I bought an ES 350 last weekend and I am 46. I had had a Saab 9-3 for more than nine years. ES 350 is my first automatic shift too. I got a gray exterior/black interior with Premium Plus package. So far happy. I just experimented with sport shifting today after a mild nostalgic longing for the Saab. I think ES 350 is sporty enough for me. I test drove MB C-Class (small since I want to take the car for more of the family outings, instead of wife's van) and Inifiniti G35 (noisy engine and gaudy interior).
I got some minor complaints and the dealership has promised to resolve it early next week.