Leftlane’s bottom line
Looking at the sales figures alone, the ES fills an obvious slot in the market that no other automaker has really chosen to take on. Priced more like the compact IS, the ES is sized like the GS but offers the comfort and convenience now-sporty Cadillac once coveted.
By today’s standards, it is a Japanese Buick, much like its distant Toyota Avalon cousin, albeit sporting a fancier badge and more opulent amenities. But with an impressive redesigned Buick LaCrosse on the horizon, Lexus should take this opportunity to tighten up the ES’ driving characteristics to keep it competitive. The automaker has proven, with the LS, that it can make a car that glides down the road but doesn’t whimper at the sign of a corner or provide the kind of feedback that might turn buyers off of a BMW.
Button this one down for the next-generation model and you’ll remain top dog in the segment, Lexus.
See also:
Exterior
The GX looks like a huge, lumbering SUV, but that's mostly a misleading trick
of the eye. The GX is actually shorter and narrower than competitors like the
Acura MDX and Buick Enclave. It's the SU ...
Audio system type
With navigation system
Owners of models equipped with a navigation system should refer to
the “Navigation System Owner's Manual”.
Without navigation system (type
A)
CD player with changer and AM ...
What is it?
Yes, it’s based on the same platform as the Toyota Camry. But so are the RX
and Toyota’s Sienna minivan – and they don’t exactly look or feel like a Camry.
So, too, is the ES 350 quite a bit diff ...