2007 ES 350 The Lexus THE BEST CAR
The Lexus promise of relentless pursuit of perfection showcases itself in the latest edition of the brand’s premium midsize sedan, the redesigned 2007 ES 350.
This is the best yet in a line of ES models from Lexus, near-luxury sedans derived from Toyota’s best-selling Camry.
For the new model year, both the Camry and ES 350 have received complete makeovers, and the ES gets a new name indicative of its more-powerful engine, a 3.5-liter V-6. Last year, it was the ES 330, with a 3.3-liter V-6. Note, however, that although the Camry comes in a hybrid version (rated 40 city, 38 highway), there is no corresponding ES hybrid.
Launched along with the original LS 400 luxury sedan in 1989, the first in the ES series was the 250, which actually turned out to be too small for American consumers and didn’t catch on right away.
Consumers liked the idea of the baby Lexus, but complained about its cramped interior. So rather quickly, Toyota developed a successor to the ES 250, called the ES 300, based on the chassis of the Camry. Since that car arrived in fall 1991 with a roomier interior and a 3.0-liter V-6 engine, the ES has been the best-seller in the Lexus sedan lineup.
The 2007 model is the fifth generation. The third generation was introduced in September 1996, then the fourth generation in September 2001.
This one has a more stylish exterior than before, along with some new features, including an optional panoramic sunroof that comes close to changing the car into a hardtop convertible.
It’s larger than before, as well. The wheelbase is more than 2 inches longer than that of the 2006 model, and the track is more than an inch wider, which should improve road handling and stability.
As for the car’s reworked exterior, which includes a longer hood and shorter rear deck, Lexus says it represents the brand’s new “L-finesse” design theme, “recalling classic sports-car proportions with a contemporary look unique to all new-generation Lexus sedans.”
The extra length and width and the shorter rear deck help increase interior space, giving the passengers more room in both rows of seats. Two can sit in the front bucket seats, and three on the rear bench.
Base price is $33,170 (plus $695 freight), up just $570 from the 2006 price.
That’s probably a bargain considering that the car has been improved in every aspect — including comfort, safety, performance and craftsmanship, Lexus says.
There is only one trim level offered, and options are limited because the car is already very well-equipped at the base price.
The biggest option, included on our test vehicle, is the premium package ($1,280), which adds a leather-trimmed interior, as well as a memory system for the driver’s seat, outside mirrors and tilt/telescopic steering column. The only other extra on our car was a Bluetooth hands-free communications system ($300).
Total sticker for ours, including freight and options, was $35,445.The ES has evolved to the point at which it’s better than the original LS, company officials say.
The new engine, which is shared with the new Camry, is rated at 272 horsepower and 254 foot-pounds of torque. That puts the ES 350 into the sport sedan class and is a hefty increase from the 225 horsepower and 240 foot-pounds of torque in the 2006 model.
The extra power came in handy as we drove the ES on some fun, twisty Texas Hill Country roads, but also was quite noticeable — and appreciated — on freeway onramps and during passing maneuvers on two-lane country roads.
Adding the power was imperative as most of the ES 350’s major competitors have more than last year’s model, and some, such as the 2007 Infiniti G35 sedan (308 horsepower) have more than even the new ES.
The Cadillac CTS even comes in a 400-horsepower high-performance version, but its midlevel 3.6-liter V-6 — at 255 horsepower — now ranks below the ES 350. The TL is now in third place among these four, with 258 horsepower. (The base model of the CTS, however, has a 2.8-liter V-6 with just 210 horsepower.)
As with the Camry, the ES 350 comes with front-wheel drive; all-wheel drive is not available.
The engine is connected to a six-speed automatic transmission, and the car can accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 6.8 seconds.
Even with all of that power, EPA fuel-economy ratings are a decent 21 miles per gallon in the city and 30 mpg on the highway. The car’s electronic sequential fuel injection “optimizes the fuel mixture” to give improved power and fuel economy, as well as to reduce tailpipe emissions, Lexus says.
Safety also has been greatly improved. Standard features include four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes with electronic brake-force distribution; electronic stability and traction control; eight air bags, including side curtain bags for front and rear passengers; and a tire-pressure monitoring system. Optional are rear seat-mounted side air bags. Knee air bags are new for 2007 and are in place for both the driver and front passenger.
