The first luxury car I ever drove was my dad’s 2005 Lexus ES 330. It was finished in very nice purple called Black Garnet Pearl, and had a cream interior with light birch wood trim. Minus getting my first speeding ticket in that thing, I have fond memories of it. It was the first luxury car my family ever had, and it was just a really nice car to drive. Yes, it was old man-ish, but it was oh-so-comfy and had a bangin’ audio system for the time—even if it didn’t have the Mark Levinson audio.
Fast forward almost 20 years and I’m in the 2025 Lexus ES 350 Black Line Special Edition—the first ES I’m driving since that purple one in 2005. It’s a new package based on the F-Sport trim, but I’m immediately confused as to why the F-Sport moniker even exists on what’s supposed to be purely a luxury sedan. Alas, it does look pretty good with the more aggressive front and rear fascias, 19-inch wheels, and other tweaks; as the name suggests, the Black Line package adds a handful of blacked-out bits all over. It’s not over-the-top, but part of me still thinks it looks like a nerd wearing some athletic gear. And personally, I’d prefer it in Black Garnet Pearl, but white isn’t a bad concession.
Whereas the 2005 we had in the family was kind of bulbous in its design, this latest version looks much sharper. It’s still a Camry dressed for prom, but now that also shares its underpinnings with the (dearly departed) Avalon, its Toyota underpinnings are slightly less obvious than they were previously given that it’s a bit bigger and wears more prominent Lexus styling. Overall, while good-looking in F-Sport trim, the ES is still largely inoffensive and mostly blends into the background. I think is what most Lexus ES buyers are after.
The interior is all Lexus, with excellent build quality and nary a cheap-feeling panel, squeak, or rattle to speak of. Most materials are soft to the touch, and the blend of textures are tasteful and well-executed, including the subtle silver trim and Mark Levinson speaker grilles. The red leather stretched across the F-Sport seats and doors is just enough and matches well with the black, although my nostalgia still has me a little confused as to why an ES can be had in such a sporty colour motif. Where’s the wood trim? Give me the wood-laden interior of the Ultra Luxury trim, because the ES is about luxury first and foremost.
The gauge cluster is inspired by the legendary Lexus LFA, with a silver ring that physically moves based on what view you’re in. It looks like the screen itself moves, but it’s actually a neat party trick aided by clever graphics that follow the silver trim. Although the screen is small by today’s standards, it’s still adequate, simple to read, and the different drive modes change the look of the central tach. I dig it, especially when damn near every other automaker—luxury or mainstream—has an basic, uninspired rectangular screen.
As expected, the ES is loaded with all the active safety assists and tech features you’d expect in a car of this calibre. The F-Sport trim also features a 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, which are generally known to be fantastic. It’s pretty darn good here too, if lacking in a bit of deep bass. It’s all controlled through a 12.3-inch touchscreen atop the dash, to the right of the classic analog clock. It’s responsive, generally easy to use, and I appreciate that the ES still has physical controls for common functions. I’d even say it has the most satisfying volume knob in any vehicle, feeling as velvety smooth as a premium home theatre receiver.
Our 2005 ES was a one-trick pony, coddling you inside and eliminating most of the annoyances of the world around you. The trade-off to that isolation was that it didn’t have a single sporty bone in its body. I’m pleased to tell you the newest ES changes none of that, but adds just a hint of sportiness. Actually, perhaps competence is a better word: the new ES 350 is more competent than any of its predecessors, but maintains its luxury-first mission and still can’t be labelled a sports sedan despite the badge. This isn’t a bad thing.
The powertrain in our tester is a 3.5-litre V6 mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission, driving the front wheels. Lexus offers two other powertrains—an anemic 203-horsepower inline-four in the base ES 250, and a fuel-sipping hybrid in the ES 300h— but the ES 350’s V6 is my pick. It’s buttery smooth and churns out a decent 302 horsepower, but because it’s normally aspirated, it doesn’t have the low-end punch a turbocharged engine would. The eight-speed automatic transmission isn’t snappy; it tends to slur its shifts when you wring it out in any drive mode. Granted this isn’t a sports sedan, but still, other luxury sedans keep things smooth and snappy without the laziness.
Beyond straight-line performance, there’s an adaptive suspension on board as part of the F-Sport package. To be honest, it doesn’t change much in the way the ES handles, but it adds to the sense of competence that belies its history. Steering is light-ish but feels good, and while the paddles certainly aren’t hair-triggers, they’re satisfying to use.
The 2025 Lexus ES 350 Black Line Edition hasn’t forgotten its mission statement. It continues to be a luxury people-hauler that manges to be one of, if not the best purely luxury sedan for the money. If you want something with a bit more sportiness, the ES isn’t for you. But if you’re looking for a car that coddles you and eases the stress of daily life, the ES 350 is still worth a look, even in F-Sport flavour. Or, do the right thing and get the Ultra Luxury model with the wood trim it deserves.
