Lexus ES Review 2024

The executive sector is full of cars with sporting touches and muscular appeal in a bid to draw in buyers, yet comfort is a much longer lasting talent to have and this is what the Lexus ES offers. Its supple suspension soaks up lumpy roads and whisks them away with barely any disturbance to its occupants.

For this reason alone the ES is a great car for anyone who has long commutes to complete. It deposits you at journey’s end feeling comfy, relaxed and ready for what comes next.

This calm demeanour is enhanced by the hybrid powertrain’s easy-going nature, while the cabin has masses of space and build quality that makes a bank’s seem a little slapdash. The interior is also packed with lots of standard kit to make your life easier and more cosseted.

Lexus also gets it right when it comes to running costs, which will be of vital importance to the many company car drivers faced with the choice of picking from the Lexus or the multitude of other executive saloons available.

Guess what? You don’t get a choice when it comes to the engine in the Lexus ES as there’s only one and it’s a petrol-electric hybrid. The 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol unit is spliced with an electric motor to produce a combined 218PS.

That’s not a lot when compared to the ES’s usual rivals with the choice of four, six and even eight-cylinder petrol and diesel engines. So it proves on the road and against the stopwatch, with the ES needing 8.9 seconds to cover the 0-62mph dash - fine when competing with base model rivals, but not once your move up their ranges. 

Although the performance is far from thrilling, the ES’s engine combo rewards with smoothness and it pulls away from a standstill using just electric power for a very quiet, smooth start to your journey.

With just one powertrain, your big decision is which trim to choose. There are four to pick from, comprising the base ES, ES Premium Edition, F Sport and Takumi. The latter is the most luxurious, while the F Sport has a more dynamic outlook. Yet there’s nothing missing from the standard ES, so this is the one we’d head towards.

Lined up against the wall as rivals for the Lexus ES are the usual suspects. They are the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class from Germany, while the British connection is taken care of by the Jaguar XF.

The BMW is the one keener drivers will gravitate towards, while the Mercedes appeals for its comfort and elegant cabin. The Audi A6 has a more avant-garde appeal, while the Jaguar is the Union Jack in automotive form with supremely comfortable ride.

Yet perhaps the closest rival in approach to the Lexus is the Volvo S90. The Swede is another that does things its own way and doesn’t give a damn what anybody else thinks. That’s rather attractive.

If there is one area where Lexus leads the pack in the executive saloon field, it is this one. The Lexus ES has a peerless sense of quality that is clearly derived from the LS luxury saloon. It imparts an identical sense of calm and faultless construction, which is a pleasing feeling when you’re sat in the ES.

Everywhere you look, there are neat little touches to the way the materials are finished or mixed to provide just enough contrast to make it easy to pick out the right button or dial. There’s even a softness to the lighting of the ES’s instruments’ that makes it feel like a cut above the herd in a sector where high quality is the norm.

The same approach applies to the more fundamental side of the ES, so every surface and joint is millimetrically accurate and consistent. It works in harmony with the precision of all the buttons, though remember pre-2021 models use a trackpad-style control for the screen that is incredibly fiddly to use on the move. 

The base Lexus ES comes with an 8-inch infotainment screen as standard, but step up to the Premium Edition or above and you get a 12.3-inch display with navigation. 

Prior to the 2022 model year update of the ES (applied in mid-2021) the screens were controlled solely by a trackpad similar to that you'll find on laptops, surrounded by a few shortcut buttons. 

This was undoubtedly Lexus’ thinking, but what works on a stationary laptop is not so good when driving a car. The pad is much too sensitive to the smallest movement of your finger, so the cursor on the infotainment screen can spear off in an unwanted direction. Even with familiarity, it’s tricky to use and frustrating, immediately undermining the whole calm demeanour of the ES.

Happily, with the latest update Lexus has moved the central screen closer to the driver and introduced a full touchscreen, which is easier to operate overall. Oddly the trackpad remains if you'd prefer to use that, but it's nowhere near as intuitive as a rotary dial such as that found in BMWs. 

The graphics aren't the most slick, either, but once up and running the sat-nav works well and the actual touch response is pretty crisp. There's also shortcut keys on the dash for various functions, while you can bypass the system and use the standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity instead. 

The main digital dial display isn't as large as that on some rivals, nor does it have the cool sat-nav graphics of Audi's Virtual Cockpit. But it is configurable to some extent, and the display itself is fine. 

