2009 Lexus ES User Reviews

Pros

good MPG

Cons

POOR VISABILITY AND TOO MANY GADGETS

Purchased As New

The worst car I ever purchased, just a over priced Toyota . Terrible ride on less than perfect roads.Seat comfort poor and POOR visability. There are 11 controls for the air conditioning system alone

Pros

Good car, traded my IS, BIG MISTAKE.

Cons

Engine noise, lots of road noise

Purchased As New

Traded in my IS, sorry I did. 2009 Es is OK, but with lots of road noise, engine noise when warming up, dealer states " that is typical for this year model ".
Only have 9000 miles on it and looking to trade it in.

Pros

Outside mirrors tilt down when you put car in reverse; rain-sensing windshield wipers; Homelink

Cons

Nothing so far

Purchased As New

This is my second Lexus ES 350 - I had a 2007 and am now driving a 2009. I'm in love. Don't know why some people think the Avalon is better. This has so much more for the money! My friend just bought one on Saturday.

Pros

Big engine, features galore, uber comfortable

Cons

Where the heck are the back seat hooks for my dry cleaning?

Purchased As New

I've had mine for three months. I don't love my Lexus ES 350, I'm IN love with it. Considered the BMW 3 series and Mercedes C series, but the 350 is faster (better 0-60 and bigger, 3.5 liter engine), more features, and a lot more space for kids car seats and strollers. Also, full disclosure, after owning two Toyotas and driving them both over 200k, I'm fiercely loyal to the brand. The gadgets on the ES 350 are incredible: keyless entry and start, park assist radar, heated AND cooled seats, back up camera, CD player that plays MP3 disks (think 12 albums on one disk instead of one), voice controlled GPS, Bluetooth phone integration. Handling may not be quite as tight as some other sports cars, but I drive on curvy roads in the D.C. suburbs and Virginia mountains all the time and this car handles them very confidently. Other than the lack of hooks for dry cleaning in the back seat, I have found any faults....read morehide

Pros

Smooth ride, Toyota reliability, nicestyling, 1st class fit and finish.

Cons

Mediocre handling, not a drivers car, front seat too short.

Purchased As New

Hot looking car, worth the extra over Camry, BUT: Don't buy one if you are over 6-2, you'll pull neck muscles every time you get in. Other quibbles: Cup holders lack padding, anything put in rattles. Test drive it on a road with some bumps - a lot of ES350's have center console rattles. Huge blind spot when reversing, get the back up camera (comes w/ Nav). For this class, the digital clock looks cheap. Lacks door chrome. Front seat 2-inches too short. Seat cooling barely detectable....read morehide

Pros

Reliability. I am not on my second Lexus ES. I have never had problems.

Cons

The styles are changed too quickly.

Purchased As New

Overall, this is one of the best cars I have owned. Having owned two of these cars, I certainly would recommend the Lexus ES to any of my friends.

Pros

The renowned Lexus reliability and comfort

Cons

Engine seems a bit sluggish getting up to speed from a stop

Purchased As New

We just bought a new 2009 Lexus ES 350 after trading in a 2002 Lexus LS 430 with 61,000 miles which had been flawless. After getting used to the plushness and pep of the LS 430, we knew we were taking a big step down in terms of price, but so far have been quite surprised to find that we sacrificed little in the kind of quality and amenities we had come to enjoy on the bigger flagship model. While the ES is no LS, it is nonetheless a beautiful riding car. Like its big "sister", this model literally glides down the road in quiet smoothness. And if the 350 engine is lacking some of the pep of the 430, then it still delivers adequate power unless one is a real hot foot. Of course, most who drive this type of car are usually not! The cabin seems about as roomy as our old LS 430. There are a few less bells and whistles on the ES, but so many of these extras are unnecessary to many drivers and after 7 years with the LS 430, I had still not used all the car features and frankly forgot what some of the switches were even for. We were told that this model is their best selling sedan - mainly for the price point. But I would argue that price aside, the car represents a true luxury car driving experience that has made it popular among those who desire a nearly silent driving experience on roads which, thanks to the car's engineering, all always smooth. We also test drove a BMW 328i in bright red and I fell in love with its road handling, beautiful fit and finish and surprising interior cabin room and trunk space. But the standard run-flat tires which we were told cost hundreds apiece were a deal breaker and we opted instead for the steady, if somewhat stodgier Lexus which is a larger sedan....read morehide

Pros

Comfortable seats

Cons

Little bit slow in start.

Purchased As New

A well built entry level luxury car. Ride is comfortable and brake is good.
But, the car feels heavy when driving off from stop position. I regret not having the dvd navigation.

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.

And...read morehide

Pros

Smooth drive, very quiet, good on gas and enough power

Cons

none

Purchased As New

The ES350 is 2 yrs old and has 48k (KM) on it, no issues or problems.