Lexus ES350 - Test Drive Impressions

[TheIntrepid]

So my girlfriend's parents are buying her a new long-term car for her birthday, and her Civic is going to be handed down to one of her cousins. She has a thing for Lexus, so we started with the ES350. Of course she knows nothing about cars, so I got to drive.

Firstly, I think the ES350 is an awkwardly-styled car, and could have been designed much better. Of course this didn't stop the salesman from telling us to "just look at it, it's gorgeous". We talked options, and the Premium Package seems to be the likely candidate if we choose to go with the ES350.

Then came the drive. It was perfectly smooth, and I did like the fact that there was no forward dive during panic braking. The VSC on this car felt no different than that on my Camry, but the bump in power with the 3.5 V6 over my 2.4 Electric I-4 was much appreciated. The manumatic function was decent and I could barely feel the gears upshifting, but downshifts were relatively annoying and felt very jerky, which they didn't on my old Camry SE.

Interior fit and finish was decent, but I didn't like the green 1999 Camry-esque display on the auto climate control and the stereo. I prefer the white and blue in my Toyota. Also, for $5,000 over an XLE V6 Camry, why the fuck do I not get a JBL stereo? The stock stereo on the ES350 sounded like absolute crap. The seats were unsupportive and my ass did a lot of moving around through corners.

Why do these cars not have a reclining rear seat like the Camry XLE? If they don't, fine, but why not even a split folding function? Camries with reclining rear seats don't fold, but that's perfectly acceptable. This car had NONE of the above.

Overall it was a decent car, if not a little on the boring side. This may be the most boring car I've ever driven short of the Buick Allure.

The gf liked the car, but we want to look at the Acura TL and the Chrysler 300C (she really likes the Trep) as well. I'm going to see if I can convince her to look at a 328i coupe as well.

[CJ]

How many cars does she need?

[TheIntrepid]

How many cars does she need?

Just one. Her Civic was temporary until she got something better for her birthday. Her younger cousin has dibs on it, and her parents are getting her a sweet new car for her 18th in a couple weeks.

[CJ]

Ah.  I don't like the new ES.  Don't like it one bit. 

[TheIntrepid]

Ah.  I don't like the new ES.  Don't like it one bit. 

Drive one. Your opinion will not change, I guarantee it.

I feel the same way. I mean I can appreciate the craftsmanship, and the features, but to be honest other than the engine power it doesn't offer much over my Camry Hybrid, and the power can be had in a Camry V6. The build quality is the same, the engine and platform are the same, and the ES350's styling is awkward.

[CJ]

With how short your girlfriend is, I don't think a 300C would be good for her.  You can't see a damn thing out of them.  Don't waste your time on the TL.  Just drive an '08 Accord EX-L V6 with or without nav.

[TheIntrepid]

With how short your girlfriend is, I don't think a 300C would be good for her.  You can't see a damn thing out of them.  Don't waste your time on the TL.  Just drive an '08 Accord EX-L V6 with or without nav.

How do you know how tall she is? Anyway, she drives the Trep all the time and can see out of the back of that just perfectly. Plus, the power seat goes up in all these cars.

She doesn't like the look of the new Accord (I really do, for what it's worth) and loves the look of the TL.

What I don't understand is her logic about the IS350 being too small when she's coming from a damn  Civic.

[SVT_Power]

How do you know how tall she is?

You have a midget fetish

[CJ]

How do you know how tall she is?

You said something about her being really short.

[FlatBlackCaddy]

She's in for a hard time, its good you're there to help her through it.

Shopping for a new car on my 18th birthday was a nightmare. Its something that affected me for years and I'm glad that at 27 i've finally put that in the past where it belongs. So many cars, so many options, so many pretty colors......i'm having a flashback. Were the hell did i put that shrinks number.

[VetteZ06]

Will this be a new episode of "My Super Sweet 16"?

[AKL]

One of my friends purchased an ES350 a while ago. Was not impressed with it to. You can't justify the price increase over a Camry XLE V6. It's just simply a re-badged Camry. STOP ]her from getting this car!

