In several ways, the 4Gen ES interior more or less copied that of contemporary Jaguars...but did so with an obviously much higher level of quality control.

Didn't care much for the shifter in either car, though.....the ES used a zig-zag pattern, and the Jag, their typical J-pattern for that period.

 

I don’t see anything like a Jaguar except for the use of nice wood.

 

The wood, the use of nice high-quality leather, and the awkward shift-pattern on the lever.

 

I mean...lots of cars have wood and nice leather, including previous Lexus cars. Lexus had gated shifters long before the 4ES, and Jaguar’s shifter is totally different.

I don’t see any Jaguar in that car at all.

 

I truly don’t get the gated shifter bashing. The gated shifter by Toyota is great.

I really despise the wood trim colours for this ES. I do agree that the build quality and materials were quite nice. 225hp at the time was a little light.

 

If you look closely. They built the car with carpeting up the wheel well in the front on to the right. Just like your S

 

I respect your opinion, but, for several reasons, I never liked gated shifters, and still don't. Can't beat a simple straight-line PRNDL...exactly what I'm getting in the Encore GX.

If you don't like that light-tan/beige wood-trim color in the ES, I assume you didn't like it in Volvos, either.......which was, for a number of years, one of the Volvo trademarks.

The door-closings could have been a little more solid...but, yes, the rest of the car was like a Swiss Watch. This was clearly one of the vehicles that typified Lexus at its best. Future ES models, as with some other Lexus products, showed noticeable downgrade in materials.


Not too light for this type of car. It was not intended to be a sports sedan. And it actually had more power than the in-line 6 in my sister IS300.

 

But from someone who has four cars with gated shifters....they are quite fine by me...

 

I'm not questioning that. And, when you do write-ups on vehicles, you are free to put down your own impressions.

One thing that Toyota does use on their shift-levers, however, that I like, and have always liked, despite the zig-zags, is the multicolor effect (Green "N" for Neutral and Orange "R" for Reverse). It has been a Toyota staple for many years, and we also saw it on some Toyota-based vehicles of other nameplates like the Chevy Nova, Chevy/Geo Prizm, Pontiac Vibe, etc.....

 

I guess it was just trends and the style of wood at the time. The SC430 was bad with that yellow stuff (but I’m sure there are people who really liked it). The Lexus materials from the 1990s seem to be what most people as best.

 

That was fairly common for Lexus, there still was trim though along the edge, the S class just has carpet into fabric. All my Lexus cars had carpet in that area.

 

I like how they used to finish the interiors. I always liked some carpet on the doors. Never loved lots of wood trim.

 

Yeah I did used to like a little carpet on the doors

 

I just love to reminisce

This is just sensational...love the extra carpet. Only flaw is the unsightly gear shifter and the awful looking parking brake. The dash and door wood is tastefully done and not overdone.

 

Looks great to me, the tan/brown interior is rich looking, but I'd go w/ a grey or black interior.....