Environmental Executive Excellence
The name Lexus just oozes comfort and class. Yet in the luxury car market, they’re something of an underdog compared to their European and even American counterparts, which is a shame, because the ES 300h is a testament to how pleasant these cars really are. Granted, it’s not perfect. No car ever can be. But anyone looking for a midsize luxury sedan really will be doing themselves a favour by considering one of these over the competition.
The massive grille is always going to be a point of contention. It’s one of the first things anyone will ever notice about this car. But hey, as we learned with the M440i, beauty is skin deep and judging a car by one questionable styling choice could end up denying drivers of a wonderful experience. It’s what’s on the inside that counts. (That applies to people too.) Opinions on the grille aside, we like the ES very much. It’s handsome, low, long and very understated – which we feel will help it age quite gracefully compared to vehicles that opt for a more aggressive approach in design. The LFA-esque mirrors add a subtle touch of aggression, but does not take away from what we feel is a very elegant package as a whole.
Inside, the you can almost tell what age group the ES is aimed at. Traditional touches like an analog clock look quite class, but other features like a CD player cross that boundary from nostalgic to dated. That said, we liked that functions such as climate controls were still controlled by easily accessible buttons, rather than being buried in sub-menus of a touchscreen interface. The metal buttons for your media controls felt quite nice to use too. There’s almost a weight to them. It’s a little thing that while somewhat insignificant, is appreciated and further shows the attention to detail that can be taken in automotive design. When you’re sitting in the extremely comfortable driver’s seat, nearly every control you’ll need is easy to access and use. It feels like a quality place to be. You don’t get the sense that 10 years from now, the car will start to develop creaks and make unpleasant noises as the parts age. The car just feels so well put together and is a lovely place to be. With the low sloping roofline, taller passengers may have some trouble getting into the back. But otherwise it’s a lovely environment.
But for everything the interior does well, you can’t ignore that laptop touchpad-style infotainment control. It baffles me that the same line of thinking that kept smartly laid out climate and media controls also saw it fit to have a touchpad for the infotainment system. It’s not a horrible system by any means, but it just feels so jarring next to the other more old-school approaches on the inside. Not to mention, it’s a bit finicky to get used to. Once you do, it’s not so bad. But I really feel a dial would have been far more user friendly.
Unless you are a wealthy individual, no one buys a car just to sit in it. So how does the Lexus ES drive? Very nicely, in fact. The 300h uses a 2.5L 4-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor, good for 215 horsepower. In a sedan as massive as this, plus the added weight of the hybrid system, this doesn’t sound like enough. But once you get over the idea that this is not a performance car, nor is it meant for spirited driving, it’s seriously so much more than adequate. The little 4-banger, in conjunction with the electric motor give very smooth and quiet power delivery. You’ll hear the transition from electric to internal combustion as you accelerate from a stop, but you won’t feel it. It’s buttery smooth, as a Lexus should be. The interior is well equipped to wash out the noises from the outside world so what you end up with is a smooth, quiet, comfortable and very dignified ride.
I rarely make an effort to drive with economy in mind but even with that, I still measured an average of 6.1 L/100km according to the vehicle’s readout. Lexus have rated it at 5.5 L/100km, and I have little doubt, if I tried to be more economical, I’d reach that figure easily. The great thing about the ES Hybrid is that because the ride is so smooth and the power is on the lower side, you don’t even really want to push it. There is a sport driving mode, and while it’s great for acceleration, it’s in our opinion best left ignored. One peculiarity is that this sedan does not come with All Wheel Drive. It’s front-drive only. Given the popularity of AWD in Canada, it’s a strange choice. But that also means you don’t get the added weight of such a system. Just use some good winter tires and equally good judgment and you’ll be fine in the snow anyhow.
The ES300h is not a plug-in hybrid – meaning you cannot plug it in when you’re not driving to get a fully replenished battery with every drive. But on the other hand, that just means if you live in a condo, or just don’t feel like buying a charging station, you don’t need to worry about having such amenities where you live. It also means driving around on electric-only is a rare thing that only happens at low speeds. And when it does, it’s going to drain quicker than you thought – which also means it won’t take too long to gain charge as you drive.
So what’s the takeaway? The ES hybrid starts at $51,450 in Canada. But our tester, featuring touches like the Ultra Luxury package, adding conveniences like wireless phone charging, triple beam LED headlights, Mark Levinson audio and bigger alloys adds a staggering $10,700 to the cost. But even at that final cost, it’s still a fairly priced option next to its competition. While so many other luxury sedans try to be sporty and performance oriented, the ES Hybrid’s increased focus on luxury, comfort and fuel economy makes it more than a worthy contender.
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