The ES 300 looks slick and sophisticated in a smart stance where all lines flow in streamlined fashion. Its design, tracing to the 1997 generational change, increased the overall size of the package, with a wider track and longer wheelbase and body. The quality of fit and finish for parts coming together on this version of the ES will impress the scrutinizing eye, as it rivals that ultimate Lexus sedan, the LS 400. Safety systems also impress, beginning with twin air bags for front riders as well as side-impact protection from an air bag mounted to the outboard edge of each front seatback. With its slant toward luxury, plush comforts are at hand inside ES 300.
Power controls attach to virtually everything.
Front and rear suspensions were rigged to reduce the body's natural tendency to roll outward in a turn. Lexus offers the ES 300 as a less costly alternative to the LS 400 sedan. Climb inside, shut all doors and you'll seal yourself in an isolation chamber shrouded in heavy layers of sound-deadening materials. No other automaker does a better job of isolating passengers in a quiet cabin virtually removed from harsh external noise and free from inherent machinery vibrations. A unitized chassis produces a stiff platform for the ES 300, which helps eliminate sound-intensive rattles typical of lesser cars.