Come on. Has the ES ever gotten a good review from a car mag? It was dumped on last round, and is back for more here. Meanwhile, thousands of people buy ‘em for luxury features that you’d pay $50K+ to get in a German car. If you don’t get it, you don’t get it. Move on.

as usual, the comments here don’t matter. no one cares what you like; no one cares what i like. it’s all about the general public and in less than two years, toyota (and lexus) will be number one in the world, regardless of what 30 of you have to say.

It is a well built FWD luxury Japanese transportation device. You can put about a bajillion miles on them. It has zero performance asperations, aside from a decently healthy 0-60 time. If that is what you want, then it is a good car.

It is not a car guys car. It does not pretend to be. I think its hits the target market dead on.

/ I’ll never buy one. My 63 y/o aunt is on her third one.

Yeah, it’s a nice plush appliance. I’d never be caught dead in one, but there are a lot of people who need the luxury but don’t need a sport sedan.

Interesting, coming from DETROIT press! A little biased, don’t cha think?

Renton is dead-on right. It might not blaze through the slalom course or have incredibly tight handling, but that’s not the point. The point is that it is a finely-crafted luxury car that doesn’t require attention. It’s the kind of car that my Mom should have (and actually does.)

You want to talk about biased? I’ll bet all you guys would agree with this revies if this were a review about an american car. It seems when an american car gets a bad review, a lot of people say “yeah, american cars are junk.” But when a japanese car gets a bad review people jump to their defense. You want biased? Just read peoples’ comments plastered all over this website.

Ooops, I meant review, not “revies.”

But the text above mentions the engine and mileage being good points, it was the interior and styling that was not impressive or awe-inspiring. And I agree. It is an appliance. For the money, isn’t an Avalon a better buy? I mean it has many of the same features, right?

Lexus needs a better “lux” sedan in that price segment. Some of you said it abaove, you won’t be caught in one. I don’t want a sporty sedan, I want a luxurious, extremely well built lux sedan. I cannot afford to buy the upcoming LS600h (although I am still drooling from the pics and info of it), and I doubt that I can ever spend $90K on a car. I can however spend $50K without thinking twice, and I would buy a Lexus today if they could give me what I need. The ES is looking to be bought by old(ish) lady real estate agents.

I think the article was pretty harsh on a car with such a good rep. It fills the prupose it was intended for.

Picck any Luxury car and the odds are it does not truly go head to head with any other manufacturer. It seems that its much easier to be know for something others dont have then to try to say you are better at the same thing.

It either sells or it doesn’t and that is the true test. Me, I will stick to BMW and Audi.

Anonymous, I disagree as all we seem to be fed lately is “reports” from these mostly obscure American press outfits and every one of them is positive on American cars and this one is absurd. Why we don’t we ask the writer what she feels is a quality alternative to this ES300 and I’d bet she goes off on how great Lincolns, Mercurys and the Ford 500 are! Yeah, list off the “shock and awe” features of those cars.

Here’s the real issue – the internet has turned the Media upside-down and no longer does the Media CONTROL the empire. As a result, the Media is fighting for every last breath that remains and is resorting to some depserate means and measures. The most obvious of which is even mentioned in this article! The phrase “shock and awe” is straight from the Iraq war and yet ALSO from the Iraq war(and wars prior) is absolute PROOF of the US PAYING for positive Press. So we pay the papers to highlight the positive, distorting the “free press” and it it is accepted and apparently so effective that now Detroit has decided to use the SAME approach to remedy a situation just as unpopular as Iraq – American cars. Unfortunately, while the astute will not be fooled, many others will be…

I understand the hyperbole, “wouldn’t be caught dead in one”, but I think you’re going overboard. I bought a BMW 645. It’s fun car to drive and just beautiful, imho. But, I’ll be the first to admit, a complete waste of money. Just like every car out there. The main feature in a car is going from A to B everything else is a marketing gimmick we are all suckers to buy into (pun intended). From this perspective, I’m sure it’s a fine car, just like American, German, Japanese, etc….

Of course it fails to impress, what can you expect, it’s a Lexus… :-/

For some reason, people–like this reviewer–come into a Lexus review with a chip on their shoulder. Lexus is not in business because of consumer ignorance. Many people who hate on Lexus don’t like the brand. That’s fine. But Lexus delivers. Lexus cars are insanely well-made and look practically hand-crafted inside. And about the Avalon comment… no… this car looks way better than an Avalon and the Lexus service experience is practically worth the price of admission. Big difference from a Toyota dealership.

