- Doors and Seats
4 doors, 5 seats
- Engine
2.5i/88kW Hybrid, 4 cyl.
- Engine Power
248kW (comb), 202Nm
- Fuel
Hybrid (95) 4.8L/100KM
- Manufacturer
FWD
- Transmission
Auto (CVT)
- Warranty
5 Yr, Unltd KMs
- Ancap Safety
5/5 star (2018)
2023 Lexus ES300h Sports Luxury review
Only three years ago Lexus offered a range of four different sedans. In 2023 just two remain. Is the 2023 Lexus ES300h a sign of the times?
- Premium materials feel great to the touch
- Mark Levinson sound system rocks
- Luxurious second row
- Interior looks dated
- Tricky infotainment system
- Limited cabin storage
2023 Lexus ES300h
It’s funny that in a country which once held large sedans as the be-all and end-all, the niche for the humble sedan is becoming ever smaller 20 years down the line. Whether a model’s at the entry level or features a bit of luxurious flair like the 2023 Lexus ES300h, the market for non-high-riding passenger transport is simply eroding.
As recently as 2020 Lexus offered a line-up of four sedans: ES, IS, GS, and LS. Fast forward to 2023 and only the ES and LS remain, the others (and the RC coupe) having fallen to the lure of crossover SUVs.
More often than not you’ll see a Lexus ES running hired chauffeur service duties to and from Australia’s airports. Offering comforts one tier above mainstream models like the Toyota Camry, but without going all-out Mercedes-Benz S-Class limousine, the Lexus ES provides a happy medium between passenger comforts and amenities while keeping the fleet budget in check.
But as for the rest of the Australian new-car-buying public, are we missing out on a trick by shifting our interests to sports utility vehicles? I’ve taken another look at the 2023 Lexus ES300 Hybrid to see what the medium-sized sedan offers in 2023.
How much does the Lexus ES300h cost in Australia?
Considering it's sized roughly in the same class as luxury sedans such as the BMW 5 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Audi A6, it’s surprising to find the Lexus ES begins at $61,620 before on-road costs. Pricing that puts it on the same tier as cars from the class below, like the 3 Series, C-Class and A4, making the ES something of a segment straddler.
For that price, you’ll be getting a non-hybrid ES250 Luxury variant, but the car we’ll be discussing in this review is the flagship ES300h Sports Luxury that costs $80,170 before ORCs.
Within Lexus’s own range, the ES sits below the fully-fledged LS luxurious limousine, and its high-riding SUV alternative could be the larger Lexus RX.
Both engine levels – ES250 and ES300h – can be had with varying trim levels including Luxury and F Sport, but it’s only the ES300h that comes with the Sports Luxury package.
This includes equipment like adaptive LED headlights, semi-aniline leather, woodgrain trim inlays, three-zone climate control, and a 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system.
The powertrain pairs a naturally aspirated 131kW/221Nm 2.5-litre four-cylinder engine with an electric motor to produce a combined 160kW. All power is sent through a continuously variable transmission to the front wheels only.
All but one colour costs $1750, so hopefully budget-savvy buyers like black.
Key details | 2023 Lexus ES300h Sports Luxury |
Price | $80,170 plus on-road costs |
Colour of test car | Sonic Quartz |
Options | Premium paint – $1750 |
Price as tested | $81,920 plus on-road costs |
Drive-away price | $89,136 (Melbourne) |
Rivals | Genesis G70 | Mazda 6 | BMW 5 Series |
How much space does the Lexus ES300h have inside?
Sit inside the ES300h’s interior and it’s like entering the comfort of an old luxurious sitting room. There are no new tricky design aspects, no austere metal finishes, and no complicated lighting arrays – just good, old-fashioned woodgrain, leather, and plush carpets.
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The cabin is starting to look old-fashioned in comparison to the interiors of its German counterparts, but a high level of comfort is still included. Typical for a Lexus, the contoured seats cosset the driver nicely and the seat base itself is pliant and comfy.
There isn't amazing adjustability, and I found my tall frame would have been comfier if the seat went a bit lower, but I doubt it would be much of an issue for drivers under 193cm tall. But the steering wheel electrically adjusts far enough forward that you can get a nice position of control and visibility.
