LOOKS

The Lexus ES 300h F Sport that I tested featured a sharp and sporty design that is low to the ground. It featured standout headlight shapes, and classy wheel designs that will turn some heads. 

Its triple-beam LED headlights are extra bright, and help you see extremely far ahead with clarity.

The only downside to the design is I could see the low ride height causing entry/exit issues for some people.

My test vehicle featured a premium Iridium paint color, 19-inch split five-spoke alloy wheels, power tilt and slide moonroof, power folding outside mirrors, rain sensing wipers and windshield de-icer, and F Sport exterior styling and rear spoiler.

Inside is where Lexus’ design team has truly shined on the ES 300h. The vehicle offers very cool, two-tone seating options on the seats and doors.

Quality, upscale materials are used throughout the vehicle, which offers extremely comfy seating, and you get plenty of room in the back seat and trunk. There’s also plenty of small storage options for your keys, wallet, etc.

One unique touch was the analog clock in the center console, a classy, old-school feature you tend to find only in luxury rides. Trunk space comes in at a solid 17 cubic feet in the ES 300h.

My test vehicle also featured heated and ventilated sport-bolstered front seats for driver and passenger, with memory system; aluminum trim; and an F Sport heated leather steering wheel.

HOW’S THE RIDE?

The 2023 Lexus ES 300h features a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, plus Lexus Hybrid Drive, and delivers 215 total horsepower and 163 pound feet of torque.

The vehicle features an electronically controlled CVT transmission, and also includes steering wheel-mounted paddle shifters.

All trim levels on the hybrid ES sedan feature front-wheel drive, but non-hybrid versions do come with an all-wheel drive option. 

To enhance the handling of the ride, my test vehicle featured F Sport adaptive suspension, performance dampers and F Sport aluminum pedals.

The 0-to-60 time on the ES 300h F Sport is roughly 8 seconds. This is not the instant burst of speed you’ll typically get with a full EV and other sportier sedans, but it’s not meant to be that type of vehicle so I’m OK with this number.

What the ES 300h can offer is a super quiet, ultra smooth and enjoyable ride. It absorbs road noise and handles bumps impressively for a car so low to the ground.

While it’s not the fastest or sportiest sedan available, the ES 300h should be powerful enough for the majority of luxury car buyers. After all, most of us are driving to the grocery store and soccer games, not racing on the Autobahn.

Please note that there are also nonhybrid options available in the ES lineup — which offer either 203 horsepower or 302 horsepower depending which you choose.

TECHNOLOGY, SAFETY 

The Lexus ES 300h features a large, 12.3-inch rectangular touchscreen. And thankfully, the long-running mousepad from previous Lexus vehicles has been removed. Between the touchscreen and voice commands (just say “Hey Lexus” and tell it what you want to do), the ES offers an infotainment setup that is quite user-friendly.

The visual design of the system is quite simple compared to systems in some rival luxury vehicles, but I appreciated that the focus was on utility and not just flashy looks.

In using the system, I had very few complaints, and there are some sharp ideas embedded — including an all-in one volume and channel changing dial (using inner and outer portions of the dial). There was also a well-placed wireless phone charger in the center console.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto wireless capability for phone mirroring are also featured, and there’s a crisp audio system with 10 speakers (or optional 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system), Bluetooth to allow phone and music streaming, three-month satellite radio trial, and an available Wi-Fi hotspot in the vehicle.

Living up to is reputation on safety, Lexus makes families feel confident in their safety with the Lexus Safety System+ 2.5, which features helpful technology such as a pre-collision system with pedestrian and cyclist detection, dynamic radar cruise control, lane tracing assist, lane departure alert with steering assist, and road sign assist.

There’s also a very helpful and clear rearview camera, blind spot monitor with rear cross traffic alert, 10 airbags, and an optional head-up display (which will keep important info directly in the driver’s eye line so they don’t have to look down at the dashboard).


MPG

The official numbers on the ES hybrid that I tested were 43 city/44 highway/44 combined. If you opt for the non-hybrid version of the ES, your combined mileage will be in the mid-to-upper 20s. So the hybrid is the best option for limiting your trips to the gas station.

In my real-world testing, I averaged from 38 to 40 miles per gallon, depending on the type of driving I was doing, weather, heat usage and other factors. While less than the listed ratings, these are still impressive numbers.

With few luxury sedans available in this type of traditional hybrid, comparing to rivals is difficult. But the numbers match up well compared to the non-luxury Toyota Crown offering.

PRICE

My test vehicle, a Lexus ES 300h F Sport model, was priced just over $54K with options. Pricing for the hybrid starts around $44K. This is a respectable starting price for a luxury ride, and it’s just slightly more expensive than some hybrid offerings on the non-luxury side of the aisle.

WIth few direct rivals in the luxury realm that are traditional hybrids, the majority of its competitors would be luxury plug-in hybrid vehicles, which tend to be more expensive up front than the ES 300h.

The biggest decision on pricing will be whether to opt for the extra driving enjoyment that the F Sport option can bring you.

Warranty coverage is decent but not as good as some rival luxury brands. Warranties include:

— Overall limited warranty: 4 years or 50,000 miles
— Powertrain warranty: 6 years or 70,000 miles
— Complimentary maintenance for one year or 10,000 miles

BOTTOM LINE

The Lexus ES 300h features an attractive exterior, solid fuel mileage, classy and beautifully designed interior, and a genuinely smooth and enjoyable ride.  

While it lacks in overall power and sportiness compared to some of its European rivals, it can still get moving for you when you need it, and it delivers an overall package that should please most luxury car buyers.

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