What is it about Lexus that commands so much respect? Is it just reliability? Acura has been making superior cars for years. The new RL is so much better than any LS. I think the ES 350 is one more sign that Toyota is slipping. Recalls have been increasing, the new Tundra was a snooze, and if any other brand had released the FJ cruiser we would all be laughing our asses off (it’s not Aztec territory but it’s close). Toyota is slipping right when they should be charging for the number one spot. Sales don’t reflect it yet, but they will.

You know, I was just scanning over some reviews from detroit news and there are a fair number of imported cars that got fairly good reviews. Maybe this review is biased because of the individual that did it, not simply because it’s from the detroit news. Something to think about…

Yes! Yes! Yes! Someone agrees!

Acurs isn’t in the same league as Lexus. RL is widely panned. LS is the highest rated car based on JD Power and Consumer Reports. (Rated for more things than just reliability, by the way.) Do some reading and you’ll find out. I’ve owned a Lexus ES 330, and have driven most of their cars.

The reason Acura doesn’t hold up to Lexus generally
a) road noise
b) interior materials quality
c) reliability
d) dealership experience

Lexus is a car for people who demand quality over everything else. Yes, their styling is less sporty throughout the line. However, quality and craftsmanship–for many people–are the difference maker. Lexus set out to make superior cars, and they succeeded. People aren’t stupid. They know what they’re buying.

There’s so much peer pressure in car buying. It’s cool to hate Lexus because a Lexus isn’t going to make you look edgy. And that’s a huge factor for a lot of people.

If you want a sporty Lexus, you just buy the IS350, which has the same engine, but is smaller and a lot sportier. You would think that the reviewer would have noticed that this car is nothing but a mid-sized, well-made comfortable car designed to drive around at normal speeds and with normal types of turning radius. No one is going to confuse the car and think they are buying an Audi S4…

Jon.

And when the dust settles and everyone has said what’s on their mind, the always forgettable ES3xx from Lexus will go on to sell like hot cakes while delivering miles and miles of quiet, comfortable, nerdy, troublefree miles – much like it has been doing for well over a decade. But more importantly, Anita Lienert will feel better about herself for having given a negative review of a Lexus.

Makes sense because its really a rebadged camry with leather. Oh really impressive. Toyota take the 8 grand more you desesrve for that!

And the American companies can smile on their way to the bank while they’re earning $15K profit on Lincoln Navigators (Ford F-150’s)

funny, you buy a bmw and you dont get leather or floor mats as standard…

* the following post is off topic *

Asher, you are a retard!!!

Did Truthout let you down this week?
does dKos bother you by nothing new?
DU is still ripe with flaming mad idiots/conspiracy theorists like yourself…..

Best of luck in Nov when the GOP picks up more seats…

#14 — I don’t get the love for Acura. If you want to talk about a company that has made some significant product errors in the past couple of years, then Acura is your company. Lexus certainly has them beat in a number of catagories.
Quality – Lexus is superior
Delaership experience – Lexus is superior
Depth of Product – Lexus is superior
High performance – well the Acura NSX is about to be discontinued. One of the best cars ever built. Yet Acura NEVER felt the need to upgrade to a V8, as the rest of the sports car market went higher and higher in cylinder count, and in horsepower. The $30K cheaper M3 will beat this thing. Lexus has no sports cars, but they are working to release a $150K supercar right now. Acura has something in the wings, but it is totally an unknown. V8? V10? No body knows? We are waiting.

Drivetrains – Lexus. No brainer. The ES is the only FWD car and i’ts at the bottom of the line The rest are RWD. With the IS and GS and LS, Acura has no counterpart. The RL is a very nice car, but it is basically a FWD car with AWD capability. SH-AWD is nice, for $50K you get a six-cylider engine. Not in my garage. That is V8 money.
Acuras whole product line is FWD based, and folks sre gettting wise to it. If it was sooo good, then BMW and Mercedes would have switched years ago.

In the world of Japanese luxury cars I rank Acura third behind Infiniti. Infiniti gets it. They basically try to make Japanese Bimmers. Which is a good route to emulate. They do not yet have the Lexus touches down. They may never. Lexus is that good. Have you ever taken a good look at an LS? Unbelievable.

I’ll still never own a current Lexus b/c they do not stir my emotions as I want in a car.

Well… in the past, land barges sold like hotcakes and they certainly weren’t “good cars.”

That part of our car culture never went away. The same people who liked them are buying Lexuses now, and they’re happy (not just with the car, but with Lexus’s service to).

Thom..Lexus does build a car for $50K. It’s called the GS!! If you’re going to talk, know what you’re talking about.

