The '18 GS350 F-S AWD is rated at 311 HP @6400 RPM, 280 lbs/ft @ 4800 RPM, weighs 3891 lbs = 12.5 lbs/HP and uses Premium for 22 MPG combined...
The '19 ES350 F-S FWD is rated at 302 HP @6600 RPM, 267 lbs/ft @ 4700 RPM, weighs 3649 lbs = 12.0 lbs/HP uses Regular and gets 25 MPG combined.

The "19 ES has an 8 speed with FWD (only), the GS350 RWD also has an 8 speed but the GS350 AWD gets by with the 6 speed transmission.
Both have 235/40-19 tires but the 250 lbs heavier GS has "13.2 and "12.2 brakes compared to the "12.0 and "11.1 rotors on the ES

The GS was the sweetest 2015 on the lot...in 2015

 

Lets put it this way, having had the GS and LS after having had the ES a couple times I would never go back to the ES. The GS and LS just have a level of refinement thats a step above the ES, and that includes the new 2019 ES which I have driven. If you can swing the GS price wise there's a lot of other cars I would consider, especially if you're leasing (5 Series, E Class, etc) over the ES, and I would also heavily consider a Genesis G80.

Its not that the ES is a bad car, its not...its just not as overall as refined a car or as solid feeling as the GS or that upper caliber of cars. What it does well is provide a mid/fullsize car at a compact luxury car price which it does by employing an Avalon platform/drivetrain, etc...which is great...but if that price barrier is breakable by you you'll get more car out of something that actually does swing in that class.

 

 

Well there ya go!

 

 

 

The video reviews have said the FWD ES doesn't feel sporty even with the F Sport package. It's not the same as the Gs chassis no matter how much you say it does. Rwd is much much better than fwd for driving dynamics. If that's not important to you then get the ES

 

 

And I was just about to share my preference...

Congrats then on the Tesla! The 3 is growing on me but without the tax credit available any longer, it's a tough pill to swallow here in Canada (except BC + Quebec who still get the credit). The dual motor is 75-80K Cdn here while the next cheapest 3 being delivered this year is 60K Cdn.

 

U.S. News in their rankings lists the new ES at #9 in the segment. There is some tough competition ahead of it indicating, while a real nice car, in many respects it comes up short in some areas. To me, it doesn't mean it's a bad car it's just there are better ones out there. US News used 8 sources in the ratings and rankings.

https://cars.usnews.com/cars-trucks/...e-midsize-cars

 

 

Lexus neglected the GS and ceded the ground to the Germans and now the Koreans. The GS has withered on the vine while its category competitors chased after this market. Dropping the V8 in a regular GS while reserving it for a wild-eyed F version was a mistake. People in these model years of the GS still craved a regular model midsizer with V8 power or at least some power options. This is why the 5 series sells so well and did so constantly against the GS.

The ES is a totally different car buying demographic. It's a great paper tiger because it looks sporty and edgy and all, but at the end of the day - you are buying a cruiser with lots of luxe options. It's no corner carving or dynamic car and its intended buyers know that. They don't care about driving into a corner or accelerating hard out of that corner.

For a true luxury afficiando, the best of both worlds is to get a late model GS with the luxury package and be happy you won't be watching your bank account leak hundreds and eventually thousands into a 5 series or even an A6. That IMO is the true charm of a GS over its German competitors in the used car market.

Now the ES, it's a nice sloppy handling FWDer. You buy it for a nice comfy cruise and nobody gets too excited or pushy with it. It will steer along quite nicely like a small boat and no extreme manuevers please, we're ES drivers.

The GS will do that and then when you want to get a little nasty and push hard, it will respond like a true RWDer. That's really the difference.

 

I reviewed a new 2019 ES350 today with the Ultra-Luxury package and high-performance tires...it may be a good alternative to the ES F-Sport. I'll have the review written up and posted late tonight or tomorrow.

 

 

i am glad that usnews autogenerated listing is important somehow, but pretty sure ES got rated really well by many, many reviews, both by mags and youtube reviewers, and it will likely be next years best selling midsize luxury sedan on that list. I have seen many 1 "bad" review out of 100 for ES? It is going to be a smash hit.

Which actually means that people buying it judge it to be #1 for their money.

How can anyone take that list serious when you have GS hybrid there that sells 10 units per month and is on special order only?