With the IS 300 out there looking after the sports side of the entry-level luxury-sports sedan market, Toyota's upscale Lexus division has moved the new 2002 ES 300 model over toward the luxury side of the house.
Though Lexus claims the larger and roomier ES 300 (like the Toyota Camry it shares a platform with) will have "more responsive driving pleasure," the company also notes that, "In many ways, the news ES 300 more closely aligns with the LS 430 flaship model."
As a result, the ES 300 is more of a real luxury model than any of its predecessors has even been.and considerably farther away from the IS 300.
There's the sense of luxury you see from looking at the new body panel shapes and narrower fits, and the exterior shape of the ES 300 is more flamboyant than anything in the Lexus line but the SC 430 roadster.
There's also the sense of luxury that you feel. More space is often an indicator of luxury, and the ES 300 registers there, since a longer wheelbase (3264 mm vs. 3203 mm) and increased height (1747 mm vs. 1673 mm) provide greater trunk room and some more leg room for rear seat passengers than did the previous ES 300.
One of the other hallmarks of luxury is quiet, and there, too, Lexus was able to improve the ES 300. To start with, the car's flat underbody, reshaped mirrors, and other exterior refinements contribute to the low 0.28 coefficient of drag, which helps reduce wind noise.
Though Lexus claims the larger and roomier ES 300 (like the Toyota Camry it shares a platform with) will have "more responsive driving pleasure," the company also notes that, "In many ways, the news ES 300 more closely aligns with the LS 430 flaship model."
As a result, the ES 300 is more of a real luxury model than any of its predecessors has even been.and considerably farther away from the IS 300.
There's the sense of luxury you see from looking at the new body panel shapes and narrower fits, and the exterior shape of the ES 300 is more flamboyant than anything in the Lexus line but the SC 430 roadster.
There's also the sense of luxury that you feel. More space is often an indicator of luxury, and the ES 300 registers there, since a longer wheelbase (3264 mm vs. 3203 mm) and increased height (1747 mm vs. 1673 mm) provide greater trunk room and some more leg room for rear seat passengers than did the previous ES 300.
One of the other hallmarks of luxury is quiet, and there, too, Lexus was able to improve the ES 300. To start with, the car's flat underbody, reshaped mirrors, and other exterior refinements contribute to the low 0.28 coefficient of drag, which helps reduce wind noise.