On top-spec Takumi models you can specify an option called 'Digital Door Mirrors', which uses cameras feeding to displays on the door top instead of the usual side mirrors. These systems look cool, but are often a bit disorientating and can become obscured by dirt, so make sure you try before you buy. 

The Lexus ES banishes the cramped rear accommodation of its predecessor, the GS, at a stroke. Much of this is down to the ES using a front-wheel drive platform, so there is not nearly such a pronounced transmission tunnel. This design has also allowed Lexus to devote a lot more of the car’s considerable length to the passenger area and means the ES now offers very nearly as much rear legroom as the LS luxury saloon.

A pair of tall adults can sit in imperious comfort in the back of the ES and they will have plenty of room to spare for their heads and elbows too. A third passenger might find it a bit snug, but at least they geta flat base and back to aid comfort. They also get a full three-point belt while the outer pair of seats come with Isofix child seat mounts as standard.

Those in the rear of the ES get individual air vents and the Takumi model also boasts heated rear seats, though this is not even an option for the other two models in the ES range.

Getting in and out of the ES’s rear seats is easy thanks to the back doors swinging to almost 90-degrees. Also, the rear bench is a little higher set than many of its rivals, so it’s a shade better for just turning and stepping out of the car rather than having to lever yourself out.

At the rear of the ES, the boot lid has powered opening and closing either using the buttons on the dash or key. If you choose top level Takumi or the F Sport model with the optional Takumi pack, you get a boot that can be opened hands-free by waving your foot under the rear bumper.

With the boot open, the luggage compartment is usefully bigger than the old GS’s and offers 454 litres of space. That’s still a way behind the likes of the BMW 5 Series or the Mercedes E-Class, and the ES is further hampered by the shape of its boot as there are structural supports that mean you cannot use the full length of the floor. Another demerit for the ES’s cargo bay is the rear seats do not fold forward, which is a real omission these days. 

In terms of exterior dimensions the Lexus ES is 4,975mm long, 1,865mm wide and 1,445mm tall. That makes it a bit longer and ever so slightly narrower than its key German rivals. 

The Lexus ES comes with one engine and gearbox combo, and that’s your lot. It's a pairing that suits the relaxed, refined driving experience, but not once that offers an abundance of performance or driver enjoyment. 

The 2.5-litre four-cylinder non-turbo petrol engine produces 178PS, which combines with an electric motor for a total of 218PS. This is enough to deliver 0-62mph in 8.9 seconds, which is behind the Lexus’s direct rivals.

This sense the ES is short on power next to the competition is realised as you drive more and more. Where you could make easy overtakes in the likes of a BMW 520d or Mercedes E-Class, the Lexus needs more forethought and planning as it just doesn’t have a big enough dollop of mid-rev urge. No matter how hard you press on the accelerator pedal, the ES just always feels a beat behind its rivals - although its hardly slow in isolation. 

Pulling away from a standstill, the ES is very smooth, but on the move its responses are dulled by the use of a CVT (continuously variable transmission) rather than the slick eight- or nine-speed automatics commonly found in the competition. You can select a Sport mode and use the steering wheel paddle shifters to give the impression of separate gears and to slightly liven up the ES’s reactions, but it doesn’t make the car any quicker to react in reality.

Prolonged stamping on the throttle only makes the gearbox pin the revs right up near the maximum for sustained periods, which spoils the otherwise excellent refinement with a rather coarse four-cylinder note. So, it’s much better to accept the ES’s limitations and enjoy the smoothness of the hybrid system and the way it will propel the Lexus along a motorway in an unruffled, almost silent manner.

Lexus has taken the superb refinement of the previous GS model and used it as a springboard to make the ES even more hushed. Where the F Sport model of the GS could suffer from a little rumble created by its 19-inch wheels and tyres, the ES suppresses this much more effectively. There’s still a little noise to be heard, but it’s only really noticeable in comparison to the other ES models.

In both the ES and Takumi models, road noise is all but absent from the cabin, while the 2.5-litre petrol engine is usually a distant hum. Only when you demand the most from acceleration does the engine make itself heard with soaring revs thanks to the quirks of a CVT transmission, and it's not an especially pleasant sound in the context of rivals that can be had with smooth six-cylinder diesels, for example. 

Pulling away from a standstill under modest throttle will keep the ES in electric mode for short periods, which helps keep noise down too. 

The sleek shape of the ES does a very good job of slicing through the air and keeps buffeting noises on the outside, even at higher motorway speeds. On top of this, all of the controls work with a satisfyingly positive, crafted action that speaks of great refinement.

