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My lease of the 2016 ES 350 is due in January '19. Started to look for a the new ES as they hit the dealerships in Canada. I recently took a test drive on ES 350 Ultra luxury package. Here is my 2 cents: The Mark Levinson audio system seemed poorer than the old model (maybe it's just me after getting used to my car for 3 years). I will focus on the drawbacks as the rest is not a concern. The speakers are positioned differently than the older model and maybe they use other speakers but the sound wasn't that rich. The driver seat is lower than older ES maybe to give that sporty posture that appeals to a younger base. I wasn't impressed by this either. The drive is smooth and quiet as the older models. Reactive and powerful as expected the transmission impressed me in particular. The manual shifting is smooth and flawless. Pushing the gas fast and furious will get you going as they claim. The new display is indeed large and flows well but in imitating other European brands doesn't sync in the dash anymore. Not sure why they went that way but it's a minus in my books. Tne LS resisted the temptation of exposing the display and left it in the dash. Using the mouse pad was a bit challenging and hard to use while driving. I prefer the old mouse but it'a personal choice. The USB port is in a new location and forces the stick to stay in a vertical position which I found odd and inconvenient. I have all my music on USB connected to the car permanently so having the USB stick exposed is not cool. To expose the roof in the rear seat you have to open the cover all the way which force the front passengers to stay exposed in the sun. Bad thinking in my opinion. In the old moder the roof cover is manual but independently operated which is smart and handy. The new body lines are sporty but dilute the impression of a luxury sedan which the old model has.
The new dash is smaller and squeezed and despite being full digital it give the sensation that something is missing. The biggest positive is the head windshield display which is neat and useful. Price wise is 5-6k more expensive than older models and sure if that is attractive enough to make me jump into one. If you experienced the new ES please share your thoughts here.
The new dash is smaller and squeezed and despite being full digital it give the sensation that something is missing. The biggest positive is the head windshield display which is neat and useful. Price wise is 5-6k more expensive than older models and sure if that is attractive enough to make me jump into one. If you experienced the new ES please share your thoughts here.