[Porcupine]

Originally Posted by ajmat

Straight from the showroom

The grille actually looks much less severe in these photos than in the press photos, in a very good way!

[VanshK]

Originally Posted by Porcupine

The grille actually looks much less severe in these photos than in the press photos, in a very good way!

The photo is of the older model. The grill is more prominent now. The headlights too are square now.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by JediKnight

What a beauty !!! If I was ever in the market for a luxury sedan, which is unlikely since I abhor luxury as a principle, I would pick up this over the disposable Germans which work for five years.

As for people who shame this car for lack of driver engagement I wonder where they live. The country where I live in is full of hazards, where traffic crawls most of the time. In such an environment I would value refinement safety and reliability over every thing else. Which the ES delivers in spades.

Thank you for saying what I've wanted to but didn't have the courage to in a forum of enthusiasts for horsepower, cornering, acceleration and driver connect. In my opinion there are few stretches in India, mainly on the new highways, that offer such opportunities. And IMHO driving on Indian highways the way one could on a German autobhan is simply silly. As for cornering I often wonder which city in India offers the opportunity to drive swerving around corners at speed while keeping within boundaries of safety related common sense. And 200+ bhp is not a small amount of power.

A very dear friend drives a Series 5. We occasionally travel together for work related road trips. For some stretches I drive his Series 5 and he drives my ES300 or XC60 Volvo. Just the sort of thing boys would do even in their 50s and 60s. And frankly while there is certainly a difference in the grip with which a BMW moves and the driver connect on a highway I wouldn't trade it for the reliability, cabin quietness and rear seat comfort, leg room & soft suspension. But then each buyer will have his/her own priorities.

As for the looks of a Lexus. Alas, what can I say except that each father loves his child no matter what the looks.

[kartavya]

Originally Posted by JediKnight

What a beauty !!! If I was ever in the market for a luxury sedan, which is unlikely since I abhor luxury as a principle, I would pick up this over the disposable Germans which work for five years.

As for people who shame this car for lack of driver engagement I wonder where they live. The country where I live in is full of hazards, where traffic crawls most of the time. In such an environment I would value refinement safety and reliability over every thing else. Which the ES delivers in spades.

I don't know where you het the 5 year disposable thing from. I don't think 99% of people owning them discard then in 5 years (I don't know any including me).
I understand your point about driving dynamics not mattering too much in India though.

As far as I know the Lexus is too overpriced here. Equivalent models in the USA are nowhere close to the 5 series prices.

On a personal note, I don't see anything wow about the interiors. The Germans have a much better looking interior.

[Dhruv29]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

A very dear friend drives a Series 5. We occasionally travel together for work related road trips. For some stretches I drive his Series 5 and he drives my ES300 or XC60 Volvo. Just the sort of thing boys would do even in their 50s and 60s. And frankly while there is certainly a difference in the grip with which a BMW moves and the driver connect on a highway I wouldn't trade it for the reliability, cabin quietness and rear seat comfort, leg room & soft suspension. But then each buyer will have his/her own priorities.

Agreed. i'm in my mid 20s, and have been fortunate enough to drive these cars on regular basis (VW Tiguan, Mercedes E class). But i still prefer to drive the ES with its ML sound system, ventilated and comfortable front seats, smooth and silent suspension.
There is sense of calmness when driving ES through cities and even on highways, which i would not trade. On one hand there is VW tiguan with punchy 2.0 TSI and DSG combo. It's fun to drive in short burst, but how long do we really keep on punching throttle to get turbo kick before running in traffic, use paddle shifters regularly?

Other manufacturers needs to learn from Lexus and Volvo, they don't preconfigure their models sold according to Indian market. Except active safety features and adaptive headlights, ES is on PAR in featuers with models sold abroad. The Volvos sold here is exactly the same with the ones sold abroad.
Mercedes removes their High End sound system in all cars and uses basic system instead(not counting CBUs), ventilated front seats are not available in BMW, Audi, Mercedes in almost all models, Nappa leather upholstery is exclusive to higher end models etc and many more features which keeps on getting deleted regularly over time.

In the end, we have to drive the car within city limit 80% of the time. And this is where the hybrid drivetrain & other luxuries in ES shines.

[CarManMotorcycl]

Originally Posted by Dhruv29

In the end, we have to drive the car within city limit 80% of the time. And this is where the hybrid drivetrain & other luxuries in ES shines.

Hi Dhruv, it seems after a sour ownership experience at the start for you it has turned into a fruitful one it seems. I am still in my low 20s but I would also prefer the ES because essentially it is a luxurious Camry which may be a negative point for some but is a positive to me for the reliability and peace of mind it will offer.

[Venkatesh]

2021 Lexus ES 300h facelift review - Link

Powering the ES 300h is still a petrol-hybrid powertrain and is mated to an e-CVT transmitting power to the front wheels. It starts off in full-electric mode, and it’ll drive smoothly at city speeds, in complete silence

The e-CVT mated to this powertrain does a fine job and when you drive in an unhurried manner, you will really appreciate it for its smoothness.

The ES 300h stands out for its petrol-hybrid powertrain, its smooth drive experience, its stylish and distinctive looks, and the supreme levels of comfort on offer. The Lexus doesn’t offer an engaging or entertaining driving experience and lacks the fun factor that its German rivals offer.