By Sajeev Mehta
October 16, 2006 -
As part of the evaluative process, I cracked open the ES350's owner’s manual. Check it: there’s a "Lemon Law Guide" to help customers find legal recourse should their Lexus fail to, well, anything. Somehow, I don’t think that’s going to be a particularly useful part of the program. After all, under its swanky skin, the Lexus ES350 is little more than a reliable, durable and, let’s face it, forgettable Toyota Camry. Does that make the ES350 an example of the kind of badge-engineering that this site regularly condemns as lazy, cynical and brand corrosive? No, no and yes.
The ES certainly passes the visual differentiation test. Proof positive: dozens of Accord, Camry, and (older) Lexus ES drivers rubbernecking our tester’s amber-bronze curves. The ES leads with a soft, organic front with chiseled grille and chrome ringed fog lights, flowing into an elegant but racy profile, with one of the fastest C-pillars this side of the General Lee. Every crease is well proportioned– until one’s eyes gaze below the door handles. From there, the ES' soaring beltline drops the proverbial ball. The sheetmetal looks worse than a tradeshow drop cloth over a folding table. The back end is endlessly inoffensive, aside from the unintentionally humorous Salvador Dali chrome moustache over the license plate.
Inside, Lexus' "L-Finesse" design lingo ushers forth a suitable blend of gentle creases, folds and curves. From the multi-textured steering wheel to the dual sunroofs, the ES’ aesthetics harmonize like a barbershop quartet– save the crooked fold above the center stack and the disconcertingly asymmetrical console. The center binnacle also rankles. The release button sits front and center on the armrest; any vigorous arm movement triggers the oil-dampened cover to slide backwards.
Ergo-mistakes aside, the ES boasts many of the finest details in its class. The hyper-white LED reading lights, padded grab handles and Optitron gauges are a Caddy's worst nightmare. Add the lustrous woodgrain on the so-good-its-sinful doors (complete with padded vinyl and carpeted door pulls) and a Maybach-grade steering wheel skin, and the ES350 appear to over-deliver at this price point. Yet for each deluxe give comes an equal and opposite economy-minded take.
Press the start button and the ES350’s accent turns distinctly Camry. The baby Lexus’ 3.5-liter V6 delivers the goods, but it sure doesn’t sound good. Pickup truck levels of road growl and wind howl not only hammer at one’s soul at highway speeds, but quickly drown out the eight-speaker audio system. Crank up the tunes in retaliation and the beat box’s tinny highs and flaccid lows don't stand a chance against a textured stretch of tarmac. What’s more (or less), after a three-hour interstate jaunt, the ES’ short seat bottoms on less-than-impressive leather stress one's posterior in a most un-luxurious manner.
Lovers of luxobarge cruising (with a suitable credit history) can up-spec into perforated cowhide chairs and a Mark Levinson Premium surround sound system. But there’s no getting over the ES350’s inherent drawbacks. Stiff crosswinds exact a terrific toll on the Lexus' sky high profile, while the C-pillar’s colossal blind spots make lane changing a difficult task even by Chrysler 300 standards. Compounded by the narrow rear window, parking lot maneuvers turn into a series of educated guesses. If luxury equals ease, it’s easy to see the ES350 isn’t that luxurious.
At least the ES rides right. A tight chassis with 55-series tires and an appropriately dampened suspension gives potholes and pavement joints the strong, silent treatment. The ES’ close ratio six-speed gearbox keeps the motor singing in its power band– albeit facilitated by gear changes slower than a thorazine-injected Giant African Snail. While we’re at it, someone should tell Lexus that torque steer and luxury don’t mix. Cane the ES350’s 272-horse six pot past 4000rpm (even at highway speeds) and the front wheels dance with the devil in the pale moonlight.
That said, the ES350 is a straight line Q-ship that steers through the twisties with a curiously satisfying blend of BMW-esque panache and Buick-like isolation. Safety-oriented understeer is only right for a 3600 pound grand tourer. Still, pop the leather and wood shifter into manual mode and give it some and the ES retains the majority of its lateral composure, rarely embarrassing itself enough to trigger the electronic Nanny.
With its good looks, comfy cabin, smooth ride and miserly mileage (21/30 on premium go-juice), the Lexus ES350 is an inoffensive vehicle that appeases all but purist pistonheads. It proves that Lexus knows how to spizzarkle-up a Camry enough to justify a premium price and issue a rolling “call out” to barely badge engineered botch jobs like the Lincoln Zephyr. But the ES isn't a great luxury car by any stretch. It doesn’t dishonor to the Lexus badge, but it doesn't build the marque’s rep either. In this class, for this brand, good enough just isn’t.
[Lexus provided the vehicle reviewed, insurance, taxes and a tank of gas.]
