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2007 Lexus ES

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Overview

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2007 Lexus ES Review

By KBB.com Editors

The fifth-generation Lexus ES 350 is completely redesigned in a style that Lexus describes as the new "L-finessed" theme, which is an effort to recall classic sports car proportions, but with a contemporary look. Built on the same platform as the Toyota Camry, which is also redesigned for 2007, the ES 350 is the entry-level vehicle in the Lexus line, and its intent is to capture those buyers looking for a high level of luxury, comfort and class. The Lexus ES 350 delivers subtlety, low-key charm and all those luxury qualities that Mercedes, Acura, Infiniti and some others also provide so well. It is fast, quiet, roomy and comfortable. But does it deliver the Lexus marketing stamp—a look and feel that appeal both to the heart and the head? Based on previous Lexus products, we have no reason to think it won't.

You'll Like This Car If...

The ES 350 offers a lot of luxury at what has to be considered a very reasonable price. You also get the proven dependability of a Lexus product with even more features and conveniences than on the previous model.

You May Not Like This Car If...

If you are looking for a mid-sized luxury sedan with an image that puts it on the cutting edge of style and performance, the ES 350 is probably not the first choice. And, obviously, it's also not a good choice if you need a spacious family vehicle that will carry a lot of people.

What's Significant About This Car?

The ES, now known as ES 350 for a new, larger engine of 3.5 liters, has been completely redesigned, with a wheelbase that's more than two inches longer and a track more than one inch wider. The shape has a long hood and short deck, with the passenger cabin pulled toward the rear, and there is also more legroom, a more luxurious interior and an enhanced sound system.

Driving the ES

Driving Impressions A first impression upon entering the ES 350 is how light and spacious the interior feels, with dials, gauges and controls that are highly intuitive. Seating is notably comfortable and...

the back seat has enough room to stretch longer legs. The drive is crisp, responsive and fast, with zero to 60 miles per hour in 6.8 seconds and a 137-mph test-track top speed, according to Lexus. It corners with minimal body roll and is energetic on hills and while merging with traffic, with plenty of ready power for quick, smooth acceleration. It has a very low aerodynamic drag coefficient, with one nice result being that it's exceptionally quiet inside, and the ride is steady, smooth and luxuriously comfortable. The visibility is excellent, making it easy to deal with traffic, and the ES 350 handled very well in stop-and-go traffic and parking situations.

Favorite Features

Panorama Glass Roof
The expansive panorama glass roof option is enlightening—you feel like you're driving inside a greenhouse.

Fast and Economical
The Lexus ES 350 also matches a quick drive with impressive miles-per-gallon estimates of 21 city/30 highway.

2007 Lexus ES Details

Interior

The ES 350 interior is light, luxurious, comfortable and refined. Legroom has been increased by a half-inch. Cloth upholstery is standard, with leather and premium leather available. Stereo controls are mounted on the three-spoke steering wheel and bright, clear Optitron gauges are elegant and easy to read. Nice luxury touches include illuminated front cup holders, exterior puddle lamps and sliding center console; the cabin feels airy with the optional panorama glass roof, made up of one piece of glass that extends over the entire cabin. The frameless design gives front passengers a sunroof and rear passengers a skylight. There is a manually-operated interior shade for front and rear passengers.

Exterior

For the ES 350, Lexus stretched the exterior skin into long, flowing lines that give it a definitely aggressive posture. The look is assertive, serious, purposeful and will not go unnoticed in a crowd. One detail we especially liked was the amber pearl paint choice, a very memorable gold hue.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

The ES 350 has stability and traction control systems, nine airbags (two additional rear side-impact airbags are available), smart access keyless entry, a push-to-start ignition system that allows a driver to keep the key fob in a pocket or purse, dual zone climate control, 10-way power adjustable front seats, power moonroof and stereo system with in-dash, six-disc CD-changer, MP3 player and iPod connectivity with Automatic Sound Leveler to maintain consistent sound levels at various speeds. Also included are an auto-dimming rearview mirror with an integrated digital compass, heated exterior mirrors, power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, illuminated front cup holders and LED soft-lighting interior system.

Optional Equipment

Options include the panorama glass roof, Bluetooth technology, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control, heated and ventilated front seats, adaptive front lighting system, 13-speaker Mark Levinson audio system, rearview camera with a color image on the navigation screen and a fifth-generation navigation system with a multi-information display.

Under the Hood

The front-wheel-drive Lexus ES 350 features an all-aluminum 3.5-liter V6, matched to a six-speed automatic transmission. The engine and transmission combination deliver smooth, quiet, responsive power, and the six-speed automatic contributes to the noteworthy highway fuel economy rating. In addition to the smooth, refined operation, the Lexus powertrain also promises exceptional reliability and peace-of-mind.

3.5-liter V6
272 horsepower @ 6200 rpm
254 lb.-ft. of torque @ 4700 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/30

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2007 Lexus ES Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

8.8

Out of 10

Based on 157 Ratings for the 2007 - 2012 models.

Review this car

Value

8.9/10

Quality

9.0/10
Reliability

9.2/10

Performance

9.0/10
Comfort

9.1/10

Styling

9.0/10

Best car I have ever owned.

By Lefty936 (MI) on Tuesday, May 21, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 95,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Great driver and very comfortable."

Cons: "There are no cons."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"This car still runs and drives like when it was new. It has all the bells and whistles and I' really hesitant to sell it but we have three cars and it is more than we need. Very comfortable to drive and runs like it did coming off the showroom floor."

