In the new Consumer Reports they have information from their annual Owners Survey. For the question, would you buy your car again?, for Large/Upscale Sedans, the ES350 fared very well:

Dodge Charger (85%)
ES350 (79%)
Chrysler 300 (78%)
Genesis V8 (78%)
Azera (77%)
Avalon V6 (77%)

 

I'm very surprised that the Dodge did better than Lexus and the Chrysler and Hyundai right behind.

 

I should have added that Hybrid/Electric owners are a satisfied bunch too:

Tesla S (99%)
Volt (91%)
C Max (84%)
Prius (84%)
ES 300h (82%)
Avalon Hybrid (82%)

 

I'm not sure how meaningful comparisons of various cars are if they are based on whether owners would buy the cars again.

Whether or not people would buy a car again has to be based largely on whether or not the vehicle that they bought has met their expectations, and I'm confident that expectations of car buyers can vary widely depending on what car they are buying. Certainly, my expectations would be quite different if I were buying a Nissan Sentra than they would be if I were buying a Lexus LS. If my much lower level of expectations for a Sentra was fully met but my much higher level of expectations for the LS were not quite met, I'm not sure that much of a conclusion can be drawn about the relative worth of the Sentra versus that of the LS.

 

I agree. The information is just a listing of results from the survey, by segment, and not necessarily a comparison.

 

New ES 350 one week ago. NOT sure I would buy again. Defroster can't be turned off when I want only floor vents- my feet freeze and eyes dry out. Tiny temperature change switch almost hidden by steering wheel. Poor dealer communication. Lexus keeps sending me emails addressed to someone else which makes me wonder to whom they send my private info. There is no A/C button without using a mouse and going into Climate Control which is ridiculous. Sometimes I like to cool off for a few minutes, then turn off the air. It shouldn't be a big production when there could be a simple dash button like every other car. No place to put eye glasses. When using music downloaded on my phone, there are quirks where it plays one song but displays another. I know it's picky, but the car is only five days old and it's a pain already. My Toyota Avalon had bizarre electrical issues that couldn't be fixed or I would have kept it. It had a big **** that changed temp quickly, rode better, and had steering wheel climate controls. The Lexus is like a high maintenance pain in the butt 'friend'.

 

Since you're not happy with the car, and it being only 5 days old and probably very low mileage, maybe you could sell it back to the dealer. You'd tale a bit of financial hit but it would allow you to get into something else that suits you better. Just a thought.

 

Did you not test drive the car before you bought it?? I would have figured out many of your "problems" during the test drive... Sorry your unhappy.. I absolutely love mine..
Good luck!

 

"Defroster can't be turned off when I want only floor vents"

Of course it can! You have full control of where the air comes out.

"Tiny temperature change switch almost hidden by steering wheel."

You have the choice of using the passenger's temperature control setting if you are having difficulty. I don't find them 'tiny' and mine are not even close to being blocked by the steering wheel.


"There is no A/C button without using a mouse" True, you have to go through the climate control menu to do this but unlike most vehicles, ES's a/c system is so efficient that there is really no need to turn it off. Just adjust the temperature as needed. The a/c system also helps keep the interior windows from fogging up.


Sounds like you should have bought a Chevy, LOL!

 

I agree that I don't understand robinbarr's complaints about not being able to get the air flow to the feet and about the temperature change buttons being hidden by the steering wheel. To me, those are problems that I don't see as existing in even the slightest way. I do wish, however, that there was the ability to turn the AC compressor on and off independently without having to go into the climate control screen, but, even if it that is not designed the way I would have liked it to be designed, it doesn't come close, for me, to being a deal breaker. And using it as a reason to describe the vehicle as a "high maintenance pain in the butt" strikes me as being, at a minimum, extreme hyperbole, and it brings into question the credibility of the poster.

 

I read the manual briefly before purchasing so there would be no surprises. It also doesn't hurt to have more than one test drive. You can't just return a car like you would with a pair of socks. You have to make sure you're familiar with everything before buying.

 

If I want to turn off the air, I hit the Off button.

The AC compressor is another story, as posted in the "Why No A/C Control Thread"

but basically:
* Note: The AC compressor will be engaged when the auto AC button is pressed a second time.

Changing the setting will allow you to use the Auto button next to RECIRC to turn the compressor on and OFF manually. I really see no point whatsoever in doing this however.

 

Lesz- Hyperbole- exaggeration as a rhetorical device used to evoke strong feelings or to create a strong impression, but is not meant to be taken literally.
The review was to be taken literally. Read your dictionary before you attempt words you don't understand.

Due to my stature and position of the steering wheel and seat, could my view of the dash buttons POSSIBLY be different than yours? View of some dash buttons is difficult. No hyperbole.

You can't understand my not getting warm air to my feet? There is no warm air in the foot well of my car. What is it about that statement that you don't understand?

You fail to comment on issues with the stereo and with Lexus communication and privacy. On multiple occasions, I have received private information belonging to another customer. After phone calls, surveys, and emails to Lexus, I continue to receive someone else's private information.
Where is the hyperbole and in what way do any of these issues call into question the credibility of a poster?

EliottB- Of course I CAN'T turn off the defroster when attempting to use only the floor heat. It is a Lexus setting that cannot be changed. I called Lexus. Twice. It cannot be changed. My feet cannot get warm with the floor heat on as there is no heat coming from the floor vents. It makes for an uncomfortable drive in temperatures in the single digits. There is no heat there. Why use the defroster at all times when it uses the A/C compressor and I rarely have an issue with interior fogging? The decrease in performance and gas mileage is not an issue for me, but Is that really necessary in subfreezing weather?

I use the dash/ floor setting to heat my feet (barely), but have to undress my upper half because both dash vents cannot be turned off. The upper region of the car must be too hot before the floor area becomes slightly warm.
Lexus believes you are not capable of making an independent decision to turn off the defroster and heat only your feet. I, however, am capable.

Lesusxoxo- Of course I did a test drives on different days with different cars- The weather was warmer and my feet weren't cold, so the foot only setting was not used on those days. And WOW, you read the 897 page manual 'briefly' before you even purchased? You're amazing.

It's interesting that you geniuses joined just a short time ago, yet you have hundreds of posts relating to a car. That calls your credibility (and social/family life) into question.

AmphipriOn- Thank you for your assistance.

 

Wow!

I stand by my use of the word hyperbole as a rather gentle way to characterize your description of the ES as a "high maintenance pain in the butt" because, if it was not intended to be hyperbole, it is just flat-out false.

I also have difficulty understanding the reason for why your words come across with a tone that is replete with vitriol, especially since I actually agreed with one of your points. I will continue to question some of the others, and that tone makes me wonder who peed in your coffee. My issue is not with whether you are disappointed with aspects of your vehicle. Instead, it is with the extreme and hostile tone with which you describe them.

Many of us have, at some point in our lives, bought cars that we wish we had not bought. I know that I've done it a couple of times, but, when I have done so, responsibility for my dissatisfaction has sat primarily with shortcomings in my decision making process. I'm sorry to hear that you seem to have bought a vehicle that doesn't meet your needs and expectations. Good luck in dealing with the situation.

 

Folks knock off the rude personal commentary.