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It's funny, I actually like the shifter in the ES. It still has a mechanical feel and has the little release button on the side instead of a zig-zag pattern like my IS.
The F Sport seats in the IS will forever be better than these ES's seats, as well as most seats out there.
This is where I have to disagree. The new Toyota shifters I do not like. Long live the zig zag
It's funny, I actually like the shifter in the ES. It still has a mechanical feel and has the little release button on the side instead of a zig-zag pattern like my IS.
Great review. Sometimes "boring" is pretty nice, I just learned that lesson the hard way. Not much fun to have a car in for repair for weeks or to not be able to trust it.
nice read! did you try the mode changes to see if the trans feeling improves?
i would imagine a bigger dynamic difference driving a RWD IS then going to a FWD ES. i know i feel the difference especially when cornering!
Yeah, the cornering is quite eventful in an ES. An IS feels like it has infinite grip after driving an ES for a while. The ES is pretty wallowy but again, not sloppy.
Sport mode seemed to help with the trans a little. Eco was no different from Normal.
I just got the IS back, and man... though it's not as quiet on the inside as an ES, in many other ways it feels more refined. Though the ride isn't as soft, it's also better controlled. And the trans shifting is smoother all the time - with the exception being sometimes on manual-mode downshifts. The ES consistently and smoothly rev-matches downshifts, but the IS is moody and sometimes does a so-so job of it. In normal driving though, the IS is 95% as relaxing as an ES, just with a tighter, more precise feeling.
Yeah, the cornering is quite eventful in an ES. An IS feels like it has infinite grip after driving an ES for a while. The ES is pretty wallowy but again, not sloppy.
Sport mode seemed to help with the trans a little. Eco was no different from Normal.
I just got the IS back, and man... though it's not as quiet on the inside as an ES, in many other ways it feels more refined. Though the ride isn't as soft, it's also better controlled. And the trans shifting is smoother all the time - with the exception being sometimes on manual-mode downshifts. The ES consistently and smoothly rev-matches downshifts, but the IS is moody and sometimes does a so-so job of it. In normal driving though, the IS is 95% as relaxing as an ES, just with a tighter, more precise feeling.
6 speed vs 8? Peak torque is a little lower in the IS and it has more torque as well.
Yeah, the cornering is quite eventful in an ES. An IS feels like it has infinite grip after driving an ES for a while. The ES is pretty wallowy but again, not sloppy.
Sport mode seemed to help with the trans a little. Eco was no different from Normal.
I just got the IS back, and man... though it's not as quiet on the inside as an ES, in many other ways it feels more refined. Though the ride isn't as soft, it's also better controlled. And the trans shifting is smoother all the time - with the exception being sometimes on manual-mode downshifts. The ES consistently and smoothly rev-matches downshifts, but the IS is moody and sometimes does a so-so job of it. In normal driving though, the IS is 95% as relaxing as an ES, just with a tighter, more precise feeling.
Well....it sounds like after having the ES for a few days, and then getting your 4IS back.... Sounds like in summary, the ES is a more than decent Lexus, but its not quite your IS
What you're feeling is the higher level of sophistication in your IS' design. No way around that, there isn't anything they can do to a FWD mac strut car like the ES that will make it feel like that.
Originally Posted by AMIRZA786
My Friends 2009 ES350 with 158K. He needed to borrow my Sienna as his in-laws were in town visiting from Florida, so we swapped and I drove this for the weekend while my son drove the Polestar. Damn good car, The best 3.5L V6 engine that exists IMO. Even being almost 14 years old, no rattles or squeaks, It's so quiet, it might as well be an EV. Only problem...averages 19 MPG. Lexus once knew how to build them
Thats a 2010 ES
I had one, it was a great car. Much better overall than the 2003 ES300 it replaced, although the 03 had better materials inside.
My friend bought an 09 at 140k two years ago....he is at 205k now. Boringly reliable.
over 30k a year... that's a lot of driving!
Originally Posted by mmarshall
QFT.
no, quoted for opinion that your opinion agrees with.
Originally Posted by SW17LS
What you're feeling is the higher level of sophistication in your IS' design. No way around that, there isn't anything they can do to a FWD mac strut car like the ES that will make it feel like that.
What you're feeling is the higher level of sophistication in your IS' design. No way around that, there isn't anything they can do to a FWD mac strut car like the ES that will make it feel like that.
Probably so! I will say, the ES would be great if all I did with it was go from A to B, such as commuting or running errands. So for most people, it's easy to recommend. But I agree, there's just that level of "sophistication", as you say, to the IS that I have to have! It just feels sharper. And this morning, I put some Michelin Pilot Sport 4S tires on, which I will probably post about once I have more time to try them out. So far, so good!
Originally Posted by PrimeDave
Well....it sounds like after having the ES for a few days, and then getting your 4IS back.... Sounds like in summary, the ES is a more than decent Lexus, but its not quite your IS
In many ways, the ES is more car for the money. But, the driving experience is not nearly as fun. Obviously.
11-08-22, 11:36 AM
(physics)