Car and Driver: 2016 Lexus ES Review: Lexus’s Cushy Cruiser Gets Fresh Styling and New Features

-Overview: Not everyone likes to drive, feel the road through the seat of their pants, or hear the roar of an engine at full throttle, and the 2016 Lexus ES aims for that clientele. Quiet, comfortable, and spacious, the Lexus ES luxury sedan is available with either a surprisingly quick 268-hp 3.5-liter V-6 in the ES350 or an efficient 200-hp gasoline-electric hybrid powertrain in the ES300h. The latter nets a 40-mpg EPA city rating and includes distinct visual touches such as blue badging, a lip spoiler on the trunk, and a hidden exhaust pipe. Whereas previous versions of the ES shared underpinnings with the mid-size Toyota Camry, the sixth generation, introduced for 2013, rides on the full-size Toyota Avalon’s longer wheelbase. As a result, rear-seat passengers enjoy 40.0 inches of legroom—a figure that (just barely) betters the new Buick LaCrosse and makes it among the best in the segment. Besides the LaCrosse, the ES competes against the likes of the Lincoln MKZ, as well as similarly priced, if slightly smaller, entry-luxury models such as the Acura TLX and the Volvo S60. For this review, we drove the conventionally powered Lexus ES350. READ MORE ››

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