Materials and build quality are finished to a high standard, and there are no obvious instances of creaking or flexing from panels, trim pieces or instrumentation. I especially love the plush pile carpet floor mats.
For a medium-to-large passenger car, I was surprised to see storage space isn’t a highlight. There’s a dual-hinge centre console bin that houses a wireless phone charger, but otherwise there’s simply a deep void below the gear selector (for drinks) and a lidded cubby at the top of the centre console. I struggled to find quick and easy places to store my wallet and phone.
While it’s easy to control thanks to prominent buttons on the dash, the air-conditioning system is simply overactive. It seems to be a common Toyota-Lexus problem, too, but I found I was running a temperature of 26–27 degrees Celsius inside the cabin just so that the system would stop blowing cold air at my face.
The second row has been well thought out for passengers and features a sizeable amount of legroom and headroom. The seats are as plush as the front row and come with the added benefit of being able to recline. The fold-down centre armrest houses controls for the rear sun blind, air-conditioning, and audio controls too.
Further back, the boot opens electrically to a 454L space. The ES300h comes with a space-saver spare wheel.
2023 Lexus ES300h Sports Luxury | |
Seats | Five |
Boot volume | 454L seats up |
Length | 4975mm |
Width | 1865mm |
Height | 2870mm |
Wheelbase | 1590mm |
Does the Lexus ES300h have Apple CarPlay and Android Auto?
Having spent time recently in Lexus’s range of newer products with updated infotainment systems, it was a disappointment to see the old cumbersome 12.3-inch infotainment unit on this ES’s dash.
However, this shouldn't be the case. Lexus ES models built from late 2022 should be delivered with the Toyota group's new 12.3-inch infotainment unit which integrates a new design and layout. It also gets rid of the troublesome touchpad, the experience of which is detailed below.
As for the previous-gen infotainment system I tested, though it now has touch functionality, the icons haven’t been enlarged, meaning it’s difficult to use with your fingers on the move. The finicky touchpad is used otherwise to control the screen, and it gets the job done, but it’s not a user-friendly experience.
Display graphics and map presentation aren’t particularly special and were well worth updating with Lexus’s round of newer products.
One aspect I continue to back is the Mark Levinson sound system. It’s one of my favourites in the entire automotive market for its sonorous boom and high fidelity.
The ES range is compatible with Lexus Connected Services, though newer Lexus models offer a broader range of services. From a paired smartphone you can access info about the car's fuel level, recent trip stats, location (including stolen vehicle tracking), and door or window open status – but you can't remotely unlock or start the car, or send navigation destinations to the navigation, for instance.
Is the Lexus ES300h a safe car?
The Lexus ES last scored a full five stars with ANCAP in 2018. This rating will expire by the end of 2024.
Breaking down the score, the ES managed 91 per cent for adult occupant protection, 86 per cent for child occupant protection, 90 per cent for pedestrian safety, and 76 per cent for safety assist systems.
2023 Lexus ES300h Sports Luxury | |
ANCAP rating | Five stars (tested 2018) |
Safety report | Link to ANCAP report |
What safety technology does the Lexus ES300h have?
A complement of active and passive safety systems help the Lexus ES achieve the above score. In terms of the former, the ES300h Sports Luxury is fitted with autonomous emergency braking (including pedestrian detection and intersection support), adaptive cruise control with lane-tracing assist, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, traffic sign recognition, tyre pressure monitoring, and front and rear parking sensors. It also has a 360-degree parking monitor.
On my week with the car, I came to appreciate the adaptive cruise-control system, which keeps an appropriate distance to the car ahead and reacts quickly. Although I wasn’t a fan of the traffic sign recognition, which annoyingly alerted every time I entered a school zone.
How much does the Lexus ES300h cost to maintain?
Lexus's products come with a five-year/unlimited-kilometre warranty. They also come with access to Lexus Encore, a benefits program that allows access to exclusive travel and dining events, fuel discounts, service loan cars, and capped-price servicing.
