LexFinally

I don't agree about ride, at least not in UL trim, but I do agree about handling. Anybody who buys an ES expecting it to corner like an LS or a Eurosedan has spent as little time reading the published warnings as someone who takes up smoking for their health.

LexFinally

Your opinion on the ES suspension and its ride quality is not a unanimous one. From the Savagegeese (650,000 subscribers) YouTube video on the 2022:

"No, it doesn't have the latest and greatest suspension. It's still all steel, it's a strut. But when you drive it, you would never know it. I would rather soak up a hundred-mile commute in this thing on a highway where I'm just lumped in traffic all day, than pretty much any other car.... It rides amazing over every pavement type."

At 13:54:


As I said before, I'm sorry you feel your two ES purchases were unsatisfying to you. I'm glad for you that you've found a car and a carmaker that you obviously prefer, and I wish you good times with that carmaker and its fellow fans on that carmaker's discussion boards.

LS500Fan

Not once have I thought man this steel suspension is complete sh-it I can't believe a premium automaker would ship such garbage. 99.999% of buyers don't know and don't care, and doesn't matter. Looks/style, build quality, customer service, reliability, and dependability matter to a lot of buyers.

E46CT

No one said it's complete *****. It's just basic. sort of like eating your vegetables. It's Camry suspension--something I said long long ago. it's steel, it's cheap, it works. but that's about it. it's just people expect more from a car that's supposed to compete class-wise with E Class, A6, 5-Series. It's why the ES always got basic scores compared to those cars in most car comparos because you just can't compete with high tech forged aluminum like all the big boys have. it has a higher degree of body control and dynamic handling basic stamped steel can't match.

E46CT

I always said I hope the 8ES goes upscale and more exotic and more expensive. i want to see Lexus take some chances for once. Lets get a fully european underside and dynamic suspension. lets get exciting.

i mean think about it.. it's what the GS and IS has/had.

The ES doesn't have it because it shares FWD architecture w/ Camry. but Lexus has the right idea with its RWD models.


but being FWD doesn't mean you need to be cheap/basic. they can copy Audi A6

LexFinally

To use your words: "I mean, think about it." The ES outsold the GS, IS and LS combined, which is why the GS doesn't exist anymore. Do you think Lexus, designer and builder of the GS, killed off the GS because it was unaware that the GS was technically superior to the ES?

Also, if they "copy Audi A6," they'll have only AWD in this country — exactly what nobody was willing to pay A6 prices for in a Lexus-badged car.

Reality check: The car business is just that, a business. Lexus's FWD "wrong idea" is keeping its lights on. Wrong for enthusiasts, sure. Wrong for the majority of customers, clearly not.