dutchie01

i had to replace my IS300H after 3 years and took an NX for a drive. Interior very familiar of course but it left me a bit disappointed. I found the engine had to work too hard to get the car up too speed, not enough power and torque it felt slower than the IS. Also the satnav was no improvement and i just didn know what but it did not steal my heart. Following week took a Volvo XC40 T5 petrol 250hp for a drive which was roughly thesame price and i was blown away instantly. The NX felt a generation old and in my opinion the Volvo is better on alll fronts except fuel consumption. Better handling, ride, chassis, comfort and above all torque and infotainment. The comparison was not really fair. I took the Volvo.

Oh, the irony. The car that seemed pretty much ignored by everybody with under 300 cars sold in the UK last year is stirring up lots of emotions and splitting opinions. 35 pages and counting, average 25 messages per page so almost 900 expressions of members like me that feel they have to contribute in one way or the other. It all seems to boil down to the end of an era. from V6 to Hybrid 4. From RWD to FWD, From a designated 5 series beater designed by engineers, that propably was never understood, to an upmarket version of the Avalon designed by the marketing department. The writing is on the wall, The Death Of The Sedan. This segment is shrinking rapidly so large investments will flow into other models ( SUV/Crossovers) that sell like hot cakes regardless of price. LF1 - RXL - RX - NX - UX and the US dealers now asking for a halo SUV model above the LF1 to compete with the prime example of bad taste the escalade. How will the Lexus portfolio look in 5 years time? Better get your hands on a second hand GS 6 or 8 pot before they are gone!

I guess they dont see a businesscase in bringing a 6 into the UK ? Costs too high and no return on investment as not enough cars sold? They forecast 85% of the ES will be a 6 so in the states alone that will be some 50.000 cars p.a.!

Hey Vinny! guess where Dutchie Lives........ Great car

Dont know as i only had the IS. what i can say is that i drove an IS 250 6 cylinder for 4 years followed by an IS300h for 3 years. the hybrid felt considerably faster than the 250 up to 100kph much more torque and in city driving or on B road made a great combination with the CVT box it really worked for me. The 250 was veru quiet and sophisticated no vibrations but below 4000rpm nobody was home it was not very powerful. More of a cruiser but isnt that the DNA of most lexuses?

Thanks Habu, what GS were you driving, what engine did it have and how do you compare the new ES to your GS performance wise?

Finally finally! good news and i would love to see some pics! Can you share your view of the car with us please, how does it drive is it powerful enough fuelconsumption etc. As you might have noticed there is quite a debate going on here about the new ES and most opinions are from people that never drove the car but think they know how it drives. Congratulations Vince, happy motoring!

I think torque is much more important. Seems the hybrid has more torque at low revs than the 350 making it a finer drive? bonusquestion. When was the last time you drove at max top speed? how often do you floor the throttle and revv the car full from 0-60?

Adam, please watch the link below it is a real world review from Motomantv how is the car as daily driver. outcome is that he prefers the hybrid to the 6 cylinder so it does not seem to be that bad after all.... the 0-60 figs just like the topspeed are just irrelevant to me. it is about how the car feels, drives, behaves in traffic. I have not driven one yet so cannot give a balanced view so until that moment... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3_xl81zMCMY

Beautiful car but a totally different beast than the ES take em both out for a spin and let us know what you think?

Apart from the volvo S60 which is built in Kentucky USA all other models delivered in Europe are built in Belgium and Sweden ?

All FWD Audis are total crap and an insult to me. Not that i have ever driven a 2019 model A4 or A 6 but that doesnt matter as i also never drove an ES but that doesnt matter either as it is a crap car and dangerous by the way. And too expensive. And too slow. You want some advice on great wines i can tell you all about it, i never tasted them but that doesnt matter!

People just refuse to see the bigger picture. Without the Hybrid engine there would be no ES at all in the UK. Lexus is acting global with the states as its major market. Lexus global is rapidly turning into a manufacturer of suvs or crossovers in all sizes from XXL to XS. The ES is ( apart from the IS) the only sedan selling in numbers and for the US market very important. In the 20 years the ES exists they build over 2 million. The latest version is designed for the states ( 60k p.a.) and the hybrid version is expected to take only 15%. In Europe it is a different story mainly by heavy taxation that stears the market. In the UK it is still relatively mild i think but overhere in holland for instance an LC V8 is 50%!! more expensive than the hybrid version. I have no doubt that in most other EU countries this will be alike. Selling a V6 version will just be impossible. On top of that Lexus has rolled out their marketing hybridization story. All models available in hybrid. Lexus is niche and will remain niche. They have no interest in chasing the German top 3, dont have the capacity nor the strategy. They are aiming on a 10% y.o.y global growth and according to the new top guy want customers that specifically choose them as it fits their lifestyle. Lexus is opening airportlounges, have partnerships with top restaurants. For their cars they want polarized styling and sophistication. some people just dont seem to get that and keep specifying their own perfect lexus and then are deeply insulted that car is not available.

