Exactly....That's why I can't understand why they would want to move the conservative ES up the sport-sedan ladder when they already have the IS. It simply doesn't make sense.

 

dont know maybe just to say that the ES is capable of being sporty, i mean the IS is a nice car and all but its small, if you want an affordable lexus sedan, the ES si your next option, but while not being as sporty and the IS, the ES could be sporty is some sense. Personally i like big cars, well decent size cars, i would pick the ES over the IS, but thats just me, your opinion may vary.

 

mmarshall - I keep coming back to the comments you made about rear seat head room.

If one wants a vehicle they can comfortably take 4 or 5 people in, why would they get an ES?

This is why I believe modern 'sedans' are not that great. They are neither really functional or really sporty. They're just in between which to me is unsatisfying. If I want to be able to take people in comfort, I don't want Grandma to have to take off her hat when we're going someplace, or Johnny to take off his stetson, or Lurch to do a contortionist routine in the back.

I think people buy sedans out of habit - because they always have.

But I think it's all changing. Started with minivans, then SUVs, now CUVs. Most all cars have gotten taller and I think the percentage of new models that are 'tall' will increase.

So this ES, while a VERY nice sedan, is still a pretty big compromise. I think an RX350 is a MUCH more useful vehicle. Not as sporty maybe, but then the ES is no sports car.

 

There is noticibly less head room in the rear of the new ES than the last one....primarily from the new roofline. That applies whether you have just one person back there or, as you say, the whole back seat filled up. Leg room, though, is generally no problem.
(Of course not everone has my 6' 2", 275-lb. frame either)

You are correct that most of today's cars really don't have that much room in them.....one reason why people buy big SUV's. I also agree that the RX is more versatile than just about any other lexus car-based vehicle.

Yes, some cars are getting taller roofs ( and seats ). The Ford Five Hundred, Honda Fit, and even the new Camry and Corolla are good examples. That is not so much because of headroom ( although headroom IS one benefit ) but because today's baby boomers ( my age group and up ) are not in their 20's and 30's anymore and find it difficult to contort themselves like a Bachman pretzel and push themselves up and down getting into and out of low-slung cars. For instance, when I reviewed the Corvette C6 last December, I couldn't just jump right in and out...I had to do it slowly.

 

I do not really understand it either but my guess would be to compete more w/ the Acura TL which is outselling it. I did like how Lexus has the ES/LS & the IS/GS divisions to satisfy all demographics but those lines are definetly getting blurred.

As for the wood -- I have never been a big fan of wood in cars & I still do not get all the comments about it being real or not. The wood in ths GS looks plastic to me anyways -- I guess to preserve it they have to add all that shiny stuff but dang ....

 

Yup:

Gen 1
1990-91 - ES250 2VZ-FE VZV21

Gen 2
1992-94 - ES300 3VZ-FE VCV10
1995-96 - ES300 1MZ-FE MCV10

Gen 3
1997-98 - ES300 1MZ-FE MCV20
1999-01 - ES300 1MZ-FE VVT-i MCV20

Gen 4
2002-2003 - ES300 1MZ-FE VVT-i MCV30
2004-2006 - ES330 3MZ-FE VVT-i MCV31

Gen 5
2007-up - ES350 2GR-FE VVT-i GSV40

 

Great write up Mike!

 

They offer the Ruby Red Pearl for the ES350 instead, which I saw personally this morning, & is every bit as gorgeous as the Matador Red IMO.
The Ruby Red is darker & lacks the orange hue(which some may not like) on the Matador Red, & many might have noticed that the Matador Red often do not show up well in pictures, frequently showing too much orange compared to it's color when seen in person. From the pics I have seen of the Ruby Red, it looks great in pictures too & is more suitable for the more conservative ES350 than the Matador Red.
I actually think the Ruby Red Pearl will look great on the new GS & IS too.

 

Thanks, flip. There was a lot of CL interest in this car.....as there is an any new Lexus product. You certainly do your share to keep us up on the details yourself.

 

Nice review

I agree though, that they made it sportier to compete more with the outstanding TL. Really, those are the only 2 relevant cars in this class. People who opted for the TL probably said "wow, I can have a luxry family sedan for 37K and have some fun too, f___ the ES330!" Lexus needs to get those customers back!

 

That's true. They dominate this category. They're almost identical. Both start at $33k MSRP but I think Lexus can get a bit more pricey when you load it up. Lexus did a great job by making it more powerful, although handling is still too numb for us enthusiasts.

 

it is not about being sporty, but sportier. I find today's customers not wanting luxury boat ride anymore, everyone wants to be able to attack the curve at some point, and not feel like riding on some barge...

And since ES has to cater to very large audience, it has to be mix of things...

 

Though I agree with those who suggest that the slightly stiffer tires and underpinnings this year may have been done to compete with the TL ( I hadn't thought of that ), I'm still not convinced that it was necessary. There are those who still like a soft ride, though admittedly they are not particularly well-represented on forums like these, and they are essentially being ignored. There are almost no new cars left in the marketplace that really cater to them. The old ES was one of the last holdouts. My guess is that some of them will consider the Lincoln Town Car now, which goes for roughly the same price as a loaded ES but does not have Lexus quality....but even the Town Car won't be around much longer.

One of my former bosses was like that. He bought a Buick Park Avenue ( at age 45 ) because he said nothing else resonably-priced on today's market rode worth a damn for his tastes. He probably wouldn't like today's Lucerne.....it, like the new ES, has also been slightly stiffed up.

Let me clarify something, though. I'm NOT saying the new ES is ROUGH-riding....or that it bounces you all over the road like a Mitsubishi Evo ( that car will knock your teeth out ). No....far from it. But the difference between the 2006 and 2007 model in ride quality, nevertheless, is noticeable. And, to compensate, the new ES drivetrain, if anything, is even smoother and quieter than before. The new 3.5L V6 engine, especially, is a gem....see my review.