PsychDoc

First, the areas that I consider a draw or where the feature in question is of no value either pro or con.

- "Ventillated seats" ...Hahahahahaha, what a joke...they don't do a damn thing...save a few bucks and give me some extra wood on the dash!

- "Voice command"...Another joke...first off, they don't "hear" half of what you're saying and, more importantly, there's not a thing you can do with these voice commands that can't be done infinitely easier by pushing a button or turning a ****...another waste of money that could have been put to much better use.

- Swiveling headlights...Yeah, I know it's kind of cool to watch them turning a little bit at night but in reality, another one of those things that really don't do a damned thing to improve the driving experience.

- Keyless ignition....And this is surely the biggest waste of money and annoyance on the new car....my key fob is on the rest of my keys which I don't like carrying in my pocket as they're way too bulky...at least in the old car I "stored" them nicely right there on the dash hanging from the key input...I'm now either throwing them on the passenger seat or putting them in the cup holder which ruins the look of the interior as the flap must remain up...I hate this feature...it's about as bright an idea as BMW's Idrive (which is to say, not very bright).

[Now that I read this I suppose I should have put this under the "pro's" of the ES300/330....oh well]


ES350 Pros

- Power, power, power (oh, did I forget to mention that I ADORE the power of this car?)

- 17" wheels...much nicer looking and more in keeping with a car this size than the former 16"ers.

- Ipod/MP3 input....renders the CD changer essentially irrelevant...brilliant addition.

- MPG....all I can say here is "WOW"....this baby averages about 25mpg in combined driving...the ES300 was good for only about 18mpg.

- Transmission....as good as they come....silky smooth and six speeds....it really doesn't get any better that this....compared to the positively awful jerkiness at low speeds which we've all come to know only too well and hate in the ES300/330, this is right up there with the biggest area of improvement.

- Mark Levinson sound system....it was damn good in the previous iterations of this car....now it's simply awesome....you don't get sound this good from a $20,000 home setup.

- Gen 5 Nav system...graphics are razor sharp and the number of POI and other features this thing is capable of are just about beyond belief...now, if they had just worked out an agreement with Zagat's to provide resauraunt ratings as I think Nissan/Infinity (or was that Honda/Acura?) did, it'd be perfect.

- Bluetooth....great system, works flawlessly...now if they could only enable the features when the car is in motion.

- Telescoping/tilt steering wheel....a big improvement from the tilt only.

- Appearance (exterior)....while still not a striking car, it now looks a bit more masculine and the addition of the dual tailpipes helps quite a bit....they could have done a better job overall ,however and in my opinion they should have done much more to distinguish this car from it's Camry sibling.

- Panoramic sunroof....absolutely terrific....gives rear seat passangers a real feeling of openness and airiness previously absent.

- Keyless entry....this I like.

- Design of the center console...the "slide away to the back" top is a stroke of ergonomic engineering genius.


ES350 Cons

- Front seats not as comfortable as in the outgoing model....just not shaped right...can't find that "sweet spot."

- Interior is spartan looking....not as bad as the new GS mind you, but compared with the richness and warmth of the ES300/330, it's not anywhere near as hospitable a place to be...it really, really needs a piece of wood trim over the glove box....big mistake deleting this!

- Placement of the front seat heating "ventillation" controls....under the lip of the front center console???...file this under "dumb."

- Burying the button to disable the A/C condensor in the climate control screen....the old car had its own dedicated button for this, a real plus in the winter we're going to see.


Well, that's about all I can think of right now.

psp

Sorry Doc but in my opinion...

a. The ventilated seats work great (and the heat works even better). Someone suggested directing cool air to the floor using the climate control. This makes it even cooler. Try it!!

b. My voice system works really well. Complex words sometimes require the fan speed at low to decrease ambient noise. But Nav and bluetooth commands work very well. (BUT, yes I agree with almost everyone here that you should be able to access the Nav and phone fully while moving).

c. The keyless ignition is very cool. It starts the car for me without effort. What more can you ask for? Also I like that the car "recognizes" me when I approach it. I got rid of all those keys I never use like the lock on the storage unit in the garage and the padlock for the back gate. I am down to 2 keys and the fob. Try storing the keys in the small storage area next to the steering wheel on the right. (ps. the bluetooth works so well I leave it in my briefcase in the trunk.)

d. The seats are comfortable for me. (You didn't even mention the excellent soft leather found in the UL).

e. If you like the iPod link you should try the Vais Tech unit.

f. The interior does look a little spartan until you turn on the car. I think it is well laid out and very high tech. I want to drive a car, not fly a plane

On some roads I find it a little noisy, more than I thought it would be, but it is quieter than my Maxima was and when I get in someone elses car I come to appreciate mine all the more.

