2014 Lexus ES350
Once upon a time the Lexus ES350 ruled the near-luxury sedan roost, accounting for a significant fraction of total sales in that segment. These days there are many more players to choose from, and the segment itself has been cannibalized by crossovers and sportier offerings—even from Lexus itself. That makes it quite a challenge for product planners to keep the ES350 relevant.
Obviously they decided—quite consciously—to keep it looking conservative, so as to not alienate older clientele. And they succeeded, for this Lexus certainly will pass unnoticed to eyes jaded by exposure to flashier metal. That may be a problem in today’s market, where even grandpa wants big shiny rims on his whip, and where the ES350’s standard 17-inch wheels look almost apologetic.
They certainly don’t do much to help with this entry-level Lexus’ ride quality, which is underdamped and wallowy. Obviously the chassis engineer’s job was to make a “soft” riding car, but the net result is something which is floaty and undisciplined yet jolting and unsettled over sharp bumps. In 2014 even Buick’s are comfortable riding yet handle well. Some of the Lexus IS and GS chassis and steering magic sprinkled here would go a long way here—even the revamped 2015 Camry’s settings would be a big improvement.
What doesn’t need any help is the ES350’s powertrain. The corporate 3.5-liter V6 is a modern day classic: silky smooth, torquey low down yet free-revving and fun to push towards the redline. Likewise the six-speed automatic transmission, which is an able partner in combining decent fuel economy with quick acceleration.
The ES350’s interior is a nice place to be overall, if not the standout cockpit that the smaller Lexus IS serves up. Most materials are high quality (especially lovely is the bamboo wood trim on the top, “Ultra Luxury” option package) and seating very comfortable front and back, but the center console is made of hard, scratchy plastic and is poorly laid out for modern, smartphone carrying people. Likewise the infotainment system is bug-proof and easy to fathom but uses the older, mouse-like interface instead of Lexus’ new finger controlled interface.
If it sounds like Lexus has been lavishing resources elsewhere of late, that is probably true. As they bifurcate their product line into cars and crossovers aimed at two different buyer demographics—old and young—inevitably some things will get missed or not cooked to perfection. There’s little inherently wrong with the ES350; a recalibration of its dampers and other suspension components would improve ride and handling, and if properly handled allow the use of bigger, sexier standard rims. Tweaking the front and rear fascias would also make it stand out more in a crowded segment. While still the safe choice, the ES350 is no longer the best choice.
EPA ratings: 21/31mpg; 24mpg combined
Price as tested: $45,920
Here is what Lexus has to say.
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