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2007 Lexus ES 350 Road Test

Just a Camry? Think Again.

Out of the Lexus range, the vehicle that Ive always been slightly less than enthusiastic about is the ES. Although it has been a part of the brands lineup from the very beginning, its purpose never really settled in my mind; the IS is sporty, the SC is a grand tourer, and of course, the LS is the ultimate in Japanese luxury. I suppose the ES bridges all the gaps, with less performance, less luxury and, lets not forget a lower price, and considering it is always one of Lexus biggest sellers, they know something about their customers that I dont. I tend to lean towards performance, but it seem that not everyone wants a car with high horsepower, mile-wide visibility and so on, so forth. In fact, theres even a little portion inside of me that can appreciate riding in comfort. Lexus figures that with its new

ES never topped my favorites list, but I can easily see why it has for others over the past decade or so. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

ES 350, it can cater to the 70,000 Americans that consider themselves a part of this market segment. Surely, the ES models continued strong sales justifies the brands investment into the new ES 350.

Though it was never written in stone, one of the biggest issues that customers had with the previous generation ES was its styling. An odd combination of organic, upwards turned headlamps and a rather ordinary body didnt do it any favors. I didnt like it. I thought it looked oddly un-prestigious

Sharper styling is an antidote to the previous vehicle. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

for a vehicle bearing the Lexus L, and there wasnt really much about it that could prevent you from taking the Toyota T and gluing it to the grille and rear deck lid.

Thats exactly where Lexus L-Finesse styling language comes in. The new ES looks much less like a Camry, despite sharing similar hard points. Bits and pieces of L-Finesse have diffused into the styling, like the way that the hood arches into the front bumpers or the sharply-edged headlamps. Its much more agreeable to look at than the previous model, with its smoother

Great visibility thanks to side mirrors of Gullivers Travels proportions. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

profile, and shorter trunk lid. Chrome accents add brightness and a sense of class, but the fact that you can find this sort of thing around the housings of the foglamps in the lower valance tells you the extent to which theyve tried.

As with the Camry its based on, the new ES 350 is a marginally larger vehicle than the ES 330 it replaces. Yet, this small growth spurt hasnt made too much of a difference on the amount of interior space. The ES has always had plenty of rear legroom, shoulder room and headroom, but the new car has a flat rear floor, so the third occupant doesnt have to straddle the hump. Available on the range-topping model is a full-length glass panoramic

3.5-liter V6 provides plenty of forward thrust, and the chassis copes decently. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

roof, which helps play the optical illusion of an airy interior by letting in more light, while the interior lighting is now done via LED lights, giving the cabin a cool look. From the drivers seat, visibility has been improved upon. Thin pillars help avoid the usual visibility woes, while side-view mirrors of Gullivers Travels proportions all but eliminate blind spots. And since were on the subject of practicality, the ES has a massive center armrest storage bin, and a trunk with a volume of 14.7 cu-ft, which, any way you measure it, is a lot.

The engine that powers the ES 350 is Toyotas 3.5-liter V6 with VVT-I, making 272 horsepower, which is four more than what can be found under the hood of your neighbors 2006 V6-powered Camry. Dont mistake it

The straightest and most direct path is the best in the ES. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

for the motor in the IS 350, though; it doesnt have the D4-S gasoline direct injection system, which means output is down from the IS 306 hp. It does get the same six-speed automatic with manual mode, however. Together, the engine and gearbox work perfectly; the V6 is creamy, silent and swift, while the gearbox shifts with nothing less than the usual Lexus precision. Its more power than most of its customers will ever need, never leaving the driver in any situation with none in reserve. But what surprised me most wasnt the refinement (I had high expectations for that), but rather how well the front wheels managed to handle the power. The ES full-blooded pony count manages to pass through without corrupting the steering too much, although in general the ES was not intended to be driven like a sporty car.
Unlike most vehicles I test,

Trunk is marginally larger than before. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

I found myself seeking the most direct route to the destination, skipping out twisty backroad stretches for fast, but often congested routes home. The ES doesnt feel like its one for the corners. Inherently, its simple, space-saving four-wheel strut suspension puts it at a disadvantage against rivals with double wishbone or multi-link setups, yet this isnt really the fault; its just that its setup is really quite soft. Marginally wider tracks give the car a slight edge in stability over the old model, but body roll is plentiful, as is pitch and dive, and the steering is so well isolated whatever feedback is sent through is completely artificial. On the whole, the Lexus demands very little from its driver under normal circumstances, and even in the extreme - a trait that could easily be desirable. Equipped with VDIM stability control, the ES will always err on the safe side by cutting in early, helping the driver maintain control. ES looks significantly different than the Camry inside, sharing no panels whatsoever. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press) />
Compared to last years 330 model, Lexus disposed of the available electronically controlled dampers for regular, gas-charged tubes. This isnt necessarily a bad thing, as a properly tweaked suspension can be as comfortable as any artificially controlled system. On some of the roughest, most pitted, pot-marked roads where youd normally clench your fists and brace, the expected impact never seems to be as bad as anticipated, the ES taking it all in stride. Given the advancements in adaptive damping technology, and the greater widespread use of magnetic damping, perhaps Lexus should consider re-investing, allowing for less of a tradeoff between comfort and body control without spoiling the ride quality.

Back to the topic of luxury: Lexus understands that immediate contact points - the areas that you touch, feel, and see - are truly important. Great care was made to ensure that elbows are greeted with the same gentle plushness as your back and bottom when they rest

Standard features such as intelligent key, power tilt and telescope steering wheel and heated and ventilated seats are options on the competition, if available at all. (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

on the door panel. Fingers and hands arent ignored either, with leather-trimmed grab handles and the optional (and well worth the price) woodgrain-rimmed wheel. Build and material quality are also first rate, but with a Lexus youd expect nothing less. Full marks go to Lexus for giving the ES a completely new interior with zero shared panels with the Camry, although I question the tear-drop shaped fascia that houses the center console. It looks a tad too much like a tombstone, and the way the dashboard around it envelops it is just plain odd. But its different enough to raise eyebrows.

Lexus has also worked hard to dramatically improve the cars value for money quotient, which is something that almost everyone, from the budget conscious to the early adopter can appreciate. Though its always been the most easily accessible Lexus, the ES now packs luxury features that were only found in six-figure machines a mere three years ago. The base $33,170 car has an intelligent key system (just leave the remote fob in your pocket when entering or turning on the

So, do you really want that GS 300? (Photo: Justin Couture, American Auto Press)

ignition), xenon headlamps, heated and ventilated seats with perforated leather, dual-zone climate control with an air quality sensor, an absolutely brilliant eight-speaker Premium sound system with auxiliary-jack input, as well as a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, all as standard. Higher levels cars are packed with even more features, like the aforementioned full-length panoramic roof, adaptive radar cruise control, adaptive xenon headlamps that turn around corners, a reverse sensor to assist when parking, a Mark-Levinson high-performance speaker system, and DVD navigation with an integrated back up camera. Any way you slice it, thats a really impressive list of features, because the competition cant match the equipment list, and it certainly cant do it for the price.

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