Posting a list of things i Liked and don't like about the new ES based on first impressions, gladly post what you think when you see it

1) Car is good looking in person. give it a 8.5 for looks the front grill is better than previous gen but still way over the top
2) interior well thought out comfortable, well designed. the new nav screen really looks stunning embedded into the dash with the layout
3) the leg room in front and rear is really good, went to an ls500 right after and realized how special the ls is but the height to the ceiling was better in the es they really screwed up with the height of seating for head room in new ls
4) Engine compartment i saw was a hybrid, absolutely done to perfection. Car is produced in japan enough to swing me to buy the hybrid to get one produce there
5) Fun Fact: guess the engine oil and bet you 100 tacos if you are right with guess, 5w30 nope 0w30 nope ow20 nope ready for this ow-16 snapped a photo of sticker
6) value at 48k with options seems really compelling with 44mpg combined.. went back to my 5 series wifes ride and my seat was more comfortable than the es350, i want to see how the es ultra luxury seat will feel i will probably order that
6.5) they did a nice job with limiting buttons on dash with new mechanisms that feel great to raise and lower a/c as example and radio button has two functions in volume and tune, excellent ergonomics
7) happy for lexus they look like they hit it out of the park with the car

negatives
1) front grill over done again
2) the nav interface is better in this gen but still way behind IDrive with bmw, i don't get that the japanese obsess with details and can't nail this right
3) little concerned regular es still only gets 26mpg combined with non hybrid
4) headrests seem un adjustable i couldn't move them. i may be wrong

 

Hmmm. 0W16 oil? I never heard of that weight. Probably hard to find. I would stick with the 0W20 myself.

Agree about the grill. Definitely overdone... Interior looks nice, should have included folding outside mirrors and a sunglass holder inside. Have mixed feelings with the digital dash instruments. Give me analog anytime... Looked at an Audi the other day and they put the nav screen right behind the steering wheel so one does not look away to see it. A very good idea. Overall looks pretty nice and I'd probably buy one if I can get it equipped the way I want. We'll have to wait and see as there's none at my dealer at the moment.

 

 

 

As i revisit the showrooms looking at different color combos ill add more like and dislikes

forgot to mention in first post with a dislike
the a pillar interior on both sides of the car have black upholstery coverings when the rest of the car was light grey
looks ridiculous
saw a video from a utah dealer on interior on utah it stuck out like sore thumb
usually reasons for everything but this one is questionable.

 

I finally saw a 2019 ES350 today and without going into detail like some of the excellent reviews I've seen here, my observations were as follows:

Even though I was driving through a closed dealership looking for a 2019 ES350 I drove by one twice before noticing it was actually a 2019 ES. It was next to an LS. When really looking the 2019 it is easily distinguishable from both the LS and my 2018. I don't know which grill is more objectionalble - the 2019 or 2018.

This ES350 was a rare no-option base car - not a single option or port-installed anything.

Price increase looked to be just over $500 plus a small increase in shipping and delivery.

This car was made in Japan - I thought all ES 350's were going to be built in KY.

All in all a nice car which had I not had to buy a new car sooner than I had planned I would have been ordering this month for December delivery.

Dave Mac

 

The ES 300h will still be built in Japan. The ES 350 gets Kentucky...

 

That is what I thought but this was a ES350 built in Japan with a "J" VIN ending with 0665. And it has been a long time since I saw a true no-option ES 350.

If someone wants a Japan assembled car maybe this is the time to buy.

Dave Mac

 

I'm surprised that they are still building the ES 350's in Japan. I thought that it was now strictly Georgetown for the 350 and Japan for the hybrid...

 

Maybe since it's an all new generation, the Kentucky plant was unable to start production on-time for whatever reason. And the Japanese plant had to assist with the first shipments?? Just a guess!

But we know for sure that only the hybrid will be built in Japan. And all the others that will be rolling later will be from Kentucky.

 

Or, because they're building all the 2019 350's with options in Kentucky, this base car was a special order. Anybody's guess...

 

That's the same oil that's used in the current generation Camry hybrid.

 

When the new camry a year ago was released i was at the Toyota dealer and the regular 4 cyl and 6 non hybrid were from japan.
if you find a 350 non hybrid from japan its gold buy it
i don't care Who at JD Power is drinking kool aid in kentucky
its not the same

 

well i thought of another first impression to share.
went to an auto nation lexus dealer one of the largest

Wouldn't you think the senior guys there who i have seen for years, would have seized on the launch coming in days and button up info , specs,
options etc.

so they have a luxury es350 on the floor in caviar and black, nice combo for colder climates not Cali and Florida and a simple questions about the seats in the ultra luxury is is the same he had no clue
from my reading i think the ultra has 14 vs 12 adjustable, that wasn't the point i am picky with seat comfort and wanted to know if anything but that was different

looks at me has no clue and doesn't have the brains to say let me find out and get back to you.

this is why lexus is struggling, the experience on all levels is not perfection

 

Its not just Lexus, its not just car manufacturers, its in EVERYTHING and EVERY WHERE these days!!! I'm always dealing with clueless people, who don't bother to learn nothing, and to make for worse; Don't care to learn!! Its sad, but the reality of the world we're living in right now..

If I run into something like this, I'm definitely not buying! At-least not gonna deal with that salesman...doesn't deserve the commission. And I'll call them out to his/her manager...Assuming the management will even care..