2013 Lexus ES: 50 Shades Of Beige

Derek Kreindler
by Derek Kreindler

The steamy erotica novel “50 Shades of Grey” is apparently inciting the passions of housewives across Manhattan. Good to know that Lexus has something for the good people of Boca Raton, Florida, in the form of the new Lexus ES.

The ES350, with its 6-speed automatic gearbox and 3.5L V6 is a restyled, lighter version of the usual ES. A car that gets dumped on by those whose ego outweighs their real-world experience. It may not be everyone’s cup of tea, but it achieves its goals competently.

The big news this year is a new ES Hybrid, dubbed the ES300h. Using the 2.5L 4-cylinder and Hybrid Synergy Drive from the Camry Hybrid, the ES300H will supposedly hit 40 mpg combined – let’s see how the ES and the upcoming Lincoln MKZ Hybrid square off against one another. New Lexus family styling both inside and out means a GS-esque look for the exterior, and the slightly infuriating Lexus Remote Touch controller that will be a challenge for less tech-oriented members of the AARP – and believe me, there are many who appreciated the ES350 precisely because it didn’t have an iDrive or MMI stalk.









Derek Kreindler
Derek Kreindler

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  • Ponchoman49 Ponchoman49 on Apr 05, 2012

    Wow it looks even duller, plainer and more slab sided than the current one which I didn't think was even possible. The front is totally the opposite and looks like something out of a sci-fi flick. The interior looks interesting save for the dreary black and gray color choices. Lexus along with other companies seriously need to start offering some different interior color choices other than the war depression generation black and gray look that are really starting to bore consumers to death these days. Time for something different guys.

  • FreedMike FreedMike on Apr 05, 2012

    Revisiting the thread about the Lincoln MKZ from the other day, one look at this car tells you why the MKZ has a good shot at being a success.

  • ToolGuy This is the kind of thing you get when you give people faster internet.
  • ToolGuy North America is already the greatest country on the planet, and I have learned to be careful about what I wish for in terms of making changes. I mean, if Greenland wants to buy JDM vehicles, isn't that for the Danes to decide?
  • ToolGuy Once again my home did not catch on fire and my fire extinguisher(s) stayed in the closet, unused. I guess I threw my money away on fire extinguishers.(And by fire extinguishers I mean nuclear missiles.)
  • Carson D The UAW has succeeded in organizing a US VW plant before. There's a reason they don't teach history in the schools any longer. People wouldn't make the same mistakes.
  • B-BodyBuick84 Mitsubishi Pajero Sport of course, a 7 seater, 2.4 turbo-diesel I4 BOF SUV with Super-Select 4WD, centre and rear locking diffs standard of course.
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