The long stretches of relatively flat four-lane highway leading east from Vancouver, while beautiful, are a little boring from a driving enthusiast's point of view. No problem, the radio stations come in loud and clear over the sensational 6-disc in-dash CD equipped Mark Levinson audio system.

It seems with the advent of the small and sporty IS 300, the ES 300 has been allowed to grow in overall size, with a longer wheelbase of 2,720 mm (107.1 in) compared to 2,670 mm (105.1 in) and increased height of 1,455 mm (57.3 in) in the new car to 1,394 mm (54.9 in) in the old.

While the ES 300 is larger overall than its predecessor it doesn't negatively reflect its capability in the corners. In actual fact, the 2002 model is by far superior in both ride and handling, benefiting from standard 16-inch alloy wheels wrapped in 215/60 R16 tires, larger than the old cars optional tires, as well as a 4-wheel independent suspension system mounted to anti-vibration subframes. Also, an optional Adaptive Variable Suspension system (AVS) improves the ride by optimizing each shock absorber damping rate, depending on the rate of speed, road surface conditions, steering input, braking dynamics and vehicle movement. On the long sweeping corners just past Chilliwack en route to Hope, the ES 300 is wonderfully composed during lane changes that often mean enduring pavement irregularities, with a much crisper turn-in than the previous model.

At the entrance of the Coquihala highway the curves become slightly tighter, albeit there is no need to slow down. I switch suspension modes from Comfort to Sport, offering a little more road feel and increasing agility overall.