2006 Lexus ES330

2006 Lexus ES330 is a sedan. The further description about this vehicle is as follows:

Toyota’s original plan was to sell the Lexus LS 400, the division’s flagship, as a standalone model. However, U.S. dealers feared the large V8-powered sedan wouldn’t be able to support their investment, and lobbied for another model to sell alongside it. Toyota’s answer was the 1990 ES 250, a Camry-based sedan sporting unique sheet metal, a more luxurious interior, and more standard equipment. The ES 250 took the Toyota Vista’s four-door hardtop body from the home market, and stuffed a 2.5-liter V6 coupled to either a four-speed automatic or five-speed manual transmission under the hood. A Lexus grille insert and LS 400-style wheels, contrasting lower body cladding, and frameless door glass combined with a well-equipped interior to set it apart from its Camry cousins. However, many believed the car to be a placeholder in the lineup until a unique Lexus model could be introduced. They were both right, and wrong.

When the second generation ES launched as a 1992 model, it kept its Camry roots, but Toyota significantly upgraded the vehicle’s specification. The suspension was tuned for greater ride comfort and to handle its extra 200-lbs. Much of this increase came from liberal use of greater sound insulation. Engine size increased to 3.0 liters, power output rose from 156 to 185 horsepower, and both a five-speed manual and four-speed automatic were offered. Real California Maple trim adorned the instrument panel and console, LS 400-grade leather covered the interior, and an eight-speaker sound system was standard. The combination of a longer wheelbase, greater width, new and unique styling, and a long list of standard equipment quickly made the ES 300 Lexus’ best selling car.

The third generation ES arrived as a 1997 model, and was powered by a 200-hp version of the 3.0-liter V6 mated to a four-speed automatic transmission. Eliminating the manual gearbox not only saved money, it acknowledged the ES 300’s role as a comfortable, not sporty, luxury sedan. Wheelbase and length increased again, mirroring changes made to the Camry platform on which it was still based, and the engine’s output increased to 210 hp in 1999. Not long after, the IS replaced the ES as the entry-level model for Lexus.

This coincided with the introduction of the fourth generation ES, and allowed Toyota engineers to make the ES larger, quieter, and more comfortable. The 3.0-liter V6 was coupled to a five-speed automatic, and the level of standard equipment increased yet again. In 2004, engine displacement was increased to 3.3 liters, and the front and rear fascias, lights, and grille were updated the following year. As before, the equipment levels rose, and the ES was outsold only by the RX crossover.

The current ES launched as a 2007 model, and grew again in both wheelbase and overall length. Sporting the Lexus “L finesse” styling developed by Ferrari Daytona designer Leonardo Fioravanti, the ES 350 features a 3.5-liter V6 and six-speed automatic transmission, and even more equipment. Though it remains the best selling Lexus sedan and will receive a mild facelift for the 2010 model year, its future is uncertain. Lexus has investigated both eliminating the ES or moving it from the Camry platform.