encore888

Congrats to the ES 350 for winning this comparo!

Agreed! Autoguide gave the Buick more points for style but in the end the Lexus won the comparison on its refinement, performance, and quality.

dunnojack

i like the 2007 ES better than the current refreshed one.

the front styling on the 2010 ES is a total miss. It looks more like a evolution of the 1998 camry than a lexus. WTF is up with the foglights.


this review is only another man's opinion. I think the buick looks too chunky.

and no matter what positive review there is for the buick, the lexus will always sell better anyway

mmarshall

While it is, of course, still new with no reliability data, I don't see any reason why it should not hold up about the same as other recent Buicks have done, quality-wise, which means somewhat (but not strongly) better than average, according to Consumer Reports.



Correct. Buick did aim the LaCrosse at the ES350, but its interior materials, though flashy and somewhat glitzy-looking, are not quite up to those of Lexus. What is ironic is that, to a large extent, the materials of the cheaper Chevy Malibu ARE. The Malibu and the new Cadillac CTS have what are (arguably), IMO, GM's highest-quality overall interiors. The Malibu's is not the fanciest, but uses the best materials and slickest-feeling controls I have seen inside a GM product in decades. I like the new LaCrosse chassis, its AWD option, and, unlike past Buicks, its ability to deliver sharp handling while retaining at least some Buick ride smoothness, but, when value for the dollar is injected, it's hard to beat the Malibu in the GM lineup.

Don't forget, though, Mike, that the ES350 was a disappointment in 2006-2007 when it first came out....much, of course, has been discussed on CL about that. Lexus has given it significant interior trim/quality improvements for 2010 (I noted them in my review), which it did not have as recently as just a couple of years ago.

BTW, have you driven a new LaCrosse? If not, forget Grandpa's Buick. You will be amazed at how quick the steering response is on the CXL model......and yes, to compensate, some of the Buick magic-carpet ride is gone, but, again, it is surprising how much of that smooth ride (and Buick's smooth transmission) is still left with that much-improved steering. You know how I am about ride comfort....I'd b***h if I thought the car was now uncomfortable. It isn't....the engineers, for a mid-sized family sedan, have done a superb job on this car's chassis. The AWD option, of course, is just icing on the cake. But, as you noted, the interior trim/parts still have some of that cheap GM plastic, though glittery.

LexBob2

The quality of the interior trim in the ES350 isn't really any different in the 2010 vs. the 2007. For 2010 they added a couple of wood strips to the nav/dash area, as well as chrome accents around the door wood trim areas. Both improvments IMO. But quality wise the materials are the same. Small changes but well done.

-J-P-L-

Glad they did the comparo. GM set themselves up for comparisons to be made thinking they'd be an easy winner. Turns out they may have embarrassed themselves.

The Lacrosse is a tremendous effort from GM and a winning design. But Lexus caliber refinement is hard to touch. A majority will still prefer the Lexus name and unmatched quality and long term dependability. I stress long term, because as good as GM is getting, there's no way they will be as reliable during a 300-400K run even if they prove to be trouble free for the first 5 years. There's also the importance of holding it's value. A Buick will never match Lexus in that category as well.

I don't know why all the complaints about the ES's styling. Is it as exciting as the Lacrosse's? No. But it isn't ugly (like many cars are). It's a simple, elegant, non-polarizing design. The ES will always be a safe design. It's a bread and butter model for Lexus and has a large conservative buyer base it can't afford to lose. That's why Lexus chose to also build the IS for the other type of buyer.

mmarshall

While, in general, that's true, I have to disagree on two points. First, the materials used inside on the dash/door panels aren't just better from a glittery, chrome point of view, or just a little more wood trim (which the car, IMO, should have gotten in 2007 to start with). The trim itself, in several areas, feels of higher quality. Second, the new, 2010 dash doesn't have the poor fit/assembly and creaks/small rattles that many 2007 models did (as also was on my 2007 test vehicle).

LexBob2

I owned an '07 for nearly 4 years and have had a '10 for three months, and from the ownership experience of both, see no difference in the material quality.

Granted it's a subjective area and opinions on the subject will vary.

mmarshall

Did your '07 have any dash rattles? That was one of the first things I noticed, on my test-drive. That wasn't the case with the 2010.

Other than that, I think we agree 98-99%

shyguy16

agreed 100% with the review.
lacrosse is the better looker, ES is the better car.
i wouldn't want either car though.

YEH

The LaCrosse drives/handles better, but for those looking for a smooth, cushy comfort ride, the ES is hard to beat.

Edmunds and MT prefer the LaCrosse.

http://www.insideline.com/lexus/es-3...and-video.html

http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...n/results.html

And a virtual draw in The Globe and Mail comparison.

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/globe...t-rail-reviews

TRDFantasy

I completely agree. To me the ES looks like a CAR, and has a design that is very tasteful. Some call it bland, but others might consider it tasteful and classy. Are Audi and BMW designs bland? I would say so, but many enthusiasts don't classify them as such, instead using more positive terms like "classy" or "elegant" simply because of the reputation BMW and Audi have.

IMHO the mid-cycle refresh Lexus did on the ES makes it look sharper and more expensive.

Having seen both the new LaCrosse and 2010 ES plenty of times on the road, I must say the ES IMHO does look sharper and more expensive.

The LaCrosse to me looks bloated, and like some sort of space ship, not a car. When you're talking about the luxury market, I think making a car look like a space ship is not a good idea. Arguably of course, Buick doesn't really compete in the luxury market.

Several publications disagree, and say the ES rides and handles better.

It's a matter of simple physics. The LaCrosse is larger and heavier than the ES, so it makes sense the ES will be more agile and handle better. Looking at all comparisons of the ES and LaCrosse, overall it seems the Buick still can't beat the Lexus ride quality.

YEH

While the ES may have a better ride for those who prefer the soft, cushy type - I'd like to see the reviews where they say the ES is more agile and handles better.

Remember, the LaCrosse's chassis was basically engineered in Europe and thus, has more of a European driving feel (and let's not forget the overly numb steering of the ES).

TRDFantasy

The review this thread is about clearly mentions the ES has better handling and is more agile.

Fizzboy7

What irks me is the Buick commercial keep comparing their car to the 2009 ES and not the 2010. While differences are slim, it's still inaccurate. It's April 2010, and they are still showing the 2009 model on TV. If I were Lexus, I'd have some lawyers making some phone calls.

-J-P-L-

Just saying that it's not the clear winner that Buick portrays it as. I love the Lacrosse, don't get me wrong. It's just that if you're going to run ads like GM has about the Lacrosse going specifically after a particular model, you better be certain that it will be the winner each time, not a toss up.