The criteria for admittance into this comparison test specify that mainstream sedans merely equipped with leather seats and other premium features were not allowed. Toyota evaded this ban by outfitting its Camry with a higher-quality interior, revised styling, and a Lexus badge. Thus, the ES330 has the same roomy interior and soft, quiet ride as the Camry, along with a few additional features and real-wood interior trim replacing plastic simulations. And a combination of the Camry's strong points and the small improvements that Lexus made to the vehicle make it a convincing enough entry-lux for it to be one of the best-selling cars in the segment, without a price advantage. And the car's traits impress enough to land the car a decent finish in this comparison, but considering how similar the ES330 is to the Camry, that it is no longer the only car in this class with a roomy, quiet interior and a soft ride, and its floaty handling, and it is no class leader.

          As noted, the ES330 has a very soft ride that is free of jitters even on rough pavement and absorbs bumps large and small extremely well. However, at highway speeds, it is prone to excessive float, which can become annoying. This soft-tuned suspension not only leads to a lack of ride control, but it destroys the car's handling. While the ES330 never feels unsafe, it feels decidedly clumsy even at moderate speeds, and body roll is quite pronounced. The steering is slow to respond and devoid of feel. The 3.3-liter V6 provides reasonably quick acceleration, but its virtual silence protects occupants from a feeling of exhilaration. Road and wind noise are absent as well. Fuel economy is good overall by the standards of this class, and better than most other V6 models.

        Inside, the ES330 has reasonably comfortable front seats, though they are too soft, and the seat cushion could be longer. There is plenty of legroom, but the optional sunroof steals head space. The rear seat could also use additional head space, but is nicely-shaped (though also a bit soft) and has good leg and foot space. The interior is constructed of very high-quality materials and perfectly-fitting trim pieces. The gauges are a bit small, but very clear, and the instruments are very well-placed and easy to use. A telescoping steering wheel and power-adjustable pedals would be handy options for taller drivers, who are currently too close to either the steering wheel or to the pedals. Other drivers sit comfortably, and have excellent visibility. The sloping roofline complicates rear entry/exit somewhat, but the large doors and footwells compensate for that. The ES330 has a fairly roomy trunk by the standards of this class, but it is much smaller than the Camry's.

        The ES330 did very well in crash testing. The IIHS awarded it a Best Pick rating in its offset crash test, and the second-highest rating of Good in its side crash test. It also earned five stars for the driver and four stars for the rear passenger in the NHTSA side crash test, but NHTSA has not evaluated the car's frontal crash performance.

         The ES330 reviewed here came very well-equipped but at a rather high price for this group as well. Your $33,221 buys virtually every option that could be expected in this group (except for a navigation system, which would have pushed the price out of this group's range), and a few extras, such as a power rear sunshade. While not as overpriced as its German competitors, the ES330 is definitely not a great value in this class, and a few gimmicks like the power sunshade boost its price by $8,000 over a fully-loaded Camry.

         Overall, the ES330 is not a bad car. Its soft and quiet ride and comfortable and high-quality interior make it a good relaxed cruiser. But considering the other cars in this group that also offer the same traits with fewer sacrifices, the ES330 is no longer the class-leader in reasonably-priced comfort, luxury, and refinement that it was when it came out in 2002. Consumers not interested in a sporty drive ought to still consider it, but it has many strong competitors that are also worth considering.

Pros:

-Refinement

-Interior Space

-Ride Comfort

-Interior Quality

-Fuel Economy

-Safety Ratings

Cons:

-Agility

Overall:

The closest thing this class has to a Lincoln Town Car.

Version Reviewed:

NA

Price of Version Reviewed:

$33,221

Powertrain:

3.3-liter V6