Lexus ES 350 distinctly American
The 2007 Lexus ES 350 elevates the art of the near-luxury automobile.
And, as an incautious buyer will quickly learn, the price tag can easily get stratospheric, too.
The ES 350, which is completely new for 2007, is available in a single trim level and carries a $34,165 sticker price, including destination.
At that price, it could be considered a value.
Its 272-horsepower, six-cylinder engine marries grunt with grace; its walnut-trimmed cabin epitomizes self-assured elegance; and its standard-features list nails the essentials, while leaving the door open for an extended journey into self-gratification.
And that’s where caution is urged. More on that note in a minute.
Superb DNA
Inbreeding weakens the human gene pool, but does wonders for cars.
The fifth-generation ES 350 is based on the same platform as the current Camry and shares a powerplant with an assortment of close relatives. It carries design cues already introduced on the IS, GS and LS sedans.
Still, the ES 350 retains a character all its own — a character that is distinctly American.
This could be the best midsize American sedan a domestic manufacturer never built. Designed and built in Japan, it couldn’t hit the American bull’s-eye more directly. Its family size cabin comfortably accommodates four adults and pampers them at every turn.
Toyota has a firm command of ergonomics. Some large-bodies doubtless will find the cabin too small; for others a certain reach will be too far. But the vast majority of Americans will feel like Goldilocks.
A Lock on Comfort
Lexus’s laser-like focus on comfort has been a lynchpin in its stunning success. The ES standard-equipment list includes 10-way power driver’s seats, burled walnut trim, keyless entry and start, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, moonroof, trip computer, automatic dual-zone climate control, one-touch up/down windows at all four doors, 17-inch alloy wheels and a very good audio system with six-disc in-dash changer and MP3 input jack.
Anti-lock disc brakes, stability control, tire pressure monitor and a full complement of airbags are included, too, including a driver’s-side knee bag and curtain-style bags.
The ES 350 rides on a longer wheelbase than last year’s model, but loses a small amount of cabin space, thanks to its sweeping, coupe-like roofline. It’s a bit tighter inside than such competitors as Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class, but not by margins that mean much.
Trunk space is up marginally this year.
Optionally Speaking
Here’s where it pays to be careful.
In addition to a number of stand-alone options (leather seats are not among them), Lexus makes available three options packages.
The $5,380 Luxury Package adds leather seats (up front, they’re heated and ventilated), wood-trimmed steering wheel, high-intensity discharge headlights, a panoramic moonroof, rain-sensing wipers and more.
The $4,050 Navigation/Mark Levinson Premium Audio Package adds a 14-speaker surround-sound stereo system, navigation with back-up camera, voice-activated navigation and Bluetooth.
The $2,250 Pre-Collision System brings Dynamic Radar Cruise Control and a host of measures designed to minimize injuries in a collision.
Add them up, and throw in Intuitive Parking Assist ($500), and before you know it, you’re at $46,045, the price of our tester.
Most of it is available discretely.
Mission Specific
The ES 350 powertrain could not be much better. Hammer the throttle and for all the noise coming from under the hood, the 3.5-liter V-6 could be taking the day off. Still, 0-to-60 comes up in a tick or two under 7 seconds, as the six-speed automatic transmission effortlessly clicks through the cogs.
Take another look at that options list, though. Noteworthy in its absence is any reference to “sport.” No Sport package, sport-tuned suspension, body-sill extensions or 18-inch alloys.
The ES 350’s mission is clear: Comfort and competence trump performance. Ride quality matters more than handling at the limits.
One’s seat-of-the-pants experience reveals that the ES 350 platform is sufficiently rigid to accept aggressive suspension tuning. But Lexus goes the other direction, optimizing rigidity to reduce noise, vibration and harshness.
Its cabin is eerily quiet at freeway speeds. The ride is well damped at all speeds and on all surfaces. Drive the ES 350 quickly and it stays planted; drive it through fast turns and it remains composed, although substantial amounts of body roll reveal the limitations of the suspension.
Because the front wheels power it, the ES 350 responds to hard cornering with understeer. Drive it too hard into a corner and the electronic stability control kicks in, keeping you pointed in the correct direction.
Don’t look for the button that allows you to switch off stability control, though; it doesn’t exist.
The steering system is nicely weighted but some vagueness at center demands more driver input than is ideal.
If you want a Lexus that handles, the IS sport-sedan family might fill your needs.
And therein resides the genius of the ES 350. By resisting the temptation to make it all things to all people, Lexus drove it right to the top of the entry-luxury category.