The ES 300 is the entry-level ticket to the
Lexus experience. And all of the
Lexus experience is here. The
Lexus ES 300 is arguably the most refined automobile in the so-called near luxury class -- sedans that range in price from about $29,000 to $36,000. Athletic reflexes make it fun to drive. And it's an attractive car.
For 2000, the ES 300 gets a minor styling update in the front end, plus host of safety, convenience, and luxury enhancements. It received a new powertrain for 1999.
Throw in dealer satisfaction that's consistently rated among the very greatest, and the ES 300 proves tough for other car builders to match. Over the years the ES 300 has performed with such appliance-like efficiency that auto critics have made vague claims about its lack of soul. This could be another way for critics to say they couldn't find much wrong with the car.
The Lexus ES 300 retails for $31,405. Only one model is available, which comes with a 3.0-liter V6 coupled to a four-speed automatic transmission.
The ES 300 remains the least expensive and most popular car in the
Lexus line. (Only the RX 300 sport-utility out-sells the ES 300.)
The ES 300 shares its basic architecture with the highly competent Toyota Camry, but it is far more polished and more luxuriously trimmed. The ES 300 was introduced in late 1996, and by now the look is familiar: frame-less windows with a blacked-out center pillar that creates the impression of a coupe; aggressive, multi-refractor headlights; perfectly matched body seams and gem-like paint.
For 2000, the front fascia gets massaged with a new grille, featuring a wider chrome frame and two chromed horizontal bars instead of three black ones. The front bumper has been reshaped to present a more chiseled look, while High-Intensity Discharge headlights are a new option. In back, redesigned tail lamps now use clear lenses. The sharpened stance can be enhanced further with new optional 16-inch alloy wheels.
The 3.0-liter, 24-valve V6 carries over from last year with 210 horsepower and 220 foot-pounds of torque at 4400 rpm. Equipped with variable valve-timing (VVT-i), the engine provides strong low-rpm power, often a weakness with four-cam, multi-valve engines. About 80 percent of peak torque is available from 1600 rpm all the way to the tachometer's redline. So, no matter how fast the car is going when the driver steps on the gas, it gets going faster in short order.
An electronically controlled four-speed automatic transmission is standard, as are anti-lock brakes and traction control. Front side-impact airbags that deploy from the seat bolsters are standard along with dual front airbags.
The ES 300 offers a sophisticated electronic skid-control system as a $550 option -- something that until recently was reserved for much more expensive cars. The Lexus Vehicle Skid Control system uses a fast computer and sensors in the wheels and steering column. When it anticipates the car is about to go out of control, the system decreases engine power or applies braking force to individual wheels to help keep the car pointed straight. An addition to the system for 2000 is Brake Assist. This feature interprets a quick, hard application of the brake pedal as emergency braking. If the driver is not pressing on the brake pedal hard enough to activate the anti-lock brakes (a common occurrence in accident situations), the system supplements the applied braking pressure to ensure maximum stopping performance.
At its base price, the ES 300 is fairly well equipped, and its strengths still shine through. Yet with the preferred options on our test car, including leather, a moonroof and CD changer, the price increases by $5,000.
