2014 Lexus ES300H Reviews

Ewan Kennedy reviews the Lexus ES300 and ES300h from 1992, 1993, 1994, 1995, 1996, 1997, 1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014 used buy.

Neil Dowling road tests and reviews the Lexus ES300h Sports Luxury, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Paul Gover road tests and reviews the Lexus ES350, with specs, fuel consumption and verdict.

Ewan Kennedy road tests and reviews the 2014 Lexus ES300h.

It's time to say goodbye. We returned the hybrid Lexus ES300h this week after 12 weeks and 2300km behind the wheel. The ES is a large sedan with a small thirst that has many endearing qualities, not the least of which is its lean burn philosophy.The prestige, the size and comfort, all that rear legroom – to be sure. It's a very easy car to live with, easy to get in and out of, with plenty of room inside for mature adults and a super quiet interior that is conducive to conversation between thefront and back.It's a long way back too with more than a metre of rear legroom. With tri-zone air rear seat passengers get to set their own temperature. An electrically operated rear sunshade is standard on all grades, while Sports Luxury models receive manual rear door sunshades.The foot area is illuminated by LEDs while Sports Luxury models receive heated outboard rear seats, which can be controlled via the rear armrest panel. The rear armrest also includes a storage area and two cup-holders on both Luxury and Sports Luxury grades. And then there's the excellent fuel economy.Big has its downside sometimes, because the ES can be hard to park and even more difficult to navigate tight car parks. Active cruise control which automatically maintains a set distance from the car in front can be a pain in the proverbial because even at its minimum setting the gap invites other drivers to cut in.The satnav system is large and easy to read but offers some odd choices of route at times and is not the latest Lexus system, as offered in the CT and IS ranges. That means no school zone or speed camera warnings, nor does it keep the driver informed of the current speed limit.Lexus ES is available as a V6 or Hybrid, in Luxury and Sports Luxury grades. Prices for the hybrid start from $63,000 up to $74,000 for the top of the line V6. Our test vehicle the Sports Luxury model carries a price tag of $72,000.Standard features include leather-accented interior, dual climate air, satellite navigation, reversing camera, parking sensors, blind spot monitor, sun roof, 10 airbags, eight-speaker audio, smart entry and start, digital radio, plus Lexus Remote Touch and Drive Mode Select.The hybrid powertrain combines a 2.5-litre four cylinder petrol engine with a 105kW electric motor. Combined output is 151kW with drive to the front wheels through a CVT style auto transmission.It can operate on electric power alone up to 45km/h. Fuel consumption is rated at just 5.5 litres/100km with standard unleaded. With a 65-litre tank that gives it a theoretical range of 1180km (our best was 6.3 litres/100km).It's yet to receive a rating here but with 10 airbags and a multitude of safety and driver assistance systems, there's little doubt it will receive five stars. Note the base model hybrid misses out on Active Cruise and the Pre-Collision Safety System that are bundled as a $3000 option pack.The hybrid may not be the fastest car around town, but it's no slouch either with plenty of kick off the line thanks to the electric motor. Lexus have tried to make the car more dynamic and they have succeeded to some extent, but there is still room for improvement. Dialling in sport mode helps things along.You really can have your cake and eat it too. The ES300h offers the size and prestige of a large luxury car but with the fuel economy and price tag of something a hell of a lot cheaper.Taxi drivers are starting to "get" the hybrid Camry and we predict it will not be too long before the hire car guys turn their attention to the ES.

