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Lexus ES 350

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The Lexus ES (officially called the Lexus ES 300, ES 330, or ES 350 depending on the year) is a comfort-oriented mid-size luxury sedan. Although it is essentially a quieter, and more luxuriously appointed version of the Toyota Camry V-6, the front-wheel-drive Lexus ES has all along offered features and options not available in the Camry and in its more recent iterations has been stylistically... Read More Below »

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2012

Overall Rating7.8
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2011

Overall Rating7.8
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2010

Overall Rating8.4
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Lexus ES 350
7.8 out of 10

Lexus ES History

2005 Lexus ES 330

2005 Lexus ES 330

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Shopping for a 2012 Lexus ES 350? MSRP: $36,725

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The Lexus ES (officially called the Lexus ES 300, ES 330, or ES 350 depending on the year) is a comfort-oriented mid-size luxury sedan. Although it is essentially a quieter, and more luxuriously appointed version of the Toyota Camry V-6, the front-wheel-drive Lexus ES has all along offered features and options not available in the Camry and in its more recent iterations has been stylistically more different than the top-selling Toyota sedan. The ES has typically offered more power than the Camry V-6, too.

It's a bit confusing to track the model through the years, as the nomenclature (and engine size) didn't necessarily change at times when the rest of the car was redesigned.

First introduced for 1992, the Lexus ES 300 helped establish the Lexus name and won customers to the brand for its comfort, style, and reliability. Although the first couple of generations of the ES dabbled on the sporty side in some variations, with the third-generation ES that was introduced for 2002 Lexus focused the model even more toward mainstream luxury sedans. It was again called the ES 300 for its first two years, packing a 210-horsepower, 3.0-liter V-6. This model had an even roomier interior than before and included all the extras you would expect to come standard on a luxury car today; a navigation system and excellent Mark Levinson sound-system upgrade were among the options.

For 2004, the ES 300 was given a very slight refresh and new standard equipment, then was renamed the ES 330, gaining a 3.3-liter V-6 making 225 (or 218) hp.

Then the ES was given its latest redesign for 2007, gaining an even larger V-6—this time, a 272-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6, with a six-speed automatic transmission. This current-generation ES 350 has an even plusher ride than before, with excellent soft-touch and wood trim. A number of new tech features—including adaptive cruise control, a pre-collision system, park assist, and adaptive xenon HID headlamps—were offered for the first time in this model.

But there are definitely some downsides to the ES; for one, it's not a good pick if you'd rather stand out; in TheCarConnection.com's review for the 2010 Lexus ES 350 we note the bland exterior, lack of personality, and near absence of driving feedback but also mention the comfort, quiet interior and strong but muted performance that this model does so well. Safety has been excellent, too.

There are certainly plenty more upsides, though. Resale value for the ES, no matter what the model year, has been top-notch; so has reliability. One final note of advice: The new ES 350 is sold in a single trim level, but loading it up with options can add nearly ten grand to the sticker price, bringing it toward the $45k mark.

2009 Lexus ES 350

2009 Lexus ES 350

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If you want a luxury car and favor ride and comfort over performance, the 2012 Lexus ES 350 is one of the better picks, though there are plenty of other options.

The Hyundai Azera and new Buick LaCrosse also tend toward the comfort end of the scale, but both have a very competitive price and the Buick in particular has an expressive new interior that's arguably better looking than that of the Lexus; the Buick also gets a new fuel-efficient eAssist powertrain.

The Nissan Maxima is a sportier option; it has a roomy, stylish interior and more of an emphasis on performance, but it lacks the refinement and isolation of the overall experience in the Lexus and doesn't offer the excellent Lexus dealership experience.

The Lincoln MKZ is also a sharper-edged car, with an interior that is at the same time more stylish but less rich-looking.

The Lincoln’s engine also has more growl, and it's available with all-wheel drive; some might be interested to hear that there's an MKZ Hybrid, with fuel economy ratings of more than 40 mpg.

Acura's TL is a bit sportier than the ES 350, and it can be had in a performance SH-AWD (all-wheel-drive) guise that doesn't forgo much comfort.

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