11/20/2006
By Mike Blake
Carlisle Events
For those of you who have driven a Lexus, you probably are comfortable with the thought that the “L” badge stands for both Lexus and luxury. Well, there is high luxury and what Lexus coined, “entry-luxury” some 15 years ago.
For those who aspire to lavishness and prestige but who need a ground-floor door to enter that realm, there is the entry-luxury niche, and Lexus addresses that genre as well as anyone with its fifth-generation ES350.
While it may resemble a Toyota Camry with a Lexus nameplate, the ES350 is all Lexus with an L-finesse inspired long, sensuous look from its tapered front end to its athletic shoulders and fluid lines.
The ES350’s wheelbase is two inches longer than the ES330 it replaced, and while its track is an inch wider, the overall exterior length remains the same. An engineering marvel, designers added to interior legroom and left the roomy front compartment as comfortable as ever, without affecting the exterior.
The Gen-five ES has all the opulence, comfort, style and grace of its predecessors, but it has really raised the bar with its power and technological advances.
The front-wheel drive ES350 is the only Lexus on a front-wheel drive platform, and it literally starts with its powerful 3.5-liter V-6 engine. Actually it starts with a push button and the key fob in your pocket, but THAT starts the 272-hp plant that pops out 254 lbs.-ft. of torque.
The set-up is EPA rated at 21mpg in city driving and 30mpg on the highway, and during my seven-day car test, my solid and sturdy 3580-lb. ES350 got me an average of 26.3mpg in and around Central Pennsylvania countryside, valleys, highways, townships and cities. The all-aluminum four-cam 24-valve V-6 engine also propelled me from zero-to-60 in just over 7 seconds, and jetted me down the quarter-mile in about 15 and-a-half seconds.
Lexus increased the power in this ES incarnation, by replacing the Gen-4’s 3.3-liter 218-hp V-6 and its five-speed automatic with 54 more horses and a six-speed automatic. Those with a number-name focus can see that the ES330 utilized a 3.3-liter engine while the ES350 has moved on to a 3.5-liter plant.
Performance has been improved, thanks in part to chain-driven camshafts using Variable Valve Timing with intelligence to increase efficiency at all engine speeds. Internal friction and reduced backpressure have been reduced, yielding upgraded performance through the use of roller-rocker arms and a stainless-steel dual-exhaust system.
Since we spend most of our car time inside the vehicle, real luxury begins in the cabin, and Lexus has done nothing to diminish that sumptuous aspect of its automobiles.
Lexus’ attention to craftsmanship is noticeable with the first look or feel. Premium walnut wood, polished metal and leather accents are elegant in their application. Easy-to-read Optitron gauges add to driving pleasure.
Luxury abounds within, following the SmartAccess and push button start/stop with 10-way power adjustable driver and passenger seats, 2-way power lumbar support, a power tilt-and-slide moonroof, automatic dual climate control, premium sound system, automatic sound levelizer, MP3 capability and a heavy-duty rear window defogger.
Safety is paramount with Lexus and protection is attended to via such included items as eight standard air bags -- dual front, dual front knee, front seat-mounted side-impact and front and rear side curtain airbags. Rear seat side airbags are options that bring the total to 10.
Other safety attributes include vehicle stability control with traction control system, electronic brakeforce distribution, 4-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, energy-managing crumple zones, side door beams, theft-deterrent system with engine immobilizer, variable intermittent wipers with mist control, tire pressure monitor system, a tool kit and first aid kit.
The EBD optimizes braking pressure at each wheel to help minimize body dive or sway during hard braking and cornering. Whether at speed, on the autocross or turning slowly on city streets, the ES350 is a precise-handling car.
This Lexus luxury plus handling decent power comes in at an un-Lexuslike price of only $33,170 (base price). My test vehicle stickered out at a still-aggressive luxury price of $43,989. The $10,819 in options included Intuitive Parking Assist for $500 (uses ultrasonic sensors to detect objects close to the car's front and rear bumpers, alerting the driver and showing distance to objects in the multi-information display within the speedometer).
The Luxury Package which IS Lexus to many, is a $5380 option that includes perforated leather trim interior, memory driver’s and front passenger’s seat, power tilt/telescoping wood steering wheel, panorama glass roof, heated and ventilated front seats, power rear sunshade, rear seat side airbags, driver’s power cushion extender, rain-sensing wipers, Bluetooth and 10-spoke graphite wheels with a full spare tire.
The navigation system will set you back $4050 and includes a Mark Levinson audio package, user-friendly Generation 5 navi system with rear camera for backing up, voice-activation with destination input, 14-speaker surround sound audio, in-dash 6-disc DVD/CD changer and cassette player.
The Preferred Accessory package adds $194 for trunk mat, cargo net and wheel locks and destination charges drop in another $695.
The Lexus ES350 … many believe it is too luxurious to be thought of as ENTRY-luxury.
Visit www.carlisleevents.com for more on the automotive hobby.
MIKE BLAKE, former editor of KIT CAR magazine, joined Carlisle Events as senior automotive journalist in 2004. He's been a "car guy" since the 1960s and has been writing professionally for about 30 years.
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