es350

with all those problems mentioned here , "No LEDs , Poor seat ventilation , air noise, ......" not to mention the similar price to the GS , i think I'm going back to getting the new GS instead , after waiting 10 months and had a lot of hopes for this ES oh well....

PsychDoc

Thank you for posting about one of my favorite subjects.

I was very interested in the GS when it came out and was quite ready and willing to "pull the trigger." Sadly, no matter how much I told myself I "should" love that car, it continued (and continues) to look like a hatchback to me. L-finesse or not, this thing is a styling disaster. Reminiscent of the screamingly awful AMC Pacer of yesteryear.

Add to the disasterous styling that they dropped the anemic 3.0 litter engine in the awd version of this car (the one I was interested in) at the same time the Toyota Avalon had the potent 3.5 and even the previous generation ES had the decent 3.3 and you had a huge engineering/marketing faux pas to go with the styling Hindenburg.

Now, when I got in for my test drive, things got even worse. "Small" and "cramped" are two words that come to mind about this car. Oh, let's add a third, "spartan." There's virtually no wood to be seen to warm up an interior that would look more at home in a 'clean room' at Intel. Antisceptic, sterile and off putting are just some of the descriptors that come to mind. And that little flip down compartment for some of the secondary controls? Give me a break! That's about as bright an idea as BMW's I-drive, which is too say "dumb, real dumb."

I don't know what the sales are of this disaster, but if I was Lexus, I'd yank this thing off life support and start again from the ground up.

Oh, did I mention that I wasn't enamored of this vehicle?

jeffofla

I have minor warranty issues, two of which I am taking the car in for on Monday and one I have already fixed. But I wouldn't let the fact a car doesn't have LED taillights. I seriously doubt you're going to have anyone stop you and say "hey, you don't have LED lights" indeed, you're going to be the only one who knows. I was looking for all the other bells and whistles, and does the ES 350 have them.

I really don't think the ventalization is that bad. It's noticeable, but it's not overpowering. The transmission and wind noises - so far which don't affect my car - are just part of the normal launch of a new vehicle. And Lexus seems to be fixing them. If you really wanted the car, then you should test drive it and see if you have the same problems. If you don/t, I think you are making a big mistake as the ES is a great car.

Gojirra99

The styling part I can understand, I wasn't too thrilled with the new GS's styling initially too, but it has grown on me some, though I still wished they had done better than this.

The 3.0 engine I have to agree, particularly for the heavier AWD, but the GS350AWD coming out in a couple of months should fix that, it's going to have more horsepower(>300)/torque than the ES350.

As for the GS interior being spartan, that's a matter of taste (clean look versus more accents), but IMHO, I don't really think the ES350 interior looks less spartan than the GS, it's basically the same layout. Many previous ES300/330 owners/fans have complained that the new ES350 has less & smaller wood trims (particularly the horzontal strip above the glove box that's taken away) than the old model that makes it looks more sparse.

I actually prefer both the new ES & GS interior in the light tan/grey leather because the dash & parts of the door is dark grey, which gives more contrast & makes the interior looks more interesting.

I also noticed that the plastics on the dash/doors inside the ES is the same as those of the IS250/350. Those in the GS is higher grade with a softer/smoother touch, so the GS still has an edge there to me.

Of course, the GS drives sportier than the ES & is RWD/AWD, but that may not be important to some. For those, the ES350 is spacious enough & has a comfortable ride, & is probably a better buy to them .

S L I C K

Lexus really dropped the ball with the 2007 ES. It's hideous inside and out ( hope I don't offend anyone, but I'm merely stating my opinion ). The 2006 GS is the nicest L-Finesse design ( inside and out ) and the 2006 IS is a close second. I think the 2006 GS has just the right amount of wood accents w/o going over the top. I've always wanted a GS growing up ( even when my friends wanted their stupid MBs, BMWs, etc. ) and I couldn't be happier with this new GS redesign. I find the 2006 GS to be absolutely gorgeous and the 2007 ES to be pretty hideous, but others might see it the other way. Different strokes for different folks. I can't wait for my 2007 GS this fall.

scottmyers

OK, I gotta chime in on this one. "Styling Disaster". Of course we all have our own opinion on styling, but come on. The GS is pretty stunning, not quite a disaster.

The "anemic 3 litter engine", the GS300 does 0-60 just as fast as the ES350. Does that mean the ES350 is anemic as well?

There is wood on all four door panels, the steering wheel is wood, the shifter is wood, and the center console is wood. What do you mean "no wood to be seen"?

There's a reason the GS costs almost 10k more. Drive the two back to back and easy to see why. Front wheel drive doesn't compare to real wheel drive. The 2" shorter wheel base on the ES is evident in the ride quality, and handling isn't even comparable, since the ES is built for luxury. Besides, the two cars are positioned for entirely different markets.

Put the cars side by side, and if the price were the same... I bet you'd be driving a GS.

Macklin

Well, I guess you will need a new screen name then won't you?

You are foolish if you let a few outspoken folks here sway your opinion on this car. I've found my two year wait to be well worth it. So the ventilated seats don't blow my wifes skirt up. They work fine. As for wind noise, I have none. I know because I was so impressed with the quietness I didn't even turn the radio on for the first two days. And I drive Interstate to work!

Do yourself a favor and drive one. Or spend $10K more for a GS.

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

No car is perfect. You'll find that the ES may have shortcomings, but so will the GS.

Get a car that will satisfy your needs. Enjoy it. "The gas tank is half full, not half empty."

CrazyMPG

iTrader: (4)

just get both...heh..been thinking about getting rid of the 04 GS300 for an ES350 or IS350...(not sure yet)...and still wait for my order for the GS450h...heh...

mattvds

I have wind noise in my car, and I am taking it in to get looked at.. but it really isn't that bad.. I'm just being a perfectionist. In fact it's amazing how few defects there are, considering the ES 350 is a complete redesign. Also I don't see how you can call the ES350 ugly and love the GS when they look almost identical. The service department even thought my ES was a GS.

dshahs420

Just shows you how incompetent the service guys are. Heck i dont even work in a lexus service department but can tell the difference between ES350 and the GS. If that was my car and they mistook it for a GS, I would run far from them!

PsychDoc

Believe me, if this beautiful car looked anything like the accursed GS I'd drive it straight into a lake and leave it there for dead.

The GS is beyond ugly, it's downright fugly!

INHOCJP

Glad you are so enamored with your new ES350, but geez, you seem to be taking all the comments about the ES way too personally.

Relax, it's just a car. Believe it or not, not everyone will share your enthusiasm for the ES350. Styling is always going to be subjective. Interior wise, I'm not sure where you base calling the GS interior spartan. Compared to the LS interior, yes. Compared to the ES350 interior, they are quite similar. L-Finesse seems to have a strong dislike for interior wood.

When I had a ES350 for a loaner last month, I was pretty impressed. Nice improvement over the previous gen. But would I take it over my 430? Heck no. Over a GS300? Still no, since I prefer the drivie a RWD car.

One can make an argument that currently, the ES350 is a smarter choice than the GS300. But that will change once the GS350 arrives this fall with the new engine and updated nav.

INHOCJP

Good point Scott. To be honest, I was surprised you were considering moving from your GS to the new ES. Glad that you chose to go with the GS350

xfirechief

That is the question, which to get. Leaning towards the ES. We have a RX but looking for more MPG & more bling.

Hope to get to test drive all 3 before making decision.

HELP