2002 Lexus ES 300

"Entry-lux," by the way, is quickly becoming a passé term. Although the new ES 300 is the runt of the litter, it packs nearly all the bells and whistles of bigger Lexuses. Think of it as a "baby LS 430," said Denny Clemens, adding proudly, "we're not the least expensive, but (we're) the best."

Optional Mark Levinson audio package includes a premium 7-speaker/240-watt sound system.

Another plus: Just when we all thought that Nakamichi was the last word in auto audio, Lexus introduced us to Mark Levinson (a household name in households that have multi-thousand-dollar sound systems). I'm not qualified to judge a Bose/Levinson/Harmon-Kardon shootout, but the sounds in this car are quite sublime. So is the optional DVD-based navigation system, which tilts to reduce glare and somersaults to reveal a hidden CD player.


The sleek newcomer is positioned to challenge BMW's hot-selling 3 Series and the recently revamped Mercedes-Benz C-Class, although its closest front-wheel-drive competition will likely be the Acura TL and the Infiniti I35. Its German rivals tend to shine when roads get raucous, and the 3.0-liter, 210-bhp, Variable Valve Timing-equipped ES 300 isn't particularly focused toward serious performance and handling. Test-drive organizers sometimes choose routes that don't exactly compliment their cars, and our seat-of-the-pants evaluation took place on California's curvy back roads around Half Moon Bay. This area is inundated with tightly wound twisties that are more suitable for the sportier IS 300 and GS 300/400 series Lexus models than the more softly suspended and sedate ES. Still, we have to applaud the car's twin-piston-calipered, four-wheel disc brakes. Fuel economy, thanks in part to a redesigned resin-based intake manifold, rises nicely from 19/26 to 20/29 while sacrificing only 0.2 of a second in 0-60 time (to a manufacturer-claimed 8.1 seconds).

For smoothness, quietness and fuel-efficiency, the ES's front-wheel-drive powertrain is a transverse 3.0-liter V-6 mated to a 5-speed automatic transaxle.

To its credit, the ES 300 remains a pleasant performer on long, sweeping turns, though it understeers and can lose some composure when those turns tighten. Despite suspension modifications that include new geometry and bushings, firmer damping, a two-inch-longer wheelbase and front wheels whose caster trail has been canted to reduce torque steer, it's no sports sedan. The equation is definitely assisted by the optional AVS (Adaptive Variable Suspension), offering a quartet of suspension choices with independent controls for each corner. Truth be told, we could only experience the difference with the softest and hardest settings. For an estimated $600, AVS is worth having if you elect to push the ES 300 briskly.


When you do get a little feisty in the ES, you can hold the transmission in any lower gear for compression braking. The ES's steering, although improved, is typically Lexus—still a bit numb on center and somewhat overboosted. Realizing that most of the car's intended buyers will happily keep the lever in Drive and motor on gently, many of these observations may simply be academic.