Eric's Autos: Reviewing the 2016 Lexus ES350
Why does Lexus sell so many ES350s? Probably for the same reasons Toyota sells so many Camrys. Oops! The cat just jetted out of the bag… .
Yes. It's true. The ES350 and the Camry are related ... in the same way that Eric and Julia Roberts are related. One's just a bit prettier than the other. But the two cars share the same qualities that make them both stars in their respective segments. We'll focus on the "Julia Roberts" version (that'd be the Lexus).
WHAT IT IS
The ES350 is Lexus's entry-level luxury sedan. Interestingly, it's not Lexus' smallest sedan. (That would be the CT200h hybrid.) Also interestingly, the ES350 has more backseat legroom (4.2 inches more) than Lexus' largest, top-of-the-line luxury sedan - the $72,520 (to start) LS460.
Base price (loaded) is $38, 000 - or about half the price of a not-yet-loaded LS460. But much more than half the car.
Especially relative to price-competitive entry-luxury rivals like the Cadillac ATS, the Audi A4 and Acura ILX, which are all smaller (especially in the back seat) and come standard with four cylinder engines ... while the Lexus comes standard with a big V6.
You might also cross-shop the Caddy XTS - which is also a nice, big car - with a big V6 standard. But which also comes standard with a nice, big sticker price, too ($44,660 to start).
There's also the Hyundai Genesis sedan. It's about the same price as the ES ($38,000 to start), has a big six - but a cramped back seat... relative to the ES.
WHAT'S NEW FOR 2016
The front end gets a "bolder" look (that's Lexus, not me) and LED headlights are now standard equipment. The Enform suite of apps (Pandora, Yelp, iHeart and Lexus' own Open Table restaurant reservation system) has been updated as well.
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