Pro: Very quiet, luxurious interior, beautiful and smooth v6 engine, transmission shifts superbly, soft ride.

Cons: Lexus premium audio speakers and system is substandard. Had to replace speakers but still has echo sounds. Good subwoofer. Ergonomics is a problem. Car is not designed for a lot of seating/sitting positions compared to Audi Mercedes etc. Steering wheel won't come out far enough. Seat has a weird tendency to tilt forwards when raised all the way up. Suspension could be better...it is possible to have good high speed handling and a comfortable ride...see Cadillac, Audi even Chevrolet suspensions. Had to replace Michelin tires with sporty tires with less flex to compensate for the high speed dynamics...felt like I would lose control of the car.

 

Was deciding between this and 200t but IS seems small and a rough ride. So leaning toward ES because it is nice car but yes tighter suspension is not there trade off


QUOTE=615tpc;9517389]Pro: Very quiet, luxurious interior, beautiful and smooth v6 engine, transmission shifts superbly, soft ride.

Cons: Lexus premium audio speakers and system is substandard. Had to replace speakers but still has echo sounds. Good subwoofer. Ergonomics is a problem. Car is not designed for a lot of seating/sitting positions compared to Audi Mercedes etc. Steering wheel won't come out far enough. Seat has a weird tendency to tilt forwards when raised all the way up. Suspension could be better...it is possible to have good high speed handling and a comfortable ride...see Cadillac, Audi even Chevrolet suspensions. Had to replace Michelin tires with sporty tires with less flex to compensate for the high speed dynamics...felt like I would lose control of the car.[/QUOTE]

 

You find this in upper echelon Lexus sedans. Understand that the ES is an entry level model. The ES rides well but lacks the high speed stability and solidity you find in say a GS or LS, or even an IS.

 

Yes thus the dilemma but I'm loving the safety features which the IS does not have...but ES does seem nicer than IS. Not sure is the IS is a younger demographic too like 25-30 not sure

 

Unfortunately GS and LS is not a price range I want to venture into so there are limitations can't be picky just trying to make a practical choice

 

The IS is a smaller, more youthful, handling sport focused car. Personally, I wouldn't even consider the IS over the ES.

The ES is a great car, people just have to understand that at its core its a FWD Toyota Avalon. Its not a Lexus specific platform like the IS, GS & LS are. The suspension setup is not as sophisticated...but with that said its a great riding car, very refined, very sure footed and its a lot of car for the money. I put over 200,000 miles on ES sedans, its without question the most practical, most economical, easiest to live with Lexus sedan over the long haul.

ES vs IS the ES is the practical choice, the IS is the emotional choice.

What are your reservations?

 

Ok that was to the point and helpful thanks! ES is the practical choice. it's just been awhile since I've been in a FWD and it's bigger than what I'm used to, but my friends will definitely appreciate the legroom in the ES. I noticed the hump in the middle of the IS back seating area prevents more than 2 people seating back there. I'll just miss the tighter suspension but I'm sure at some point I won't notice it and will enjoy the refinement which definitely wasn't there when test drove the 200t

 

My wife and I are currently in the market as well and had the IS and ES as an option. Went to the dealer to test drive both. Sat in the IS first and ruled it out immediately. We were looking for a roomy luxury car and the IS was not that. Now after she sat in the ES she fell in love immediately and it jumped to the top of her list to buy.

 

I considered upgrading to the GS but I don't really want or need the inefficiency of awd vs fwd Es. It is possible for a fwd car to handle very well at higher speeds. Other luxury auto makers even non luxury cars do it better. Even a FWD Chevy Impala has better handling. Don't get me wrong, I'm not comparing the Es to it but Es buyers should not have to fork over so much more $ on a gs just to get a bit safer handling at 70mph plus speed. That said the Es is a very nice car.

 

Thanks everyone for the great insight! I am looking for better gas mileage so that's why I was thinking ES but is V6 and my last v6 gave me 21 mpg which was concerning so that's why I was even considering the 200t but handling was my concern but I did drive a FWD for years And didn't even give it a second thought but now that I've driven a RWD I'll realize the difference, but everyone is telling me I'm getting way more car on the ES for the money so you experts know

 

I don't think I've ever read or heard anything that the ES handling is unsafe at higher speeds (same with the Camry and Avalon). It's probably personal perception. Yes, some competitive cars do handle better.

 

Yes those reviews and I read lots of them don't seem to mention it. There is a marked body lean when the highway has a curve or emergency manoeuvre is needed and that could easily and I believe inexpensively be addressed. It has nothing to do with Fwd just suspension design to keep the car planted. Lexus gave me the story that Es is "not meant to be driven this way" but really I think Es drivers deserve better. The rest of the car is impeccable except for the points I noted above. The car isn't unsafe but could be if you push it into those situations, I felt I could lose control if an emergency manoeuvre was needed such as sudden braking and steering at 70mph plus speeds. The Es feels light on its feet which is definitely a plus most of the time except at higher speeds when I'd rather feel planted on the road. Yes it is my perception for sure.

 

I don't agree at all that there's anything unsafe about the ES at high speeds. I've also driven a new Chevy Impala, and I don't see how it handles any better than the ES...

It's not as solid at high speeds as higher end Lexus sedans, that has more to do with the suspension setup than FWD vs RWD.

 

I would suggest that users considering the Es should also evaluate manouveravility and control under hard braking and steering at highway speeds if it's important to them. It is for me. Im sorry I wasn't trying to disagree with anyone's opinion of Lexus.

 

My wife and I had the same experience, 1st @ the 2016 Motor Trend Auto Show and 2nd @ the Lexus Dealer. Although we are not tall or large people, I am 5'9 160lbs and wife is 5"7 120lbs. we both banged our heads on the roof of the 2016 IS getting out of the car and found the rear seat extremely tight if driving with other couples to dinner or affairs. Further, the trunk was quite small and the interior just seemed cramped. Road noise was more prevalent in the IS compared to the ES as well. After test driving the ES we just felt comfortable, excellent driving position and road noise and vibration were almost non-existent. Having a few "weekend cars" in my stable (1970 Mustang Convertible H-Block, 1993 Corvette Convertible to name a few) getting into another vehicle for a handling or straight line acceleration fix is not an issue for me. Plus there is nothing in the Infinity or Acura lines that compare to the quality and overall value of the Lexus ES350 especially driving on I-95 and interstates on regular fuel when the competition requires premium. Further, after nearly 3 months of ownership we have never been treated so nicely by the Lexus dealers and their staff, so CS is another factor for our choice. So the wife and I drank the Lexus Kool-Aid and have no regrets.