I must be getting old... I like it
Lexus did a smart move, in my opinion, by offering two different sedans in the $40,000 range. The two models benefit from the same virtues, but offer a distinct driving experience.
The IS 250 with an automatic transmission costs $38,000. Add leather seats with one of the numerous option packages, and you easily bust the $40K mark. The IS 250 is rear-wheel or all-wheel drive, and has a sporty character baked in. The ES 350, on the other hand, starts at just under $43,000. A front-wheel drive car, its personality is more luxurious than sporty. Instinctively, which one would you prefer? Before last week, I thought I knew.
Although still based on the Camry, the ES 350 is slowly distancing itself from its Toyota counterpart. The engine is pretty much the same, except that the Lexus offers 4 mind-boggling horsepower more than the Camry, for a total of 272. The engine's power comes on strong, yet in a smooth, subdued fashion. The six-speed automatic bangs away seamless shifts all the time, and is a wonderful dance partner for the 3.5-liter V6.
On a weekend trip with the family down to New Hampshire and back, the fuel consumption average on the instrument panel display read 8.2 L/100 km when I parked the Lexus back in my driveway. That's pretty amazing for a V6-powered mid-size sedan with a family of four aboard. I even saw the average drop to 7.5 L/100 km before crossing through the hills of Vermont and the fast pace of highway 10 in Quebec.
Now, this isn't a sport sedan. I hustled the car around a bit to see what its handling limits are, and the ES didn't seem to like it much. Not being able to manually deactivate the traction and stability control systems (we didn't find any switch), they step in to glide the car back in a straight line, and that's how it prefers to be driven. There is more body roll in the ES than in the IS, of course.
The suspension is tuned for ride comfort, and it shows. The ES 350 glides over highways and country roads, and it takes a good jolt to upset the car's serenity. The steering lacks a little feel when you push the car, but in leisurely driving, it's mighty fine.
This Lexus' root beer paint job (ok, it's actually called Amber Pearl) isn't particularly exciting, but it least it looks different from the usual colors we see on the road. For 2007, the ES gets Lexus's new L-Finesse corporate styling cues, such as parallelogram-shaped taillights and headlamps, high trunk and near-horizontal rear window. In my opinion, it looks better than the outgoing 2006 ES 330.
The intelligent key system in the Lexus is excellent. You can approach the car with the transmitter in your pocket, and when you grasp a door handle, the car unlocks itself; no need to push a button on the door handle like on other keyless systems. And a dash-mounted button to start the engine is cool. I'm not a car thief, but is it harder to steal a car that starts with a button instead of a key? In any case, I like it.
Lexus did a smart move, in my opinion, by offering two different sedans in the $40,000 range. The two models benefit from the same virtues, but offer a distinct driving experience.
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| (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com) |
Although still based on the Camry, the ES 350 is slowly distancing itself from its Toyota counterpart. The engine is pretty much the same, except that the Lexus offers 4 mind-boggling horsepower more than the Camry, for a total of 272. The engine's power comes on strong, yet in a smooth, subdued fashion. The six-speed automatic bangs away seamless shifts all the time, and is a wonderful dance partner for the 3.5-liter V6.
 |
| (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com) |
Now, this isn't a sport sedan. I hustled the car around a bit to see what its handling limits are, and the ES didn't seem to like it much. Not being able to manually deactivate the traction and stability control systems (we didn't find any switch), they step in to glide the car back in a straight line, and that's how it prefers to be driven. There is more body roll in the ES than in the IS, of course.
 |
| (Photo: Philippe Champoux, Auto123.com) |
This Lexus' root beer paint job (ok, it's actually called Amber Pearl) isn't particularly exciting, but it least it looks different from the usual colors we see on the road. For 2007, the ES gets Lexus's new L-Finesse corporate styling cues, such as parallelogram-shaped taillights and headlamps, high trunk and near-horizontal rear window. In my opinion, it looks better than the outgoing 2006 ES 330.
The intelligent key system in the Lexus is excellent. You can approach the car with the transmitter in your pocket, and when you grasp a door handle, the car unlocks itself; no need to push a button on the door handle like on other keyless systems. And a dash-mounted button to start the engine is cool. I'm not a car thief, but is it harder to steal a car that starts with a button instead of a key? In any case, I like it.