from the engine bay. This car has excellent response. The new 6 speed transmission shifts imperceptibly and is certainly not jerky like the 4th gen. when it would hunt. When higher revs are attained it starts to give some emotion from the dual exhausts. We drove the Cadillac with its 3.6 liter and it was overwhelmed and strained to get going. The ES350 doesn't breathe hard to get you there on time. The Acura felt small and cluttered yet had a nice throttle response and tight feel. The surprise was the C350 which was the only car that compared in acceleration feel with the ES350 in our test. We would compare the C350 more with the IS350 as it was dwarfed by the ES350 and the Caddy. The Germans can only blame themselves for not making a real competitor to the ES350.
I have to remark how quiet the ES350 is. We decided to ride with the sunroof open most of the time and it was still quiet in the ES. The interior sound level with everything closed was what you would want in a library. It is quieter than the original LS400 in 1989. I can imagine taking a long highway trip in this car and not becoming tired from sitting so long. The Luxury package has the drivers seat cushion length adjustment that is different from the LS430 version. It sort of pumps up and lengthens at the same time for those that are trying to find more leg support. The Panoramic sunroof has a glass section that tilts up in the front like a wind deflector and the section behind it slides up and back on top of the roof. The head room inside seems infinite when you pull back the rear sunshade and see the sky through the rear glass section. There are more buttons and switches on the steering wheel than before and they are covered with a thin layer of rubbery material so you can't spill coffee on them or gather dust. They are pleasing to touch. It will take a while to master all of them without looking down. Since PCS is now an option you can have an additional tab on the right that controls the distance setting for the radar cruise control.
I will continue this review later...
Rock
After breakfast they just told us to jump in and gave us a map to have a pre planned route for the tests. First our group of four tested the GS450h and RX350 but that is another story. After about an hour we switched over to the ES350. The first time I entered the car was at the back passenger seat. As I sat down I felt like I was in an LS. The seats are so comfortable and roomy. The floor in the middle has very little hump left and is almost flat , The extra 2 inches of wheel base length is evident in the rear legroom. The leather comes in two grades depending on the package. The one we drove first was the standard leather. I could not get over how soft they made the leather and the cushioning everywhere you touch including the side and back surfaces of the seats. The California Walnut continues to exude its high polished luxury and gives this car an aura of elegance unmatched in this class of vehicle. We had a Cadillac CTS and an Acura TL with a Mercedes C350 thrown in for comparison. The quantum leap that Lexus has wrought with this car will make the engineers in the Faderland furious. The Acura interior reeked of plastic and even the large 8 inch Nav. Screen just emphasized the poor graphics of the Acura system. The new Gen 5 Nav system makes you want to stare at its VGA screen and may be a safety hazard. Bluetooth can be had with or without the Nav system. Voice commands can used to pair phones if necessary.
As we smoothly pulled away from the curb I noticed how easily we accelerated. There were four of us in the car and we just attained cruising speed without any groaning or complaining from the engine bay. This car has excellent response. The new 6 speed transmission shifts imperceptibly and is certainly not jerky like the 4th gen. when it would hunt. When higher revs are attained it starts to give some emotion from the dual exhausts. We drove the Cadillac with its 3.6 liter and it was overwhelmed and strained to get going. The ES350 doesn't breathe hard to get you there on time. The Acura felt small and cluttered yet had a nice throttle response and tight feel. The surprise was the C350 which was the only car that compared in acceleration feel with the ES350 in our test. We would compare the C350 more with the IS350 as it was dwarfed by the ES350 and the Caddy. The Germans can only blame themselves for not making a real competitor to the ES350.
I have to remark how quiet the ES350 is. We decided to ride with the sunroof open most of the time and it was still quiet in the ES. The interior sound level with everything closed was what you would want in a library. It is quieter than the original LS400 in 1989. I can imagine taking a long highway trip in this car and not becoming tired from sitting so long. The Luxury package has the drivers seat cushion length adjustment that is different from the LS430 version. It sort of pumps up and lengthens at the same time for those that are trying to find more leg support. The Panoramic sunroof has a glass section that tilts up in the front like a wind deflector and the section behind it slides up and back on top of the roof. The head room inside seems infinite when you pull back the rear sunshade and see the sky through the rear glass section. There are more buttons and switches on the steering wheel than before and they are covered with a thin layer of rubbery material so you can't spill coffee on them or gather dust. They are pleasing to touch. It will take a while to master all of them without looking down. Since PCS is now an option you can have an additional tab on the right that controls the distance setting for the radar cruise control.
