2013 Es350 Test Drive First Impressions

[mhawkin1]

I test drove a 2013 ES350 today. I have been waiting on this car for some time as I have a 2008 ES350 and had high hopes of trading for the 2013. The '08 ES is the longest I have ever owned a car, because I like it so well.

First impressions – the 2013 is gorgeous on the outside. It is somewhat similar to the 07-12 in person, especially from behind. The front looks great, and better in person than in print. The standard 17” wheels look like the 18” wheels from the marketing materials – much nicer than the 17” wheels that have been advertised. The interior feels MUCH higher in quality than the previous generation; the fit and finish are superb. The gauges and steering wheel are spectacular - much nicer than the 07-12.

The first thing I noticed when I sat down was the height and the intrusiveness of the dash – it is too high in my opinion. It feels like you are sitting in this car, way in it, whereas the previous generation feels like you are sitting atop the car. I know this is what Lexus was going for and many people like it, as I am sure there have been exhaustive studies and tests about the interior, but it was jarring to my senses.

The only other oddity was that the dash and the doors meet up in an odd way – they do not meet up with a sweeping line. I have to say, I didn’t mind it though. It was a nice departure from the molded norm.

The drive was all Lexus, smooth, quiet - fantastic.

The cowl height was enough to keep me from placing my order today. There may be a hybrid RX in my future. Or, I may be buried in my '08, I'm sure it would last forever.

Please know these are just my opinions. I am interested to hear all of yours.

[SW03ES]

Cool!

I got a call from the dealer I got my 2010 from that they have a 2013, but they're 30 miles away...I stopped by the local dealer today but they didn't have one. I'll try again...

yeah the dash height is the new thing, when you drive all the new cars, BMW, Mercedes, etc they all have tall dashes.

[LexBob2]

I test drove a 2013 ES350 today. I have been waiting on this car for some time as I have a 2008 ES350 and had high hopes of trading for the 2013. The '08 ES is the longest I have ever owned a car, because I like it so well.

First impressions – the 2013 is gorgeous on the outside. It is somewhat similar to the 07-12 in person, especially from behind. The front looks great, and better in person than in print. The standard 17” wheels look like the 18” wheels from the marketing materials – much nicer than the 17” wheels that have been advertised. The interior feels MUCH higher in quality than the previous generation; the fit and finish are superb. The gauges and steering wheel are spectacular - much nicer than the 07-12.

The first thing I noticed when I sat down was the height and the intrusiveness of the dash – it is too high in my opinion. It feels like you are sitting in this car, way in it, whereas the previous generation feels like you are sitting atop the car. I know this is what Lexus was going for and many people like it, as I am sure there have been exhaustive studies and tests about the interior, but it was jarring to my senses.

The only other oddity was that the dash and the doors meet up in an odd way – they do not meet up with a sweeping line. I have to say, I didn’t mind it though. It was a nice departure from the molded norm.

The drive was all Lexus, smooth, quiet - fantastic.

The cowl height was enough to keep me from placing my order today. There may be a hybrid RX in my future. Or, I may be buried in my '08, I'm sure it would last forever.

Please know these are just my opinions. I am interested to hear all of yours.

How was the steering and handling in the 2013 vs. your 2008? I've read some early reviews that both have been improved a bit - And I've read a couple that say there isn't much difference. As much as I've enjoyed my '07 and '10 I would like sharper steering and handling from the ES.

I sat in a new 2013 yesterday and like you was more impressed with the exterior and interior in person vs. the pictures. I wasn't crazy about the pics of the new dash but it wss pretty nice in person.

[mhawkin1]

I drove a 2012 E350 Mercedes a few weeks ago. I noticed that dash was also high, but it was not as shocking as the ES. But, I do not have the affinity for the Benz so that may have some effect on my opinion.

I am the worst person to ask about handling as I drive about as slowly as anyone I know. If I had to make a call, the steering felt slightly tighter and the ride slightly firmer, but nothing drastic at all. The difference between Eco, Normal and Sport was much more noticeable.

The biggest take away for me is the step-up in fit and finish and the quality of materials. It is the polar-opposite of my feelings in 2006 when the 2007 model was released. While I like the exterior look of the 07-12 vs. 02-06, the quality of the Gen4 was noticeably higher than the Gen5.

[LexBob2]

I drove a 2012 E350 Mercedes a few weeks ago. I noticed that dash was also high, but it was not as shocking as the ES. But, I do not have the affinity for the Benz so that may have some effect on my opinion.

I am the worst person to ask about handling as I drive about as slowly as anyone I know. If I had to make a call, the steering felt slightly tighter and the ride slightly firmer, but nothing drastic at all. The difference between Eco, Normal and Sport was much more noticeable.

The biggest take away for me is the step-up in fit and finish and the quality of materials. It is the polar-opposite of my feelings in 2006 when the 2007 model was released. While I like the exterior look of the 07-12 vs. 02-06, the quality of the Gen4 was noticeably higher than the Gen5.

Thanks for the information. For the most part, I'm not a fast or aggressive driver, but do like more feel and responsiveness to the steering even at slower speeds. I'm anxious to test drive a 2013 and see what it feels like vs. my 2010.

[pj8708]

My dealer just got their first shipment of 2013"s , ES and I'm stoping in tommorow to check it out.

When I was told they had come in, one of the service advisor's said he didn't like them as much as the 2012. It had nothing to do with the enginering or mechanics, it was all based on appearance and visual design. I'll let you know my thoughts.

