2009 Lexus ES 350

Pros

Responsive, moderately comfortable and thoroughly civilized for a sedan.

Cons

Beware of transmission problems. The factory is aware of such problems but has done little to correc

I was the owner of a 2007 ES350 until a month ago at which time under the California "Lemon Law" the factory was more or less forced to buy back the car and reimburse me for my purchase price less $1000.00 for useage. The original transmission misbehaved badly (much clunking during transitions from 3rd to 2nd gear and back again). After about 1 year the factory authorized replacing the transmission. Unfortunately, although somewhat better, the replacement unit also behaved poorly. I also experienced the same sort of banging during shifting in a loaner car I drove while mine was having its transmission replaced. My view is that there is a manufacturing or engineering deficiency in this car's transmission which until corrcted nulifies any recommendation I can make for anyone considering the purchase of this vehicle.
Lastly, although the car is relatively comfortable, it is definately a city car. It does not handle well on mountain roads - tending to drift pretty badly instead of holding the road with controlled security. European cars such as BMW, Mercedes or Audi do much better jobs in that regard. If you want a car that both handles well under all kinds of road situations and is comfortable go with German engineering (autobahn compatible and rated). If value is your primary goal, then this car is a good bet but only if the transmission issue is finally resolved. I suggest looking up the car's reputation and record on various Internet resources if you want more complete evaluations.