I will continue this review later...
Rock
Priced to go
04-11-06, 12:45 PM
#6
Originally Posted by dp5
What are you special ordering? Particular options or colors?
They want a White ES with grey interior, the Ultra Lux package, park assist, and Nav. They originally wanted a fully loaded Avalon, but the ES will only be about $4-5k more, so they're gonna splurge.
It's a little crazy because this is our second special order this year. My brother and cousin will also order their cars (one a tC, the other undecided) by this summer. Our sales consult is getting to know us too well...
04-11-06, 01:47 PM
#7
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
With the Mark Levinson/Nav/Lux package the car..
we drove stickered for $43,900. It had the Panoramic moonroof. The 10 spoke graphite wheels with full spare. This is one deluxe car that will be a crowd pleaser. Anyone who owns a previous generation should consider replacing it during the 2007 model year...
Rock
Rock
Trending Topics
04-12-06, 04:16 AM
#10
Originally Posted by Rockville
we drove stickered for $43,900. It had the Panoramic moonroof. The 10 spoke graphite wheels with full spare. This is one deluxe car that will be a crowd pleaser. Anyone who owns a previous generation should consider replacing it during the 2007 model year...Rock
Those who have.....what did you think of the sunroof? Looks a bit awkward in the photos when raised.
04-12-06, 11:10 AM
#12
Originally Posted by PhilipMSPT
It's a little crazy because this is our second special order this year. My brother and cousin will also order their cars (one a tC, the other undecided) by this summer. Our sales consult is getting to know us too well...
btw, my parents are also special ordering a Camry Hybrid.
04-13-06, 10:17 AM
#13
Lexus Test Driver
Thread Starter
I am recovering from the shock and awe of the ....
LS600hL introduction yesterday. Originally when the ES350 HP spec was revealed at 272 I fired off an email to Torrance to ask about any torque steer issues. The RX400h has pronounced torque pull on hard throttle. The new steering geometry has certainly solved that on the ES350. Steering was neutral on full speed ahead. I cannot stress enough about how quiet this car is. Being sensitive to distracting sounds is one of my peeves and it was a pleasure to have a conversation with no interference from exterior sources. There must be layer upon layer of sound deadening materials in the new ES as it coddles you from wind shears with a drag coefficient of .28. All the more reason to get the new Mark Levinson 7.1 surround sound system. We shuttled from ES to Caddy to Acura to Mercedes C.
The Cadillac was the biggest culture shock. What seemed to be an avante garde look when the CTS came out now looks dated. The interior is typical GM schlock. For some reason Cadillac decided to anchor the seatbelts to the front seats themselves and they have this massive outside shoulder that looks lopsided at best. The leather had the feel of a brand new catcher's mitt. The navigation system was tilted toward the driver which was different. The engine was giving its all and we all felt sorry for the 3.6 Liter as it groaned and tried vainly to comply. I guess a Caddy should properly have a V8.
The Acura TL had a nice tight driving feel. The interior looked and felt like a $10,000 decontent had taken place compared to the ES350. It was Holiday Inn vs. Ritz-Carlton. Not fair really....
The Mercedes C350 would have been great in a comparo with the IS350. It had a lot of spunk and was fun to drive. We were impressed. The seating in the back was a tad uncomfortable and not somewhere you would want to spend a lot of time travelling on. Nice interior in a Teutonic way that didn't scream Plastic at you. Nice looking outside too.
I am still trying to think of better competition for the ES350 but it's difficult. You either have to go up in base price to level the playing field or go down in content to another Toyota family member to find a value story. Any suggestions? After the Cadillac experience I'm not sure the Buick Lucerne will be my cup of tea either.....
Rock
The Cadillac was the biggest culture shock. What seemed to be an avante garde look when the CTS came out now looks dated. The interior is typical GM schlock. For some reason Cadillac decided to anchor the seatbelts to the front seats themselves and they have this massive outside shoulder that looks lopsided at best. The leather had the feel of a brand new catcher's mitt. The navigation system was tilted toward the driver which was different. The engine was giving its all and we all felt sorry for the 3.6 Liter as it groaned and tried vainly to comply. I guess a Caddy should properly have a V8.
