And the inside?

Like the exterior, the ES’ interior makes neither friends nor enemies. It’s business as usual for Lexus, which means you’ll be treated to acres of glossy wood, sumptuous leather and a generally cohesive design that emphasizes user-friendliness over trendy style.

The center stack, inspired by the previous-generation RX, logically groups controls and, on our tester, featured Toyota’s excellent and intuitive navigation system. Our car’s optional Mark Levinson audio system places a priority on clear sound quality over thundering bass, not surprising given the ES’ target demographic.

We did find fault with a few materials that didn’t impress us as much as those on the Cadillac CTS. Namely, the dash top’s oddly shiny urethane and some of the plastic surrounding the center console. Surely Lexus could have spent a few more bucks on materials buyers are likely to expect at this level.

    See also:

    12-volt battery
    Location The 12-volt battery is located on the left-hand side of the luggage compartment. Removing the 12-volt battery cover - Vehicles with a compact spare tire Pull the lever upward to fol ...

    Event data recorder
    Your vehicle has computers that monitor and control certain aspects of your vehicle. These computers assist in driving and maintaining optimal vehicle performance. Besides storing data useful for t ...

    Vehicle Overview
    The Lexus GX 470 is positioned between the automaker's car-based RX 330 and the premium-luxury LX 470. Equipped with full-time four-wheel drive, the GX 470 promises the luxury appointments and wor ...