Choose a Lexus ES and you are getting one of the safest cars in its class. It comes with a full five-star safety rating from Euro NCAP, with high scores across the board for adult and child occupant and vulnerable road user protection. 

As well as this, every ES comes with autonomous emergency braking, which Lexus calls a Pre-Collision System that detects possible hazards ahead. If the driver doesn’t react, the system performs an emergency stop without the driver’s input.

Lexus also fits every ES with Automatic High Beam to prevent the automatic headlights from dazzling oncoming drivers by adjusting the spread of light. There is also Dynamic Radar Cruise Control to maintain a safe distance to the vehicle in front even as its speed varies, while Lane Tracing Assist keeps the ES between the correct road markings.

All ES models have a tyre pressure monitoring system, as well as road sign recognition to alert the driver of speed limits, and hill start assist. The Takumi model comes with a Blind Spot Monitor and Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Braking, and both of these are options for the entry-level car. Of course, there's Isofix child seat mounts on the two outer rear chairs on all models. 

Although it’s a petrol-electric hybrid, the Lexus ES doesn’t really have an EV-only range. Yes, you can trickle away from a start on battery power alone and the car will head up to 25mph with no input from the 2.5-litre petrol motor, but you have to be fantastically gentle on the accelerator pedal to keep it in EV mode beyond that.

Even driven in this considerate way, you will cover less than a mile on battery power before the petrol motor comes into play as the ES’s battery pack just isn’t big enough for a more meaningful range. Also, this isn’t a plug-in hybrid, so all of the battery’s energy comes from regeneration as the car coasts or brakes. 

Lexus traditionally excels when it comes to build quality, reliability and longevity. We've no reason to believe the ES won't be just as good as older models, which consistently finish at or near the top of owner satisfaction surveys ahead of more popular German equivalents. 

Lexus finished second in the latest HonestJohn.co.uk Satisfaction Index out of all the brands, which itself is a demotion from first in the previous year. If you want an executive saloon that will continue delivering after several years of hard use, the Lexus ES should be a great choice. 

The entry-level ES model is the easiest on your bank balance when it comes to insurance. It sits in group 33, which is much the same as for its natural rivals from other manufacturers.

Choose the F Sport and slips up to a group 34 rating, while the upscale Takumi model jumps up four notches to sit in group 38 and be the most expensive when it comes to arranging cover and your premium.

For the first year’s road tax, the Lexus ES model will pay £150 in tax thanks to its 100g/km carbon dioxide emissions. Should you choose the F Sport or Takumi, they emit 103g/km and you will have to pay £170, which is hardly a deal-breaker.  That then defaults to £165 a year for every model after the first year. 

However, this being an executive model, you can get stung with the 'Premium car tax' which puts a levy on non zero-emission vehicles with a list price of over £40,000. This adds an extra £355 a year for five years to the standard road tax rate. It's worth noting that this doesn't apply to the entry-level ES or the Premium Edition, both of which have a list price just under £40,000. 

Lexus starts the ES 300h range with the eponymously named ES. It has 17-inch alloy wheels, reversing camera and the Lexus Safety System Plus that includes radar cruise control, lane departure warning and High Beam Assist. On the inside, you get an 8-inch infotainment screen that works with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, sunroof, and electric front seat adjustment. There’s also man-made leather upholstery, heated front seats and steering wheel, electrically adjusted steering column, climate control, rear privacy glass and Lexus Connected Services for internet access.

Many ES buyers will upgrade with the Premium Pack that brings full leather trim, wireless phone charger, rain-sensing wipers, ventilated front seats with powered lumbar support, rear screen sun shade and Blind Spot Monitor. As of 2022 this also includes the upgraded 1.2-inch touchscreen with navigation, and the Safety System+ pack. 

The F Sport has 19-inch alloys, sporty body kit, and Adaptive Variable Suspension with Sport S+ Driving Mode. There are front sports seats with a memory function for the driver’s chair, steering wheel paddle shifters, and aluminium pedals and dash trim inserts.

With the Takumi, you get 18-inch wheels, LED headlights with High Beam Assist, and a 360-degree Panoramic View for easier parking. The seats are trimmed in plush leather and have a greater range of electric adjustment, while the steering wheel is covered in wood and heated. Wood is also used for the trim inserts, and you get a  head-up display, wireless phone charging and 17-speaker Mark Levinson Premium Surround Sound stereo.