The Acura TL had a nice tight driving feel. The interior looked and felt like a $10,000 decontent had taken place compared to the ES350. It was Holiday Inn vs. Ritz-Carlton. Not fair really....
The Mercedes C350 would have been great in a comparo with the IS350. It had a lot of spunk and was fun to drive. We were impressed. The seating in the back was a tad uncomfortable and not somewhere you would want to spend a lot of time travelling on. Nice interior in a Teutonic way that didn't scream Plastic at you. Nice looking outside too.
I am still trying to think of better competition for the ES350 but it's difficult. You either have to go up in base price to level the playing field or go down in content to another Toyota family member to find a value story. Any suggestions? After the Cadillac experience I'm not sure the Buick Lucerne will be my cup of tea either.....
Rock
04-14-06, 03:47 PM
#14
Originally Posted by Rockville
LS600hL introduction yesterday. Originally when the ES350 HP spec was revealed at 272 I fired off an email to Torrance to ask about any torque steer issues. The RX400h has pronounced torque pull on hard throttle. The new steering geometry has certainly solved that on the ES350. Steering was neutral on full speed ahead. I cannot stress enough about how quiet this car is. Being sensitive to distracting sounds is one of my peeves and it was a pleasure to have a conversation with no interference from exterior sources. There must be layer upon layer of sound deadening materials in the new ES as it coddles you from wind shears with a drag coefficient of .28. All the more reason to get the new Mark Levinson 7.1 surround sound system. We shuttled from ES to Caddy to Acura to Mercedes C.
The Cadillac was the biggest culture shock. What seemed to be an avante garde look when the CTS came out now looks dated. The interior is typical GM schlock. For some reason Cadillac decided to anchor the seatbelts to the front seats themselves and they have this massive outside shoulder that looks lopsided at best. The leather had the feel of a brand new catcher's mitt. The navigation system was tilted toward the driver which was different. The engine was giving its all and we all felt sorry for the 3.6 Liter as it groaned and tried vainly to comply. I guess a Caddy should properly have a V8.
The Acura TL had a nice tight driving feel. The interior looked and felt like a $10,000 decontent had taken place compared to the ES350. It was Holiday Inn vs. Ritz-Carlton. Not fair really....
The Mercedes C350 would have been great in a comparo with the IS350. It had a lot of spunk and was fun to drive. We were impressed. The seating in the back was a tad uncomfortable and not somewhere you would want to spend a lot of time travelling on. Nice interior in a Teutonic way that didn't scream Plastic at you. Nice looking outside too.
I am still trying to think of better competition for the ES350 but it's difficult. You either have to go up in base price to level the playing field or go down in content to another Toyota family member to find a value story. Any suggestions? After the Cadillac experience I'm not sure the Buick Lucerne will be my cup of tea either.....
Rock
The Cadillac was the biggest culture shock. What seemed to be an avante garde look when the CTS came out now looks dated. The interior is typical GM schlock. For some reason Cadillac decided to anchor the seatbelts to the front seats themselves and they have this massive outside shoulder that looks lopsided at best. The leather had the feel of a brand new catcher's mitt. The navigation system was tilted toward the driver which was different. The engine was giving its all and we all felt sorry for the 3.6 Liter as it groaned and tried vainly to comply. I guess a Caddy should properly have a V8.
The Acura TL had a nice tight driving feel. The interior looked and felt like a $10,000 decontent had taken place compared to the ES350. It was Holiday Inn vs. Ritz-Carlton. Not fair really....
The Mercedes C350 would have been great in a comparo with the IS350. It had a lot of spunk and was fun to drive. We were impressed. The seating in the back was a tad uncomfortable and not somewhere you would want to spend a lot of time travelling on. Nice interior in a Teutonic way that didn't scream Plastic at you. Nice looking outside too.
I am still trying to think of better competition for the ES350 but it's difficult. You either have to go up in base price to level the playing field or go down in content to another Toyota family member to find a value story. Any suggestions? After the Cadillac experience I'm not sure the Buick Lucerne will be my cup of tea either.....
Rock
04-16-06, 08:52 PM
#15
Lexus Test Driver
so what is the ES soppose to be a Luxury Sedan soiley main purpose is for luxury or a luxury sport sedan? because the homepage of the ClubLexus website said ES 350 Luxury Sport Sedan. I thought thats what the IS is. but anywho, i guess Lexus got three sport sedans then? IS, ES, GS.