In the early days of Toyota’s luxury brand, Lexus – think back about 20 years – the automaker was criticized for essentially imitating established German and American brands. Fast forward to today and it becomes obvious that Lexus succeeded by targeting individual competitor models, not imitating them, to create a luxury-laden Japanese offering with more content and refinement for less money. The formula paid off, sending rivals scrambling to, well, imitate Lexus.

It’s easy to see the parallels between Lexus’ lineup and those offered by BMW and Mercedes-Benz: The LS 460 squares off against the 7-Series and the S-Class; the GS does battle with the 5-Series and the E-Class; and the IS fights for market share with the 3-Series and the C-Class.

Then there’s the ES 350, Lexus’ second-best seller behind the runaway success RX. Lambasted by enthusiasts as a gussied up Camry – especially in its earliest iterations – the ES stands in a class of its own by offering GS-style space with the emphasis on luxury, not sport. Obviously, with 64,000 sold last year –more than any single model from Mercedes-Benz – the ES has resonated with shoppers.

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 different from its best-selling cousin. You’ll have a hard time pointing out shared trim pieces between the two, though they do share a 3.5-liter V6 engine rated at 272 horsepower in the ES 350 (versus 268 slightly tamer ponies in the Camry).

Introduced for 2007, the current ES comes chock full of optional higher-end features not typically seen at a car at this price level, including ventilated seats, a rear-view camera, a panorama moonroof and adaptive cruise control.

What’s it up against?
This one’s tough to answer: The ES doesn’t really have many direct rivals aside from the Ford Fusion-based Lincoln MKZ, the Cadillac CTS , the Acura TL and the Volvo S80 since the segment is all-but ignored by the default German luxury carmakers – and even those four really take on different roles.

The redesigned MKZ has a capable chassis and a nice V6, but it trails the competition in terms of interior appointments. The CTS has wowed us over and over by being so, well, un-GM, but its rear-wheel-drive sportiness might turn some shoppers off. The controversial TL abandoned its conservative roots for 2009, but like the ES, it offers a lot for the money. The S80, also fresh off a makeover for 2010, might be the ES 350’s most direct rival thanks to its sophisticated and quiet demeanor, but we’d be surprised if there’s truly much cross-shopping between the two brands.

Any breakthroughs?
Lots of luxe for the cash – that’s the ES’ promise. You won’t find much that’s truly groundbreaking, but you will find the coddling of the larger LS in a less expensive package.
 
How does it look?
Lexus says the ES 350 features extensive use of its “L-Finesse” design language. That sounds like marketing jargon to us, but it seems to work. The ES is a bit chunky from some angles, particularly from the rear three-quarters view and the nose is a bit too snout-ish for us, but overall the look says upscale elegance, not leather-lined Camry.

Inoffensive from every angle, the ES is hardly a memorable design – but that’s probably just fine with most buyers seeking to blend in a bit, especially given Lexus’ subdued color choices. Any shade of gray or tan – hey, at least it’s easy to keep it looking clean.

Our press fleet tester’s glossy black roof came courtesy of its optional panoramic moonroof and in combination with the dark tinted windows installed by Lexus’ Southern United States distributor and the light paint scheme, the ES had an almost futuristic look.

For us, the biggest gripes were the dark-finish 17-inch alloy wheels with low profile tires and dual exhaust outlets that promised sportiness that the ES simply doesn’t try to deliver.

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.

But does it go?
The ES 350’s V6 – shared with a handful of Toyota and Lexus products – has become almost legendary for its refinement, if not its broad power range. Silky-smooth at idle, its lack of intrusive noise had us questioning at nearly every stop light whether it was running. Under acceleration, it emitted only the quietest, upscale growl – accompanied, unfortunately, by a fair amount of torque steer and not that much power.

The ES’ front-wheel-drive roots showed through under even the least bit of duress. The steering wheel – leather and wood-covered – tugged to the side and, especially when accelerating from a stop with the wheel cranked to one side, the stability control reared its ugly head with a flashing light in the instrument cluster. We’re not talking high-performance track runs that induce wheelspin and, subsequently, the electronic nannies; we’re talking the kind of around-town commuting between grocery stores and beauty shops (maybe we didn’t actually visit beauty shops) that most ESs will see on a regular basis.
It’s a case of too much power and a too-snappy throttle. We’d like to see that power spread up into higher RPMs, where it was lacking.

When the pavement turned rough, the ride became sloppy and unrefined. The ES is a perfect example of needing less tire but more suspension; fairly low-profile tires, hardly fitting on this car, and soft shock and spring tuning meant that it crashed over small bumps and waddled over big imperfections in the road. We’d recommend that Lexus step down to a softer tire (though the Michelin Energy MXV4 SSs on our tester are hardly performance tires) and install firmer spring rates to quell some of the motions.

Not surprisingly, excessive body lean kept us from wanting to explore twisty roads – or even curvy on-ramps.

The V6’s limited power at higher RPMs meant that it required a good push of the skinny pedal to coax the six-speed automatic to downshift. On the bright side, we recorded more than 30 mpg on a 100-mile highway jaunt.

Generally speaking, the ES is a better highway cruiser than a corner carver or even a suburban commuter, though there was a bit more road noise than we’ve come to expect in a Lexus. Otherwise, directional stability was a strong point from the otherwise lifeless power steering.

Why you would buy it:
You have zero interest in performance, but you’re looking for lots of luxury and space in a reasonably-priced package that also comes with Lexus’ enviable dealership experience.
 
Why you wouldn’t buy it:
You’re fresh out of Dramamine and you live at the end of a curvy road.

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.
 
2009 Lexus ES 350 base price, $34,320; As tested, $43,275.
Ultra Luxury Package, $3,880; Navigation/Mark Levinson Audio Package, $4,250; Destination, $825.

Words and photos by Andrew Ganz.

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