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An excellent car overall.

By Carlton (GA) on Friday, May 10, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 120,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 8/10
Reliability: 8/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 6/10
Styling: 6/10
Comfort: 7/10

Pros: "Reliable, Decently Fun, Good Looking, Well Made"

Cons: "Some controls are hard to get to, low headroom"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 8

"I've owned this car for about 2 years. My overall satisfaction is very high and I have not had any major mechanical issues. The seats are comfortable but supportive. You don't feel like you are sinking into an abyss, which allows you to have a more connected feel to the job of driving in my opinion. I am tall and headroom is a bit tight, but lowering the seat as far as it will go and leaning it back slightly was fine. I still have to clean my hair out of the headliner though. The seat cooler works but is not overpowering. At times it might not seem like it is even on, really. Lexus service is generally okay. I've put 100k of the 120k miles on my car and I can tell you maintenance by the mileage schedule for me has been terribly expensive. You really get a lot of car in a 2007, but try to look for a slightly newer model. The 2007 has a couple of frustrating "qualities" about it. For one, they redesigned the center console in later years. The one in the 2007 opens with a button on the top front of the console and it is easy to hit that accidentally. Additionally it does not open as wide as newer ones do. Driving a loaner car while mine was being serviced was eye opening in that regard. The seat heater/cooler switches are also located in a spot where I personally have to lean forward and bend my entire body while looking down and away from the road to see if they are turned on or not. After a while I got the hang of how the roller switches feel and it was okay, but this seems counterintuitive for a feature you should just be able to see. Also, the 2007 cruise control indicator is a little spartan. It doesn't indicate it is actually set, just that the system is on. That sounds small and simple but it is better on slightly newer versions of the ES. I've also had issues that have come and gone with the air conditioner blower. No idea what, but it stopped acting up on its own. I can't remember what they call the feature that makes the headlights move based on whether you are turning or going up/down hills, but that alone makes me hate driving any other car. I will definitely need that feature on whatever car I choose to buy in the future. If you have never owned a Lexus before and wonder how it compares to other brands, I would first point out that you need to be aware of what you really want. The ES is not a race car and it is also not intended to be the most posh luxury sedan either. But if you are looking at optimizing the fully loaded cost of owning a car and getting something reliable, this one is not a bad choice for several reasons. Not to diminish any other brand, but the way I look at it, the quality of a 2007 ES 350 makes any Honda look and feel like a cheap toy and the reliability makes it seem foolish to pay for a BMW. You get style, comfort and quality for a fair price with no major repairs for a long, long time. From a performance perspective, the 2007 ES 350 is okay. The engine pulls nice and strong but it is connected via a transmission that really just wants to take it easy. You can drop it into that pseudo manual mode and control it to some extent, but the fact is this is not a race car. Yeah, you can pull 100 on the freeway and not even know it, so it isn't completely inept. It is a front wheel drive car so you go into it knowing your steering control is affected by that. It's not like a Honda by any means, but it is still affected. In all, it is a smooth and comfortable ride with mild performance characteristics that will probably tone down your desire to get crazy. You won't get overly tired and might consider driving rather than flying on some of those long trips. I've been to Florida several times and trips to DC as well. One last thing. Mine is black. It would be worth it to get one of those clear 3M paint protection coatings put on the front bumper and hood area. Mine looks like it has been sand blasted so it has nice white spots all over the front of it that I need to get repaired."

6 people out of 6 found this review helpful

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After 5 straight Nissans, I tried a Lexus.

By Barb (NJ) on Wednesday, May 01, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 47,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"Great car. Fun to drive. Smooth and reliable. The only complaint I have is the sound system is not as good as Bose systems I was used to with Maxima and Infiniti."

1 person out of 1 found this review helpful

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powerful, fits like a glove, good MPGs, reliable

By Tinker (MS) on Friday, April 19, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 47,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: Not Rated
Reliability: Not Rated
Quality: Not Rated
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "turn by turn navigation, panaramic view"

Cons: "zero"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"absolutely wonderful car: comfort,luxury intelligence and zero problems. It is very quite and the ride is like gliding. Navigation system panaramoic view makes you feel very open. This is the nicest vehicle for anyone. You won.t have any problems and I love the rain sensing wipers. The car takes care of you and I find it can be smarter than me at times. It is push button start and won't let you lock yourself out."

2 people out of 2 found this review helpful

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Absolutely Great Car!!

By PBP (AZ) on Saturday, February 23, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 35,000

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 7/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "Comfortable, smooth ride with some pickup"

Cons: "Seats a little hard and maintenance is costly"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"The Lexus drives very smoothly and has a lot of pickup. The steering is great and the ride is so smooth it is hard to keep the speed at the speed limit. Everyone loves to drive it. Only complaint is that the seats are a little hard - probably due to the heating/cooling ventilation system. The repairs are also a little expensive. I had to have the steering system fluid changed and the car only had 33,000 miles. It was not covered by the Resale Warranty Program."

6 people out of 6 found this review helpful

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Best Vehicle Ever

By JW (FL) on Saturday, October 20, 2012

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 100,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Fun to drive, great performance and gas mileage"

Cons: "Non"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"This car rides and handles so well. Even after being on the road all day I am not worn out. The performance is outstanding, I have only replaced the tires and the battery. I have not had any transmission or engine probelms. This is my second Lexus and I will always drive a Lexus."

12 people out of 12 found this review helpful

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See all 157 reviews