Just Spent 24 Hrs W/ 350.

[tdgreer]

I took my 04 330 in for the 30,000 mile service yesterday morning and was given a 350 loaner. I was looking forward to spending a day with the 350 to see how I would like it. My 15 year old son will be in need of a car next summer. My 25 yr old daughter wants to hand down her 2 door accord to my son and hoped I would pass on my 330 to her as I slide into the 350.

I do like the drive of the 350. The exterior styling is not great, but I can get used to it. The newer bells and whisles are great. What I can't get used to is the interior. Lexus really took a huge step backwards here. I am really disappointed. The overall look and feel is cheapened. The wood is not as nice, and not nearly enough. I hate the dash... the lifeless top of the dash that carries over toward the glove box. Why is it the glove box when opened and closed feels lighter and cheaper? Even the sun shade that you open and close for the moon roof feels cheaper. Positives is that there appears to be a little more leg room. My husband is 6'2'', my 15 yr old son, 6 ft. (expecting to grow a bit more). They find it roomier in the legs. However, my husbands head touches the roof where it begins to fur down toward the door. He put the seat down as far as it could go. So even though there is more leg room, it looks like some head room has been taken away.

When I bought my 330 in 2004, we looked at and test drove the GS and the ES. I liked the power and exterior of the GS, but I liked the interior luxury of the ES. But even though I am the primary driver, my husband just didn't fit in the GS nearly as well. I have just taken another look at the GS, and I definitely like the GS interior over that of the 350.

At this point I'm not sure I'll be ready to part with my 330 for the 350. When I got my 330 back this morning, it was really nice to slide into it and feel like I am in a Lexus. I may take another look at the GS, and have my husband try it out again. I'm not interested in the LS. I just don't need that much car. Perhaps when we are older, and my husband drives my car about as much as I do.

[1lola1]

Wow. That's eerie. You and I are in the same boat. I was very excited to drive the ES350 when my '03 was in for maintenance. Boy, was I disappointed. The exterior was fine. The drive was very pleasing, particularly compared to my '03. But I could not get past the interior of that car. I literally went back and just sat in the car at the dealer trying my best to will myself to like it. It didn't work. I too drove the GS and liked it very much. Of course, the interior is a different feel from the ES, but quite nice. I drove the '07 BMW 530 the other day. Forget it! With about 10 years of driving Lexus cars (the husband's and mine), I've clearly become spoiled. I'm planning on driving the GS one more time this week and perhaps one other model. Then, hopefully, I will arrive at a decision.

[daysean]

I took my 04 330 in for the 30,000 mile service yesterday morning and was given a 350 loaner. I was looking forward to spending a day with the 350 to see how I would like it. My 15 year old son will be in need of a car next summer. My 25 yr old daughter wants to hand down her 2 door accord to my son and hoped I would pass on my 330 to her as I slide into the 350.

I do like the drive of the 350. The exterior styling is not great, but I can get used to it. The newer bells and whisles are great. What I can't get used to is the interior. Lexus really took a huge step backwards here. I am really disappointed. The overall look and feel is cheapened. The wood is not as nice, and not nearly enough. I hate the dash... the lifeless top of the dash that carries over toward the glove box. Why is it the glove box when opened and closed feels lighter and cheaper? Even the sun shade that you open and close for the moon roof feels cheaper. Positives is that there appears to be a little more leg room. My husband is 6'2'', my 15 yr old son, 6 ft. (expecting to grow a bit more). They find it roomier in the legs. However, my husbands head touches the roof where it begins to fur down toward the door. He put the seat down as far as it could go. So even though there is more leg room, it looks like some head room has been taken away.

When I bought my 330 in 2004, we looked at and test drove the GS and the ES. I liked the power and exterior of the GS, but I liked the interior luxury of the ES. But even though I am the primary driver, my husband just didn't fit in the GS nearly as well. I have just taken another look at the GS, and I definitely like the GS interior over that of the 350.

At this point I'm not sure I'll be ready to part with my 330 for the 350. When I got my 330 back this morning, it was really nice to slide into it and feel like I am in a Lexus. I may take another look at the GS, and have my husband try it out again. I'm not interested in the LS. I just don't need that much car. Perhaps when we are older, and my husband drives my car about as much as I do.

You clearly are a snob of the highest order I hate to say. I know that is blunt but I think you are totally wrong. This car is fantastic. I just got mine and it hands down beats all the older ES models in most every category. That lexus / toyota can keep this car priced this way with this amount of fit and finish detail and features is amazing. Yeah some areas you have mentioned have been slightly altered. But how else do you expect lexus / toyota to keep this car's price down???? I think you are being very one sided in your opinion and it is really sad.

[Buford]

You clearly are a snob of the highest order I hate to say.

Nice first post.

Who is starting the pool on when this guy gets his moderator smack-down?