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POWERED
October 16th, 2006 at 8:34 am
I little surprising about the road noise. My previous ‘92 Camry XLE V6 was very quiet on the road. I would have expected improvements in the last 15 years, especially from a brand known for their liberal Novocain-ing of the senses. Of course, our standards are rapidly changing as well. Maybe Lexus needs to re-baseline for this generation of the car.
Sajeev, is there a competitor that does road and wind noise isolation better?
October 16th, 2006 at 8:39 am
RF, about badge engineering: would a back-to-back test of a Camry V6 be worthwhile. I think it is important to your readership to have comparative data on how financially successful brands navigate the badge-engineering gray area. Maybe Lexus’s perceived quality achievements are not really so if those same attributes can be found in the Camry. Anyway, just thinking out loud here…
October 16th, 2006 at 9:33 am
We’re currently driving a mechanically-very-similar ‘07 Carmy XLE V-6 as a loaner while my wife’s car is in the body shop (don’t ask).
Thoughts:
1) It’s fast - as long as you can get the tranny to wake up and give you the gear you want.
2) It’s roomy inside, and the trunk is huge.
3) The chassis feels like it’s made of al dente pasta over rough pavement. Really cheapens the overall feeling of the car, IMO.
4) The steering is impossibly numb - it’s like that old video game “Pole Postion” - very difficult to judge what’s going to happen when you turn the wheel.
5) It’s louder than you’d expect inside - there’s a basic lack of road noise insulation - something it obviously shares with the ES350. Surprising from Toyotal - cost savings, perhaps?
6) It’s ugly. My 10-year old daughter’s first comment about it upon seeing it in the garage was “What IS that car??? It’s UGLY!
7) At $31K all-up (NAV, leather, heated seats, moonroof, etc.), it’s a great car for someone ELSE to drive - as long as they only want nice reliable transportation.
I like the looks of the ES350 overall, mainly since it finally has some cojones in that department, but if it drives anything like this Camry, I’ll pass.
October 16th, 2006 at 10:06 am
Funny, your review sounds exactly like what my soon-to-be-father-in-law thought of it. He said that the noise was absolutely terrible - to the point that it overshadowed all the vehicles good points (including the more lively engine).
Earlier he had test driven a ES330 and it was terrible slug of a thing - of course if you just want to go somewhere and don’t terribly mind being the slowest vehicle on the road I suppose it could work.[/exaggeration]
October 16th, 2006 at 10:56 am
It’s nice to read a review where a Lexus doesn’t do everything perfectly. With the press these cars generally get you’d think all the other OEMs else should just close-shop and go home.
I wonder if the 350 suffers the same take-off hesitation that I noticed in the Camry I recently rented. I don’t know if it was engine or trans related.
October 16th, 2006 at 11:11 am
Ed S.: Yes, the road noise is surprising. I felt my Camry test vehicle (reviewed this summer) was quieter, mostly because of the tires I guess. As far as competition: the Buick Lucerne (wearing laminated steel) is a much better cruiser. If it wasn’t for its flimsy chassis and GM beancounting, the Buick would be a far superior vehicle.
The best cruiser, hands down, is still the ancient Ford Panther chassis: Crown Vic, Grand Marquis and Town Car. Its proof that some designs just stand the test of time.
October 16th, 2006 at 11:15 am
Healey over at USA Today reviewed the car Friday and absolutely loved it. I trust his judgement tremendously.
It took every ounce of energy I had to talk my MIL out of replacing her ES300 with the new ES. She finally sprang for the new RX and likes it well enough.
Don’t kid yourself on that $34k base price - it’ll easy go over $40k with just a few luxury-expected options…..
October 16th, 2006 at 11:20 am
ZCD2.7T: The Camry LE I tested had a real solid chassis, just like the Lexus. Trust me, I gave them a workout on potholed Houston roads too. I’m pretty surprised to hear your experiences with one. I also thought the base Camry (16″ wheels and taller tires) was pretty quiet for a cheap car, but I’m starting to think the tires were the main source of sound insulation.
iangibson: Your father-in-law is right on the money.
jazbo123: there is a little take-off hesisitation, but it feels like its part of the tuning package. Otherwise its hard to get luxury car smooth starts in a rev-happy, peaky engine that’s light on low end torque. This ain’t no big-bore Lucerne or Town Car.
With the press these cars generally get you’d think all the other OEMs else should just close-shop and go home.
Lexus still assembles cars at a price point, use synergies (Camry) and operate like any other business. But what still makes them the champ is their solid reputation and wonderful customer service. Until other carmakers (Cadillac and Lincoln) provide top-notch quality and service for years, Lexus’ #1 ratings at JD Power are here to stay.
October 16th, 2006 at 11:53 am
The previous generation ES was more physically distinct from the Camry than is the current model.
October 16th, 2006 at 12:33 pm
Where is the value over a Camry?