One of the criteria used to gauge how much I like a test vehicle is how I feel when I approach it in a public parking lot. Do I hold my head up, proud to be seen getting into it? Or do I slouch slightly and self-consciously, hoping no one is watching?
Another measure for determining my desire to spend more time in a vehicle is if I plan my wardrobe around, or at least take into consideration, what I’ll be driving. I’m (sort of) kidding, of course.
Example: Driving husband’s 1991 Pontiac three-cylinder five-speed Firefly, although pristine and fun to drive, makes me wish the windows were tinted. I certainly keep flashy clothing to a minimum. What if the cute guy from that downtown café were to see me getting out of the silver nerd-mobile? Perish the thought.
This week’s tester is no Firefly. I’m driving a 2019 Lexus ES 350 and I find myself surprised at how good I feel getting into it, how much I look forward to driving it and, vanity be damned, being seen in it.
I guess I shouldn’t be that surprised but I’ve always thought of the Lexus brand, Toyota’s luxury marque, as an extension of Toyota, reliable, well-engineered and difficult to find fault with but perhaps lacking in the soul-stirring category.
Like a pair of perfectly made, easy-to-slip-on medium height heels that I’ve had for years and never look worn or tired. Compare those to a pair of sky-high Manolo Blahniks that speed up the heart rate when you catch a glimpse of your reflection in a window as you stride by, however much the toes are screaming in agony.
The Lexus brand was born from the chairman of Toyota Motor Company, Eiji Toyoda’s desire to create the best luxury car in the world. Code-named Flagship One (F1), the Lexus LS 400 was launched in 1989, after six years of development by a hundred designers, thousands of engineers and technicians and more than $1 billion in costs. It was no Toyota.
That year, in a comparison by Car and Driver Magazine, the LS 400 beat out both the Mercedes-Benz 420 SE and BMW 735i. That same year, Honda launched its premium Acura brand but Lexus attracted more buyers thanks to positive reviews and low price point. The brand quickly and voluntarily recalled 8,000 units based on just two customer complaints, garnering an almost instant customer loyalty.
Despite less-than-shiny reviews from some automotive journalists that claimed the brand was stodgy, Lexus began to compete with well-established and historic European luxury brands as it released more models on the buying public (not in Japan though until 2005).
In the 30 years since Lexus first launched on the planet, it has developed into a well-respected brand with a reputation for building powerful, reliable and economic luxury cars. Lexus is marketed internationally in more than 70 countries and has become Japan’s largest-selling make of premium cars.
In the U.S., Lexus takes turns in the top-selling spot in the luxury brand segment, usually duking it out with storied marques Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi.
But exciting, heart-thumping, worthy of fashion collaboration and consultation by this driver? Well, yes.
Let’s hear it for the seventh-generation ES model. Gone is the somewhat staid feeling of the previous six generations of ES. The 2019 Lexus ES 350 is a great-looking vehicle and a stand-out in the styling department. Previous generations were conservative but this seventh-gen ES is bolder, more aggressive looking. Triple LED adaptive headlights and a longer, wider and lower design give the ES, especially in the Atomic Silver paint, a rakish, sexy look.
I felt right at home in the fiery red leather interior, as fragrant as a pair of gorgeous Italian shoes. The added features of the F-Sport package, offered on the ES 350 for the first time, may have had something to do with my sense of well-being in the cabin.
Features of the $6,000 option include active noise control, a three-spoke F-sport leather-wrapped steering wheel, adaptive variable suspension, rain-sensing wipers and a beautiful 12.3-inch infotainment screen that displays Lexus Navigation.
I found the remote touch controller a bit finicky at the start of my week but by the end of my time in the Lexus ES 350, I felt more familiar with the system. I loved that the tachometer gauge does a slick sideways slide, depending on which drive mode I chose.
Although I did have the tunes cranked up for much of the time, I did manage some quiet time to experience the ES’ added insulation and improved isolation, making it one of the quietest vehicles out there.
I admit to keeping it mostly in Sport+ mode for the week, maximizing its 302-horsepower six-cylinder 3.5-litre engine and playing around with the paddle shifters on the steering wheel, controlling the eight-speed direct shift automatic transmission.
Here I also must confess that I chose a nail polish colour to match the spicy red leather seats. The stylish Lexus ES 350 is a comfortable, dependable executive sedan with feisty road manners that lended itself well to my week of running about town, with Sirius XM station, Hair Nation (guilty pleasure) getting me down the road. I know I should have had something more refined coming out of the speakers but, luckily, Lexus is so adept at keeping it classy.
- Price as tested $57,001.25
Follow Lisa on Instagram: @FrontLady
