Five Features that Make the ES 350 a Near-perfect Car
Portland Press Herald reviews the Lexus ES 350 Ultra Luxury and finds that there is a whole lot to love.
What’s the best way to get someone to enter the Lexus life, especially if their bank account is just beginning to grow? There’s always the UX and NX models if a crossover is what you seek, or the IS for those that prefer sedans. Either option won’t break the bank at the base level, and new owners sure won’t feel like they’re in a “base” model with whatever they choose.
But frankly, we think you just can’t go wrong with the classic ES. The ES was one of the first two models used to launch Lexus onto the scene three decades ago, and for good reason. The 2019 ES is an all-new affair, and the Ultra Luxury trim is package offers some enviable extras. The Portland, Maine, newspaper the Portland Press Herald recently road-tested the 2019 Lexus ES 350 Ultra Luxury to determine if it still fares well in the face of renewed competition from the rest of the luxury car makers, as well as from the ongoing onslaught from crossovers and SUVs.
“Characteristics include isolating ride, quiet cabin, and a limousine-like rear seat. The perfect car for eclipsing long highway miles,” the Portland Press Herald notes. The ES 350 Ultra Luxury also won the writer Tim Plouff over with the powertrain, and fuel economy. Its combination of the 302 horsepower, 3.5-liter V6 and eight-speed automatic averages around 30 mpg.
The Ultra Luxury interior definitely impresses. “A 14-way power seat upholstered in Semi-Aniline leather is complemented by two-tone leather covering portions of the doors, dash, and console,” writes Plouff. Although he isn’t crazy about the infotainment screen, an issue that Lexus is currently correcting.
But the interior is lush and comfortable and has enough rear-seat legroom to stretch out when spending hours on the highway.
Another win for the ES 350 is its starting price of $39,750, making it the perfect sedan over other competitors like the Chevrolet Impala, Nissan Maxima, and its corporate cousin, the Toyota Avalon, upon which the 2019 ES is based. Add a few more thousand to the price of admission, though, and he says you’ll have quite the nice sedan on your hands.
How nice? Another win Flouff noted for the ES 350 Ultra Luxury include its superior ride quality. The quiet cabin and luxurious ride were standouts, especially when passing over bumps in the road.
All in all, Flouff find that the ES 350 Ultra Luxury is “a fluid and smooth companion for long days in the saddle.” It is easy to see why sales of the entry-level luxury sedan are up 14% for 2019, and growing.
Photos: Lexus
