Buford

There is a commercial out with Diana Krall sitting in a Lexus enjoying the ML system. I have been a long-time Krall fan, and I literally got goose-bumps watching that spot. My wife and I have already decided that her next car will be a Lexus, but that commercial sealed the deal. I'm still trying to convince her to favor the IS. I have gotten her to test drive the GS and the ES, and she actually likes the ES quite a bit. Obviously, I like the IS best... so I have some work to do. Regardless, I look forward to comparing the stereo options. I usually prefer to plug my I-Pod in, and my wife listens to Books on CD type things; so we may not be the best candidates for an upgraded audio system. But in my grumpy old age, I'm willing to pay more for things just in case I might like them better.

uuuuh.... no. Ten, nine, eight, seven, six, five, four, three, two, one.... aaahhh much better (this is an inside joke, SW03ES... not an attempt to "start one") :P

See quick edit above. As crushing as this may seem to you, I don't remember anything about you.... except that I think you were the guy who was a rear-wheel drive snob. quick edit #2: I don't know what your life experiences have been, but I have a hard time not assigning levity to a little yellow head whistling.

When I use an emoticon with a comment, you should understand that there is a certain level of levity implied. Get a sense of humor and lay off the coffee. quick edit: And for what it's worth, I actually didn't mean you, buddy. I've seen loads of anti-350 jabber in this forum. I don't take the time to remember what side of the coin everyone is on.

I didn't name any names. What's the significance of six months? Is that the statute of limitation on jealousy? :whistles:

I didn't know that was a dead horse. I know one topic that has been flogged to a pulp, and that's the "I don't like the ES 350, because I think it's crap compared to my ES 300/330." But apparently there's no moratorium on that. <_<

Thanks, but we're looking to buy a new car. I'm not sure why people buy cars with navigation systems anyway. I have a Garmin Streetpilot c530. You can pick one up for less than $350. It works like charm, can be moved from vehicle to vehicle (including rental cars on business trips), and has a safety over-ride. Lexus charges what.... three or four grand for that option? No thanks!

I can empathize with the original post in this thread. Whenever I visit this forum, I feel like I've fallen through a worm hole into a different reality. The new ES is the best selling Lexus model, and it is rated as a Best Buy in Consumer Guide. Yet, it seems to be regarded by many here like it's an unclaimed !Removed!. My wife and I are still in an extended and unhurried shopping spree for her next car. We got around to driving a couple recently, and we liked the ES quite a bit. I guess we're just a couple pedestrian hillbillys for liking a front wheel drive car. :D

Part of me is surprised that there was so little talk here about the huge Lexus victory today... but I guess motorsports and luxury cars don't always go hand in hand. Still, I was cheering and screaming at my TV this morning. I frequent a Pontiac related internet forum, and they spend alot of energy and time talking down Toyota products. So, it was very pleasing to see Lexus and Porsche slam the door on the Pontiacs.

Maybe so, but who the heck can fit their knees in the back seat of the IS?! I don't even think small children would be comfortable back there (which is why my wife and I didn't give it a very long look). I really wanted to like the IS... because it's much more sporty, and the 250 is offered with a stick. Not to drift the thread, but I'm actually starting to look at some other cars, like the Acura TL Type S and the new G35 Sport. But, I'm guessing we will run into rear-seat room issues with those cars as well.

Is this the result of posting under the influence? Happy holidays to you too.

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.

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.

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.

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