In regards to the latter, it’ll cost $495 per visit to service the Lexus ES over three years. These services should occur every 15,000km or 12 months, whichever is first.
The initial three-year capped-price servicing program is very affordable compared to the Mercedes-Benz C-Class ($2650 three-year coverage) and E-Class ($2900 three-year coverage).
An estimate for comprehensive insurance for the Lexus ES300h Sports Luxury comes out to $2790 per year on a comparative quote based on a 35-year-old male driver living in Chatswood, NSW. Insurance estimates may vary based on your location, driving history, and personal circumstances.
At a glance | 2023 Lexus ES300h Sports Luxury |
Warranty | Five years, unlimited km |
Service intervals | 12 months or 15,000km |
Servicing costs | $1485 (3 years) |
Is the Lexus ES300h fuel-efficient?
Lexus claims a combined 4.8L/100km consumption figure for the ES300h. I could not manage such an impressive feat, even despite a majority of my time being spent on freeways. After a week I received a 5.5L/100km figure.
The petrol engine requires 95-octane premium unleaded as a minimum, and the ES300h fuel tank is 50L in capacity.
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Fuel Useage | Fuel Stats |
Fuel cons. (claimed) | 4.8L/100km |
Fuel cons. (on test) | 5.5L/100km |
Fuel type | 95-octane premium unleaded |
Fuel tank size | 50L |
What is the Lexus ES300h like to drive?
With a Lexus sedan, you expect a driving experience that delivers a high degree of refinement, comfort, and quietness. The Lexus ES300h does deliver in these three areas, but not to the extent I imagined.
While the windows are double-glazed, they do let in a fair amount of wind noise while driving on the freeway. This is exacerbated once you open the sunroof. The ride quality on the whole is well composed and it deals with minor imperfections quickly and effectively, but some larger undulations do find their way through to the cabin. I especially noticed this phenomenon while driving on the freeway as the car gets knocked around to a degree.
Another issue that didn’t play into the car’s overall refinement are the instances where the brake pedal switches between the regenerative capture of energy and friction braking. Coming to a red light, you ease on the brakes to slow the car, but it gets to a point where friction braking takes over and there’s a sudden jolt as the callipers finish the job.
Those were the main negatives I experienced with the Lexus ES, but the remaining aspects of its on-the-road experience are perfectly suited to its price and positioning. Though the hybrid system only feeds the front wheels, there is no need for anything more and the car puts power down reliably to the ground.
The spec sheet says the combined power output is 160kW, which doesn’t raise much of an eyebrow, but roll-on acceleration is immediate and strong for overtaking. Even from a standstill, the ES300h moves off the line swiftly and gets to speed without fuss. The continuously variable automatic transmission does not exhibit those same rubber-band characteristics we’ve come to expect – instead, it’s smooth and quiet.
A wood-grained steering wheel feels nice to hold in the hand but doesn’t offer much in the way of feel or feedback. That’s no big drama in a luxury sedan. Rather, its light and airy qualities are appreciated when manoeuvring the near-5m-long body into a parking space.
Key details | 2023 Lexus ES300h Sports Luxury |
Engine | 2.5-litre four-cylinder petrol with electric motor |
Power | 131kW @ 5700rpm petrol 88kW electric 160kW combined |
Torque | 221Nm @ 3600–5200rpm petrol 202Nm electric |
Drive type | Front-wheel drive |
Transmission | Continuously variable automatic transmission |
Power-to-weight ratio | 91.9kW/t |
Weight (kerb) | 1740kg |
Spare tyre type | Space-saver spare |
Should I buy a Lexus ES300h?
Though there’s minimal sense of excitement or wonder, the Lexus ES300h does exactly what you’d expect – it’s a supremely comfortable sedan that offers choice build materials and a slew of fancy equipment.
Special shout-outs go to the banging 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system, the soft-edged ride experience, and the impressive rear-seat ambience.
But it is true the Lexus ES is being surpassed by newer alternatives that – while more expensive – offer newer interiors with superior technology and design. It’s certainly better than its Toyota Camry cousin, but I don’t think it’s twice-the-price better.