DocEnuf

New here, (I hate when people say that, but this time it's me! ) and I am looking to purchase a pre owned Lexus. I have retired, and ok financially, and I want to spoil myself a bit. I am interested in the ES 350 Sport, the IS 350 Sport, and the ES 350 Luxury. Must haves are V6, and prefer White, Atomic Silver, maybe red, and light colored interior since I now live at the coast and it's always Hot and Sunny.
Any pros and cons I should know about?
Do the ES 350 F sport have tan interior option? I have not found any in my search. mostly red interior.
Thanks in advance for your replies and enlightenment. Sorry for being a newbie, but I am a quick learner.
Brian B.

jimbosr1

IS500 is a pretty fun car if you like the IS350. It has a V-8 and is a hoot to drive.

dezymond

The F sport trim has black, red, and black/white interior, no tan in any years offered if I recall. The suspension is also a bit stiffer and the bigger wheel size with the smaller sidewall tires does attribute to more road noise. The seats are also different and feel very different from the other trims. IMO, they're the most comfortable seats out of all of them, but this is strictly based on personal preference and body type.

Almost 25k miles driven in the 2022 F Sport seats and I've never experienced any body fatigue.

BBQapple

Wife has a 23 IS350 FS and I have a 23 ES300h Premium. They’re both great a year later but the IS is a lot more fun. Definitely drive both.

ATL350

The IS is actually designed to actually be sportier, while the ES F-sport is weaker by comparison, sacrificing ride comfort and some noise isolation, as the ES has never been meant to be an actual performance car. Since this really comes down to personal preference you need to drive the different versions to see what it is you really want. While the IS is probably more "fun" as some have noted you also need to consider your own driving needs and preferences. I've known people who have purchased their fun, handling sporty car with which they had a blast at first, but over time they came to regret it, for driving around on frequently lousy, uneven roads became more of a nuisance and just uncomfortable. To some folks that just won't matter but the others serve as a cautionary tale. Bottom line, drive them AND think of your actual end use of the vehicle.

LexFinally

To amplify ATL350's informative post:

The F Sport version of the ES adds no power, just visual stuff and a stiffer suspension. Even at its softest setting, it is stiffer than the other ES trims, yet it still doesn't deliver truly sporty handling in exchange for this sacrifice in comfort. In addition, F Sport does not offer several luxury amenities available on the Luxury and Ultra Luxury trims, including leather upholstery and wind-noise-reducing front door glass.

I see you're in North Carolina. If you're in a location that doesn't snow much, and if you value responsive handling, you might want to consider an RWD version of the IS — they're reputed to have both better handling and better drivetrains than the AWD version that's ubiquitous up here in the North, including the option of that sexy and soon-to-be-extinct V8. As stated above, drive and then decide.

mikemu30

Drive both. Nearly 70K miles after five years on my FSport. Yes seats are Nuluxe and not genuine leather but mine still look brand new after this many years. Genuine leather begins to look like sh_t - we have it in my wife's RX. Seats - it's all subjective - I love the comfort and some hate it. 19" wheels look SO MUCH better - however the low profile tires get flat spots in cold weather overnight but they smooth out after a mile or so. The NON FSport for me would have been a non-starter.

FastDawg

I haven't seen anyone mention this but you need to go to a dealer and get in and out of these cars. I've been retired for almost ten years, am a big guy, and I would have hated any IS model. They are too small for me and I can promise you that as the years go by you will regret buying something too small.

I had a 2020 Chevy Silverado 2500HD with the Duramax and Allison transmission. I could count on both hands how many times I had used the bed of that truck or towed something with it. I had always driven sports sedans before I bought it and decided to get back into one so I started researching the Mercedes E Class and the BMW 5 Series. I had previously owned a 2014 MB E350 AMG Cabriolet and couldn't believe the depreciation of the German cars not to mention the maintenance costs. My wife had a 2012 Lexus GX460 that we kept for eight years with no issues except normal maintenance so I started looking at Lexus.

