The ES and LS are along the same spectrum of vehicle. if you like the ES, you will love the LS, etc. So I would not at all say they are different buyers, I would say there is a difference in what they can/want to spend.

 

Yep, I've owned three LSs and a GS and at each point have also cross shopped the ES (and also considered for daily duty independent of the GS/LS purchases). I really liked the current model but my leg awkwardly hit the center console

 

But that’s like saying I would have purchased a Rolls Royce if I could afford it. Just because you shopped something, doesn’t mean you are a buyer, it just means you considered it. Looking at a RR does not make one a buyer. If money was not a consideration & I was in the market for an LS, I wouldn’t look at an ES. This is splitting hairs here, but people buy cars at different stages in life for all kinds of reasons. People might want sporty & then start a family or maybe become empty nesters. I’m kind of a truck buyer at this stage in life, but there wasn’t a truck I was willing to buy in 2016, so I ended up with a Lexus. Previously, I was strictly coupes & sport sedans. Before that, economy cars & before that, I purchased 2 door personal luxury cars. My needs & wants drastically changed over 20 years. I always struggled with how Chevrolet sold their big sedans; the entry level cheapo was the Belaire, then the Impala, then the Caprice. Why not have just one model with the entire array of option choices, instead of 3 models? I just never understood the reasoning for that.

 

There are absolutely many people who could have purchased a Rolls Royce who did purchase an LS or even an ES. That doesnt mean that a Rolls Royce buyer is fundamentally different than a Lexus LS or ES buyer in what they want out of a car, if you like the LS you will love a Rolls Royce. Whats different is what they can or are willing to spend for a car. I have a client who just bought a new ES300h who's net worth is over $10M. Of course the LS is better, it costs more. Of course the Rolls Royce is better, it costs more.

Money is ALWAYS a consideration. if you look in this very forum there are members who had multiple LSs and then got ESs as what they wanted to spend changed. Also remember everyone who bought a new ES could have bought a 3 year old CPO LS and chose not to.

 

That was always the GM MO. Same cars under different nameplates and even across the brands, Buick/Caddy Chevy/Pontiac etc.

 

"Best" is a very subjective term. If your preference is high cost, heaviest, gas guzzler, highest quality materials, RR could be considered best. If you are choosing among a RR, LS and an ES, but your main interest is economy along with luxury, quality, reliability, but prestige is at the bottom of your list, the ES is a reasonable choice. Many people value depreciation, low cost of ownership and access to parts and service. "Best" only describes the criteria defined by the person using the term.

 

Late for this thread but had to share. Long time reader, first time post...have had 92 SC400, 2000Avlon, 2005 LS430(3), 2015 ES350. 2016 ES350(2) 2017 Avalon, 2018 ES300h J, 2022 ES300hUL Ken.
My latest ES300hUL is comparable to the 2018ES300h J. The LS430 were great but the newer ES I have now are hard to beat.

 

I disagree. I can afford an LS but the ES was a better deal IMO. It's not always about money. Not always.

 

The ES is a better deal over the LS how? It’s not the same car. Put cost aside; these cars have different drive train, size & mostly way different luxury features. Just the inside door panels & dash are completely different. The “thunk” of closing a door is different. Simply speaking, you get what you pay for. One can always argue that a cheaper price is a better deal, but only when comparing apples to apples. The LS is on a different level of refinement from the ES.

 

You chose not to spend the money. Doesn't mean you wouldn't have liked the LS better. You would have, that benefit just wasn't worth the money to you.

And if something is a "better deal" then it is absolutely about money.

 

I couldn’t have said it better!