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Blah, you'll be disappointed comparing it to the RL. 350 is like a Honda Accord, just a little. More refined. 450 maybe. Audi A6 is a better substitute, albeit more expensive.
One of the reasons I haven't let go of my 05 is because it's hard to find anything comparable at a decent price range and I don't consider an es350 comparable. Maybe an a6 coming off a lease with around 40k miles.
I think you'll be disappointed. Keep in mind, the ES is a class down from the RL, and for all intents and purposes, the ES is a loaded Camry with an L badge on it. I drove the generation before that. One of our longtime family friends bought the loaded version of it second hand, with the panoramic sunroof and all. I was disappointed in it to say the least.
It's a fine car. I am going through the same thing. Even worse tho because I am looking at new cars. Nothing measures up that I can afford. So far the only car that has me excited, and I have received much flak for it here, is a new Mustang. Instead of trying to do something similar, I decided to make a lateral move so I a not comparing the cars. However, with the few cars I drove, the Mustang (V6, at that) is quiet, smooth and comfortable just cruising, and the other cars with 4 cyl are not. Drive it, if you like it, it's great, but it's boring compared to the RL. For now I am just going to keep my RL. That's the problem with buying top of the line at a used price. You get spoiled. I may end up with another RL. It just does everything well. The problem with mine is rust. I have lost the will to invest the needed money to keep it up due to this. Hey, how about a newer RL for you? That's a better choice than the Lexus. Nothing wrong with that Lexus, but a 2010 RL will satisfy you better, and probably cost less.
"It's a fine car," sums it up about perfectly. It's like when your wife builds you up for sex but then is too tired or feeling bad when the opportunity presents. You'll say, "it's fine," but you'll also be disappointed. A FWD Toyota is certainly no upgrade from an AWD Honda.
Last year when I was feeling my RL was not sexy I leased a BMW 435 coupe. It was travel back in time quick. But at the end of the day I ended up driving the RL more frequently. Last month I did the lease return for the BMW. Granted they gave me a great deal on the return but now I just have an RL. When I need a sexy car I drive my wife's Porsche 911. If I were to upgrade to a RL to a new daily driver I would probably look at the 16 MDX. I've put 93k miles on the rl in 4 years. Runs like a top at 156k. 29 mpg on hwy and it gets me to and from all the places I need to be. I thought I needed a replacement for it but I was wrong. Besides I've gotten used to shouting in the phone number to the Bluetooth.
That's the problem with buying top of the line at a used price. You get spoiled.
That has been my pattern for nearly 15 years and it's what led me to the RL last year. I have had a succession of flagship cars that have a few years on them. It's a great way to get a good value.
