It was the truck that would not budge, the rig that stubbornly stayed the course, cruising along the two-lane highway at 35 mph oblivious to the cars stacking up behind it – or, rather, enjoying the show of frustrated drivers desperate to move ahead. Normally, passing would be a cinch, except that between Lake Las Vegas and Lake Mead Lake in Nevada, there are but a few good areas to execute such a move; some dashed lines last for but a second and then, wham, the opportunity would disappear and back you’d go, reading the back of the white rental box van for miles. This was no good. We only had an opportunity to evaluate the 2007 Lexus ES 350 for a few hours, and while some would say that cruising in traffic would be the best way to examine such a luxo-sedan, we wanted to see what that 272-horsepower engine had to offer.

We got our chance. As if God was listening to our muttered curses, there suddenly came a convergence of events perfect for passing: a broken center line, and no oncoming traffic. We signaled, moved out, punched the accelerator and whoosh, we were off, sprinting past the truck, to freedom and to a considerable surprise: the 2007 Lexus ES 350 acts as if it really, really, really wants to be a sporty sedan. And while it turns out that wanting and being are two entirely different things, the driving experience from behind the ES 350’s wheel is a darn sight more spry than most would expect. As we learned, the engine is nicely powered, and the power is managed capably by a lighter six-speed automatic transmission with sequential shifting. The result is plenty of power when needed, capable acceleration with virtually no torque steer, smooth shifts, and little to no lag between gears.

Oh oh.
By now, those who want the Lexus ES 350 to be a normal comfortable car are making mutters of your own about why Lexus ruined such a marvelously appointed, quiet and comfortable car. They didn’t, so rest easy. In fact, the 2007 Lexus ES 350 is perhaps more boring, eh, comfortable to drive than ever. This is a sedan that has an interior designed for napping: it’s bigger all the way around, thanks to the ES 350’s larger wheelbase; it’s quieter, which is hard to believe but true, thanks to new damping materials and a windshield design that Lexus says is crafted to enhance vocal harmonics; it flattens the road, muting bumps and covering rough asphalt, potholes and ruts while sending little disturbance to the cabin thanks to a stiff frame and capable independent suspension.

It’s not all good, however. During aggressive cornering, you can feel the sedan’s desire to understeer build up quickly, and the 215/55R17 all-season tires scream out in protest if you push it a bit too hard. This car knows its limitations more than you do, starting with aggressive cornering – for which it is not really designed. Additionally, the steering is responsive but feels very disconnected – especially at higher speeds.. You do get some sense of what’s going on down there through the seat, though you have to listen carefully.

Indeed, the 2007 Lexus ES 350’s charm lay in affordable luxury, not sport luxury, and on that count this car delivers in spades: you don’t want all that nasty feedback ruining a nice, quiet and compliant ride. When it’s time to apply the brakes, the system responds quickly and stops nicely, the four-wheel power-assisted antilock discs, grabbing, holding and bringing the sedan to a clean halt. Through the ES 350’s braking system runs all the electronic wizardry of your typical Lexus, with Electronic Brake-force Distribution (EBD), Brake Assist, Traction Control (TRAC) and Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) on alert to keep the car traveling the driver’s intended path.