Calling the 2019 Lexus ES350 a rolling Xanax pill is a compliment, not a jab. This is a sedan perfected in the arts of isolating its occupants from the turbulent world beyond its glass and metal confines, yet thanks to Lexus's recent push to inject some verve in its products, it won't bore you to death doing so.


The ES wears the least flagrant version of Lexus's latest styling language, and it looks good. It also appears large and imposing, with a wonderfully elongated form. The flowing body lines that all seemingly billow toward the back of the car from the signature Lexus hourglass-shaped grille adds elegance. You're liable to actually remember seeing this quietly dramatic ES, a notable departure from previous versions, which were immediately forgettable. What's more, this 2019 model builds on its predecessors' characteristically crypt-like cabin silence by blocking even more external noise from its occupants' ears. We recorded a mere 67 decibels of muted wind and road noise at a steady 70 mph—one decibel lower than a previous-generation ES350 and one higher than in a current Mercedes-Benz S450.

Hints that the ES350 is trying to move beyond grandma-schlepping duty percolate from unexpected corners. Indeed, the only metric in which the Lexus isn't quieter than its predecessor is when its engine is being heavily worked; the 2-decibel increase in wide-open throttle noise is no bad thing, as the 302-hp 3.5 V-6 sings in silken rumbles. The six also yanks the front-wheel-drive ES350 to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds in a nicely analog way. There are no turbochargers or electric assistance (as there is in the four-cylinder ES300h hybrid), just a right-now swell of forward thrust that builds smoothly and predictably as the engine spins faster and faster. It is of little consequence that this 2019 ES350 is a touch slower to 60 mph than the car it replaces—we just like how it gets there. What's more significant is our test car's impressive 39-mpg return on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test loop, some 6 mpg better than its EPA highway estimate. (It averaged a respectable 24 mpg while in our care.)

Similarly impressive is the ES's supple ride quality, which is as soft, comfortable, and appreciated as before. Only now, that isolation is joined by competent behavior when the Lexus is asked to do more than waft down a potholed street. The ES350 no longer bounds around softly when the steering wheel is turned. It doesn't lean much when changing direction. It simply handles itself stoically when prodded by its pilot, the steering responding crisply to inputs without fuss. Objectively, the gap between the new ES350 and the old is narrow. Grip around the skidpad rises from 0.77 g to 0.80 g, which is competitive only with modern full-size pickups, but at least this Lexus no longer drives like a sofa.

Overall, there is a general competence to the ES. You can point this Lexus down a freeway, one hand on the wheel, and quietly cruise for hours with minimal steering inputs. This is for the best, given how much attention you'll need to pay to Lexus's frustratingly awkward 12.3-inch infotainment system. Unlike many competitors that eschew touchscreens and instead employ twirling central control ***** for navigating dashboard display menus, Lexus's system is primarily actuated via a laptop-style touchpad; flicking one's finger across this pad moves a cursor arrow from one menu item to the next. The system provides some haptic feedback and lets out an audible donggg each time a new item is highlighted. But quickly and accurately placing the cursor over the desired destination takes practice and draws the driver's eyes and attention away from the road.

Lexus has made some improvements to this system, which is shared with numerous other models, by reducing onscreen clutter and simplifying the menus, but there's still an awful lot to navigate. At least there are helpful tuning and volume ***** near the touchpad that turn with a smooth, nicely greased action. The infotainment layout is the ES350's most glaring flaw. It interrupts the car's feng shui, which otherwise arcs toward mindless comfort—a refreshing concept in today's over-digitized world. Frustrating though the system may be to use, the display itself is quite attractive, with a wide-screen look that is well integrated into the dashboard design. Subtle details abound elsewhere, including meandering stitching lines on the seats and sinewy creases in the armrest and door-panel leather, which echo the Lexus's flowing external appearance.

If you can abide with the infotainment system's quirks, the ES350 also represents a good value. Prices start at $40,625, and the sticker for our mid-level Luxury trim level test car only went a short way past $50K with plentiful options, including a $2900 Mark Levinson audio system with navigation, $1515 LED headlights, a $550 foot-activated self-opening trunk, a host of active-safety tech, and more. Cohesive and luxurious, the ES350 is exactly what we think a Lexus should be—one that, with its latest redesign, is now a fetching thing to look at.