dshahs420

Today i had a chance to drive a 2007 toyota camry and ES350(my bro-in-law's and my sisters car) back to back. Here are my impressions and this is solely my opinions. First, I do agree with people who say "oh the lexus looks like camry" they were side by side and other people commented how similar they were. So who cares if they look alike BECAUSE when you drive them, the ES350 BLOWS camry out of the water. After driving the ES350, the camry felt like a KIA. There was more road noise, engine noise and the NAVIGATION SUCKS. Its worse than my 06 ES330. The buttons on the camry looked cheap and when i sat in the camry, the seats were not as comfortable, the leather looked cheap and the green lit plastic made me wanna puke. So anyone who says "oh you should have just gotten a camry" doesnt know his A** from his D***. The reason why they say that is because the car looks so similar from the outside that they assume it drives just as similarly. The one thing i did like about the camry was the sound system. The JBL system in the camry is definately one of the best in its class. I cant believe how spoiled we are because we are so used to driving luxury cars. I could barely sit in the camry for no more than 10 minutes as my eyes kept on wandering towards the cheap green lit plastic in the center dash.
Now the comparison between the 350 and 330. I definately believe the interior of the 350 is more classy, because it has more aluminum trim and i love aluminum trim. There is more wood in the 330 but i think its too much especially on the guage cluster. The es350 is superior to the ES330 in every way except for one thing, my es330 is much quieter for one reason or another and the road noise is less with the es330. This was surprising to me because the es350 has "skinnier" tires so i thought road noise would be less but thats not the case. Call me weird, but i actually found my sound system to be richer than the ML sound system in this car. If i had a choice i would choose the ES350 over the ES330 because I love the power in this car *drool* and i actually like the fact that there is less wood, makes the steering wheel stand out. If i missed anything or if you guys wanna ask/critique me feel free to do so.

dreyfus

You're absolutely right about the Camry vs. ES350 - the levels of luxury in these two cars isn't even in the same universe. I had a Camry rental on my last West Coast trip and.. ugh!

Another new-to-Lexus owner at work confided in me that she couldn't see herself ever going back to a non-luxury car after her SC. I'm afraid I have to agree with her. I'm already addicted to this level of comfort and class.

The Camry is still a great car. But except for a casual exterior similarity it's nothing like the ES350.

Nextourer

It seems the ES350 has distant itself from the Camry. I remember the 02 ES300 and the 02 Camry XLE V6. They're similar other than a really red (rosewood?) trim on the ES and softer, more luxurious leather. But after sitting in the new ES350 and the new Camry, the ES350 is definitely worth the upgrade.

Macklin

People who say the Camry looks just like the ES don't have a clue. Yes, there are similar features, but overall, there is no mistaking one for the other. Especially in the front and rear ends....the ES is just so much more styled and dramatic.

twister

I remember someone posted a reply/comment about '07 Camry vs ES350 similarities: Yes, they are similar. Both have 4 wheels, 4 doors, a hood, and a trunk

rogers2

The problem is that I barely pay attention to a Camry or ES350 so when I see either car. I say is that a camry or es350? Because the lines or similar.

Kaius88

from a distance the side view is similar. the XLE V6 version has the same engine and tranny. But if you listen to them, they sound really different from the ES350. For some reason, prolly the manufacturing process, the Camry is more rough around the edges compared to the ES. Definitely worth getting the ES, as I was considering a camry before I test drove the ES.

twister

Its a valid point for someone who is not familiar with both of the cars. Of course, you realized you came to ES350 forum where everybody is in love with their cars so you are in a minority here with your comments

The external comparison argument usually comes from people who doesn't care much about either of these cars, or who are shallow enough to buy their car just for a look or the label. For a true appreciation of this fine luxury automobile, you have to experience it yourself by test driving it. Once you do that, you will have no doubts about it....