Reviews are meaningless. Sales are everything. You can rip on Lexus and the ES all you want but they are doing something right. Rather than point out it’s shortcommings (all vehicles have shortcommings), there is much more to be leared in discovering what makes it so attractive to buyers.

It’s nice to see car enthusiasts being enthusiastic about well-executed cars–even when they’re not the kinds of cars you would buy. That’s being a car fan.

X-Factor, I do know what I am talking about. I know they make the GS. But that is a SPORT LUXURY car. Didn’t read my comments, did you? The GS is sporty, and is more in line with a BMW 5 series. I don’t want that. Now, give me a GS with an ultra-lux ride quality and amenities, and I’ll bite. Sport suspensions and tight handling are not what I am looking for. Besides, can you really get a good, luxurious and comfortable GS for $50K? If so, tell me where to look.

#24 Sorry but the land bardges of the past have been replaced by the full sized SUV of today, NOT Lexus.
Why do the folks would would never even buy or drive an imported Japanese car rag on Lexus so much?

You guys do not like or understand the philosophy that Toyota/ Lexus uses for their cars. Therefore they are not for you! But regardless, Lexuses are very good cars.

It is ironic to see the domestic fans hate on the Lexus ES350. All Toyota did was take Detroits’proven philosophy of luxury car building an ran with it in a successfully manner. Now GM and Ford can’t get the very philiosophy they created for building cars right anymore and it is all Toyotas fault!

Go figure, America is the land of the strait line land bardge cruisers and now Detroit folks want to call everyone elses cars boring????

#30 — #24 here, I mentioned nothing about luxo bardges. I actually said nothing but great things about Lexus, even though they are not my cup of tea.

My whole post was a Lexus/Acura comparo.

This new ES350 is worthless. If you want a true luxury sedan then give the Ford 500 a shot. If the 500’s exciting styling is too extrovert for you, then the magnificent Impala is the way to go. The Lexus is nothing more than a re-badged Camry anyway, which we all know is not that great or even comparable to a Dodge Stratus (pre-redesign) or the spectacular Pontiac G6. American cars rule teh world!!!1!!!!eleven!!!1!!

You must be kidding, Anita.

Or saying that a Ferrari F430 is a re-badged Maserati 4200 GT because they share the same engine…

Jon.

ok, this vehicle, without doubt, is more geriatric than a DTS. What happens when you cross a Nissan Maxima with a Buick Lucerine? This bublous POS.

As many people that are out there that will refuse to purchase a domestic on the basis of bull**** preconceptions, there are equally as many dip****s willing to purchase a medeocre vehicle just to prove they can afford the “L” on the hood.

I wonder if the “I’ve reclined in the drivers seat and can’t get up” /old lady radio control alert system is standard?

Is the trunk certified to DTS standards of being able to swallow 3 wheelchairs in the trunk?

You have got to be kidding. I test drove the Mercury Montego AWD premium and the only thing that impressed me was the interior space. The ride, fit and finish, technology, service and warranty is no where close to a ES350 or 07 Camry.

Thom- Everything built today no matter what the price range has a sporty edge to it even the 7 series, S class & the A8. I guess you’re looking for something SOFT, OUTDATED and belongs in another era. In other words, something that has been done to death and it’s technology is something people aren’t intrested in anymore. If that’s the case and it seems it is, you should look at Cadillac and or Lincoln.

this car is bland incarnate

Nothing more than a Japanese Buick, Bland, Boring and Bang on for its category….appealing to those who want a car to get from point a to point b…. SAVE YOUR CASH AND BUY A CAMRY!! Nicer to drive even though based on the same platform…. and the Camry costs a lot less!

lol now thats some funny **** Mike – thanks!

WOW, X-Factor, you think that Lexus is on par with Cadillac and Lincoln?? What the hell are you smoking? I said I want comfort and luxury, and I am not bashing on Lexus. The GS is a sweet ride, but not what i am looking for. I don’t want an outdated car or technology. You need to slow down and read what I am saying.
I think there is a market for something in between all these “sport-lux” sedans and the floating coffins on the road. I want style, precision, and an awesome ride. I do think Lexus, Audi, Jaguar, and others can deliver. Maybe if they offered a “comfort-lux package” in the GS in addition to the sporty side, I would bite. Is it so wrong to want a smooth, elegant, and comfortable ride from a “luxury” brand car without having to shell out tons of money? Lincoln is a joke, so I hope you were kidding about that. They make some nice cars, but not what I am trying to get at here. If Lexus could offer the GS in a non-sport car, I would buy it tomorrow (and no the GS300 will not cut it).

Renton your post #3 was spot on!

