Her and His Reviews
September 2011
2011 Lexus ES350
There are always two sides to everything, right? Well, the truth is there are many more than that!
To keep our car reviews innovative and well-rounded, we are providing you with not just one, but two points of view on the same exact vehicle –
Her and His perspectives.
Her: Anne Fleming, Car Buying Advocate,women-drivers.com
His: Don Hammonds, Writer, AutomobileJournal.com
| HER | HIS |
|---|---|
| Price | |
| MSRP:$43,037.00 | MSRP:$35,525 (before options) |
| Performance | |
| There is plenty of kick in this 3.5 liter, 288 horsepower 24 value V6 engine. Though no fashionista, this Lexus sedan is a winner as it performed with reliability, speed, agility and confidence. Certainly a best buy. | Power comes from a 3.5 liter, 288 horsepower V6 with a six speed automatic transmission. The ES350 is surprisingly responsive on the road and feels pretty light and energetic as you drive it. It's no high performance sedan, of course. But you won't be passed up by everyone on the highway either. |
| Fuel Economy | |
| 19 city/27 highway | 19 city/27 highway |
| The Car | |
| Built on the Toyota Camry chassis, it's not a big stretch to guess what you get with the ES 350. A universally well performing sedan that is on the lower end of excitement in this category. No matter, as Lexus has a very high brand reputation and loyalty with its feminine drivers. Its front wheel drive handles well in all weather conditions | Truly a nice car, but low on the excitement level. It simply cannot compete on the one level luxury car buyers live for: Charisma and elegance. |
| Safety | |
| Dual front airbags and knee airbags, Front and Rear side mounted airbags and air curtains, and, vehicle Stability and traction control. Like a medical alert button for the home, Safety Connect, provides emergency assistance at the touch of a button. Enhanced Roadside Assistance includes a one-year subscription. Rain sensing windshield wipers. Tire pressure monitoring system. And tool kit and first aid kit included in trunk. | Stability and traction control standard, driver and passenger front, side, knee and curtain airbags, rear curtain airbags, a host of other good stuff, too. One significant standard feature is Safety Connect, which provides emergency help at the touch of a SOS button, roadside assistance, automatic collision notification, and stolen vehicle location services. |
| Technology | |
| Keyless entry gets you into car and the push button start gets you going. Leather trimmed seats with driver memory, 10 way power adjustable drive bar and passenger seats with two way power lumbar offer great comfort, and the tilt and telescoping steering wheel works for women of all sizes and shapes. The NAV system is highly sophisticated �?? yet made simple with the new Lexus Enform, which can be purchased on a subscription basis. Phone the Lexus Enform Response Center, provide them with your final destination, they, in turn, send a set of coordinates directly to your car's NAV system; eDestination, which organizes and prioritizes your preferred destinations, are also included. New XM stations are made available as well. Parking Assist, USB Audio plug, Bluetooth for hands free talking, and MP3 connectivity. | Smart/Access with pushbutton start/stop, leather trimmed seats with driver memory, 10 way power adjustable drivebar and passenger seats with two way power lumbar, dual zone climate control, tilt and telescoping steering wheel, and of course, full power accessories. Our car also included a number of options, such as the navigation system, an ultra luxury package and other items, all of which brought the bottom line to $43,037. You'll also want to check out Lexus Enform, which you can get as part of a subscription along with Safety Connect. Lexus Enform provide you with Destination Assist, to help you get where you're going. You call into the Lexus Enform Response Center, give them your destination, and they send a set of coordinates sent directly to your navigation system and available through the push of a button. The Enform subscription also includes eDestination, which helps you sort and organize your preferred destinations into as many as 20 personal folders. You can also subscribe to a number of XM offerings, including XM Sports and Stocks, XM NavWeather and XM Traffic, all of which are worth their weight in gold and make your driving experience an informed and pleasant one. |
| Aesthetics & Styling | |
| An attractive tried and true external design which has a universal appeal. I don't think Lexus wants to mess with this fine-tuned formally they have created. With the 2012 Toyota prices creeping into Lexus territory, what will the redesigns offer for the ES 350 and others? | A pleasant looking car witih softly streamlined profile and an overall sleek, spare look. But it could use some updating. Have you seen Buick's LaCrosse and Cadillac's CTS among others? I rest my case. Jury dismissed. |
| Warranty | |
| 5 year, 70,000 mile power train warranty, 4 year 50,000 mile warranty overall. | 5 year, 70,000 mile powertrain warranty, four year 50,000 mile warranty overall. |