savagegeese is not bad either

if you want to see the best ( in my opinion) reviews of the car just google MOTOMANTV LEXUS ES ( sorry cannot copy a link on this laptop)

Same old same old for you also Linas you have been repeating your opinions again and again for years. Most are valid and some are just well.. I have not driven the ES and will not judge the car based on articles or reviews alone. The looks are polarising you love or hate it. The interior i find beautiful, the dimensions debatable. In theory the car is a bit of an oddball with a different drivetrain, CVT and performancefigs that are not on par with the competition, but maybe there is a world behind those figures? All i can say is that i drove an IS300H for 4 years and just liked that car, found it fast enough, torque in overtaking aplenty and top speed? dont know never drove it. Linas, Lexus apparently has a strategy they are implementing in various markets. Where the States gets the full range the UK only gets selected models. Fine thats it. There is life after Lexus and if you cannot find your preferred spec or model spend your money somewhere else. I did i am driving a Volvo now and like it very much indeed.

Whatever your personal opinion, it is coming our way and faster than we think. Today in the press the Chinese province of Hainan announced a ban of selling all combustion engined cars per March 01. This year. As from 2030 cars with diesel/petrol engines will be illegal and not allowed to drive. And what about Europe? In Norway sales of diesel/petrolcars will be forbidden as from 2025 ( in 6 years ). Thesame in Holland, Ireland, Sweden 2030, France 2040. In the meantime innercities will be more and more restricted. The future is electric and a nice little v8 in the garage to use in the weekend.

The only solution for him is to build his own car!

Being a global brand with relatively little productioncapacity it is likely that Lexus annual prognosis for the UK is around 700 cars... ( no idea of exact numbers did not do research ). By no means they will be able to produce 700 a week. The contribution of the UK market is very small indeed. I do think the ES will be a rare sight in Europe. It looks too different than main stream motors and drivetrain options are not available. It can be a fantastic car for people that fall for it though. Anyway all not too important as we are on the brink of electrification. Give it another 5 years and the majority of companycars could well be EV.

Ian, Volvo has a wider range of engines. from 190 up to almost 400 i think. Does that play a role in your choice?

the S90 is an old school sedan and the slow seller of the current Volvo range. The 4 door sedan market is shrinking rapidly as almost nobody wants them anymore. The laws of supply and demand will give low low prices in that case. At a Volvo dealer you can now get a S90 cheaper than an XC40. Seems the world has gone crazy...

I could not agree more! I recently changed from my IS300H to a Volvo V60T5. That car is just brilliant. It feels like it is designed for every day drivers. It is an unassuming car that does not look like it can go warp speed, has no ultra low profile tyres does not have paddle shifters ( but has a heated steeringwheel, get the idea?). Some years ago on TopGear there was a topic on how the nurburgring is killing driveability of most cars. What i found in the Volvo is comfort, safety and compared to the IS300 an infotainmentsystem from 2019. Try a SPA car and compare it to your current V70. I have driven both and with respect, the V70 will feel like a previous generation.

That is a lot of money for a small car but unfortunately in line with the competition from jaguar, audi, merc, volvo etc. Seems those little baby buggies are extremely overpriced as the manufacturers can simply get away with it. Demand is incredible everybody seems to want one. I recently was in a volvo showroom looking at a XC40 T5. great little car and yes expensive but hey it looks nice and is sold out for 7 months ! In the other side of the showroom was a brandnew S90, old school saloon full options biggest car they make leather etc etc for THESAME price !!!! And nobody wants one almost insellable... Shows hey, if you want value for money go for a saloon. 520i - e200 - a6 2.0 - ES etc etc.

Great car Rich, by now you will have discovered the extreme flex in the chassis, dont worry they all have that. The steeringwheel/column can literally move from left to right, just keep cruising! Can you do the Flextest? Park the car with 1 wheel on the curb, open a door and try to close it? Its s stylish slowboat and there are still many of them around especially in Sweden. Parts will be no problem on the internet or saab specialists

Great Choice!. i have been driving Saabs prior to Lexus. Just like Steve i would still be driving Saabs but alas... Had a 9-3 gen 2 and gen 3. drove them for 6 years end absolutely rock solid, nothing, absolutely nothing went wrong. Regular service at the dealer thats all. Make sure the fluids are new and let the turbo cool down before switching off. Offically not needed but better safe than sorry. My last 93 was hirsch tuned to 220hp by the dealer remaining full works warranty. They are very well engineered cars indeed. If you want more power ( responsible power that is) just surf to www.hirsch-performance.ch The convertible is a very civilized motorcar that ages gracefully.. Just never sell it!