What's her price range? 40,000-50,000?
The Acura TL is a solid buy. Also check out the BMW 328i, Audi A4 2.0T, Saab 9-3? If she thinks the IS350 was too small, she may think the same to the 328i/A4.

The 300C seems too big for her though. Does she really need a full-size sedan?

[Raza]

What is this, her fourth new car in a two month span?


TL's far too expensive for what it is.   Also, I love how instead of buying a Camry, she's going to buy a Camry for more money.

I'd look at the TSX, Passat, LaCrosse, and Accord.

[The Pirate]

What is this, her fourth new car in a two month span?

Yeah, no shit.  The whole thing reads very surreal.  For the life of me, I can not follow (nor understand) the vehicular clusterfuck that is Trep's daily existence.

[Eye of the Tiger]

If she drove a Kia Optima that had all the badges repalced with crooked little L's, she'd probably like that, too. Of course, Trep wouldn't let that happen, because then his girlfriend would have a cooler car than him.

[eThirteen]

The new ES blows. Is she not considering the IS?
The TL is a decent car, appropriate for a girl.
The 300 drives like shit, trust me, the V6 is underpowered.

[Raza]

The new ES blows. Is she not considering the IS?
The TL is a decent car, appropriate for a girl.
The 300 drives like shit, trust me, the V6 is underpowered.

Some guy wrote an article saying that the Acura TL is designed to kill teenage girls.

[Eye of the Tiger]

Some guy wrote an article saying that the Acura TL is designed to kill teenage girls.

I'm pretty sure that's what Jeep Libertys are for.

[VetteZ06]

Some guy wrote an article saying that the Acura TL is designed to kill teenage girls.

If it can drive, it's designed to kill teenage girls.

[93JC]

I'd look at the TSX, Passat, LaCrosse Allure, and Accord.

[Raza]

Do they not sell the LaCrosse anymore?  Or is it called the Allure in Canada?  The CXS trim was a pretty good car.

[SVT_Power]

Do they not sell the LaCrosse anymore?  Or is it called the Allure in Canada?  The CXS trim was a pretty good car.

It's called the Allure in Canada. Apparently LaCrosse means fetish in Quebec or something. Damn frenchies.

[Raza]

It's called the Allure in Canada. Apparently LaCrosse means fetish in Quebec or something. Damn frenchies.

I think it was slang for masturbation.  I didn't know they actually changed the name for Canada.  Before it came out, there was concern over the name, but the last I had read, they had decided to go with Lacrosse as the name anyway.  I guess not.

[the Teuton]

Will this be a new episode of "My Super Sweet 16"?

+1.

That show makes me want to vomit.

[SVT_Power]

Stupid anti-science pamphlet

[TheIntrepid]

You said something about her being really short.

She's 5'4 or so. My ex was really short, 5'0.

[TheIntrepid]

Do they not sell the LaCrosse anymore?  Or is it called the Allure in Canada?  The CXS trim was a pretty good car.

My mom used to have a 2006 CXL with every option but the leather. I hated it. When TREP calls a car boring, it's boring.

Anyway she wants to drive the new C300 tomorrow...

[Raza]

My mom used to have a 2006 CXL with every option but the leather. I hated it. When TREP calls a car boring, it's boring.

Anyway she wants to drive the new C300 tomorrow...

I drove the shit out of a CXS three years ago; much better than the its contemporary Camry and Accord.

[TheIntrepid]

I drove the shit out of a CXS three years ago; much better than the its contemporary Camry and Accord.

Is that the 3.6? I haven't had a chance to drive one. Ours was a 3.8.

[Raza]

Is that the 3.6? I haven't had a chance to drive one. Ours was a 3.8.

Yeah, it's the 3.6.  I took the thing up to 100 with a salesman in it before I realized how quickly it was moving.  Good suspension, the interior was put together really well.  I rather enjoyed it. 

They even sell a V8 Lacrosse now.  That's new.  The CXS was top of the line back then.