2013 ES as Loaner
#1
The pursuit of F
Thread Starter
2013 ES as Loaner
I own an RX and IS and I got a loaner ES 350 for my servicing today.
Just some feedback on my experience. Sure it does not handle as well as both my vehicles (they're both F-Sports), but the ES is actually a little smoother, quieter, and a more comfortable cruiser with a huge back seat. I love the interior design and I don't know why there's been some criticism on the materials being cheap. I've drive a past gen ES on several occasions as past loaner cars and the new ES is a step up in all aspects. Very impressed and great value for $40K. I can see why it's a Lexus best seller.
Enjoy your ES's !
Just some feedback on my experience. Sure it does not handle as well as both my vehicles (they're both F-Sports), but the ES is actually a little smoother, quieter, and a more comfortable cruiser with a huge back seat. I love the interior design and I don't know why there's been some criticism on the materials being cheap. I've drive a past gen ES on several occasions as past loaner cars and the new ES is a step up in all aspects. Very impressed and great value for $40K. I can see why it's a Lexus best seller.
Enjoy your ES's !
#2
Driver School Candidate
I agree. I got a 2013 ES as a loaner in Tucson a few months back and was impressed with the car in just about every aspect. One thing I didn't like was the square-shaped "mouse" used to navigate around the nav/menu system. I don't know how they can make it better but someone out there should.
#3
Pole Position
#4
I agree. I got a 2013 ES as a loaner in Tucson a few months back and was impressed with the car in just about every aspect. One thing I didn't like was the square-shaped "mouse" used to navigate around the nav/menu system. I don't know how they can make it better but someone out there should.
#7
I like the idea of having the screen up on the dash. Much easier to look at and still keep eyes on the road. The joystick thing works ok, but I'd much prefer to have a multitouch pad in its place, like what apple uses on their laptops.
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#8
Lead Lap
With the screen location set high and far back in the dash, that location puts it too far away for use as a touch screen. But that screen location has two distinct advantages. First, the driver can glance at the screen with a simple movement of the eyes and without a need to turn his/her head away from the road. With screens that are lower and closer to the driver, looking at the screen requires the driver to actually move his/her head and not just the eyes. Thus, I would think that a screen location that requires less movement of the driver's head and eyes from the road should be safer. Secondly, with the screen set back in its recessed location, it is much less prone to be washed out by sunlight. Of the 4 or 5 vehicles that I've owned with navigation systems, including 2 other Lexus vehicles, the screen on the ES350 is, by far, the easiest to view under even conditions with bright sunlight.
I found that, within a few minutes, I was used to using the mouse, and it quickly became second nature. Additionally, while there are nice things about using a touch screen, I find that, whether it is with a tablet, a smart phone, or a Windows 8 touch screen computer, the finger prints on the screen quickly become annoying. Thus, while there are trade-offs involved with the mouse versus a touch screen, I'm more than happy with the design route that Lexus chose to take, and I'd rather have to use the mouse than have a screen location that is close enough to use as a touch screen but that requires more head movement to view and that is more subject to being washed out by glare.
I found that, within a few minutes, I was used to using the mouse, and it quickly became second nature. Additionally, while there are nice things about using a touch screen, I find that, whether it is with a tablet, a smart phone, or a Windows 8 touch screen computer, the finger prints on the screen quickly become annoying. Thus, while there are trade-offs involved with the mouse versus a touch screen, I'm more than happy with the design route that Lexus chose to take, and I'd rather have to use the mouse than have a screen location that is close enough to use as a touch screen but that requires more head movement to view and that is more subject to being washed out by glare.
#9
As far as turning your head from the road - worse argument yet - I see women watching their hand on the joystick then darting back to the screen to make sure they got it right and back again. Are you telling me that people input information using the joystick without ever looking at the screen? They just know when they are spelling something correctly by the "feel" of the joystick? I'm not denying your right to use the mouse but please don't be closed minded about people wanting the option of a touchscreen as well.
Last edited by boe; 08-30-13 at 10:59 AM.
#10
... screen location has two distinct advantages. First, the driver can glance at the screen with a simple movement of the eyes and without a need to turn his/her head away from the road. ... Secondly, with the screen set back in its recessed location, it is much less prone to be washed out by sunlight...
Thus, while there are trade-offs involved with the mouse versus a touch screen, I'm more than happy with the design route that Lexus chose to take, and I'd rather have to use the mouse ...
Thus, while there are trade-offs involved with the mouse versus a touch screen, I'm more than happy with the design route that Lexus chose to take, and I'd rather have to use the mouse ...
#11
Lexus Test Driver
Bill G
#12
Lexus Fanatic
I've had the touchscreen for years, now I have the RTC and still have a touchscreen in our Jeep. Overall I prefer the RTC.
The screen is too far away and too inset in the dash to be a touchscreen...whether someone with long arms can reach it or not
The screen is too far away and too inset in the dash to be a touchscreen...whether someone with long arms can reach it or not
#13
Lead Lap
I can't imagine Lexus changing to a touch screen, even with the option of using it with the mouse or as a touch screen, unless they completely repositioned the screen if, for no other reasons, for fear of liability when someone gets into an accident and claims that the cause of the accident was having to reach far forward to use the touch screen. And, as I said above, the recessed position of the current screen has some real advantages. I've compared trying to take a quick glance at my ES350 screen and trying to do the same thing on the screen in my GX, and there is an easily noticeable difference related to how much more quickly I can take that quick glance at the ES screen. Again, there are design tradeoffs, and, for those who don't like the mouse-controlled screen of the ES, perhaps, that means that a choice of another vehicle is more appropriate for them.
#14
Lexus Fanatic
They switched from a touchscreen to the RTC. They aren't going to switch back...
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