loanshark

I dropped off my IS350 at the local Lexus dealership on Friday morning for some warranty repairs and several service campaigns.  They said it would take several days so they sent me on my way with a loaner car ... they gave me a 2003 ES330, wait it gets better, it came in white with chrome wheels and gold badging.  Talk about NOT my style... I feel like an old man driving in it, this car seems to be perfect for someone 60 or 70 years old.  Which is to say my dad would probably love it.  Not me.  It's like driving a boat, instead of reacting to my inputs like a well-tuned road-carving instrument, it kind of takes them as suggestions and grudgingly moves in the general direction you want.  The power steering is super boosted and has no feedback at all.  The brake pedal mushes like you're stepping on tofu.  The power coming out of corners is... almost nonexistent.  It can barely move out of its own way.  Is this what most consumers find comforting or normal?   

There are a few interesting perks in this car though.  It's kind of fun switching the shock absorbers back and forth between Sport and Comfort while driving over a bridge... I doubt it helps the handling much but you can definitely feel a difference in the ride.  The other thing is, I now kind of understand why others drive so badly in this car.  With such sensory deprivation from the realities of the road, how can you avoid it?  It forces me to do the same things they do ... drive slowly (to avoid upcoming hazards, as the time-to-react to everything becomes painfully higher with the weak responsiveness), constantly tap the brakes (because the pedal gives you no resistance or reassurance whatsoever), and I even have to back up and readjust the steering angle when turning into a parking spot (because it has the turning radius of a 747).  I didn't even feel bad when I had to cut off someone to change lanes, the person behind me probably said, whatever, this guy can't help it, he's probably 70 years old and has the mental acuity of a chimpanzee.  I've heard people say, it's not the car, it's the driver.  Well I'm telling you right now, the car makes a helluva difference.

I can't wait to get my IS350 back.