The 2016 Lexus ES 300h sedan features an audacious new spindle grill design.
Photo by Mark Kennedy
Fast facts
* Model: 2016 Lexus ES 300h * Exterior color: Nightfall Mica * Interior color: Flaxen * Engine: Hybrid 2.5-liter, four-cylinder with magnet electric drive * Horsepower: 200 * Transmission: Continuously variable * Fuel economy: 40 mpg city, 39 mpg highway * Local Dealer: Lexus of Chattanooga, Lee Highway * Price (as tested): $51,164
View other Test Drive stories by Mark Kennedy
Looking for a used or new car?
Full disclosure: The Lexus ES 300h is my aspirational car.
By that, I mean it's the car I'd most like to own personally - albeit, in lightly used condition to fit my middle-class budget. There are plenty of other luxury cars that fill my daydreams, but none as attractive and attainable as the ES 300h.
So why does a gussied-up Toyota Avalon hybrid with a mere 200 horsepower power-plant make my heart race?
Let me count the ways: value, comfort, durability, functionality, ergonomics, quietness, torque, fit and finish, fuel economy and cutting-edge design. How's that? Plenty of cars hit a few of those notes, but precious few play the whole scale.
We've spent the last three days behind the wheel of a 2016 ES 300h and found it to be a relaxing, even joyful, experience. Dial the satellite radio into a contemporary jazz station - pumped through an 835-watt Mark Levinson sound system - lean back in the sumptuous Flaxen leather seats and float away on a cloud of Lexus luxury.
"The ES model has been, and will remain, a key model for Lexus," says Nick Simmons, sales manager at Lexus of Chattanooga, noting that his Lee Highway dealership has eight of the mid-size sedans in stock. "They have started building the ES in Kentucky recently to fill production demands."
Our Nightfall Mica (dark blue) tester has a base price of $40,920 and comes with about $10,000 in option packages and delivery fees for a total MSRP of $51,164. Sure, that's plenty of dough, but considering the package, it's a relative bargain. If you're in the market for a used ES 300h, web searches show low-mileage 2013s available for under $30,000.
The hybrid power-train, a 2.5-liter gasoline engine combined with an electric motor, returns a sterling 40 miles per gallon in city driving (39 mpg highway). Hybrids typically are more energy efficient in stop-and-go driving because they can stay in all-electric mode at low speeds. When comparing the ES 300h to the average new vehicle, the government estimates owners of the ES will save $3,500 in fuel costs over five years.
STYLING AND FEATURES
Lexus has tweaked the styling of the ES 300h for the 2016 model year, giving it a bolder grille, a new 17-inch machine-cut wheel design, and standard LED headlamps. The ES 300h was last redesigned in 2013, along with the similar ES 350 V-6, and embodies Lexus' aggressive new design language. Lexus used to be about soft-cornered sheet metal and posh interiors. Now, each Lexus model is a collection of sharp angles, and the interiors are models of contemporary design.
In profile, the mid-size Lexus sedan looks like an angry shark; and its nearly silent power-train intensifies the impression of a predator fish on the prowl. The black-out grille looks like a big mouth that could devour its prey in one swallow.
Our tester showcases a new, interior color scheme blending light-brown leather seating surfaces with matte Bamboo wood accents, part of a $3,000 trim package that also features heated and ventilated front seats, power rear sunshades, a driver's seat cushion extender, ambient lighting and a power telescoping steering wheel. A heated, wood-and-leather steering wheel is a $450 option.
The 15-speaker Mark Levinson sound system is one of the best audio arrays we've ever tested. It would make a challenging game for a child to try to find all 15 speakers. The clarity of high-, mid- and low-range sound is remarkable - made even better by the lack of ambient noise inside the whisper-quiet ES 300h.
The interior is a beautiful blend of materials, from the comfy perforated leather seats to the cool-to-the-touch wood steering wheel, a Lexus trademark. The dash, although a bit busy, is none-the-less functional. The analog speedometer is easy to read and an eight-inch VGA screen embedded in the dash acts as the brain center for the car's electronics. A "mouse" on the center console allows you to switch between radio, navigation and telephone functions with ease.
DRIVING IMPRESSIONS
As a commuter car, the ES 300h is just the vehicle to smooth out the rough edges of your day. Whether it's starting your morning with light jazz, or winding down at the end of a long workday, the Lexus will make your journey sweet and serene.
It's hard to over-sell how "right" this car feels. The spot-on ergonomics make you feel instantly at home behind the wheel. It's the first car I've tested in ages that feels like it was custom-tailored to my body with chalk and a tape measure. From the ideal driving position to the perfect alignment of the side mirrors, the ES feels completely driver-centric. The fact that the instrument cluster frames perfectly inside the steering wheel is a small delight.
My children, who had just spent a week riding to school in a $130,000 luxury car of another brand, remarked that the $51,000 ES 300h felt like the Goldilocks of luxury automobiles - not over-done, but "just right."
On my daily commute on Highway 27, the EX 300h floated through rush-hour traffic. Although the horsepower is modest (200), the electric motor delivers torque to the wheels in instant bursts.
The hybrid drive-train consists of an all-aluminum, 2.5-liter gas engine and a magnet electric drive motor powered by a nickel-metal hydride battery pack. For those worried about replacing a pricey battery, the Lexus/Toyota hybrids have proven to be extremely durable with a very low battery failure rates. The Lexus hybrid system has a confidence inspiring eight-year, 100,000-mile warranty.
BOTTOM LINE
The Lexus ES 300h is objectively one of the best mid-sized luxury sedans available today. Its list of virtues is long, with none more important than "value." At the end of the day, the measure of a car is the answer to the question, "Is it worth the money?" When it comes to the Lexus EX 300h, the answer is emphatically, "You bet'cha!"
Contact Mark Kennedy at mkennedy@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6645. Follow him on Twitter @TFPCOLUMNIST. Subscribe to his Facebook updates at www.facebook.com/mkennedycolumnist.