How do you escape the turmoil of today’s world of uncertainty and disquiet? One of the best ways we know of is to slip behind the wheel of a 2009 Lexus ES 350 and allow yourself to be whisked away from reality. As the New York Times so aptly put it, "If you look at your car as a means of escape from the world rather than a connection to it, this is your ride. It is a cocoon of tranquility, and it will…deliver many years of trouble-free transportation."

The 2009 Lexus ES 350 experience begins with its visual calm. No jarring angles or untoward trim intrudes on the contemplation of a smooth and soothing form, aesthetically satisfying and aerodynamically sleek. Car and Driver calls the ES 350 "the automotive antidote to stress and road rage in one very convenient and comfortable package."

Available in a single trim, the ES 350 is above models and differentiations. A leather-trimmed cabin with heated and ventilated front seats offers the perfect escape. Ten-way power seats for the driver and front passenger are standard. The Lexus Memory System preserves your personal comfort selections and those of a second driver, ensuring your precise settings are always available. A larger interior than offered by most midsize sedans is furnished with plush materials, equipped with ergonomic and intuitive controls and detailed for lavish living on the go. Just over 37 inches of headroom in the front and 42.2 inches of legroom allow for an optimal driving position for even the tallest motorists.

The interior of the ES comes standard with features like walnut trim on the dash and doors, a leather-trimmed steering wheel and shifter, automatic dual-zone climate control and a fine CD stereo. A 300-watt, 14-speaker, Mark Levinson audio system is available for audiophiles. Over 14 cubic feet of space in the trunk provides ample storage. Combined with the smooth and quiet ride, cargo space is one of the reasons reviewers found the ES to be a good car for road trips.

U.S. News Rankings and Reviews says, “The ES is the kind of car where even the driver can sit back and enjoy the ride, but that doesn't mean that driving the ES 350 is not fun.” Their survey of reviews and road tests finds competent cornering and handling that outshines other comfort luxury sedans like the Jaguar X-TYPE and the Volvo S60 make the ES a solid choice. Automobile magazine describes the ES as "either as smooth as an eel swimming through an oil slick or a lobbyist slipping a sweetheart provision into an appropriations bill – it's hard to say."

A 3.5-liter V6 engine and six-speed automatic transmission provide 272 hp to keep the ES 350 moving nicely. The zero-to-60-mph time of 6.8 seconds is none too shabby, yet fuel economy is quite impressive. The Environmental Protection Agency predicts the ES will get 19 mpg in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

The combination of the V6 and the six-speed transmission is seen by test drivers as a good one. A typical description finds the ES 350 "quick to respond, the engine is as smooth and quiet as you would expect and the transmission operation is flawless, automatic or manual mode, downshift or upshift. Engine and transmission are linked by several electronic modules and the electronic throttle, and there were no glitches we could find."

The four-wheel independent MacPherson strut-type suspension and gas-pressurized shock absorbers help provide an exceptionally smooth ride in the ES 350. The front-wheel drive setup provides traction and handling security. With MacPherson struts up front, a multi-link setup in the rear and speed-sensitive rack-and-pinion steering, the ES 350 is stable and highly maneuverable. Stability and traction control systems are onboard to help the driver maintain control. The brakes are very powerful and fade-free, even after a series of hard stops. Four-wheel antilock disc brakes are standard.

With a total of up to 10 airbags, the Lexus is equipped to help protect occupants in a crash. The driver and front passenger are protected by four airbags while rear passengers have standard side-curtain airbags and optional side seat-mounted airbags. In government crash tests, the 2009 ES earned five stars for both the driver and front passenger's protection in frontal impacts and five stars for the protection of front seat occupants in side crashes. The ES also earned four out of five stars for the protection of backseat occupants in side crashes and has a four-star rollover rating. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the ES the highest rating of "Good" in both frontal offset and side-impact tests.

In addition to the standard traction control and stability assist systems, the ES 350 offers options such as the Lexus Dynamic Radar Cruise Control and Pre-Collision System. When engaged, Dynamic Radar Cruise Control uses sensors to detect and adjust speeds according to traffic conditions without driver input. The Pre-Collision System uses sensors to detect collisions before they happen. Once a collision is detected, the system primes the brakes, which lessens the collision speed.

The 2009 Lexus ES 350 makes a fine family car and the consummate commuting vehicle thanks to its many soothing comforts. If you are heading toward “A Bridge Over Troubled Waters,” the 2009 Lexus ES 350 is the car to be driving.