The beauty of this car is the big rear seat. There's oodles of room back there even for tall people with long legs. With more than a metre of rear legroom we even managed to accommodate the needs of a friend with an artificial leg. Rear seat occupants are cosseted with leather-accented seats, NanoeTM-enabled climate control for added comfort and electric rear sunshades as standard equipment.Lexus ES is available in two flavours as a V6 or Hybrid, in Luxury and Sports Luxury grades. Standard features include leather-accented interior, dual climate air, satellite navigation, reversing camera, parking sensors, blind spot monitor, sun roof, 10 airbags, eight-speaker audio, smart entry and start, digital radio, plus Lexus Remote Touch and Drive Mode Select.The Hybrid is $63,00. the V6 is $65,000, the Sports Luxury version of the hybrid $72,000 and the top of the line Sports Luxury V6 tips the scales at $74,000.The hybrid powertrain combines a 2.5-litre four cylinder petrol engine with a 105kW electric motor. The combined output is 151kW with drive to the front wheels, unlike most Lexus cars which are rear wheel drive.The hybrid employs a CVT style auto transmission and can sprint from 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds. It can operate on electric power alone in reverse and at speeds up to 45km/h in a forward direction. Fuel consumption is rated at just 5.5 litres/100km with standard unleaded.The primary focus was on creating a spacious, comfortable and quiet sedan. But Lexus recognised the previous model was lacking in terms of dynamic ability and engineered a new platform that is more rigid, lighter, longer and lower than what had previously been planned. The overall result is a higher level of comfort and straight-line stability but also a more rewarding experience for the driver.It's designed to get five stars and scores highly in US tests but is yet to receive a rating here. But with 10 airbags and a multitude of safety and driver assistance systems, there's little doubt it will get the maximum five stars. We should point out however the base model hybrid misses out on Active Cruise and the Pre-Collision Safety System that are bundled as a $3000 option pack.Almost ran out of fuel the other day. Got to the servo only to find we'd misplaced our wallet. The low fuel warning light was already on but we had no option other than to return home and get it. Our little adventure had an upside however because we can report that driven normally the car is capable of achieving 850km from a single tank (at the end it was almost dead empty).The ES offers a smooth ride and extremely quiet interior, quiet enough to make conversation easy between front and rear passengers. And while it’s a large interior in which to set the climate, tri-zone airconditioning allows front left, front right and rear seat cabin temperatures to be controlled independently.

Some hybrids are better than others, while some focus on performance and others fuel economy if only they were all as good as the ES300h.

It's big and classy and surprisingly affordable for a luxury sedan. What's more the Lexus ES300h uses hardly any fuel, because it's a hybrid with a petrol-electric drivetrain. So where's the catch?  We thought we'd better have a closer look, which we will be doing over the next few weeks.Priced from $63,000, the Lexus ES returns to the market after a long absence in two flavours, V6 and a hybrid. It's also available in two trim levels: Luxury and Sports Luxury. It's the first time Lexus has offered hybrid as its entry level model.But looking at the fine print it misses out on some safety features standard on the V6 that have been bundled into an add-on pack for another $3000. Standard features include leather-accented interior, dual climate air, satellite navigation, reversing camera, parking sensors, blind spot monitor, sun roof, 10 airbags, eight-speaker audio, smart entry and start, digital radio, plus Lexus Remote Touch and Drive Mode Select. The V6 is $64,000, the Sports Luxury version of the hybrid $72,000 and the top of the line Sports Luxury V6 tips the scales at $74,000.The hybrid powertrain combines a 2.5-litre four cylinder petrol engine with a 105kW electric motor, to deliver a combined output of 151kW to the front wheels. Unlike the V6 it employs a CVT style transmission and sprints from 0-100km/h in 8.5 seconds. Fuel consumption is rated at just 5.5 litres/100km with standard unleaded.Although no longer clone of the Camry, the ES does share a platform with the US Avalon (or the Avalon shares a platform with it depending on your perspective). It's been described as a baby version of the $190K flagship LS but there's nothing tiny about the amount of room in the back, with more than a metre of rear legroom.It's designed to score five stars and scores highly in US tests but is yet to receive a rating here. With 10 airbags and a multitude of safety systems, however, there's little cause for concern.With oodles of rear legroom and a decent sized boot we can see the ES appealing to the hire car guys. It's also going to attract those looking for something a bit special but who are watching their pennies. The ES offers a smooth ride and cossetted interior, that's quiet enough to make conversation easy between front and rear seat passengers.After driving both versions of the car the hybrid is definitely the pick, with its hi-tech features and better fuel economy. Performance is good and the drive select knob sharpens the throttle response for those wanting a bit extra.We're looking forward to seeing over time what a large car like this can offer in terms of fuel economy with its hybrid powertrain. 

What's the connection between a gaggle of camera-toting tourists wandering aimlessly around Hobart's waterfront and a flock of seagulls sunning themselves in the middle of the road?

Lexus has re-launched its ES Line of luxury mid-sized sedans after a break of seven years.