Subtly updated towards the end of last year, the Lexus ES offers old-school luxury sedan motoring, but with all the latest tech. What’s more, the hybrid derivative’s impressively efficient.
We like: Build quality, luxury specification, efficiency, comfort
We don’t like: Smaller boot than rivals and limited utility space. Why not just do away with the annoying tracking pad completely?
FAST FACTS
- Model: Lexus ES300h SE
- Price: R976 900
- Engine: 2.5-litre 4-cylinder petrol + electric motor
- Power/Torque: 160 kW/221 Nm
- Transmission: automatic CVT
- Fuel consumption: 4.6 L/100 km (claimed)
- Luggage capacity : 454 litres
Serious about buying?
Some Lexus dealerships regularly offer great deals. See our New Car Specials here !
What’s new with the 2022 Lexus ES300h?
The luxury sedan market is very small in South Africa, but offers surprisingly good value for money.
With sedans very much out of market favour for the past few years, models such as the Audi A6, BMW 5 Series , Jaguar XF, Lexus ES and even Mercedes-Benz’s E-Class have become relatively rare sights on our roads. But Lexus isn’t giving up on this segment, and has sharpened up its ES offering to put forward an even more compelling argument in favour of the traditional luxury sedan.
This, the 7th-generation ES received a subtle facelift late last year, but you’ll probably need to have the differences pointed out to you – they’re that minor. The spindle grille has fewer slats, making the front end of the car look less “busy”, and the headlights are narrower, with endows the Japanese executive sedan’s nose with quite a “pointy”, yet also wider, look.
The bigger changes have arguably happened inside, where the ES finally gains a touchscreen infotainment system, which necessitated a slight reshuffle in dashboard architecture (to bring the screen closer to the driver). The fiddly tracking control pad remains on the transmission tunnel, but you can now at least avoid having to use it.
How the 2022 Lexus ES300h fares in terms of…
Design and Packaging
At current fuel prices, a hybrid is the most cost-effective way to cut down on pump prices.
Finished in Olive Green and riding on striking multi-spoke 18-inch wheels, the Lexus ES is a very stylish machine. In fact, its lines are so sweeping and elegant that it almost looks more like a four-door coupe, than a traditional boxy sedan. It was also a notable head-turner during our test tenure, so seems to meet with approval beyond just the members of our test team. It’s longer and lower than its main German rivals, but has a shorter wheelbase, so the front and rear overhangs are noticeably more pronounced.
In terms of width, it is about on par with the Germans, but Lexus does seem to have taken a different approach to interior packaging than BMW and Mercedes-Benz. The Lexus’ boot is comparatively small (454L) and though there is a “ski-flap”, you can’t fold the rear seats down. If you move to the rear seats, however, it is clear that Lexus prioritised stretch-out space and comfort for the occupants. The legroom is limo-like, and the backrests can be electrically adjusted (not something you see often in cars costing less than R1m!). Fold down the centre rear armrest and you’ll find controls to activate rear seat heating/ventilation, too.
The cabin is far superior to the German offerings in terms of the consistently high quality of materials used, and standard specification. The cream leather and light wood trim combine to give the Lexus an ambience of traditional luxury and craftsmanship that’s rare these days.
Move to the front and the mixture of traditionalism and modern tech is very appealing. The seats are superb (soft, yet supportive) and the steering wheel (with heating) features wood inserts, too. A quick glance at the dashboard makes it evident that the ES300h offers loads of features, but unlike most modern cars, it still has plenty of physical buttons – not all the controls have been packaged into the new touchscreen system. So, should you prefer, you can still do major ventilation and audio system adjustments using “real” buttons. It even still has a CD player…
The new 12.3-inch touchscreen system is definitely an improvement over the fiddly tracking pad system that Lexus had stubbornly persisted with (until now). Though the latter remains part of the package, it is likely to see little use and will probably not feature on future models. That said, the Lexus menu system is notably different to what we’ve become accustomed to from the German brands, so it does require some familiarity before you can find your way through the various menus and sub-menus at the desired speed.
