Lexus ES300h Luxury review: Price is right for value-packed mid-size sedan
This luxury car maker could be the most underestimated in the country, but its updated sedan is packed with amazing value competitors can’t match.
Luxury
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Lexus has always been overlooked in Australia in favour of German machines, but there is some amazing value in the Japanese brand’s updated mid-size luxury sedan.
Here are five things you need to know about the Lexus ES.
IT’S NOT JUST A TARTED UP CAMRY
Early versions of the ES felt like Camrys with a bit more bling but the latest iteration doesn’t betray its working class roots nearly as much. The cabin has the same luxury ambience and attention to detail as the rest of the Lexus range. The leather feels opulent, the carpets are plush and the cabin surfaces are soft to the touch. The dash layout feels a little old-fashioned compared with the latest twin-screen digital tech in German rivals, but it has an olde-worlde charm. The analog clock next to the centre screen is a nice touch, matching the analog dials in front of the driver, while the steering wheel buttons mean most controls are at your fingertips. That’s a blessing, because Lexus has persisted with its fiddly touchpad for navigating the screen menus.
THE PRICE IS SHARP
Our test car was the ES300h Luxury, which confusingly is the entry level model. It costs a tick under $70,000 drive-away, which is roughly the same money as a BMW 320i, Mercedes-Benz C200 or Audi A4. However, the ES is a bigger vehicle — nearly five metres long — and closer to the more expensive 5 Series or E-Class in size. Standard fare includes heated leather seats, a sunroof, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto displayed on a wide 12.3-inch screen, head-up display, wireless phone charging, satnav and digital radio. The Pioneer audio system is a belter, with plenty of punch and excellent clarity.
DON’T BOTHER WITH THE “ENHANCEMENT PACK”
In an attempt to bridge the gap to the more expensive F Sport and Sports Luxury models, Lexus has added an enhancement pack to the Luxury model. It’s something different for the brand, which used to pride itself on the fact that — unlike the Germans — everything came standard. The pack costs $6350 and doesn’t appear to deliver great value for money. There are bigger 18-inch wheels, nicer leather, 14-way adjustment instead of 10-way on the driver’s seat, seating ventilation, a 360-degree parking camera and a powered sunshade for the rear window.
IT’S BUILT FOR COMFORT
While the European brands often trade comfort for sportiness, the ES’s focus is squarely on pampering its occupants. It won’t keep up with a 3 Series on a twisting road, but it will do a noticeably better job of soaking up the bumps and lumps on the daily commute. The cabin is impressively quiet, the seats are comfy and supportive on longer freeway runs and rear legroom is generous. The combination of four-cylinder engine, electric motor and continuously variable transmission delivers smooth, relatively brisk acceleration off the mark and excellent fuel economy. We averaged 5 litres per 100km in a mix of freeway and city driving, close to half what you’d expect from a petrol version of the same car.
LEXUS HAS CAUGHT UP ON SAFETY
The ES received a five-star crash rating back in 2018 but safety tech has come on in leaps and bounds since then, leaving it a bit off the pace. The brand recently add a blind-spot monitor and rear cross-traffic alert to its safety arsenal (as well as $2000 to the price tag). The tech will warn the driver of a potential collision with a car or pedestrian when backing out of a car spot, then hit the brakes if the driver doesn’t respond. The ES also has radar cruise control, auto emergency braking with pedestrian detection, auto high-beams and lane-keep assist.
Originally published as Lexus ES300h Luxury review: Price is right for value-packed mid-size sedan