Unclogging the Bloodlines

The entry-level ES250 has been the quietly disguised runt of the Lexus litter.

Not that this reshaped, rebadged, air-bagged and higher-priced version of the Toyota Camry ripped off any purchaser.

But a 3-year-old Camry by any other name still wasn’t a Lexus. Ever the stopgap, never the show stopper, always the shy poseur . With nothing up Lexus’ sleeve but the illusion of a full product range.

Enter the ES300. It not only replaces the ES250, it removes flecks from the Lexus bloodline and fully fleshes out the marque. It is pure Lexus and an exclusive design that began with a sharp pencil and a blank sheet of paper. Unlike other vehicular abridgements, the car has lost nothing in its translation from flagship to entry level.

Of course, the punch is less than that found in the LS400, that four-door, five-star sledgehammer from Lexus. The car will not frolic through the bucolic with the pace and grace of the SC400 coupe.

But in matters of driver and passenger luxuries, quality of construction, value of purchase and harmony of performance and handling, the miniaturization of the ES300 is in perfect, even generous, proportion to its sexier siblings.

Equipped with a 24-valve, V-6 engine developing 185 horsepower, the basic car with a 5-speed manual will sprint from zero to 60 m.p.h. in a little over eight seconds.

Gas consumption for the automatic is 18 m.p.g. in town and 24 m.p.g. in the boondocks, which is as thrifty as you’ll get most anywhere.

In matters of mechanical reliability, Lexus, as with parent Toyota and all its little ‘uns, owns the rock and just about every satisfaction rating issued by J. D. Power.

Luxury fixings on the ES300 include leather interior and walnut trim and a driver’s-side air bag and a 24-hour roadside assistance program and anti-lock brakes and remote control locking and unlocking . . . and all that for about $27,000.

It should follow that the ES300 will soon be earning as much acclaim as a pinch hitter with those same numbers.

Unfortunately, the sedan falls squarely into a category of near affordable, barely downsized luxury cars that manufacturers hope will form a customer’s bridge to hardly affordable, full-sized luxury cars. Right now, that particular pack is crammed with seducements.

BMW’s new 325i and the Mitsubishi Diamante are among the cars of quality in the $20,000-$30,000 price range. So are the new Acura Vigor, the Alfa Romeo 164, the Mercedes 190E and archrival Infiniti’s M30. And this month, the new Mazda 929 enters the chariot race.

All are fresh. All are damned good. All of which means that a consumer’s final decision will probably be made over highly critical issues, such as a preference for Garnet Pearl paint over Fig Blush.

The curves and rounds of the ES300 certainly follow the familiar form of Lexus that, surprisingly, has been around for almost three years now.

A ducktail rear end with a short overhang and just the hint of a built-in spoiler reflects the LS400 sedan. The drooping snoot with bull’s-eye headlights behind lenses that curve around the front corners with a naughty leer, clearly came from the the SC400 coupe.

There’s just enough chrome to delicately frame the windshield and side and rear windows without shouting their presence. Wheels are cast alloy, discreet and six spokes arranged in three branches. Bless the stylist who decided not to borrow the SC400’s 10-spoke wheels, which could only look better if they were patio umbrella weights.

The ES300’s interior is a critic’s nightmare because it is almost flawless. Stalks, buttons and most switches are immediately to hand. The soft leather seats fit all contours and heights without incessant juggling of a battery of buttons. Thanks to the addition of a little more shoulder and leg room, there’s even enough room for six-footers in the back seats.

We said almost flawless.

Although large and visible, the analog gauges are electroluminescent and inclined to disappear when bright sunlight hits from certain side angles. Particularly if a driver is wearing sun glasses.

Any ergonomist in touch, as it were, with today’s manual habits should know that the fidget factor is six touches of any radio button for every tap of the climate controls. Yet Lexus has given priority to internal weather and mounted the climate-control panel above the AM-FM radio. KFWB, therefore, remains a little farther from fingertip reach and just a smidge below eye level.

Although there is no evidence of increased insulation and no known changes to the engine mounts, the ES300 certainly seems quieter than its predecessor. And that applies to subduing wind, road and engine noise.

The performance of the car is absolutely perfect for the optimum demands of average motorists who once in a while like to indulge their street rod fantasies.

Thanks to a lengthened stroke, increased compression ratios and a better-breathing fuel injection system, the ES300’s V-6 has grown from 2.5 liters to 3.0 liters. That’s good for a 19% improvement in power, ample for quick starts and darting around traffic in the mid-ranges where lesser engines tend to flag.

The suspension system is a pretty basic list--independent on four wheels, with multiple links and MacPherson-type struts--but orchestrated and fine-tuned to behave flat and poised no matter the surface, no matter the ham-handed handling. The addition of Goodyear Eagle GAs on 15-inch wheels does nothing but enhance such good manners.

A slight mushiness infects the speed-assisted steering when working at just below surface-street speeds. But as the pace improves, the steering tightens noticeably and obligingly offers exceptional balance and feel right up to the car’s performance limits.

The test car came equipped with a 4-speed automatic, never our personal preference. But with an electronic overseer to smooth out the shift points--plus a performance button on the console to extend the shifting during more spirited acceleration--there was none of the snatching and lurching that plagues so many automatics on smaller-engined vehicles.

It is worth noting that with the ES300, Lexus will be working a pleasant turnabout for Toyota’s customers.

For the new Toyota Camry SE scheduled for introduction next month will be sold with the Lexus ES300 engine, transmission and chassis platform.

Last year, you paid for a Lexus and got a Toyota.

This year, you can pay for a Toyota and get most of a Lexus.

1992 Lexus ES300 COST: Base with five-speed manual: $25,250 As tested, $29,150 (includes automatic transmission, CD player, leather seats, power moon roof, driver’s-side air bag, cruise control, anti-lock brakes, remote entry, etc.) ENGINE: 3.0 liter, 24-valve V-6 developing 185 horsepower. TYPE: Front-drive, front-engine, four-door, five-passenger luxury sedan. PERFORMANCE: 0-60 m.p.h., as tested, with automatic, 9.1 seconds. Top speed, manufacturer’s estimate, 135 m.p.h. Fuel consumption, EPA, city-highway with automatic, 18 m.p.g. and 24 m.p.g. CURB WEIGHT: 3,406 pounds. THE GOOD: Unmistakably Lexus in styling, smoothness and quality finish. Flawless interior, most supportive seats in class. Quieter than midnight in Santa Fe. Snappy performance. THE BAD: Unenlightened electro-luminescent instruments. Climate controls where sound system should be. THE UGLY: Does not apply.