Among other new features are front side windows with a water-repellent surface to help keep rain from obscuring vision; a rear backup camera as part of the optional satellite navigation system; and “intelligent” adaptive front lighting, which moves the headlights slightly into the direction of the car’s turn.
Cloth upholstery is standard, but two leather seating surface upgrades are offered, including extra-soft perforated leather. The car has premium wood, polished metal and leather interior trim packages.
The steering wheel includes controls for the audio system, trip computer and multi-information display, as well as a switch for the Bluetooth hands-free phone system (if the car has it).
And speaking of the audio setup, the ES 350 features a 1980s-vintage anachronism: The 14-speaker Mark Levinson sound system inexplicably includes a tape deck. Because nobody has played a cassette since around 1991, the tape slot makes an excellent place to stash the key fob while you’re driving.
Elsewhere, the available two-section glass roof extends over almost the entire passenger cabin. The front section is the largest and is the only one that opens. The sunroof was not included on our test vehicle, nor were some other interesting options, include radar-based adaptive cruise control, rain-sensing front wipers and a parking-assist system that warns the driver when the car gets too close to an object.
Ride quality is among the ES 350’s greatest attributes, and the cabin is among the quietest in the class.
ROAD TEST
BASE PRICE $33,170 plus $695 freight
AS TESTED $35,445, including freight and options
TYPE Midsize, four-door, five-passenger, front-wheel-drive, V-6-powered premium sedan
ENGINE 3.5-liter V-6
MILEAGE 21 miles per gallon city/30 highway
POWER/
TORQUE
272 horsepower/254 foot-pounds
LENGTH 191.1 inches
WHEELBASE 109.3 inches
CURB WT. 3,580 pounds
TRANSMISSION Six-speed automatic
BRAKES,
FRONT / REAR
Disc/disc, anti-lock
ASSEMBLED IN Fukuoka, Japan
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May 25th, 2007 at 9:08 pm
What separates the men from the boys? In the automotive world, manufacturershave opted to produce athletic divisions from their more conservative lineup. Take for example BMW’s M division, Mercedes’ AMG, Audi’s Quattro GmbH (responsible for the RS cars), Cadillac’s V-series, Chrysler’s SRT division, and even Buick’s new “Super” series at a stretch. Well, Lexus has finally joined the exclusive “Ivy League” of ultra sport sedans with the unveiling of their upcoming IS-F based on its sporty, compact siblings, IS 250 and IS 350. The “F” stands for Flagship and is the new performance brand division of the Lexus lineup. Not so ironic is the fact that “F1” (Flagship 1) was used by Lexus designers almost 20 years ago as an internal code for the pending launch of the revolutionary LS 400.
Lexus has always taken pride in producing vehicles that emphasize technology, comfort, and refinement. I recall one of the first advertisements for the LS 400 sedan had a pyramid of champagne glasses on the hood, while the car accelerated on a dyno, a display of how silkysmooth the V8 engine was, even under strain. Unfortunately, this ultimate display of refinement has been a double edged sword for Lexus. Deemed as too refined and subdued, Lexus never seemed to escape a lesser ranking when compared to German designed drivability and handling fun factor. The first IS (Intelligent Sports) sedan reached the North American shores in 2001 as the IS 300 in North America (aka Altezza in Japan), a rear-drive sport-tuned luxury compact sedan that had its sights on gunning down the BMW 3-Series. In what some would call an unusual way, the IS created a revolution in styling; for example the taillight treatment with lamps and bezels enclosed in a clear plastic casing, started the revolution of aftermarket “Altezza” style copy cat applications for many modified and new cars. As for the car itself, it was unusually sporty looking, a far cry from the soft, aerodynamiccurves of the SC, ES and LS. Unfortunately, even with all the technological bells and whistles that the IS had to offer, drivers complained about the lack of precision feel for the road when compared to German counterparts. Partially to blame was the overly zealous Lexus driver management system that cut in to take control of the ride/handling characteristics to preserve driver safety.
Fast forward five years and Lexus’ “L-Finesse” design language has matured the IS’ identity to become one of the better looking cars in the class. Additionally it’s now a performance sedan with the impressively powerful 306-horsepower IS 350 model, which outpaced BMW’s top of the line 3-Series upon introduction and has seemingly started a new horsepower war. Now, Lexus is hauling out its biggest gun to date, stuffing a brand new 5.0-liter V8 engine under the hood for the IS-F. It is a pure performance thoroughbred beefed up tothe tune of 400-plus horsepower and 350 ft-lb of torque, but these figures have yet to be confirmed so there’s a good chance that they might grow. The engine also features two-mode fuel injection (direct and port injection), two stages for the variable intake system.