[SW03ES]

I'd be interested to know your thoughts.

[Uncle Ben]

I test drove one yesterday and bought one. The test vehicle was equipped with the Touring Package. IMHO, this generation does not cede anything away from previous generations in terms of luxury, comfort, and quietness of the ride; but it gains a bit in terms of handling, steering and overall driveability; even more so when in Sport mode. This is not what the purists call a "drivers' car" and it's not meant to be either. But in addition to the plush comfort of a Lexus, this generation offers a more enjoyable drive IMHO.

[Uncle Ben]

Two weeks later... I love it. One small criticism- on rough pavement, there is noticeable road noise coming into the cabin. But other than that, there is nothing I don't like about this car.

The Mark Levinson sound system that comes with the Touring Package is incredible.

I didn't think much of ventilated seats ...but now that I have them, they're great.

I noticed something very peculiar about the HID headlamps. On a roller coaster stretch of raod in my neck of the woods, when going down hill, the headlamps point straight down lighting an arc of perhaps 50 or so feet ahead; but anything beyond that is completely dark. Not a big deal, as turning on the high beams immediately lights up more than I need. But I must admit that it took me totally by surprise. Is this the way these HID lamps should work, or are my headlamps out of alignment somehow? On a regular stretch of road, the headlamps are great, the brightest I've ever seen.

In any case, I'm due for my first inspectiong at the 1,600 km mark, so I'll mention it to the service folks and see what they say. Any comments?

[LexBob2]

Two weeks later... I love it. One small criticism- on rough pavement, there is noticeable road noise coming into the cabin. But other than that, there is nothing I don't like about this car.

The Mark Levinson sound system that comes with the Touring Package is incredible.

I didn't think much of ventilated seats ...but now that I have them, they're great.

I noticed something very peculiar about the HID headlamps. On a roller coaster stretch of raod in my neck of the woods, when going down hill, the headlamps point straight down lighting an arc of perhaps 50 or so feet ahead; but anything beyond that is completely dark. Not a big deal, as turning on the high beams immediately lights up more than I need. But I must admit that it took me totally by surprise. Is this the way these HID lamps should work, or are my headlamps out of alignment somehow? On a regular stretch of road, the headlamps are great, the brightest I've ever seen.

In any case, I'm due for my first inspectiong at the 1,600 km mark, so I'll mention it to the service folks and see what they say. Any comments?

The HID's do have a sharp cut off. it took me a while to get used to it. I agree, they are great otherwise and I wouldn't have a car without them.

[SW03ES]

What you're noticing is the auto-leveling system for the HIDs. Is this your first car with HIDs?

As for the road noise, what tires does yours have? The Michelins or the Bridgestones?

[Uncle Ben]

What you're noticing is the auto-leveling system for the HIDs. Is this your first car with HIDs?

As for the road noise, what tires does yours have? The Michelins or the Bridgestones?

Hi. Yes, it is my first car with HIDs. After doing some drilling on the Internet, I don't think the auto-levelling system is working properly. If the car is going down a steep hill, the HIDs should not be pointing directly downward but self-level-is that correct?

The car came with 18" Michelin. The road noise is really not a big deal ...

I just raise the audio. ^_^

[Uncle Ben]

About the auto-leveling system, the manual states: "The level of the headlights is automatically adjusted according to the number of passengers and the loading condition of the vehicle to ensure that the headlights do not interfere with other road users." So if this is correct, then I should not any adjustments when going down a steep hill; and I just have to get use to the fact that the HID headlights have a sharp cut off.

I will definitely bring this up when I bring the car in for the first inspection ... but meanwhile, it would be interested to see what others have to say. I always thought that auto-levelling HIDs meant that the senor would determine if the car is tilted upward or downward, and adjust the headlamps accordingly.

[SW03ES]

They're working properly. They level, but they level to avoid blinding oncoming drivers, not to increase light output.

[Uncle Ben]

My concern was never about light output, but about the direction of the light.

Having done quite a bit of surfing on this topic, it turns out that I'm not the only one to have problems with this. I'm telling you, when going down a steep hill, those lights are pointing straight down, lighting up an arc of no more than 50' feet or so ahead; and beyond that it's total darkness!

Again, once past the initial 'shock,' it's not that big a deal - a quick flip of the high-beams and everything is fine. A bit of a paradox, isn't it? The auto-leveling feature, which supposedly adjusts w/o blinding incoming traffic, forces you to turn on your blinding high beams in order to see what the hell is going on beyond tghe 50' arc!

Is this how all auto-levelling HIDs work? It seems strange to me. I always thought that the lights would adjust slightly, without blinding any incoming traffic, when the car is on an incline.

I just wanted to know if this behavior is normal, and I think you just confirmed that. Yet, it would nice if other ES 350 owners would chime in and tell us how they feel about the performance of their auto-levelling HID headlamps on a roller-coaster country road.

Cheers!

[SW03ES]

I know people complain about it, but I've owned 5 cars with HID lights, all had auto keeling systems that operated in that way.

[Uncle Ben]

I know people complain about it, but I've owned 5 cars with HID lights, all had auto keeling systems that operated in that way.

Thank you Steve, that's exactly what I was looking for. For me, it was not so much a complaint but just wanting to find out if that's the way they should work. Once past the initial "shock", the lights are otherwise phenominal, twice as bright as regular lights.

Thanks for your help. Have a nice day.

[SW03ES]

No prob ;)