Otherwise I agree!!

Macklin

Psych.....have you been drinking? Smartkey is a con??

PsychDoc

A huge con.

It's nothing but a gimmick that has no inherent benefits and leaves you with no place to put your keys when you're driving.

I hate it!

At least keyless entry makes sense and cuts out a needless step.

twister

One things I don't understand with keyless entry/smart key - why not offer a remote start?

jeffofla

Smartkey is one of the best innovations to ever come along from Lexus. I keep my house keys in one pocket and my key fob in another. But I never ever have to worry about leaving my keys in the car, or anywhere else. I absolutely love this feature on the ES 350.I just get in and go. And indeed, it's much better than even the key fob on the BMW, because you still have to stick it in and turn it.

A poll may suggest otherwise, but I have to think that the vast majority of us prefer the smartkey on the ES 350.

richbutler

I LOVE the smart key. I leave the fob in my briefcase or pocket and just get in the car and go! It is definitely one of the best features of this car.

CyclopStan

I also love the keyless entry & push button start. The only time the fob comes out is in mid-afternoon as soon as i walk out my door I remote open the windows & sunroof and let the hot air out.
As for the mp3 hook-up, I was really looking forward to it, but now that I have the car I primarily use mp3 cd's as I find that more convenient.

mattvds

I have another pro for the smart key.


It's a security feature. With a smart key you can't be carjacked. Once you leave the car... it will turn off...

PsychDoc

Just two thoughts here.

First off, the car does not turn off if the key "leaves" it...it merely beeps and alerts you that the key is now not in the car. It will be useless once it is turned off or runs out of gas.

Second, the bad guys probably know this car uses a transmitter rather than a key and before pulling you out of the car will demand that you produce it.

Nextourer

I love the smartkey. I usually have it stuff in one of them secret pockets in my pants (otherwise, I usually have to dangle it by the belt guides since Toyota doesn't provide a smartkey case for us).

Hell, it came in handy when I had to carry a pair of skis, two pairs of ski boots and two pairs of poles AND lock the car. Trust me, it's much easier to press a black button.

Ok, I know your issue isn't the smart entry but the smart start. Nothing wrong with that but umm, sticking the fob into the dash makes the smart entry redundant since you'd have to take out the fob anyway. Besides, having no key/fob in the dash means no keys jingling when you hit a bump; that and no keys hitting your knees.

cleblanc

I did the same thing til I got my VAISTECH SLI unit installed. Now I'm back to using my Ipod. This is much better than using MP3 CDs and you get a longer character display to show the name of the song. Too bad the Folder List and Details button still don't work.

dreyfus

Good comments. I agree with almost all of your points, especially the power, MPG, and NAV, but then I disagree with a couple too. For me the keyless ignition is one of the star features of the car. I never take my fob out of my pocket. My life is that much simpler.

The ventilated seats do make a noticable difference in my car. And my swiveling HIDs do allow me to see Bambi around the curve.

I would add as cons the lack of enough usable storage space and the fact that the overhead console isn't lit at night, making finding the HomeLink button difficult. I'd also like to trade the ashtray in for something more useable to this non-smoker.

Overall, a great car. I'm so glad I didn't buy the TL.

PsychDoc

I know many talk about the TL and the ES350 as competitors but to me, the ES350 (especially the UL version with all the bells and whistles) in in a whole class above the TL.

While in many respects the ES350 is really a gussied up top of the line Camry, the TL is totally a Honda Accord.

PaJaHa1

I considered the TL when purchasing. It is much more "fun" to drive, but the technology and the styling of that car are at least 3 years old already. Interior-wise, there is really no comparison- the TL screams Accord. I wish the ES was a bit more aggressive looking, but I understand that it is not a Sport Sedan.