The 2010 Lexus ES 350 has lived up to its reputation this year. This luxury sedan continues to deliver a smooth ride, powerful V6 engine, and lots of high end features. The name Lexus has become synonymous with quality and reliability over the last couple decades. This quality is noticeable on both the interior and exterior of the ES 350. Interior trim is flawless with no gaps or flimsy pieces. The exterior body panels fit together like a jigsaw puzzle. Though the ES350 is built on the Camry frame you would never know it by the look and feel. There are sportier sedans on the market but if you are looking for a true luxury sedan the ES 350 is a must see. New this year is a slight revision to the exterior, standard rear side airbags, and the optional “Lexus Enform and Safety Connect” telematics system. There is only one trim level available with an extensive list of optional equipment to choose from. Below is an overview of options and specs.

Standard Equipment- Includes automatic wipers, keyless ignition, keyless entry, 17 inch alloy wheels, dual zone climate control, cruise control, 10 way power front seats, power tilt and telescoping steering wheel, power sunroof, auto dimming rear view mirror, leather interior, driver memory functions, Bluetooth and music streaming capability, eight speaker stereo system with six disk in dash CD changer, iPod interface, satellite radio, and auxiliary USB audio jack.

Optional Equipment-Available options are a self parking system, heated and ventilated front seats, upgraded leather interior, adaptive HID headlights, adaptive cruise control, power rear sunshade, panoramic sunroof, passenger memory functions, wood and leather steering wheel, hard drive based navigation system with back up camera, Lexus Enform telematics system, and a Mark Levinson 14 speaker premium stereo system.

Powertrain-The ES 350 has one engine option, a 3.5 literV6 that produces 272 horsepower and 254 pound feet of torque. Mileage is rated at 19mpg city and 27mpg highway.

Safety-Standard safety features include antilock brakes, front side airbags, rear side airbags, side curtain airbags, front knee airbags, traction control, and stability control. Radar based pre collision system and “Lexus Enform and Safety Connect” are optional safety features.

In government crash tests, the ES350 earned the maximum of five stars for frontal crash protection and front seat side crash protection. It received four stars for rear side protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awarded the ES350 their highest rating of “good” in frontal offset and side crash tests.

The inside is laid out in a logical manner, so that whatever shape or size you are, you can fit in comfortably. The best choice is the 1.4 litre engine, as if you opt for anything lower than this you will experience a lot of noise when driving at speed. The 1.4 is economic on fuel and gives a much quieter drive. Volkswagen’s name helps their cars preserve value, as they are known to be good, long lasting cars, so should you come to sell this later down the line, you shouldn’t lose too much value.

Inside, the space is very flexible. The seats can be folded down and the boot can be lifted to offer more space for your bags. There will be no whinging from your passengers in the rear of the car, as there is ample space for them and the entire expanse of luggage they have with them. The seats are adjustable, and the dashboard is beautifully presented for ease and convenience.

There are six airbags as standard, and stability controls. All the parts are security marked and you have deadlocks where needed. If you decide to go with a more luxury model, there are plenty of other extras you can add to enhance the security features.