The Lexus ES300H is a proper posh executive saloon, hence the abbreviation, ES, that provides an alternative to the likes of the BMW 5 Series, the Audi A6 and the Mercedes E-Class. This new facelifted version replaces the old GS with a bundle of tekkie extras and some seriously good looks. You definitely won’t mistake the Lexus ES for a German saloon out on the road or in the golf club car park, the latter of whichis where you will probably find this car. It looks much meaner and far more aggressive from every angle – especially in F Sport guise, the one we tested, with its bigger alloys and air intakes. Inside, and the ES’ fully digital dashboard and brushed-metal trims look great and feel just as solid as anything you’ll find in a BMW, Audi or Mercedes.
The infotainment screen is nice and sharp, with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as standard. There’s also the option to swap the ES’s door mirrors for cameras, for an extra £996, which display an image on small screens either side, inside. The Lexus ES’ superbly comfy front seats are superbly comfortable. You get eight-way electric adjustment as standard and top-spec or kitchen sink level cars, as I like to call them, even come with 10-way adjustment and heating and cooling features. There’s ample space for tall drivers to stretch out too, and you get a good view out through the ES’ large windscreen and tall side windows. These large windows also help make the back seats feel impressively roomy. Passengers get much more leg room than in the 5 Series, A6 and E-Class and the seats themselves are soft and supportive in all the right places. Very tall adults will struggle slightly for headroom, but at least the Lexus ES’ wide cabin comes with enough shoulder room and foot space to carry three adults side-by-side with ease.
Things aren’t quite as good when it comes to packing the boot, though. The ES’ luggage area is noticeably smaller than you get in a BMW, Audi or Mercedes, but at least it comes with a lockable ski hatch for carrying long, thin items.
There’s only one engine choice, a 2.5-litre petrol paired with a hybrid system. This means the Lexus ES can cruise about using just electric power for short bursts, making it very quiet as well as pretty economical with the electric motors helping the petrol engine deliver diesel-like economy at around 48mpg. The ES300H comes with loads of kit as standard that costs extra in German alternatives, with automatic emergency braking that can even stop the car autonomously in reverse.
The Lexus ES300H is really well priced. It’s a tad more expensive in its entry level than the basic Audi A6 and only slightly cheaper than the most affordable BMW 5 Series, but you’ve got to remember that the Lexus is only available as a hybrid, and when you start comparing the ES to plug-in hybrid versions of the BMW and Audi, suddenly you’re looking at a £10K difference in favour of the Lexus. It might not have the all-electric range or tax savings of a plug-in hybrid, but it should be more efficient on a long journey, plus, the ES is seriously well-equipped.
Lexus makes impressively solid and reliable cars, all the way back to the original 1990 Lexus GS, hence why Lexus offers a standard three-year, unlimited mileage warranty however if you keep your ES serviced every year at a main dealer, Lexus will keep extending that warranty for up to ten years, or for 100,000-miles which is really impressive.
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