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hey there folks!
one of the cool things about working at a dealership is that i get the first crack and driving all the new stuff as it comes out. when a new model comes in i follow it off the truck, into the bay for its inspection, and then ****** the keys before anyone else gets to drive it
our first new ES, a blue hybrid showed up a few weeks back, but i missed the first crack because i was on vacation in beautiful south Florida visiting family.
Enter the 19 ES...
heres whats painful about my ES saga which is finally over. we had that first one which i never even got to see in person. then another came in, and WHAM it was sold in under an hour after it hit the lot. i didn't get my first real look at the new ES until one was in the showroom, and as much as i wanted to drive it and get to know it, it was a big fat NO from the desk manager, as showroom cars dont get to be played with, well, not for awhile. i will say this. just seeing it in person, it is a very different kind of ES.
first thing i noticed about the new ES is just how aggressive and downright imposing it is. from it razor sharp, hard lines the previous model didn't have, it seems to sqat lower and has a bigger footprint as well. the rims are bigger, theres more bright-work on it, and its has adopted the whole "4 door coupe" that a lot of other brands are going with these days. the DRL running lights are sharper, the 3 beam headlight assembly looks better then ive seen on other models, and now with 5 years under its belt, the spindle grill design has been tweaked to where it dosent look awkward anymore. ive always liked it, but the cars always seemed to have been designed to not have the spindle grill and that it was thrown on as a last decision thing. this one along with the rest of the next gen lineup, also sports a more refined and appropriate spindle grill.
the side and rear profiles are much sleeker now as well. they really did a bang-up job designing this one. sleek sharp and low with a more pronounced big chrome hoffmiester kink in the c-pillar (always have been a sucker for those, maybe its because it reminds me a little of the Ls400. i dont know) tail lamps are much thinner but seem to wrap further around to the rear quarter panel then before, the spoiler is a bit more defined, and the big dual exhaust ports really give it a fast look. its lines are cleaner then the LS but just as intense, dare i say as good, if not better looking then the LS - as an LS fanboy i didnt think id ever hear myself say that. so it looks pretty sexy on the outside, but how is the interior?
absolutely NOTHING like the previous model.
yes, the normal new ES is as soft and quiet as its ever been, however this is a spot model. well bolstered bucket seats with perforated leather are firm but supportive. the steering wheel is thick and meaty and the digital LFA inspired gauge cluster defiantly gives the impression of speed. the new remote touch pad is vastly improved over the outgoing one on other models, and its absolutely better then the remote touch joystick from the previous. although aesthetically pleasing and feeling good to the touch, no idea why they would go with that at all. however, once put into gear, it hits drive and into manual mode with a very satisfying mechanical clunk. the center console in general has improved, with deeper cupholders as well as seen-mounted USB ports and even a notch for a smartphone to sit. it borrows the center console armrest lid from the LS which lifts side to side, seemingly stupid but way more practical then the traditional up & down type. the center stack media and AC controls are very straightforward and streamlined, and feel good to the touch. Like the LS, the volume **** is integrated with the tuning **** which clicks across the dial like its assisted by ball bearings. i could go on and on about how much tech is in the car, including apple carplay etc, but this review isnt about all the gizmos and telematics, its about the drive, and what a drive i was.
under the pretty sheet metal, flashy chrome, and electronics is an all New platform. like all next-gen Lexus vehicles, its riding on the GA-L platform and it is very noticeable. the 3.5 V6 also got a big boost in HP now at 302, putting it into IS and GS territory. the transmission is also different with an all new 8-speed. which i both love and kinda hate.. i received the keys for a fully loaded F-sport model on Wednesday, spent most of the day with it getting to know all its new tech, features, feelings, etc, and had quite the first impression. however, was it a true f-sport?? was it truly worthy of the rumor of the so-called GS replacement? could the ES fill its shoes? it looks awful damn good and feels nice to sit in, but thats only 1% of whats important to me when it comes to a car. yes, im lead LTS at a dealership, and if it wasn't for all the gizmos and technology, i wouldn't have a job! however, i enjoy the mechanical drivers experience a hell of a lot more then what its telematics capabilities are.
