Looking back in the US market in particular, the ES nomenclature could stand for “Excellent Seller” since the ES has been Lexus’s best-selling sedan for over 15 years.
The ES 300 has not had an easy time of it, being very closely linked to Toyota product through platform sharing, and the Toyota’s it has closely resembled have been Camry and Avalon models, both of which are well recognised for their mid-level appeal in this country.
Along comes 2022 and the ES300 is now sufficiently different, sufficiently noteworthy in terms of its refinement and sophistication, to be well divorced from the Toyota siblings and indeed, stands apart from its sporty stablemate, the IS and the high-end luxury flagship LS models.
So, yes, the ES is still middle of the road as far as Lexus is concerned, but it can hold its own and then some up against its competition.
I liked the ’22 Lexus ES300 and frankly, I’m surprised I did, having fallen into the Elder Stateman mindset of the woefully ignorant.
Now, I’m going out on a limb and suggesting ES should stand for Emphatic Statement, both for its confident positioning within Lexus cadre of cars, it’s self-assured on-road ability and its green credentials or as I say, guilt-free chocolate ownership experience.
While there are three very distinct models in the ES range, all share the same hybrid engine – a 2.5-litre, 160kW combination of petrol and electric motive power, matched to an electronically controlled continuously variable transmission, delivering traditional Lexus refinement and sophistication without compromise.
So, the only differences between the Lexus ES300h, the ES300h Limited and ES300h F-Sport then, are the specification levels and upgrades to the suspension for the Limited and F-Sport models.
NZ Company Vehicle’s choice is the Limited – largely a personal preference, because each model in the ES300 range has its own appeal.
The entry level for example, has – among other considerations – everyman pricing with all that is great about Lexus ownership. The F-Sport brings Lexus performance styling cues to the fore.
Ordinarily, we would go with the underdog of the range, but this time, we’ve gone for the top end model and, at time of writing the ES300h Limited is a top end luxury sedan which could easily command a plus-$100k price and yet it is comfortably under this.
Standout features include a 12.3” electro multi vision touch screen display which incorporates satellite navigation and SUNA traffic updates, a 17-speaker, Mark Levinson Premium audio suite with Clari Fi music restoration technology, semi-Aniline leather accented and quilted seats, the Lexus Safety system + which incorporates Lexus proprietary LED Bladescan Adaptive high beam lights and 10 airbags amid a raft of electronic driver aids.
What really identified the Limited as the leading light of the ES300h range however, was one simple consideration; whatever I expected to be there, was there and whatever I expected the car to deliver in terms of its performance, handling and driving dynamics, was delivered.
But, above all this was the appearance of the car, and yes, this is a subjective thing, but the Lexus ES can now stand for Elegant Supremacy, since it looks simply stunning from any angle.
Thus, you have a car representing the pinnacle of automotive engineering, lacking nothing in equipment and delivered with an expressive aesthetic of cultivated accomplishment.
