Lexus ES300h is the perfect luxury car – For those who hate to drive

The luxury-car arms race is ramping up every year, with automakers parading their performance creds around with every new model. Many automakers constantly duke it out to see who can pack the most tech, power, and luxury into every car they sell. Lexus has long been known as makers of cushy, coddling sedans with the reliability of a Toyota and a palatable price, Lexus has tried their hand at the sporty side of things as well, but they’re still keenly aware of the large portion of the market that wants comfort and quiet over all.

That’s why Lexus offers the ES sedan, the ES falls between the compact IS and midsize GS, but has none of the sports-sedan characteristics. The ES is available in front-wheel drive only, with a 3.5-liter V6 or hybrid four-cylinder drivetrain. The pros and cons below sum up what’s to love—and not to love—about an old-school approach to modern luxury.

Pros

-This may not come as a surprise, but the ES 300h is a very pleasant place to spend a long drive, whether you’re in the front or rear seats. Leather and wood trim line the cabin. An additional Ultra Luxury package adds heated and ventilated seats. In back it’s a similar story, and the ES 300h provides most legroom in its class at a whopping 40 inches.

-The cabin of the ES 300h is blissfully quiet too. Extra sound deadening materials make this one of the quietest interiors in its class too, and when the hybrid powertrain is working in electric-only mode, you’re practically able to whisper to all of your passengers.

-And the fuel economy rating of 40 mpg combined (40 mpg in the city and 39 mpg on the highway) is out of this world!

Cons

-If you’re considering the ES for its driving performance, I highly suggest you think again. Lexus’s engineers have abandoned basically all driving engagement other than actually turning the wheel yourself.

-Lexus quotes the ES 300h’s 0-60 mph time at 8.1 seconds. That’s slower than most economy cars, and don’t think the increased torque from the electric powertrain will help either.

-While it does heavily benefit fuel economy and doesn’t cut into cabin space, the hybrid system has to have some place to store all of those batteries, and unfortunately that place is under the floor of the trunk.

- The infotainment system still sucks. Lexus has adapted the Toyota infotainment system for use in its vehicles, Response times are slow and it’s infuriating just to scroll through the list of satellite radio stations, let alone enter a destination in the navigation.

Despite its sluggishness and lack of usable cargo space, it’s refreshing to spend time in a car that allows you to escape from all that. The ES 300h certainly isn’t perfect and it definitely isn’t engaging, but it is a comfortable, spacious, quiet sedan for the driver who wants to do anything but drive.

Interested in the new Lexus ES 300h? Contact us to get yours today!