[SW03ES]

You clearly are a snob of the highest order I hate to say. I know that is blunt but I think you are totally wrong. This car is fantastic. I just got mine and it hands down beats all the older ES models in most every category. That lexus / toyota can keep this car priced this way with this amount of fit and finish detail and features is amazing. Yeah some areas you have mentioned have been slightly altered. But how else do you expect lexus / toyota to keep this car's price down???? I think you are being very one sided in your opinion and it is really sad.

You're new here so I'm going to be nice and just tell you this in a friendly way. You are completely out of line. All viewpoints are welcome here and just because you may disagree with others doesn't give you the right to call them names.

Its wonderful that you're happy with your car, its a great car, but many of us previous ES owners are not happy with the interior. You're just going to have to get used to reading opinions that don't mirror yours and treating those members with respect or you're going to have to find another forum to post in. Disagree all you want but if you call another member a name here you're gone. Clear?

This has nothing to do with the above members remarks but I don't buy the excuse "we have to keep the price down". There are PLENTY of cars in the ES price segment now (which is the most expensive ES ever BTW) that have feature content similar and have better interior materials and more upscale looking interiors. Lexus is trying to fatten the bottom line by chintzing the consumer with the interior of this car. Its a shame. As for people "expecting too much". Its a $45,000 car, its hardly inexpensive. Buyers have a right to demand quality in a vehicle, thats what MADE Lexus in the first place. Buyers especially have the right to demand quality touches that are available in the model less expensive thant the one they're buying (triple stitched leather). I like the ES350, I really do. I do however think that while I would love the ride and drive, the exterior styling, and all the great new features, I'd always be dissapointed in the interior if I traded for one. So it will either be a GS350 next time for me, an Infiniti M35 or I'll drive mine until I can talk myself into paying the bucks for an LS460.

[tdgreer]

You clearly are a snob of the highest order I hate to say. I know that is blunt but I think you are totally wrong. This car is fantastic. I just got mine and it hands down beats all the older ES models in most every category. That lexus / toyota can keep this car priced this way with this amount of fit and finish detail and features is amazing. Yeah some areas you have mentioned have been slightly altered. But how else do you expect lexus / toyota to keep this car's price down???? I think you are being very one sided in your opinion and it is really sad.

Oh my. I'm hurt. :cries:

Seriously... I do hope there is a small part of you that can and will respect other opinions and view points. Perhaps you were having an extremely bad day when you posted this? I currently participate in several forums, many that I rarely visit anymore because they have become horrid with too many postings that are quite similar to yours. Luckily this forum has been different. It has been a pleasure to visit and post here because the members and moderators do want to keep this forum not only informative, but also respectful, so that it can be a pleasure for it's members and visitors.

I'm glad you are enjoying your 350. Good luck to you.

[SW03ES]

Oh my. I'm hurt. :cries:

LOL, we'll have to get some therapy to get through this difficult time wont we?

[Buford]

Oh well... he hasn't posted again. Perhaps it was just an internet drive-by.

Frankly, I have found the comments here to be very useful... both pro and con the new ES. They have made me consider other cars... such as the other Lexus models, a loaded Camry, a BMW 5-series, a Mercedes-Benz C-class and the Infiniti G35. I may end up coming back to the ES, but it will be as a better informed consumer.

[mburnickas]

daysean - Give the person a break. They gave there reasons and they like there older ES's. At least they did not move to GM..

[obgod3]

I think it you go look at the interiors of the cars in the 45-55K range you wont find much difference, they have all gone pretty sterile, even the MB and BMW, I looked at every car between these ranges and it really was not a lot diffferent, Lexus in my opinion still had a better interior than the MB or BMW, the 07 GS was nice but not noticably different than the ES and had less room, I have 3 teenagers, need room.

I would even extend this theory to cars even priced higher as I dont think anyone is being very distinctive, they are trying to muddy the water to make the decision easier for folks. Not that it is a good thing.

[Buford]

the 07 GS was nice but not noticably different than the ES and had less room, I have 3 teenagers, need room.

This was a big problem for us too. Before I visited the dealership, I was more interested in the GS and IS models. Once we saw how tight they were in the back seats, we decided the ES was better for our needs. We didn't have time to look at the LS, but we will when we return to the dealership sometime next year. We will also give the MB and BMW offerings a close look. As much as I love the tactile way they drive, I've had unpleasant ownership experiences with German cars... so they would have to really knock us off our feet.

[obgod3]

Thats interesting I went in clearly looking to buy the GS, and look at the IS too. LS is a little more than what I care to spend.

[Buford]

We weren't ready to buy anything when we made our visit. I'd even guess that we may be a year or more away from our purchase. I like the more sporty character of the IS (and to a lesser extent, the GS). But, the leg room in the back seats of both of them is just too cramped.

[Rx330driver]

the ES interior is greatly improved if you get the nav...without it, its pretty much lifeless. however, i do also agree that they had to make some cutbacks in order to keep the price so low. great car for the money.