Test drive Lexus ES vs Volvo S90 and Audi A6
Choosing a large sedan for $ 52- $ 480 is not an easy task. This class has a huge number of options: from powerful and fast Germans to advanced and flamboyant Japanese. But there are also Jaguar, Volvo and other cars.
A couple of years ago, at the premiere of the Lexus LC, I first became infected with Japanese cars. Moreover, it was the designers of Lexus who solved the problem that other brands still cannot figure out: Japanese cars finally began to look great. Then, in 2016, I was looking at a coupe in the narrow lanes of Seville and could not understand what it was: a concept, a pre-production model, or some kind of very limited edition. Later it turned out that the LC is generally the beginning of a new era for Lexus, where design is elevated to the absolute.
Alien curves, a massive and overly shiny grille, narrow LED optics of a complex shape, as well as graceful mirrors on separate pillars and a falling trunk lid - all this makes the ES a very distinctive car. Even in the parking lot at the Ritz-Carlton, where they saw everything and even a little more, this Lexus for more than four million rubles is still being closely examined.
Inside is a creative mess. And if you're tired of the correct shapes, then ES is the best fit. The Audi A6 and, to a lesser extent, the Volvo S90 are the European offices. Moderately discreet, functional, comfortable and technically advanced. But this order becomes boring - especially if you are in it every day. The Lexus ES is completely different: it mixed the previous ES, the flagship LS and the same LC coupe. It turned out bright and very fresh.
An elegant tidy may seem too colorful and deliberately sporty, but believe me, this is the best solution for a car for every day. And you seem to be sitting in a cozy cockpit, which sets you up for a sporty mood, but still there is a lack of an important element - the center console turned towards the driver. Because of the direct orientation, it seems that this Lexus was created not only for the driver. Look at the back sofa. The answer is there.
This Lexus is good for everyone: cool appearance, cozy and very thoughtful interior, as always, high-quality finish, and an obscenely long list of options (a bunch of assistants, cool Mark Levinson acoustics, cameras in a circle, seat ventilation and much more). But there is one problem: it is front-wheel drive.
If you drive the ES calmly, then you will hardly feel the difference: it has decent handling, a smooth ride and a small turning circle by the standards of the class. The limiting regimes are quite another matter. In our case, the ES was in the 350 version, that is, with a 3,5-liter naturally aspirated V6. Here 249 liters. with. and 356 Nm of torque - in general, this is enough to grind asphalt, if you press the pedal a little harder than usual.
At the same time, a very long (almost 5 m) and heavy (about 1,9 tons) ES with front-wheel drive is not at all embarrassed by sharp maneuvers - the suspension resists roll and does everything so that Lexus goes along a given trajectory, and not past a corner. In general, if you do not plan to listen to the squeal of tires at junctions and do not dream of empty snow-covered parking lots, then front-wheel drive will definitely not be a reason to refuse to buy a new ES. Or not? It is interesting to know your opinion - vote at the end of the test drive.
$ 84 - this is the figure the configurator showed me when I added all the possible options. That's almost $ 906 more than the Audi A27 in Sport trim costs. But don't be in a hurry to get upset. There are a lot of options here that, for example, would not be useful to me. I can easily do without a panoramic roof ($ 509), a projection of devices on the windshield ($ 6) and even without an automatic braking system ($ 1), which almost brought me to a heart attack a couple of times, and without a whole list that added to the cost of the car two Hyundai Solaris.
And even after adjusting for price, I'm still confident that the A6 is the best car in the trio. Roma does not like his seriousness on the inside, and David doesn't like his appearance. Strongly disagree with both. First, who said that "office on wheels" is bad? I love the solid calmness of the A6. There are literally four physical buttons, the rest are touch-sensitive and work flawlessly. Screens like in A8 - this style for me.
She also rides very well. 5,1 sec. up to 100 km / h - a decent result even for some sports cars. I understand that not everyone wants to buy a 340-horsepower car, all other things being equal, and this, of course, is a big disadvantage of Audi in comparison with the same Lexus.
The branded Quattro for me is the best all-wheel drive system. Only it gives the feeling that the higher the speed, the better the car clings to the asphalt. I know that this statement will seem controversial at least to BMW owners, but for me the way Audi drives is ideal. She can be very cheerful and angry, but at the same time she does not shake life out of you, even on a small “speed bump”.
