- sedan 174,023
- Bel Air, MD
-
- autoshopper.com
- sedan 174,023 silver automatic
2002 lexus es 300 review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. A total redesign makes a new machine out of the venerable es 300. introductionwhen the lexus es 300 first arrived a little more than a decade ago, es stood for 'executive sedan,' suggesting conservatism. Executives, not to mention sedans, have changed a lot since then. Now we have the all-new 2002 es 300, with conservative execution but aggressive styling. From venerable to bold, one swift stroke. The careful elegance of this car is going to knock some executives' socks off. lineupthere's just one model, the es 300 sedan, which borrows so many luxury features from the ls 430 that it's being called the 'baby ls 430' in the halls at lexus. It starts inside with the shape and construction of the power front seats, and adds a supplemental restraint system of multi airbags. New standard equipment includes electronic brake distribution (ebd), which works the antilock brakes independently on each wheel; dual-zone climate control with air filtration; seven-speaker, 86-watt audio system with single cd and cassette; water-repellant front door glass; and lamps that illuminate the doorsill and the ground when the doors are opened. The snazzy nine-spoke alloy wheels nicely set off the un-conservative styling. and how's this for value? The base price remains the same, $31,505. it will cost another eight grand or so to get it fully loaded, however. Options include vehicle skid control 650); adaptive variable suspension 620); the same regency leather as in the ls 430 1560); a touch-screen dvd satellite navigation system featuring faster route calculation and voice guidance 3960, including the leather and a six-disc cd); three upgrades in audio systems, the ultimate being a mark levinson system with six-disc in-dash (or console, with the navigation system) cd changer offering 240 watts 3010, including the leather); a power rear sunshade 210); high intensity discharge headlamps with automatic leveling and rain-sensing wipers 640); heated seats 440); and chrome wheels 1700). walkaroundit's the rake and headlamps that make the styling so striking and quietly dynamic. The front end seems to slope from the top of the windshield over the sculpted hood and tidy dark grille, down to the smooth airdam under the almost seamless front bumper. The headlight cluster sets a new benchmark in smooth, swoopy angularity, like silvery eyes pulled back at the corners. The tail light, similarly shaped, wraps forward as if stretching to meet the headlight. Every little corner contributes to the suggestion of shape-the rear window outline moves the lines up and away from the rear deck, for example. Even the underbody was addressed, as it's nearly flat. Not surprisingly, the overall design results in a very low 0. 28 coefficient of drag (a measure of aerodynamic efficiency). one measure of the success of the styling is that the car is bigger than it looks when standing alone. It's actually 2. 4 inches higher than the old es 300 (with an inch more ground clearance) but more aerodynamic. Trunk volume has also been increased, by 12 percent. new technology in sound absorption and isolating engine vibration brings exceptional quiet and smoothness. Another trick from the ls 430 is the anti-vibration subframe mounting for the revised suspension. Behind the fit and finish is a great deal of careful design, detailed work, and use of the latest materials such as composites and resin-steel sandwiches. The car's quality construction can be felt and heard in the tight 'thunk' in the closing of the doors, trunk and hood, and even in the solid feel of the turn signal stalk. one of the engineering objectives of the new es 300 was to make it the safest car in its class. The redesigned unibody chassis has computer-designed crush structures and passenger compartment reinforcements. The front end is totally crushed, but, remarkably, the windshield is unbroken and the doors can be opened. Additionally, the crash-test dummy was protected by front seats designed to reduce whiplash, and three airbags for the driver alone. under the hood, the emphasis was on increasing performance through efficiency rather than horsepower and torque. The 3. 0-liter v6 was already pretty smooth, with the vee between the cylinder banks being 60 degrees versus the 90 degrees of many vee engine blocks (the narrower the vee, the better the balance). Lexus also uses sophisticated electronic engine mounts that change their vibration-dampening level as the engine speed increases. the '02 produces the same 210 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of torque as the '01, but the acceleration has been improved (0 to 60 in 8. 1 seconds) thanks mostly to a drive-by-wire throttle system pioneered in the ls 430. A new induction system and redesigned exhaust system bring more benefit, with emissions low enough for the es to be classified as a ulev (ultra low emissions vehicle) in all 50 states. The wood has a different look, and it works with the brushed aluminum trim. The standard steering wheel and shift lever are stitched leather and look very nice; the optional wheel is part walnut and the lever all walnut, and they add prestige. a clean instrument panel features analog instruments with a white background, and they are easy to read. Besides the usual indicator lights, there's an exterior temperature gauge and an information display that covers fuel mileage, driving range and average speed. we had a big problem with reading the radio and climate control digital displays in the sun, however. And the air conditioning has a tiny crumb-sized green light indicating it's on, which is undetectable in the bright of day. the glove compartment contains a trunk lock, as well as trunk lid and fuel door releases; and the rearview mirror is self-dimming electrochromic, with a digital compass. The console holds a storage box with a power outlet inside, and two cupholders with adjustable rings. There's a purse hanger in the front passenger footwell, and two retractable coat hooks in the rear. the standard fabric seats offer 10-way power adjustment for the driver and eight-way for the front passenger, so the seating position is excellent, with lots of front-seat legroom. Front and rear headroom increased by 1. 7 and 1. 4 inches, while rear legroom grew from 34. 4 to 35. 6 inches. Front legroom suffered, however, shrinking from 43. 5 to 42. 2 inches. Despite the increased height, there doesn't seem to be an abundance of headroom; a 5'10' driver can touch the headliner by stretching a bit. And the slope of the rear window doesn't allow a panoramic view, though it still fills the rearview mirror. The mirror is mounted so close to the headliner that it has to be grabbed awkwardly from the bottom to adjust. the optional dvd navigation system is state of the art, designed for intuitive operation, according to lexus. It has a tilt screen and simplified highway graphics for easier viewing, and multi routes to multi destinations for those so intuitively inclined. The database also contains the location of airports, banks, hotels, restaurants, shopping centers and even atms. driving impressionsuspension and styling are key strengths to this car, and the suspension is highly polished. We drove in position 4 around town and it wasn't harsh (definitely stiff on a washboard gravel road, though). Conversely, the car didn't wallow during spirited cornering, even in position 1. The ride simply can be made great in all conditions. the 16-inch tires have gone from 205/65 to 215/60, making them lower and wider. The speed-sensitive power-assist rack-and-pinion steering has a very nice touch: light, but with good feel. We got into the es 300 after a week in a very nice volvo c70, also front-wheel drive, and immediately noticed the effortless steering. the brakes, too, were effortless; very nicely sensitive. The all-aluminum, 24-valve v6 engine produces the same 210 horsepower as the previous es 300, although refinements have made it smoother and quick. Climate Control✔ Anti-lock Brakes✔ Heated Seats✔ CD Changer✔ Air Conditioning✔ Chrome Wheels✔ Navigation System✔ Alloy Wheels
Bel Air, MDBel Air, MD at autoshopper.com