lawmorrow

Just returned from four hours at my favorite dealership in Carlsbad, California, where we drove both ES and GS, all models basically. This is one hell of a hard choice for me, a driver of 15 years ES300 and 10 prior Camry. The hybrids of both ES and GS are contenders, with the GS slightly ahead on account of that six cylinder engine. The four cylinder is a bit of the putt-putt, yet, it delivers in the short run and wow, 40 mpg. The critics are right that the econ mode on the ES leaves you sweaty even with under 80 ambient temp. But, in San Diego, that's small potatoes. Am I nuts or is the ES actually quieter? My main concern is ease and comfort, without the stodgy feel of a 460. Which is why the Cressida (remember it?) was a failure. Your feedback is welcome on this dilemma.

sydtoosic

"NO",,, you're not nuts. the ES has always been quieter. the only car quieter than the ES is the LS.

lawmorrow

Apparently my choice is made, because, at 61, I have less need to feel the road than at 17, or even 51. My current ES (1998) has almost 250 K on it and runs like new. Can that 4 cylinder have such resilience? Of course, who drives like me? The original brakes were still at 10-15% when I replaced them at 155K. I will miss that little button on the shift **** to downshift half a gear. It lasted from the Camry days of the seventies and was a smooth idea. Now, we have to clunk down a full gear and clunk back up. Not an advancement I say. You also can't beat ergonometric when to change treble, for example, all you had to do is practically lift a finger. Now, you have to go to the screen: a total of some three maneuvers. My question is the 4 cylinder motor, which when put to the test in overtaking, reminds me of a late 50s Olds Super 88 put in to "super." Will it have staying power over the long run? Has it shown its strength over the years it's been in production?

spwolf

hybrid? it will probably last forever due to it being off about 50% of the time... and uses a lot less of your brakes.

soccertl

Well, I am 53 and own an RX 350, which is my wife's car. I test drove both the ES and GS. To me, the GS was much better as I liked the sportiness. I was doing 40mph around a 25mph curve and it felt like I was doing 10mph. I cannot do that in the RC or my small truck, in fact 30 in my truck around that curve feels like it almost wants to tip. That active steering, or whatever they call it, was wonderful. The GS will probably be my next car.

ECL

What does age have to do with it? I am 67, and I love my GS-F. I had a hard time deciding between the GS and a Porsche 997.2. I finally went for practicality and reliability. My 1994 SC400 only has 120,000 miles on it, BTW.

sgani

I was also considering the 2013 ES before I bought the 2013 GS. The two models can't really be compared since the GS looks so much more aggressive and the stance just looks wider and lower. I'm also in my mid 30's and I didn't want people to say that I have car driven by alot of old people since the ES is usually bought by an older group. Regardless, I would have been happy with the ES especially with $10K more in my pocket but I think I made the right choice for me.

dseag2

The new ES is a nice looking car, but the fact that my mother's friends (married couple in their late '70s) have "his and hers" ES's just turned me off. No offense to 70 somethings, but I still need a bit more excitement in my life along with my "quiet and comfort". In fact, if they'd made the GS F-Sport even more raucous I would have been fine with that. It's still a bit refined for my taste.

ISF350

[quote=On3racing;7140687]After chopping the pic, I'm liking this more and more....






These ES350 w/ some chop & drop look good for less .

Vasili

After researching so many luxury cars, I was interested in the ES because of high ratings by Consumer Reports. It recieved a 91, but the fact that it didn't have AWD was a deterrent to me. Living in a bad weather zone and having to drive 20 miles to work each way was a factor in my decision making process.

I drove the Acura, Infiniti, and a BMW and was quite impressed. I had researched Cadillac, Lincoln, Mercedes, Audi and a few others that I never test drove. Then I drove the GS and I knew what I wanted immediately. My wife and daughter were growing weary of so many test drives, so the consensus was that everyone knew I wanted the Lexus, so why bother driving the others?

The ES is more spacious in the back seat (even more so than the LS) but the ride in the GS was better than the ES. The interior felt better, too.

The ES is a great choice economically. Dollar for dollar it's a great buy for many, but I wanted to turn it up a notch in the luxury department, so the GS made more sense for me.

dseag2

[quote=ISF350;7414970]The ES is a beautifully designed car and, I'll admit, more harmonious than the GS. However, I can see the design getting boring after we start to see them on every corner. The GS F-Sport will always be more of a rarity. And then there's the performance thing. Very nice car though.

nantang

My last car was an ES350, and I was impressed seeing the new body style in person a few days ago. I disagree about it looking cheaper than our GS--except in that the GS is a bit more well equipped. It's an apples-to-oranges comparison to pit the front-wheel-drive comfort-oriented ES against the RWD/AWD sport-oriented GS. However, five years ago when I test drove a GS300 and the ES350 then, the differences were not so dramatic. Lexus did well to define better each.

nantang

Side note: I am 39 and was 34 when I traded in a Toyota Celica with ground skirting and an oversized spoiler for the ES. Demographics pointed at an IS at that point, but I wanted something comfortable for long commutes.

hadokenuh

Maybe it's just me, I personally like the rear of the ES more than the GS although it does have some Huyndai resemblance.

For me, can't wait to see the next gen IS

Golfer2000

All hail Nostradamus!