Performance and Efficiency
The ES300h doesn’t push the boundaries in terms of performance, but it makes up for it in comfort.
With the petrol price reaching record highs in recent times, even those buying R1-millio cars will want maximum efficiency. In that regard, we have good news. The ES300h is powered by Lexus’ 4th-generation hybrid system, which comprises a creamy smooth 2.5-litre 4-cylinder (naturally aspirated) petrol engine and a more compact and more “power dense” electric motor. Total system output is rated at 160 kW and Lexus claims a 0-100 kph time of 8.9 seconds, which is more than fast enough, but certainly no fireball. Top speed is limited to 180 kph.
More important, however, is the efficiency of the drivetrain. Lexus claims an average consumption of 4.6L/100 km and we achieved a real-world average of 5.4L/100, without trying to drive particularly“economically”. That is a deeply impressive real-world average and gives the ES300h a tank range of over 900 km. We also noted it seemed possible to coast on electric power alone for longer periods and at higher speeds than before (provided your state of charge allows EV mode).
Ride, Handling and Safety
Shift paddles and drive modes are available but not strictly necessary.
While other premium brands seem to pursue “sportiness” when it comes to their sedan offerings, Lexus’ approach is “comfort, first and foremost”. This is not to say that the ES300h is a sloppy handling car (it definitely isn’t), but that supple ride comfort, cabin insulation and refinement take priority over driver engagement and responsiveness. So, while the ES300h does feature steering-mounted shift paddles and you can select Sport mode by using the “Shrek’s ear” stalk on the instrument binnacle, you’re unlikely to do that very often.
The far more likely scenario is that you’ll activate the adaptive cruise control, play some music through the excellent Mark Levinson sound system, sit back and relax – the ES300h is a great cruiser, whether you are seated at the front… or the rear. It also features all the latest safety systems, including rear cross-traffic alert (with braking), active cornering assist and a full suite of airbags (knee airbags for both front occupants).
Comfort and Features
There are more buttons to push on the Lexus ES than some German brands have across their entire lineup.
If you’ve read this far, then you’ll know that what we have here is a superbly comfortable, quiet luxury sedan. In fact, the ES exhibits the kind of refinement and soothing luxury that you used to expect from something like a Mercedes-Benz S-Class or, indeed, Lexus’ own LS grand saloon.
In flagship SE trim, it features all the bells and whistles as standard and is still priced below the R1 million mark, while its German rivals have crossed that barrier, and would still need many option boxes to be ticked.
In addition to the features we’ve already mentioned, the ES300h SE has an electric tilt/slide sunroof as standard, a retractable rear blind, 3-zone climate control, panoramic view camera system, head-up display, built-in navigation, Apple Carplay/Android Auto, wireless smartphone charge pad and an electrically adjustable steering column.
Price and after-sales support
The Lexus ES300h SE is priced at R976 900 (April 2022). It is a full-house derivative (no options) that is backed with a 7-year/105 000 km warranty. Service intervals are every 15 000 km or 12 months, whichever comes first.
Verdict
The ES knows its target buyer puts comfort and luxury as their top priority.
By delivering an almost old-school type of luxury driving experience, the Lexus ES300h came as a breath of fresh air to our test team (as ironic as that may sound). The team was unanimous in praising the ES’s supple ride comfort, cabin insulation, standard luxury features and efficiency. At the price, we don’t think there is a finer luxury sedan on the market right now, provided you don’t place a high priority on sizzling performance or engaging dynamics.
We rate the ES300h SE as very well-priced – it even represents good value for money, but, given the nature of the market and the resale values of luxury sedans in general, you may want to take a peek at what listings there are for demo or low-mileage used vehicles . These are, after all, quality cars and so a well-cared-for used example can be picked up at a significant saving.
