Gruu

I have a 2005 ES 330 right now and am considering the ES 350 as a possible next car (though to be honest, I'll probably save up for another year to get the GS instead). While obviously the decade-newer car has all of the technological advancements you'd expect (safety features, Bluetooth, etc.), it seems to me that the quality of the interior in the 2014 is lower relative to its contemporaries.

There seems to be a lot more wood in the cabin of my ES 330, which felt like a class-up car at the time I bought it: there's some wood under the instrument cluster, wood on the door panels, wood surrounding the shifter, and a big piece of wood in front of the passenger. By contrast, the ES 350 seems to have much smaller strips of wood on the door panels and in front of the passenger, no wood under the instrument cluster, and some piano black plastic material around the shifter. It feels much more obviously like the entry-luxury car that it is.

Has anyone in the forum actually made the jump from the ca. 2005 ES 330 to the ca. 2013-2014 ES 350, and could you comment on the strengths and weaknesses of each interior? Are there other areas in which the ES 350's interior has improved enough over the ES 330 to overcome the relative deficiency in wood trim?

Thanks!

jonmanch

I cannot compare the 2005 ES with the 2013 ES 300h that I own. This is my first Lexus. I previously owned five Infiniti's (3 G's with every package) and two M35X's fully loaded. The Infiniti's have luxurious interiors, but I am very impressed with the interior of the ES300h. I know people are complaining about the use of plastic and not much wood, but I have to say that the interior looks great in Parchment. I think the use of bamboo is nice and the amount tasteful. The seats are much more comfortable than those in my G's, and the rear leg room is much better than in the G's. My wife is also more comfortable riding in it rather than in the G.

All of my Infinitis were/are AWD. I compromised with a FWD car in order to get a hybrid, and until the first snow fall, I have been very satisfied with my decision. I will post an update on its handling in the snow when starts falling. One caveat is that I do not like the joystick to maneuver through the screens but am getting used to it. The Inifiniti has a better system with a touch screen and round **** if needed and control from the steering wheel.

lesz

I owned a 2006 ES, and I now own a 2013 ES. There is no question that the interior look of the 2013 is different from that of the 2006, but I'm not sure that I'd describe the difference, as some have, by saying that the 2006 was "more luxurious". Instead, I'd describe the 2006 as having a "softer" and more traditional luxury look, while the 2013 has a more "high tech" look with more angular lines, some chrome accents, and an emphasis on the controls for the electronic gadgets. And the change in look is not all that different from the similar shift in look that can be seen in interior designs of competitive vehicles from other manufacturers in recent years.

Overall, the 2013 does quickly give the feeling of a being a roomy vehicle. The ride quality strikes me as being similar to the quiet and comfortable ride quality of the 2006, and there isn't much about the "feeling" of the 2006 that I miss.

Goodtravel

Having just traded in my 2005 ES 330 for a 2013 ES 300h I tend to agree with your observations on the interior finish but I am very happy with the new technology associated with the 2013 models so I see it as a trade-off but still a real upgrade overall. The 2005 model did have a more attractive use of wood, a better design for the center console compartment, a clip for mounting a trash container on the passenger side of the center console, an overhead compartment for storing sunglasses, a compass display on the rear view mirror, a memory option for the passenger seat and a more durable rug padding on the doors which has been replaced by bare plastic that shows foot marks. I think it is unfortunate that Lexus designers did away with those features (they couldn't have achieved much of a savings and it is a step downward in luxury/convenience) but for me the greatly improved gas mileage (for the hybrid), the parking assist sensors, the blind spot monitor system, the backup display, and the touch controlled remote lock/unlock are important offsetting features.