Introduced for 2019, the all-new, seventh-generation Lexus ES provides some excitement in a dying segment.
The mid-size luxury sedan is the company's oldest nameplate alongside the flagship LS. The sedans have been on the market for and Lexus clearly hopes the new ES can mitigate the downward sales slide of sedans across the planet.
Apart from a fresh and bold new look, the ES offers a smooth and comfortable ride and a plush cabin. There's even an F Sport trim for the very first time in the ES's 30-year history.
With a base price of $39,750, the ES 350 competes with worth adversaries such as the BMW 5-Series ($53,400), the Genesis G80 ($42,050), the Mercedes E-Class ($53,500), the Volvo S90 ($47,350), and the Audi A6 ($58,900).
Not a bad car in the bunch.
Well, it looks sporty
The F Sport package adds about $5,000 to the price and, as with most Lexuses, we question the wisdom of spending money to get a harsher ride.
The Lexus ES F Sport certainly looks a lot sportier than the other trim levels. It receives a black grille with a unique diamond pattern, 19-inch alloy wheels, black mirror caps and a spoiler for the trunk. The package typically involves more of an appearance upgrade than it does actual performance modifications. Overall stance is low, long and wide and from a styling perspective
Performance
Under the hood are relatively few changes. The ES 350 comes with the same 3.5-liter naturally aspirated V6 that's offered on the rest of the ES 350 lineup. It produces 302 horsepower and 267 lb.-ft of torque, which is quite an improvement over the previous model which had only 268 ponies and 248 lb.-ft.
Both the regular ES 350 and F Sport are paired to an 8-speed automatic transmission, but the F Sport includes adaptive dampers with additional Sport+ driving mode alongside unique interior touches.
However, like the rest of the ES lineup, the ES 350 F Sport is front-wheel drive. It'll be interesting to see how it fares against rear and all-wheel drive opponents.
The smart play may be a hybrid ES, which sells for less than $2,000 more than the base model and delivers up to 45 mpg. Power is provided by a 2.5-liter naturally aspirated four-cylinder paired with an electric motor that combines for 215 horsepower. By way of comparison, the F Sport is EPA rated at 22/31 mpg city/highway.
Ride and Handling
Contrary to the shared powertrain, the F Sport trim does affect ride and handling, slightly. Lexus gives it a tuned MacPherson-strut front suspension and multi-link rear suspension. The ride is noticeably stiffer than its other ES brethren. Apart from the standard suspension, the F Sport is also available with adaptive dampers which is well worth the $750 upcharge.
With incredible torque steering, the ES 350 F Sport doesn't like to be pushed to the limit. It is stiffer, but under hard cornering there is a distinct lack of coherence between the front and rear axles.
Weight transfer is noticeable thanks to the front-wheel drive platform, not to mention lots of body roll and understeer. It's not dangerous but handling with the standard suspension on other ES models did not inspire my confidence on twisties. The optional adaptive dampers help remedy this problem.
Though considered a mid-size, the ES does do a commendable job of being a large, spacious sedan. First there's 16.9 cu-ft of trunk space. Likewise, the back seat is rather spacious. My 6-foot torso had no issues with headroom or legroom. Furthermore, the front seats are supportive and quite comfortable, and seem sportier than the other ES models.
The F Sport trim adds some fun pieces to the interior as well. Our red leather Recaro-like seats were embossed with F Sport logos on the headrests. There was red accent stitching on the dashboard and shift knob. A state-of-the-art digital gauge cluster displays the tach with a digital speedometer. The F-Sport even includes an informative heads-up display. The only issue I had was the horizontal bar fuel gauge that was so small it was difficult to read.
The Lexus ES 350 F Sport is damn near perfect in my opinion. However, knowing that the ES is based off the Toyota Camry/Avalon platform (also built at the same Georgetown, Ky., facility), I'd love to see the ES convert to RWD, or at least AWD, like the Quattro Audi S6. After all that's what makes the Lexus IS sedan and RC coupe so exhilarating.
In order to showcase its commitment to following trends, Lexus fitted the ES with a host of advanced electronic gizmos, such as automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, and adaptive cruise control which is standard across the board. Apple CarPlay is finally available as well as Amazon Alexa.
Our 2019 tester had a base MSRP of $44,035 (add an additional $600 for the 2020 model). Options tacked on another $8,769 to the sticker for a grand total of $52,804, which includes a $1,025 destination charge. Our tester came in an Ultrasonic Blue Mica hue.
Major options were blind spot monitor ($1,065) and navigation package ($1,920), and of course the formerly mentioned adaptive variable suspension. I was a little stunned that the blind spot monitor was not standard.