I settled on the Lexus ES350 F Sport. My "toy" is a 2021 C8 Corvette so I love sport packages on cars and the F Sport did not disappoint. I can have the ES350 in Sport+ mode, get on a rough road, push a button to get the suspension back into Normal mode, and I immediately can tell a difference. The road noise in that car is negligible and if you get the Levinson stereo you'll never notice it. I'm not into spoilers on cars since I bought my C8 - it looks more exotic without one - but the spoiler on back of the F Sport just looks right. This is just my .02 cents and not worth any more than any other opinion so go take a look and buy the car you will enjoy. Good luck!

swfla

iTrader: (1)

I think the ES350 shines as a luxury model. While sportiness is added with FS, it's not a sport car. You may love it but it's not like a GS. This may give you the luxury and performance you seek. I know how difficult it can be to decide but test drives should help tremendously.

DocEnuf

** I think your spot on, and I would be the one who regretted the harsher ride. I do have a stiff springed sports car already, so I am leaning towards the ES version. Thank you for pointing it out. **

E46CT

The IS is ancient and tiny. Cool for a kid. Think of it as a (smaller) rear-wheel-drive Corolla. Get the ES it more suits you.

As for ES, get Luxury. it fits the character of the car.

newgsman

iTrader: (4)

In my opinion the difference between an ES F sport and an ES Luxury is marginal at best. The decision to get an F sport over a luxury edition really comes down to personal choice for a car like the ES. Although the F sport provides some suspension enhancements it questionable if they significantly influence the basic handling of the ES. You have to establish what aspects of a car are most important to you. It seems that colour combinations are important. If you are truly interested in sports car like performance, I would suggest you look at other options. I was in a similar situation a couple of months ago. I considered an IS 350, a GS350, all of the ES variants and also Genesis G80 and G70. After much deliberation I settled on an ES 300h ultra luxury. Certainly I like sports and sporty cars. I currently also own an ISF and a 1974 Dodge challenger. I have also driven mostly rear wheel drive sport sedans for the past 40 years. My farourite being my 1998 GS400. Unfortunately currently there are very cars within the budget I set for my self that I felt would provide me the type of luxury plus sport driving experience that I got out of the GS400. The GS350 would have been nice but they have been out of production for almost 4 years and there are very few good examples available in the used car market. I though about the IS350 but although it has a wonderful sports car ride, I felt at my age (60+) it wasn't the best option. I still have my ISF and my muscle car for when in the mood for spirited driving. For me I wanted luxury first for my daily driver. I am quite satisfied with the ultra luxury hybrid. In every day use it has plenty of zip on the the streets and it is quiet and comfortable. Seats are a personal thing. I like the semi-analine leather in the ultra luxury ES. The Nuluxe used in the F sport is ok but just not my thing. I also like the thigh extenderon the driver seat. For the most part my ES a cruiser, no canyon carving, and no agressive street exercises. The ultra luxury serves my purposes. You are best to prioritize your desires and decide accordingly. Certainly take different models for extended test drives.

lgb0250

I just recently sold my Mustang 5.0 and picked up the UL. I wasn’t comfortable with the seats in the sport and quite honestly after coming out of a real sports car it was a faux sport car to me. I figured at 74 it was finally time to grow up! I hated to admit that but it is what it is. I contemplated an IS500 when buying my 5.0 but they were just too hard to get ahold of. Also thought of the LC which covered both ends of the spectrum. Enough HP to make it fun in a convertible cruiser. But, I just couldn’t bring myself to have 5hat expensive of a vehicle sitting outside in the driveway 24/7 since the garage belongs to my better half!

BBQapple

I far prefer the f sport seats in my wife’s IS and wish I’d have gotten an ES FS instead of the premium.

TechNut

I would argue that this depends on the size of one's derriere. The F Sport seats fit me like a glove, but I have seen others that hang completely over them, and with the greater bolstering of those seats it looks very uncomfortable. I also favor a lighter headliner - that black just makes the interior of the vehicle seem gloomier. I'm not trying to sell anyone on my perspective, but rather simply share whey we aren't fans of a couple of the F-Sport features. Now of course, the tweaks in appearance, particularly the grills, make the F Sports look better/sportier in every model - at least in my opinion. I'm not sure how I feel about the 19" rims. Again, they look great but there has to be some small compromise to the ride. My wife and I were prioritizing comfort. Just my $.02 worth...