Lexus ES COTY Review: Will It Electrify Enough Buyers?

Pros

• Choice of two EVs or a hybrid
• Lovely bamboo trim
• Huge rear seat and executive package

Cons

• No Frunk
• Drive modes hard to find on touchscreen
• Self-parking was a disaster

For the eighth-generation Lexus ES, the brand has dropped the gas-only powertrain and launched a new lineup that consists of a hybrid and the midsize luxury sedan’s first pure electric-powered model, in two flavors.

With the discontinuation of the LS, the ES and IS are the only Lexus sedans left in the U.S., so a lot’s riding on the new car. The first thing you notice is its radically new styling, which makes it the most provocative ES to date, and by provocative we mean, “Wow, this thing looks [strange bizarre, different, weird, cool; take your pick].” As part of the revamped design, the sedan is a lot bigger dimensionally than before, as well. It’s wider, taller, and a full 6.5 inches longer with a longer wheelbase.

We had a trio of ES sedans to sample. The ES350e is a front-motor EV with a 74.7-kWh lithium-ion battery that generates 221 horsepower and 198 lb-ft of torque. The ES350e’s EPA range is 292 miles, but our MotorTrend Road-Trip Range test (running from full charge to 5 percent at 70 mph) only netted 233 miles. On the plus side, it has a built-in NACS port for easy Tesla Supercharger network access and a CCS adapter, but its charging speed is capped at 150 kW. In addition, while it offers four levels of regenerative braking, none is one-pedal, and it returns to the default setting when you turn off the car.

The dual-motor ES500e bumps up the performance to 338 hp and 323 lb-ft, making it the quickest of the three. It has an EPA-rated range of 276 miles with 19-inch wheels (optional 21s drop range to 272).

The ES largely lives up to the Lexus tradition of offering a quiet, serene cabin and cushy ride with just enough linear acceleration, one that doesn’t pretend to be a performance sedan but will cruise quite comfortably at 100 mph. For the EVs, however, we did wish the power was a little more instant. It could also use more body control on rough roads, as the soft suspension leads to a little too much heaving and wallowing, and all the cars exhibited more than a fair amount of body roll when pushed even moderately hard.

The ES350h hybrid is available in front- or all-wheel drive, and it has a hugely impressive range of up to 667 miles, but the gas engine and hybrid hardware made it feel clunkier in operation. It didn’t exhibit quite the same ride quality and powertrain smoothness, due in part to its inline-four and continuously variable transmission.

On the open road, the Lexus lane keep system proved excellent in operation, and it will automatically change lanes, but holy smokes, the self-parking was apocalyptically bad. It would pass an entire row of empty spaces and say nothing is available and then literally try to go over cars, curbs, and hedges or try to parallel park in a regular nose-in space.

The ES350e’s interior proved to be another high point, with its stunning brown leather and light bamboo trim. It’s minimalist in its overall approach, with two screens underlaid by buttons for a clean look. As for those screens, the new user interface is now competitive. There’s also a lovely pulldown center console with a wireless phone charger and HVAC controls.

As you’d expect, the seats are comfortable, and the ES350e was equipped with the $3,635 Executive package that reclines the rear passenger seat and lifts an ottoman. The back seat is huge and well-appointed, but unfortunately, even someone with short legs can’t extend it when the leg rest is up.

Overall, despite some minor downsides, the new Lexus ES is a great improvement over the outgoing model-a well-executed, unpretentious modern luxury sedan with more tech and value than ever before. But does it offer enough to score the Car of the Year award?

This review was conducted as part of our 2027 Car of the Year (COTY) testing, where each vehicle is evaluated on our six key criteria: efficiency, design, safety, engineering excellence, value, and performance of intended function. Eligible vehicles must be all-new or significantly revised.