NOT A SPRTS SEDAN. THIS IS A LUXURY SEDAN.

A lot of people are comparing this car to some sports models. This is NOT a sports car. It is a quiet, comfortable, smooth-riding entry-level luxury car. If you're looking for a car with a stiff suspension sports feel, this is not the car for you.

I love my ES 300. Like my Maxima GLE(Maxima SE for the sports car lovers). I chose this car for the soft ride. One complaint enthusiast have is the soft ride. If it were up to Car & Driver, Motor Trend and Road & Track, all cars would be peeling out from 0-60 in 5 seconds or less or cornering like Nascar racers. 7.6 seconds is fine with me. If you want the stiffer sports ride in this class, buy the IS 300, BMW 3 series, Infiniti I30T or Acura 3.2 TL Type S (all excellent cars - I've test driven most of them). But if you like a smooth luxurious feel, then you'll love the ES 300. When I was shopping for a new car, it came down to a 97 Acura 3.5 RL or the 99 Lexus ES 300. There were several reasons that I chose the Lexus.
1. Better exceleration and smoother transmission.
2. Quieter cabin and ride.
3. Insurance quote was higher for the Acura than the Lexus
4. Better certification (3 year-100K from my time of purchase over Acura's 62.5K from original time of purchase)
5. High quality, no hassle sales staff over Acura's lack-a-daisy, pushy sales staff.
6. Better over all service at the dealer. (Leather couches and several choices of coffee or tea :)
7. Regular gas over the 3.5's required premium fuel.
8. Just a great riding car!!!

At 30+ years old, I should care less about the complements and stares I get from driving this car, but it is fun. I'm used to the stares because my other car is a Mazda Miata. MSN's Carpoint rates the ES300 the best value for overall performance for cars 6 years and older. In fact, most all Lexus' are on the list. The ES 300 is a great car and a good value.