With such a powerful engine, the new IS-F will sprint from zero-to-60 in less than 4.9 seconds with the help of a whopping eight-speed direct sport shift transmission that features paddles, plus a torque converter lockup on gears 2 through 8, allowing the driver to make swift gear changes in 0.1 seconds. When down shifting, the throttle system automatically revs to match the engine speed with vehicle speed, making the gear change almost seamless. Having all this power at your fingertips … Imean at your right foot doesn’t mean much if you can’t transfer that power to the ground without spinning your tires. The Lexus Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management (VDIM) system offers 3 driving modes: Normal, Sport, and OFF. Yes, it’s true, Lexus has finally offered a fully “OFF” switch for the traction and stability control for those times when you want to take over the control of the entire driving experience. Given all these drive settings, Lexus claims, “The result is a car with more grip, more responsiveness, more driver feedback and more agility than anything we’ve ever produced.”
As for the skeleton of the IS-F, it’s like the IS in that it’s a proper rear-wheel drive vehicle, and is equipped with a double-wishbone front and multi-link rear suspension for improved traction. Supporting this performance-oriented drivetrain, engine oil and transmission fluid coolers will keep things from getting too hot. What’s more, high G-force driving is noproblem thanks to a head-scavenging oil pump, ensuring all parts are well lubricated.
Like a sculpted body builder, the IS-F’s muscles are easily noted, compared to its skinnier siblings. From the front, you’ll see the aggressive bumper with its bigger air dam, reminiscent of Nissan’s R34 Skyline GT-R produced in Japan. The hood is bulkier and rests higher to accommodate the V8, and the front fenders are flared to complete the aggressive stance. Turn around to the side and anyone can point out the array of not so subtle cues that this car is meant for speed; check out the gill-like vent behind the front wheel-well and how it integrates to become the side skirts. Whether you like this “body kit” look or not, you must agree that the IS-F has the goods to justify its confident strut. Riding on a sports suspension system, the overall stance is lowered by about half an inch from a base IS and complimented by staggered 19-inch turbine-like BBS forged alloys. With great power comes great responsibility; the IS-F braking system comes in the form of 14.2-inch cross drilled front discs clasped by six-piston Brembo calipers, while the rear houses a set of 13.6-inch discs and two-piston calipers. The muscular cues extend to the rear; notice the vertically stacked twin quad exhaust tips on each side. About the only thing that is understated about the IS-F is the integrated lip spoiler on the trunk lid.
The IS-F interior offers hints of the car’s extraordinary athleticism, but they’re more subdued. The “F” badge is proudly placed where the center spoke meets the perforated leather rim of the steering wheel, on the rear armrest and on the outside bolsters of the front seats. Behind the wheel are the two chromed paddle-shifters for the 8-speed ‘box, with blue backlit illumination. The gauges are near identical to its sibling IS, though themulti-function trip computer gains information about oil temperature, and is displayed in a much brighter shade of blue. The interior is muted in matte black material with dashes of elegant chrome and matte metallic trims and finishes. Aluminized composite panels are laced throughout the cabin as well, most notably on the console and door handles to create an industrial-sport feel when compared to the wood grain panels of its sibling. The driver will be securely nestled in the specially designed shoulder, back, and hip-hugging leather seats that come in either all black or high-contrast white and black trim. Also, the center position on the rear bench has been deleted, so the IS-F is now a four-seater.
After seeing the changes made to this compact luxury mutant, I like to think that the “F” in IS-F stands for more than just flagship. “Fast” immediately comes to mind, since it sounds like it’ll be an equal match for the new 420-horsepower BMW M3, its arch rival, the Audi RS4, and Mercedes’ upcoming C63 AMG. On the contrary, it could also stand for “Fear”, which is what the builders of these particular rivals might feel, given that it’s the first time that a Japanese luxury car maker has charted into these waters. Or, perhaps even “Fun” for the person behind the wheel, something that’s eluded Lexus for decades but is now starting to show up regularly with each new product. Whatever “F” stands for in your vocabulary, you’ll soon have the opportunity to find out for yourself as the IS-F lands in dealerships next spring