2023 Lexus ES300h Doesn’t Make Much Sense as an F Sport

Hybrids are large at Lexus, making up greater than 25 p.c of the posh model’s gross sales. Practically each model within the lineup now presents a gas-electric variant, and this type of powertrain is sensible for the everyday Lexus purchaser who prioritizes quietness and effectivity above the sporty sounds and efficiency of Lexus’s V-6 and V-8 engines. The hybrids might seem to be a little bit of an odd pairing with the F Sport subbrand, however that hasn’t stopped Lexus from providing F Sport packages for even essentially the most milquetoast hybrid fashions, such because the ES300h.

This mix was new to the ES vary for 2022, however it’s not simply an look improve anymore. Lexus now presents the F Sport choice in two tiers: F Sport Design contains simply the visible bits, and F Sport Dealing with provides a set of adaptive dampers that modify their firmness based mostly on which driving mode you choose. Dealing with has by no means actually been the ES’s factor, however now that the sportier, rear-wheel-drive GS sedan has disappeared, evidently Lexus is attempting to broaden the front-wheel-drive ES’s enchantment past those that are merely on the lookout for a Camry with nicer trim and a extra prestigious badge.

The ES300h F Sport might look the a part of a sportier sedan because of sharp 19-inch black wheels, a rear spoiler, entrance seats with aggressive bolstering, and the cool movable gauge cluster bezel first seen within the LFA supercar. However its hybrid drivetrain prefers a slower tempo, as the mixture of the two.5-liter inline-four and two electrical motors solely produces a complete of 215 horsepower. In our testing, the F Sport reached 60 mph in a sluggish 7.9 seconds, practically two seconds slower than a 302-horsepower, V-6-powered ES350.

The adaptive dampers do their job within the F Sport, stiffening the journey and lowering physique roll when you choose Sport or Sport+ mode. However that does not imply that the ES300h likes to hustle, because the droning of the gasoline engine, the numb steering, and the lackluster wheel management discourage aggressive back-road antics. Driving on Michelin Primacy MXM4 all-season tires, the ES’s 0.86-g skidpad consequence and 178-foot stopping distance from 70 mph are behind the far-sportier IS350 sedan’s numbers.

In fact, we would not choose the ES for such dynamic deficiencies if not for the phrases “Sport” and “Dealing with” in its title. Should you take away the pretense of the F Sport package deal, it is a completely appropriate cruiser. In Regular mode the journey is mushy and cosseting, and the cabin is properly remoted from street and wind noise. Plus, the ES delivers spectacular effectivity for a sedan this dimension, with an EPA score of 44 mpg mixed. We did not get an opportunity to run this 2023 model in our 75-mph real-world freeway gasoline financial system take a look at, however a mechanically comparable 2019 ES300h achieved 45 mpg—enabling a freeway vary of practically 600 miles.

Our favourite change for the 2023 ES is the reconfigured infotainment system. Lexus mercifully ditched the fussy touchpad controller, moved the show towards the motive force so it may perform as a touchscreen, and launched the corporate’s new infotainment software program that has a far less complicated menu construction. It is a wholesale enchancment, with our take a look at automotive’s non-obligatory 12.3-inch display proving straightforward to navigate, and the number of exhausting buttons and quantity and tuning knobs offers a welcome respite from touch-sensitive controls.

If we had been deciding on an ES for ourselves, we would skip the F Sport line and select one of many lesser ES350 or ES300h fashions that reside within the $40,000 vary. The ES300h F Sport Dealing with begins at a steep $50,085, and our well-optioned take a look at automotive stickered for $54,345. Any variety of authentic sports activities sedans with rear-wheel drive may be had for comparable coin. We expect the Lexus ES is completely high-quality as a soft, spacious, and environment friendly hybrid luxurious sedan—so long as it stays in its lane.

Senior Editor

Regardless of being raised on a gentle eating regimen of base-model Hondas and Toyotas—or maybe due to it—Joey Capparella nonetheless cultivated an obsession for the automotive trade all through his childhood in Nashville, Tennessee. He discovered a technique to write about automobiles for the varsity newspaper throughout his faculty years at Rice College, which ultimately led him to maneuver to Ann Arbor, Michigan, for his first skilled auto-writing gig at Car Journal. He has been a part of the Automobile and Driver workforce since 2016 and now lives in New York Metropolis.