Lexus ES vs Honda Accord

What's the difference?

Luxury vehicles are better because of the quality, reliability and care that Lexus has brought since 1990, upending the status quo like no other brand before.

The ES, however, has been an outlier.

Inexplicably inferior to the far-cheaper Toyota Camry on which it’s long been based on, the bloated mid-sized “Executive Sedan” series created especially for America ignored “The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection” ethos that Lexus originals like the LS, IS, LFA and even the most-recent NX have striven for.

The eighth-generation ES redesign, however, is different, despite remaining Camry -ased, with an extended, beefed-up body and platform, multi-link rear suspension featuring adaptive dampers, an advanced new operating system that drags connectivity into this decade and an electric option.

Suddenly, the ES is poised to lure Polestar 2, Tesla Model 3 and Mercedes-Benz CLA buyers with a high-quality electric vehicle (EV) from Japan brimming with technology, refinements, space and features, at a price that cannot be ignored.

Has the ES finally understood the Lexus memo?

The Honda Accord is now in its 11th generation and there was a time when the Accord, and rivals like the Skoda Superb and Toyota Camry were the perfect family cars.

But if you head to a car park, it's obvious they're no longer the choice when it comes to family hauling.

We’re family testing the new Accord, now offered in one highly-specified variant, to see if its new hybrid powertrain and design are worth a look in a world where the SUV is king.