The highest rating I’ve ever given to a car was a hair short of a perfect 10, and it was for the flagship Lexus LS 500 that I drove in 2018. It was a memorable drive, and I couldn’t help but recount those times as I sat inside the Lexus ES 350 that I tested for this review. The feeling was uncanny.
If you’re in the market for a premium midsize sedan, let me share my thoughts on the ES 350 after a few days of testing one. It’s not as perfect as the LS I’ve tested before, but it’s around the ballpark. Read along.
Exterior
The Lexus ES is the Japanese luxury marque’s midsize sedan, and while the previous generations of the nameplate shared platforms with the Toyota Camry, this version that I tested was more closely related to the Avalon, a model not sold in the Philippines.
With that said, the ES 350 is huge by midsize sedan standards, but not as massive as its German counterparts – and that’s what makes this car great in terms of drivability, but more on that later.
Design-wise, there’s nothing I can complain about the ES 350’s exterior. Thinking beyond the fact that the sportier F Sport isn’t sold here, the aggressively styled grille forms a poetic collaboration with the car’s sharp curves and sultry lines, ending with a swoopy C-pillar that ends at a short rear deck in fastback fashion. The full LED configuration, front and back, isn’t a surprise, and boy do they look stunning especially at night.
Despite the unexciting Ice Ecru Mica Metallic color that the media tester came with, it doesn’t look too old school in my opinion because of the overall form. If anything, the elegance that the color brings to the table adds contrast to the youthful aggression, and I’d count that as a plus.
Interior
It’s obvious that Lexus has learned so much over the years that luxury is beyond what the eyes can see, especially inside the cabin. The contrast of textures, the use of dark wood veneers, even the feedback of every button, and the way my elbows land on the center console cushions feel outstanding; I can’t help but think how car brands these days lie and call their cars luxurious in people’s faces.
With a wheelbase that’s as long as its German counterparts, the ES 350’s cabin space is beyond question. At the back where most of this car’s buyers will spend their time, the feeling fits the price, addicting even, with privacy screens available to use for that needed anonymity. The rear seats also recline to boost comfort, though the backrests don’t fold down to maximize trunk space – not that you need to since the default 473L of cargo volume is already massive by any standard.
Just one miss with the overall design, though: the inner A-pillar of the ES 350 comes in black, while the headliner’s white (or off-white). That small detail is hard to unsee, especially that the other pillars are in the same color as the headliner.
Beyond that caveat, the ES is practically a smaller LS in terms of overall cabin comfort and design – that’s worth something to mention considering their price gap.
Tech & Safety
Lexus could have gone all out with its tech toys in the Lexus ES 350, but it seems like price consideration’s a factor to make this car competitive in the market. It only has regular cruise control, plus the camera’s limited to the rear parking assistance. There isn’t any wireless charging capability, as well.
But everything else is what you’ll expect from a luxury sedan. All seat adjustments are electronic, and that includes the steering wheel position. Every time you switch off your engine, the cabin opens up for easy egress and ingress but returns to your saved position as you start the car. Even the trunk lid opens automatically, whether via a button or by showing your Cole Haan by the boot sensor. Seat ventilation is also standard for all passengers.
Probably the crown of the cabin is the massive 12.3-inch Lexus Premium Navigation screen that’s perfectly positioned on the dashboard. While the touchpad isn’t the best thing on the planet, the whole system is intuitive to operate. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto aren’t standard but that’s fine as a regular Bluetooth connection is all you need to play your jazz and classical music via an unprecedented 17-speaker Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound System. Truth be told, the last time I heard something as awe-inspiring as this was in another Lexus.
Driving & Handling
The Lexus ES 350 is a long sedan, but it wasn’t as long and bulky as its German contemporaries. Driving around the city wasn’t stressful, plus the electronically assisted steering doesn’t take too much away from the needed ground feedback.
At 2,150 kg, the Lexus ES 350 sounds stubby, but the 300-hp 3.5L V6 with Dual VVT-i gasoline engine does a phenomenal job to effortlessly pull the car at desirable speeds, even beyond.
But the crème de la crème is this car’s ride comfort. Lexus has done a great job in equipping it with a damping and noise insulation system that protects its occupants from outside harshness. And that adds to the overall premium feeling – whether you’re behind the wheel or at the back seats resting after a long day of meetings.
Verdict
What constitutes a genuine luxury car? It isn’t just about the materials used in the cabin, or the way even the most mundane things become convenient for you. It’s the overall feeling inside the cabin – a feeling that transcends deeper levels of sense and perception, making you bond with the car into an emotional level.
The Lexus ES 350 is all that and more, in a package that costs below P5-million. In recent years, the words luxury and premium are thrown around too much, to the point that no one knows the true meaning of those words anymore. But you’ll never learn the true meaning of luxury without experiencing a Lexus, especially the ES 350.