The powerful, aggressive design of the new Audi A6 is just what you need. The main touch is the lamps with vertical diodes, which, masking the gap from the trunk lid, give the impression that the rear is monolithic.
In our other test, I compared the Range Rover Sport to classics like a tweed jacket or the Beatles, so the Audi A6 for me is something like Donna Tartt with the Goldfinch. It is as unlike the classics as possible, in places bold and incredibly exciting. In the case of a German sedan, it is so exciting that you do not want to get out from behind the wheel at all. Not outside the city, not in a traffic jam. You even forget about the price - at least when the car is not yours.
The word "Mjoliner" sounds to the Russian ear as ridiculous as the name of furniture from IKEA. But in fact, this is a deadly edged weapon. This is the name of the hammer of the god of thunder and storm Thor, whose strikes cause lightning in the heavens. Now it is also the main weapon of Volvo's designers.
The running lights in LED optics of all new models of the Swedish concern are named after Thor's hammer. And they have become as distinctive of cars from Gothenburg as angel eyes are for BMW. Now, every time a cold light with a characteristic hatchet shape flickers in the rearview mirror, you can unmistakably guess the make of the car. So, if possible, you can show off your knowledge of Scandinavian mythology to your friends when a new Volvo model with its headlights on rushes past you.
However, the Volvo S90 is good not only for the unusual details. You can stick as many decorations as you like on a car, but if there is an imbalance in its proportions, it will definitely not turn out beautiful. And the Swedish flagship has complete order with this.
When you look at it in profile, you can't even believe that the S90 is a front-wheel drive car with a transverse engine arrangement. It has such a long hood and a great distance of prestige that the elegance of the silhouette Volvo puts on the shoulder blades not only Lexus and Audi, but also much more elegant luminaries of the genre like the Mercedes "yeshka" and "five" BMW.
I can, of course, argue: design is not always the determining factor when buying a car, especially in this class. And to be partly right, but it is naive to believe that the Swedes have forgotten how to build comfortable business sedans with a perfectly tuned chassis.
The predecessor with the S80 index still keeps a stiff upper lip on the road, and the S90 took the feeling of a fast and comfortable car to a whole new level. Yes, the absence of "sixes" in the S90 motor line is a serious fashion flaw. But on the other hand, do you need more volume and cylinders, if Swedish engineers removed 320 forces from this "four" and two liters?
Yes, maybe this motor does not sound very noble. Especially when working under load. But what does it matter to the passengers sitting inside, if it is almost inaudible, and the top-end Bowers & Wilkins audio system recreates the sound of the concert hall of the Gothenburg Opera House? Listening to classical music with an abundance of strings and bows with these speakers is a special pleasure. But for me, as a fan of the Liverpool four, in the sound modes of the audio system, the Abbey Road settings were not enough. Eh, add it - and it would be an almost perfect car.
| Body type | Sedan | Sedan | Sedan |
| dimensions (length / width / height), mm | 4939/1886/1457 | 4975/1865/1445 | 4963/1890/1443 |
| Wheelbase, mm | 2924 | 2870 | 2941 |
| Ground clearance, mm | 160 | 150 | 152 |
| Cargo space, l | 530 | 472 | 500 |
| Curb weight, kg | 1880 | 1725 | 1892 |
| engine's type | V6 benz., Turbo | V6 benz. | R4 benz., Turbo |
| Working volume, cubic meters cm | 2995 | 3456 | 1969 |
| Max. power, l. with. (at rpm) | 340 / 5000-6400 | 249 / 5500-6000 | 320/5700 |
| Max. cool. moment, Nm (at rpm) | 500 / 1370-4500 | 356 / 4600-4700 | 400 / 2200-5400 |
| Drive type, transmission | Full, 7RKP | Before., 8AKP | Full, 8АКП |
| Max. speed km / h | 250 | 210 | 250 |
| Acceleration from 0 to 100 km / h, s | 5,1 | 7,9 | 5,9 |
| Fuel consumption, l / 100 km | 7,1 | 10,8 | 7,2 |
| Price from, $. | 59 010 | 54 493 | 57 454 |