first time i got a 19ES on the road was just a base model that was slated for the loaner department. since it was the ONLY one i could get my hands on so i swiped the key fob when nobody was looking and took it for a ride. its handling was responsive, acceleration was very much improved, but really wasnt blown away by it. still soft docile quiet and calm as the outgoing model. it was still an ES, however the F-spots wasnt anything like that at all. not even close!!
on the road..
one of the very very first things i noticed about the F-sport, is that it had a rock solid very tight suspension. stuff, and i mean racecar stiff, ontop of that, the wheel gave a bit more resistance, however it feels very well planted on the road with great feedback and full confidence.
it has VERY solid acceleration, the ES has always sort of been a hidden gem in the acceleration department as it always still had the sould way deep down, of that old ES300 sports sedan of the early 90s, but it was buried. now it took a quarter of a century to make its presence fully known again, and not just fully known, but in your face screaming it! over bumps and twists and turns, the best way i can honestly describe the way the new ES F-sport is like a oversized IS350 with FWD (which hopefully never happens). it feels almost identical to it, hand to god! one thing about the new 8 speed tranny. its almost brutal and theres no waiting for it at all. normally, when you stomp on a car, even one that has real ***** behind it, will accelerate briskly but still smoothly. this one did not. it feels like you are sitting still and someone rear ends you with a BANG. being that it has thick wide tires and a wide center of gravity, it grips the road like crazy glue and doesn't break as much as a light sweat in hard, and i mean HARD high speed cornering. absolutely zero body roll at all. ive always considered the current GS350 F-sport, the gold standard of driving in the twisties, however, the RWD design of it although more fun, can get sloppy and break away after a certain speed. if you are an experienced driver and know exactly how to handle a RWD car and know what its limits are, great, but alot of people are not these days so it makes sense. the FWD combined with the sticky tires on this one, really do show itself off, and yes very much in GS territory, dare i say maybe even better, if you really love FWD cars, this one really had me grinning ear to ear ripping around turns. it also has a great exhaust note as well. it really does sound gutsy! however, where it would truly prove itself to me was on the highway, where lexus has always been the king of the open road
sadly, most modern cars although have better 0-60 times then the old ones, but loose alot of steam once on the highway mostly due to being 4 bangers on a respirator. even V6 when induction is f anyway brought it down to a civilized speed and went to my routine spot for my video demo and finished the film. on the way back i played a bit more with the drive modes, and when twisted back into eco mode, and it turned back into its normal ES self, smooth quiet and docile, but its a true barbarian in Sport+. the ES F-sport is a delightful car both in the neighborhood and in spirited driving, with its only sin being that its FWD, which is for me at least, unforgivable. because of this, it will never be a true GS eater, but if they finally do the right thing, and give the ES what it deserves, which is RWD, the GS would seriously have something to fear at night.
I plan to test drive an FSport soon but still trying to get over the fake leather in a $50K+ vehicle.
You just need to try it. I had the Nuluxe in my IS and I'm back to real leather in my GS. I would happily pay extra to have Nuluxe back. I loved it and miss it daily.
You just need to try it. I had the Nuluxe in my IS and I'm back to real leather in my GS. I would happily pay extra to have Nuluxe back. I loved it and miss it daily.
Wow that's good to hear. I guess it's more durable or you prefer it for another reason?
Wow that's good to hear. I guess it's more durable or you prefer it for another reason?
I really did like it. There's no real "maintenance" to it. Super easy to clean. Mine never developed any cracks or creases the way leather can. It's buttery soft and doesn't harden over time. Overall, I just thought it was high quality, easy to maintain, and after 2 years of daily use it looked exactly the same as the day I bought it. I can't say that about any of the cars I've had with real leather.