You had mentioned that I should tell you where to look to find a 50k GS. Here’s an idea. How about http://www.lexus.com Take a look at the GS300 it starts at $43,8. Click on build your Lexus and Choose the GS300 FWD. There that wasn’t so hard. If you don’t like Lexus then there are plenty of great 50k car’s out there, just choose one. If you can’t kind one…….then you’re the one with the problem.
OK. Now try to twist that all around to make it seem like I don’t know what I’m talking about.

Why do I let myself get suckered in having conversations with morons?

I totally with previous comment, it’s basically a rebadged Camry with leather. It’s really a HUGE disappointment. For the last generation of ES, at least the Headlights and Tail lights are totally different than Camry, but for this new ES, everything is the same as the new Camry. Even the new Camry’s tail lights are more luxurious than the new ES. And, the new ES’s Interior is just absolutely BORNING (
It’s a huge step Backward.

I guess the Lexus execs must think their target buyers for the ES are probably old boomers who are totally conservative and enjoy BORNING design…

Nevertheless, I have to give credit to the new ES TV commercial- it’s nicely done. Way better than the new BMW commercial (that was a totally waste of money)…

For all you who don’t live within 50 miles of Detroit. the detroit free press and news arn’t owned by GM, Ford, or DCX. they are owned by the same people who own the ****ty papers in your ****ty towns. why do you think that just because its from detroit that its automatically pro detroit? Anita Lienert has givin alot of asian cars good reviews, this website dosn’t post them.. i have read them i read that ****ty paper every morining forever. Also for you wonderfull nonunion assholes who think that they are sinking this country you oviously don’t live in a place where people loose there jobs because you think your chick for buying japaneese, every japaneese car you buy kills what two three four american jobs, for the one job on the assembly plant in georgia that toyota owns…. you fail to realize that america cars, weither they are built in america are AMERICAN they feed american families and send americans to collage and help America, when you tell youself that your toyota was built in America so you can sleep at night knowing your killing the country you live in, that it was made in america, but the money goes staright back to japan, so the japanesse goverment and to japanesse pockets. So in effect move to japan and take out the middle man .. I support america I buy Ameican (Not only cars but other products too)

No, Josh is right. That’s why I keep buying American cars for life, ’cause I support Americans (even though I’m not American). You want to drive your stupid import? Go back to Europe/Japan and leave us in peace.

You also backed my whole point up with your comment about “that car doesn’t exist anymore.” That was what I was trying to say. A luxurious comfortable sedan, without the sporty side to it. And I don’t want a domestic POS. I want a Euro or Asian sedan. They at least know how to make cars that are top-notch and attractive (unlike Cadillac and Lincoln).

Guess I touched a nerve with the Caddy & Lincoln comment with you, huh?

At least Lexus improved the exterior a bit, the last ES model looked like a fish out of sea gasping with its bulbous front end. Well, in the interior Lexus tried to be different but is not that succesful because the tapering center console looks like it belonged to a low end Korean car.

Josh you can bring your redneck family back to Europe and don’t come back until you learn how to speak English. 1c3d0g crawl back to the garbage can and join ur buddy josh. I’m an American I as patriotic as I am, I do not need to make derogatory comments about foreigners. It’s trash like you guys that give Americans a bad name. Toyota is a competitor of GM, but they have plants in the US and thus create jobs for Americans. With your argument, American car makers should withdrawl from making and selling cars in other countries. This is not WWII you old fool, wake up, it’s the 21st century…economy will only become more global.

About time some one stops giving toyota’s rebaged mobiles a free ride…they suck…kinda like the girls with glasses who’s atiger behind the door…who cares she’s boring to look at…LONG LIVE BMW

Just bought a new 07 es350 on may 2oth well here it is july 1 06 and i had to bring to the dealer it seems as though there is a problem with the tranny. I only have 880 miles on the car and needless to say i am really disappointed. I sure hope they do the right thing by me ( replace the car ) any thoughtson this ?

Have had my ES350 for about 2 months.Not the G35 coupe I traded in as far as handling,but thats not what I purchased it for.Miss RWD but so far love the car.Took it on it’s first road trip last week of 1200 miles and was impressed with the 33.8 highway MPG.Miss the Infinity as far as he fun factor but love the dead quiet ride out on the road.No it’s not a sports car as many comments are trying to compair it to.Here is a idea,own 2 cars.

ringtones free

Just bought my ES350 on August 6. So far I love it. It is VERY good on gas. And so far I am impressed. Coming from a SUV to a luxury sedan. I am throughly impressed. LOVE LOVE LOVE