Day-by-Day Review: 2011 Lexus ES 350

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2011 Lexus ES 350

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This week I am piloting the Lexus ES 350 — or am I really just a passenger in this luxury cruiser? My plan for the week was to compare it to the less-expensive but seemingly identical Toyota Avalon, but those plans have backfired somewhat as it has been nearly a year since I last drove the Avalon and, well, I can’t remember small nuances that far back.

What I do remember about the Avalon was that it offered a great highway ride, exceptional comfort, plenty of toys (including navigation) and it surprised me with exceptional fuel economy from its 3.5-litre V6 engine.

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My ES 350 tester should provide all the same. It should also be equipped with more luxury features, although at first glance I don’t see much more here than what was in the Avalon. Missing is the navigation system that I was hoping to have for a trip to Detroit this weekend. But what is added seems to be more supple leather and luxury touches that perhaps are accented by the black exterior with chrome accents and aluminum wheels.

The base price for the ES 350 is $42,150 and my tester adds only $500 to this for the Touring package. That seems to be an excellent value, though, adding upgraded premium alloy wheels, a rear spoiler, and an HID adaptive (steerable) front lighting system.

Standard features on the ES include dual-zone climate control, power telescopic steering wheel, Bluetooth, Lexus premium audio, heated leather seats and, of course, the aforementioned 3.5-litre V6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

2011 Lexus ES 350
MSRP as tested (excluding destination): $42,785

For more information on Lexus and the ES 350 visit Lexus Canada

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Nothing exciting to see here, but nothing really bad either: that kind of describes the interior of the Lexus ES 350 — it just “is.” It is luxurious, understated and well, to be honest, pretty plain for a luxury car in the 21st century.

I actually had a co-worker today who spotted the interior photo on my computer ask me if that was a photo of an “old” ES. Yikes, nope that’s the new one. We all know that a redesign is coming and it is a little overdue it seems.

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As far as comfort and versatility, though, the ES does have that going for it. I can comment further on comfort after a long drive to Detroit, but right now I’m struggling with some back issues with the seats for some reason, as I have never had problems in a Toyota or Lexus before.

I also find the headroom to be lacking, as with the seat all the way down, my head is pretty tight to the sunroof. Headroom and legroom in the back seats is excellent and trunk space is even more so with a massive amount of space, waiting to swallow at least four sets of golf clubs.

I wish I had more to say about this Lexus interior. The buttons and switches are all within reach, they look okay, feel fine and perform their tasks. Nothing really stands out, as everything kind of fades away into the background to offer a no-nonsense driving experience. Perhaps that in itself is high praise for a vehicle that seems to excel at offering its owners a comfortable and drama-free experience.

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Normally, day three is where I just talk about the driving dynamics of my test vehicle. This week, day three may be a little light on content because I would like to wait to offer my opinion until after I spend about 10 hours behind the wheel on a trip to Detroit this weekend.

So far, my impressions are positive as I could easily get used to this car’s quiet-driving comfort and the soft “Cadillac”-type ride the Lexus ES 350 offers. I have found that visibility leaves me a little worried; the side mirrors are rather small and I don’t feel I can trust them as much as I typically do for some reason.

My first few days with the car had me in back pain after about 20 minutes behind the wheel. Thankfully, this seems to have faded away and I hope that it does not come back for my long weekend trip.

I would say that the 3.5-litre V6 is still as strong as I expected despite being down slightly on power from last year, but now requiring only regular-grade fuel. The six-speed automatic transmission is silky smooth, except when first starting up.

I have tested the car’s handling characteristics a bit and although the ES 350 is more capable than most of its drivers will ever be, the tires let it down as they scream in agony at the slightest amount of lateral exercise. I look forward to the weekend trip and reporting back on my findings. My weekly fuel economy so far is sitting at a handsome 8.8L/100km, and I expect this to be much better on my all-highway drive.

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A 10-hour drive one day, followed by another two hours the next has solidified my impressions of the ES 350 from Lexus. Out on the open road, you won’t find a car much better than the ES at soaking up the road and its imperfections. Set the cruise at a speed you feel will not attract too much attention and just hold on with one finger until you reach your destination.

Most ES owners won’t be able to last as long as the fuel does, as I was able to make the trip from Ottawa to Cornwall and then to Windsor on one tank, for a total of roughly 900 km with some to spare. Average fuel consumption was 8.0L/100km, and I was traveling at a good clip. If one were to stick to 100 km/h, much better fuel consumption could be achieved.

Was I sore after 10 hours? Well, my buttocks were a little but I was in good shape and not tired, and my passenger felt the same. Did the car encourage patience during the drive? Not much does for me, so I’ll say no, but leaving the race track today I was in no big hurry.

If you want to travel in style, there are many cars to choose from. If you want to do so without feeling the road, and the fatigue it can cause, the ES is your car.

*Rating out of 5: