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Camry XLE V6 v. Lexus ES 350

16 messages,  Last post on Jun 14, 2008 at 7:42 AM

You are in the Lexus ES Forum.

What is this discussion about? Toyota Camry, Lexus ES 350, Sedan

Messages Page 3 of 3

#14 of 16 Re: Camry vs. ES350 [carrelman2] by zekeman1

Nov 25, 2007 (2:47 pm)

Replying to: carrelman2 (Nov 25, 2007 1:50 pm)
If there is so much difference in the two, and features you didn't like, why did you buy the 350?
Z

#15 of 16 Re: Camry vs. ES350 [zekeman1] by music4kp

Nov 29, 2007 (3:28 pm)

Replying to: zekeman1 (Nov 25, 2007 2:47 pm)
I agree. He should have done his research before buying such an expensive car. I test drove my '07 ES350 before purchasing it over a year ago, and found that it was the best car I've ever owned. As for the radio in his wife's Camry being better, he probably doesn't have the Mark Levinson...just a guess.

#16 of 16 There is a major difference by tango19

Jun 14, 2008 (7:42 am)

Just noticed this old thread.
 
I just retired my old '94 XLE V6 (even though it was still running great!) In the early '90s the XLE with leather was pretty much the same car as the ES. I used to park next to a coworker who had the '94 ES and I used to laugh that other than very slight cosmetic differences, they were the exact same car.
 
So I looked at getting a fully loaded XLE this time ("fool my once...") I drove both cars many times, and to me the difference between a fully loaded XLE and a UL packaged ES is night and day. Just pulling the door shut on the ES got my attention. The ES feels like you are closing yourself in a vault (in a good way). Everything in the ES, from plastic knobs to the leather just oozes quality and luxury.
 
The ride itself is not that much different (although the ES definitely has the edge), but the quiet, finesse, and attention to luxury details really pampers you in the ES. The ML audio system is superb. I never thought I would hear a clear difference between MP3s (line out from iPod) and CDs. I was wrong. The detail of the uncompressed AIFF CD files is quite apparent, and now I find myself buying CDs again rather than simply downloading from iTunes. (Tip: when listening to music on the ML system - as opposed to a DVD movie - be sure to turn off surround sound otherwise the bass will not be tight and accurate.)
 
The Camry is a fine car, just not nearly as luxurious and joyful as a UL ES. Yes the ES costs more, but you really do get what you pay for, in fact, as far as luxury sedans go, the ES is a bargain.
 
Needless to say I bought an 08 ES with UL package and actually enjoy my daily commute now!

Messages Page 3 of 3

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