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Driving Impressions
Lexus has come a long way from their humble beginnings as rebadged Camrys with leather interior and gold trim, firmly establishing themselves as legitimate competition for the classic German marques. If, like most of us, you’ve spent most of your time driving sub-$35K sedans or SUVs, you’ll find driving the fifth-generation ES 350 to be a subtle yet pleasant surprise.
There is absolutely nothing eye-catching about the ES 350. Your mind sort of says “Hmm, nice car” and slides off to daydreaming about that threesome with…ahem. And that is the point of the ES 350: it’s a car you never have to think about driving unless you want to. The doors unlock when you approach the car, the climate control keeps the interior temperature constant, the engine has more than enough power to accelerate and pass while being completely inaudible over the excellent stereo system, the suspension easily swallows the harshest pavement, and the steering wheel even gets out of your way to let you in and out. All in all, it’s perhaps the smoothest, most civilized driving experience you can have.
Build
The base price of the ES 350 is only about $33K – but buying a Lexus without leather seats seems faintly ridiculous, like wearing Chuck Taylors with a three-piece suit. The mandatory $5,380 Luxury Package includes all the things you expect from a luxury car, like blindingly bright HID headlamps, leather seats with integrated seat heaters and coolers, and nice-looking 17” wheels. In addition, our car had an excellent Mark Levinson designed audio system ($4K) and a collision warning system I didn’t get to test, plus all the standard features like a moonroof, automatic headlights, and power everything. Total sticker price on our test car was $46,045.
For that sort of money you expect a different level of car. This being Lexus, you get it. Even the smallest piece of plastic interior trim feels completely immobile, like it’s made out of granite, and I suspect you could run a micrometer around the gaps between body panels without moving the dial.
Trunk space is sufficient for multiple full-size golf bags, or even bodies if you can bend the knees before rigor mortis sets in. Neither rear seat folds away, but there is a pass-through for skis, which protects the armrest when opened. A full-size spare is included.
Interior Comfort and Ergonomics
The key to the Lexus ES 350, or any modern Lexus, is “relax and enjoy it”. Everything on the car is automatic, and I suspect it still bothers the Lexus engineers that the onboard navigation system can’t actually drive to your destination for you. The headlights and dashboard lights turn on by themselves in the dark – and in a feature that’s only taken auto manufacturers 100 years to figure out, turn off by themselves when you cut the engine and get out of the car. The ES 350 doesn’t just have a dome light: it has front and rear passenger seat lights, front and rear foot well lights, and even “puddle lights” under the mirrors that illuminate the area outside, below the door, so you can see what you’re about to step in as you enter or exit the car.
To use the climate control, it’s best not to mess with the computer at all, which is an exercise in frustration. Just leave everything on “automatic”, move the temperature readout up and down, and trust the computer to keep you comfortable. The seat coolers are great on hot days, though the feeling of having cold air blown up your butt is shockingly intimate at first. The onboard navigation system works well, but I couldn’t figure out how to turn the destination off, and the disembodied voice kept on telling me to turn around. Best just to leave it on map mode.
Drivers too far over 6’ may have an insurmountable ergonomic problem with the ES 350. The low roofline put the sunshade right in my face, and I couldn’t see stoplights without craning my neck way forward.
I have no idea who Mark Levinson is, but the stereo with his name on it is excellent. It pumps out clean sound at levels that vibrate all the mirrors into unusability. Combine that with the extremely quiet interior, and the cockpit becomes a comfortable and luxurious sound chamber.
Performance
The ES 350 gets a displacement and power bump from last year, to 3.5L, 272 horsepower, and 254 pound-feet of torque. The six-speed automatic transmission lets you turn a sedate 2250 RPM at 80 MPH in 6th gear, and 95 MPH feels no more dramatic than 65.
The drivetrain is perfectly tuned for freeway travel: the transmission kicks down very responsively when you need to slot yourself into a hole in a faster-moving lane, and flowing through heavy traffic feels almost like skiing. Flooring it, however, leaves an obvious delay as the car says to itself “Harrumph…well, if you must insist” before downshifting three gears. It then launches you forward with impressive authority and brio, though you feel faintly churlish for having asked it to do something so uncivilized. I never noticed the brakes, which means they must be good given the speeds with which I often found myself hurtling down offramps.
There is a manumatic setting, but if you want to use it, you need to be driving the IS or GS.
Handling
My initial reaction was “This thing floats like a 1970’s Lincoln Continental,” and indeed, it has the pillowy-soft ride usually associated with expensive mattresses. Bad pavement simply disappears under the suspension. Despite this, performance exceeded my expectations: while the ES3 50 is no sports car, it copes well with twisties, swooping through smooth, stately arcs with surprising speed while a bewildering array of traction and braking assists correct any minor bobbles. The light steering, however, offers very little road feel.
It’s a philosophical choice: instead of involving you closely with the driving experience, the ES 350 insulates you from it. You can drive it all day at 80% and arrive on time with perfect hair. If you want to feel the road and push the limits, buy a sports car.
Styling and Exterior
The ES 350 isn’t a car you notice at first glance. Our test vehicle was a beige sedan with beige interior, which is basically invisible in traffic or a parking lot. You have to force yourself to look harder.
When you do, it’s a pleasant surprise, like realizing that your high school librarian moonlights as a fitness model. The new ES 350 has a longer and wider wheelbase than its predecessor while maintaining the same exterior size. Combined with a higher hood and trunk line, this gives it a more aggressive stance (Lexus uses the word “confident”) than previous Lexii.
It’s still not a car you will be noticed in, but the lines are pleasing to the eye. To me, it’s the first Lexus that really says “luxury marque.” Well done.
Value and Conclusion
Upon starting my test drive, I wasn’t immediately blown away by the ES 350. However, I soon found myself taking a much longer route home than I anticipated, because driving it was so effortless.
Lexus has provided a quiet oasis of calm for the driver: heavy traffic, bad pavement, and searing heat become distant annoyances that barely register over the crisp, clear audio system. The surprising thing is how little performance they’ve sacrificed to get you there. Add to that a price affordable to non-CEOs and styling that finally justifies the premium over a V6 Camry, and you no longer have to justify your purchase to Mercedes owners with “but it’s reliable.”
Build 5.0 - Lexus sets the standard for build quality
Interior 4 - It’s a 4.5 unless you’re tall
Performance 4.5 - The new motor is excellent
Handling 4.0 - Great for its intended purpose, but not agile or sporty
Styling 4.5 - Finally Lexus gets it right
Value 4.5 - An honest luxury car for under $40K? Yes, please
Overall 4.4/A- Strong to quite strong. Well done, Lexus
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