Down toward the bottom of the Lexus ES 350's center console is an oddly shaped slot that puzzled me when I first examined the Japanese "entry luxury" car's interior. Does a cupholder pop out of it? Is it an interface for my phone? Perhaps something to do with the navigation system? The shape seems so familiar -- narrowly rectangular, with a slight bulge on the right side -- I know I must have seen it somewhere before....
Oh, I get it -- it's a cassette player! Wow, it's like I just dropped into the Smithsonian.
Really, the fact that the ES includes a cassette deck as part of its luxury package but no iPod interface pretty much says that I'm out of the target market for it. My mom still rummages through cassette tapes I believe, but all mine have been packed away in cases for years now. Seeing a cassette deck in a car, for me, is like sitting behind the wheel and noticing an 8-track player shoehorned into the dash. It's an anachronism, a "feature" that brands the car as a little too far behind the times.
It's a shame, I suppose, as otherwise the ES is a nice enough sedan, although it pretty much feels like an upscale Camry. I've generally preferred the GS and IS models -- hopefully, I'll get a chance to compare the top-of-the-line LS as some point in the future. I'll have a fuller review at Metro Weekly sometime in January.
Howdy Sean. Wow, really great to finally discover your blog. You are my favorite writer at Metro Weekly. You don't get published enough there.
Are you going to the Washington Area Auto Show this weekend? I might make it, though it is such a downer after great shows like the North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the LA show and the Chicago Auto show, a midwest tradition.
Love the 08 Chevy Malibu. Your thoughts?
Wish you continued success. A big fan of yours under the radar. Big hugs.
Posted by: Bufftuff | January 24, 2007 at 01:57 PM