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OT: My review of the 2003 Lexus ES300
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Posted by Redmilk (more from Redmilk) on Mon, 28 Apr 2003 20:51:20 Share Post by Email
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My other car is a Lexus RX300, and it was in for warranty work. I was given an ES300 for four days and put almost 600 miles on it. Here is my short review.

The Lexus ES300 does everything it is supposed to do, and that is the problem. You will second question if the pavement is made of asphaly, instead assume it is made of wax. You will wonder if you are really flooring the pedal, because the downshift to third mimics acceleration in 5th compared to my 9-3. The leather is soft, the interior materials and top-notch, and the sound system rivals that of the Harmon Kardon in the 9-5. However, when it all comes down to it, it lacks what every Saab driver wants in their car: performance, handling, and exhilaration.

Beneath the hood you'll find a fairly satisfactory V-6 that loses momentum once the smooth, but often hesitant, automatic shifts out of first. The climb to 35 is pretty quick, but the next 10mph takes as long as the climb to 35. These days, a V6 that only produces 210 horses is pretty lame, especially in this price segment. When pushed to the limit, the car feels heavy, and the engine feels more like a 4-cylinder, not like the ones found in a Saab though.

The ride is as Buick as one can possibly imagine. It is very soft, you'll feel like you driving on a expressway made of goose down feathers. The problem is that at highway speeds, the car tends to float, and the steering is alarmingly light, the feeling of not being connected to the road brought a sense of insecurity, although this is probably amongst the safest cars to be driving around town in. During one particular heavy rainstorm, the Lexus, ironically, handled very well. I took some turns at an excessive speed on pretty slick roads that would've caused panic in my Saab, but the ES seemed very composed, especially accelerating on wet pavement. Torque steer is nonexistent, therefore the dreadful wheelspin all of use manual driving Saabheads are used to isn't present.

Interior accomodations are very inviting. The ambiance brings warmth, with cushioned leather door armrests cradling your arms. Some of the buttons seemed to be a bit out of reach, but nothing drastic.

Styling is a personal issue, but this author was not excited by it. An extremely generic look, only the front fascia may have done wonders to another car, as it looks very awkward when placed on a body that is as boring as that of its relative, the Camry.

I was very dissapointed by the gas mileage. The V6 drank like a V8, which wasn't surprising because the engine seemed to hold gears for way too long, but probably engineered that way to make up for the engine's lack of performance. I averaged a dreadful 16 city, 22 highway, and no, my last name isn't Schumacher.

As I stated before, overall the ES300 excels at what its supposed to do, provide a comfortable sanctuary for your commute. The problem is that this author prefers a performing, not comfortable sanctuary. If you want a reliable, stylish, and more prestigious alternative to your mother's Buick, this car is for you.

PROS: Interior design, sound system, quality of materials.

CONS: Exterior design, performance, gas mileage.

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