2009 Lexus ES User Reviews

Pros

Quite and smooth ride, good gas mileage for a powerful engine

Cons

Spongy brake and body-lean in sharp cornering

Purchased As New

I purchased my new 2009 ES350 a month ago. Overall, I very happy with it. Before the purchasing, I have looked at Acura TL, Infiniti G37, and Mercedes C350. For my application, I like the ES350 the most.

The driving is very smooth; inside the cabin, the road noise is well isolated even when I am driving at highway speeds. The 6-speed transmission works seamlessly, it delivers the power on time during the acceleration. Regardless the size and the weight of the car, the acceleration is surprisingly good for its class.
60% of my driving is on highway and 40% is on local; my average gas-mileage is at about 22 miles/gallon. I think this is a respectable number for the V6/272hp car.
Inside, both front and back seats are very roomy. In fact, on this aspect (space), I think ES350 is the best comparing with the other cars I looked at.
On the negative side:
Since this model is on its' 3rd year, I don't think the electronic equipments is the state-of-the-art. Something like: the iPOD interface is a dealer install option (it is more like a bandage solution) and no USB memory interface for the audio system.

The brake is soft (to me). The feeling when I hit the brake is not linear; in other words, it is less sensitive at the beginning push, then becomes more sensitive when the brake goes down further.

I feels that the body-lean is strong on the sharp cornering. This may be the trade-off cost by the soft suspension.

General speaking, I think ES350 is a good-looking family sedan, it covers both the driver's and passage's needs. But if you are focusing on the performance/sportier-feeling, you may have to look at something else.

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