Overview
The Lexus ES mid-size luxury sedan excels in comfort and offers buyers a much lower starting price than ostensible competitors like the Audi A6 and Mercedes-Benz E-class. That’s because it’s a Toyota Camry underneath, with sleeker styling and posh interior furnishings. In our testing, we’ve found its performance and driving character underwhelming and called it a “rolling Xanax pill”—a backhanded compliment of sorts for the way it isolates its driver and passengers from the bumps, thumps, and harsh noises of the outside world. The ES’s cabin is one of the more comfortable in the segment, its powertrains are silken and quiet, and its ride is soothingly smooth. It’s simply not a car for people who love to drive. But it can be a car for people who love to save fuel: the 300h hybrid model returned 45 mpg on our 75-mph highway fuel-economy test.
What’s New for 2023?
For the 2023 model year, Lexus introduces a new F Sport Handling package for ES350 and ES300h models along with a few new interior accouterments. The F Sport Handling package is similar to the Dynamic Handling package that was available last year–which was then exclusive to ES350 F Sport models. It includes an adaptive suspension with Sport+ and custom drive modes in addition to a heated, F Sport-branded steering wheel. Buyers can now also pair a panoramic roof with the F Sport Design package. On the inside, the ES sees new Ash Bamboo trim, a new Macadamia upholstery color (light tan), and an updated center console design, garnished with a sunglass holder, a revised cup holder location, and a new sport for the wireless charger pad. The Lexus Interface infotainment system has also been added to the ES, bringing with it wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Drive Connect Capability with Cloud Navigation, Hey Lexus intelligent assist software, and the subscription-based Destination Assist service. We’re happy to report that the addition of this new multimedia system results in the deletion of the Remote Touch Interface—the fussy touch pad located on the center console.
Pricing and Which One to Buy
While we’re always weighing whether to recommend a car’s sportiest version or a high-value mid-grade trim, in this case, we think upgrading to the ES350 with Ultra Luxury equipment is most in keeping with the sedan’s mission and core capabilities as a luxury sedan. The Ultra Luxury designation adds special 18-inch wheels, quilted semi-aniline leather upholstery, a hands-free power trunk lid, a power rear sunshade, and a wood-and-leather steering wheel. It also requires the addition of the Navigation package, which upgrades the infotainment display to the larger 12.3-inch setup and adds in-dash navigation, an electrochromic rearview mirror, a DVD player, voice recognition, and the automaker’s Enform Destination Assist service.
Engine, Transmission, and Performance
The Lexus ES gives buyers a choice of three powertrains. The ES250 is powered by a 203-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and comes standard with all-wheel drive. All ES350 trims come with a 3.5-liter V-6 that generates 302 horsepower and is governed by an eight-speed automatic transmission that sends power to the front wheels. With all ES350h trims, motivation comes from a hybrid powertrain that provides a net output of 215 horsepower; a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT) and front-wheel drive are standard. At our test track, the gas-only ES350 sprinted from a standstill to 60 mph in 6.1 seconds. The all-wheel drive ES250 and the hybrid ES300h both made the dash in a more leisurely 8.1 and 8.3 seconds, respectively. This Lexus sedan exhibits the composed handling and forgiving ride quality that’s cherished by many luxury-car shoppers. For those seeking keener handling, the F Sport trim adds larger wheels and suspension tuning that’s more performance-oriented, but hardly enthralling. The ES400h F Sport we tested got to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds, so there is an advantage there, but only just. Even with this upgrade, the ES is less athletic than competing models such as the BMW 5-series.
Fuel Economy and Real-World MPG
According to the EPA, mileage for the Lexus ES350 tops out at 22/32 mpg city/highway. As you’d expect, the ES300h hybrid is even more frugal, achieving mileage of 43/44 mpg. The EPA’s fuel economy estimates for the new ES250 are 25 mpg city and 34 mpg highway. During our time with an ES350, we observed mileage of 39 mpg during highway driving at 75 mph over the course of 200 miles. With the ES300h, we observed fuel economy of 45 mpg on the same test route and with the ES250 we observed 33 mpg. For more information about the ES’s fuel economy, visit
