The Lexus ES Is The Perfect Appliance
The Lexus ES is the ideal car for people who care about getting to their destination more than the drive itself.
The Lexus ES is the perfect execution of the car as an appliance. That sounds like I’m damning it with faint praise, but I’m not. Actually, it’s quite the opposite.
Very generally speaking, when it comes to cars, there are two kinds of people in this world. First, we have car enthusiasts. People who are passionate race fans, who know all of the drivers and stats for specific teams. Some people are walking encyclopedias on specific brands or car models. Then there are some people who wrench on their cars and could pull an engine out of a Lexus SC in a broom closet. All of these people love cars, and most of them would rather be around cars than other people – especially at Thanksgiving in an election year.
But car enthusiasts are a small minority. Most people are more interested in getting to their destination than the actual drive. They prefer heated seats to sports seats and don’t know the difference between Jay-Z and a 2JZ. It’s not that they don’t like cars. They just prioritize comfort and reliability over handling and 0 to 60 mph times. They are the reason crossovers exist and why the Toyota Camry and Corolla sell well over half a million units a year. It’s also why the ES is consistently Lexus’ top-selling car.
Car enthusiasts easily dismiss the Lexus ES. It’s a Toyota Camry in a nicer suit. As the middle child in the lineup, it lacks the performance edge of the IS or the luxury accouterments of the LS. But to dismiss it is to overlook just how really good it is.
The Lexus ES is like the valedictorian of your high school class. It’s so well-rounded and good at so many things. It’s quiet and comfortable. Car & Driver says, “the cabin is unfailingly peaceful,” with plenty of room for adults and 17.0 feet of trunk space. It’s frugal with gas, getting an average of 25 mpg city and up to 34 mpg highway. And if that’s not enough, there’s a hybrid ES that delivers 44 mpg.
Want a dash of performance? The ES is available with a 306 horsepower version of the Lexus 3.5-liter V6. It scoots to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. That number may not seem quick today, but as a real-world number, it’s plenty fast. Braking and handling are also middle-of-the-road numbers in the ES, which is to say it won’t impress many people, but it won’t embarrass anyone either. Edmunds calls the Lexus ES “one of today’s best all-around performers.” And that pretty much nails it.
The Lexus ES is for people who don’t care about the Nurburgring. It’s for people with grown kids or couples who go to dinner with friends. People who wore out their cheap cars over the years until they got THE big promotion. In the past, that event was followed by a corner office and a trip to the Buick or Oldsmobile dealer.
You may scoff at the idea of an Olds or Buick being a car people aspire to own. But for the longest time, it was the choice of people who had wealth but didn’t show it. People who wore suits on Saturday and dined with their families at the country club. For them, the Buick Park Avenue or Oldsmobile 98 Regency Brougham with acres of velour upholstery was a reward and a reminder of their hard work.
Today Oldsmobile is 18 years past in the review mirror. Buick is a floundering maker of mediocre crossovers. Suits have given way to business casual, but there’s no shortage of people grinding it out in cubicle farms, hoping to get THE big promotion. And when they get it, many of them will drive past the BMW or Mercedes-Benz dealers. Instead, they will head straight for the Lexus dealer and pick out an ES. Because for them, the ES represents excellence and the comfort of being upper-middle class without showing off.
Photos & Video: Lexus
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