+1 on the Nuluxe. i was really surprised it was fake when i first met it when i started working here in 14. i remember sitting in one that was legit leather then sitting in a Nuluxe car, and hand to god i couldn't tell the difference. yeah. its THAT good. truth be told lexus leather really has improved in recent years, then again i guess we wont really know till it gets old. ive only seen one car post 2010 that had bad seats. 2011 RX that looked like it was flashed by an atomic bomb. seats were brittle and cracked, dash was cracking, guages and nav screen yellowed, body terribly sun faded. idk how in the hell it got that bad that quick. only one ive seen like that
Anybody else thinking what I'm thinking... voiding break-in procedures on a brand new vehicle that a customer will unknowingly purchase? Sure, there are arguments for and against break-in procedures, but isn't that up to the customer to decide and not an employee?
Anybody else thinking what I'm thinking... voiding break-in procedures on a brand new vehicle that a customer will unknowingly purchase? Sure, there are arguments for and against break-in procedures, but isn't that up to the customer to decide and not an employee?
Somehow I don't think it matters. The warranty starts from the mileage at the time you take delivery and truly, what can possibly happen in 50 or even 100 miles. Last car I purchased was located and driven to me from a dealer 100 miles away. No biggie - I'm sure the guy or gal that drove it had a blast.
Somehow I don't think it matters. The warranty starts from the mileage at the time you take delivery and truly, what can possibly happen in 50 or even 100 miles. Last car I purchased was located and driven to me from a dealer 100 miles away. No biggie - I'm sure the guy or gal that drove it had a blast.
You don't care, others do... But again, isn't that up to the owner to decide?
As a side note - I bought a brand new Pontiac G8 GT many years ago. It was a 6.2L V8 powered 4 door sedan. It was actually my first new car purchase. After I purchased it a dealership employee told me they would take the new G8s (including the one I had just purchased) on "service runs" and drive them very hard. That same car had the lifters and cam replaced at 17,000 miles.
Anybody else thinking what I'm thinking... voiding break-in procedures on a brand new vehicle that a customer will unknowingly purchase? Sure, there are arguments for and against break-in procedures, but isn't that up to the customer to decide and not an employee?
The car will show it has miles on it. If you're like me, you won't purchase a car with more than a couple miles on the odometer, unless I put them on. Then again, the only break-in procedure I follow is with the brakes.
Anybody else thinking what I'm thinking... voiding break-in procedures on a brand new vehicle that a customer will unknowingly purchase? Sure, there are arguments for and against break-in procedures, but isn't that up to the customer to decide and not an employee?
I agree. A bit irresponsible to be putting that many kms on a new Lexus. Buying a new car should be a special experience for any price point.
You don't care, others do... But again, isn't that up to the owner to decide?
As a side note - I bought a brand new Pontiac G8 GT many years ago. It was a 6.2L V8 powered 4 door sedan. It was actually my first new car purchase. After I purchased it a dealership employee told me they would take the new G8s (including the one I had just purchased) on "service runs" and drive them very hard. That same car had the lifters and cam replaced at 17,000 miles.
No surprise with a GM product. Bottom line, you know what's on the ODO when you purchase it. You can always look for one that has under 5 miles.
I agree. A bit irresponsible to be putting that many kms on a new Lexus. Buying a new car should be a special experience for any price point.
Originally Posted by mikemu30
No surprise with a GM product. Bottom line, you know what's on the ODO when you purchase it. You can always look for one that has under 5 miles.
This is what I do now, thanks to employees who (in my opinion, of course) abuse vehicles. Other's don't care, that's cool too. But my Vette had 6 miles on it when I bought it My (now sold) 2013 GS 350 F Sport was 11 miles, and our RX 350 was 9 miles. All 3 of them were/are 100% problem free! Even the Vette, which does see some spirited driving
09-21-18, 10:52 AM
19 ES F-sport. a complete idiots review
My (now sold) 2013 GS 350 F Sport was 11 miles, and our RX 350 was 9 miles. All 3 of them were/are 100% problem free! Even the Vette, which does see some spirited driving 