Lexus ES250 vs Cadillac Lyriq

What's the difference?

Since day one Lexus has aimed to prise buyers away from the limpet-like grip of traditional luxury car players. Conventional marketing wisdom says consumers buy brands, with the actual product a secondary consideration. 

The updated ES has the value, efficiency, safety, and driving refinement to again challenge the establishment. Amazingly, the ownership package, specifically the warranty, is starting to lag the market. 

But for open-minded premium buyers this product is worth a look before following a well-worn brand path. And if it was my money, the ES 300h Luxury with Enhancement Pack is the range sweet spot for value and performance.

The Lyriq Luxury combines handsome styling and luxurious appointments with responsive yet supple ride quality, the choice of relaxed driving or exhilarating performance as desired and a decent driving range. Its lack of towing ability may be a deal breaker for some, but it's certainly worthy of consideration by prestige SUV buyers with a penchant for electric power and (for now at least) sub-$100K drive-away pricing.

From shy wallflower to life of the party, the Lexus ES was given a comprehensive design makeover for its seventh generation.

A dramatic, angular exterior incorporates signature elements of the Lexus brand's distinctive design language including an unmissable ‘spindle grille’, but is still clearly recognisable as a conventional 'three-box’ sedan.

The jagged headlights now feature ‘tri-beam’ LEDs on F Sport and Sports Luxury grades, adding an extra air of purpose to an already bold face. And the grille on Luxury and Sports Luxury models is now made up of multiple L-shaped elements, mirrored across the top and bottom sections, then finished in gunmetal grey for a close to 3D effect.

The ES is offered in 10 colours - ‘Sonic Iridium’, ‘Sonic Chrome’, ‘Sonic Quartz’, ‘Onyx’, ‘Graphite Black’, ‘Titanium’, ‘Glacial Ecru’, ‘Radiata Green’, ‘Vermillion’ and ‘Deep Blue’ with two other shades reserved for the F Sport only - ‘White Nova’ and ‘Cobalt Mica.’

Inside, the dash is a mix of simple sweeping surfaces contrasted by a flurry of activity around the centre stack and instrument cluster.

Located roughly 10cm closer to the driver, the new multimedia screen is a 12.3-inch unit with touch functionality, a welcome alternative to the laggy and inaccurate Lexus ‘Remote Touch’ trackpad set-up. Remote Touch remains, but my advice is to ignore it and use the touchscreen.

The instruments sit in a deeply hooded binnacle with buttons and dials on and around it. Not the sleekest design in the segment and passable only from an ergonomic point-of-view, but the overall feel is suitably premium.

The Lyriq has a generous 3095mm wheelbase, is more than five metres long (5005mm) and almost two metres wide (1977mm, including mirrors). Its 1620mm roof height is relatively low for a large SUV, resulting in a sleek and sporty profile combined with a muscular surefooted stance fronted by a finely-etched solid grille.

It rides on five-link independent suspension with GM’s ‘passive plus’ dampers, plus there’s electric power-assisted steering and big Brembo disc brakes in each corner featuring classy Cadillac scripts on the calipers. Turning circle is 12.1 metres, which is to be expected for a car of this size.

The interior design is an elegant blend of soft-touch materials and discreetly textured surface finishes with an emphasis on chrome and satin chrome highlights. It’s also spacious as you’d expect, with the panoramic sunroof creating a bright and airy feel.

We applaud Cadillac’s adherence to tradition with physical buttons and knurled dials and knobs for controlling key cabin and driving functions, in preference to annoying and distracting touchscreen menus. There’s also nice attention to detail with small jewel-like Cadillac emblems and scripts contributing to its prestige look and feel.

An overall length just under 5.0m long shows how much the ES and its competitors have crept up in size over recent generations. The Merc C-Class is more a mid-size car than the compact sedan it once was, and at nearly 1.9m wide and standing a bit over 1.4m tall the ES more than matches it for space.

There's plenty of room up front, the car feeling open and spacious from behind the wheel, thanks in part to the low sweep of the dash. And the rear is just as commodious.

Sitting behind the driver's seat set for my 183cm (6'0”) position I enjoyed good leg and toe room, with more than enough headroom, despite inclusion of a tilt and slide glass sunroof on all models.

Not only that, entry to and egress from the rear is a breeze thanks to a large aperture and wide opening doors. And while the back seat is best for two, three adults across is do-able without too much pain and suffering for short to medium journeys.

Connectivity and power options are plentiful with twin USB ports and a 12-volt socket front and rear. And storage starts with two cupholders in the front centre console, and another pair in the fold-down rear centre armrest.

If the remote touch system was (deservedly) given the boot, there would be room for extra oddments space in the front console.

The front door pockets are adequate rather than large (smaller bottles only), the glove box is modest, but the storage box (with padded armrest lid) between the front seats is more generous.

There are adjustable air vents for rear passengers, which you'd expect in this category, but are always a plus none-the-less.

The rear door pockets are okay, except the opening is relatively slim so bottles are a struggle, but there are map pockets on the back of both front seats as another bottle option.

Important to note that while boot space is decent at 454 litres (VDA) the rear seat doesn't fold. At all. A lockable ski port door sits behind the rear armrest, but the lack of a split-folding back seat is a significant practicality compromise.

A reasonably high loading lip into the boot isn't great, either, but there are tie-down hooks to help secure loose loads.

The Lexus ES is a no-tow zone and a space-saver spare is your only flat tyre option.

The Lyriq’s 2687kg kerb weight (largely due to its hefty propulsion battery) and 3200kg GVM results in a modest 513kg load capacity, which could easily be used up by five large adults before you could think about loading their luggage. It’s also not rated for towing in Australia which limits its appeal as a recreational vehicle.

Driver and front passenger enjoy palatial space and comfort plus ample storage with a bottle-holder and bin in each door. There's also a large glove box, pop-out drawer in the dash and a ‘floating’ centre console equipped with a lower tray, three USB-C ports, a 12V socket, wireless phone charging and a felt-lined box at the back with padded lid that doubles as an elbow rest.

The rear doors open wide for easy entry to the rear bench seat which even for tall people (I’m 186cm) offers ample room for knees and feet, enhanced by a flat floor with no transmission tunnel for centre passengers to straddle.

However, the top of my head brushes the roof lining and the unusually high floor height (we assume caused by the underfloor battery) results in raised thigh angles that concentrate more weight on the lower back.

Given the rounded lower backrest cushions, which integrate with the ISOFIX child seat anchorages in the outer seating positions, also protrude into a passenger's lower back region, the rear seat provides less than ideal comfort for tall passengers in contrast to the sublime luxury up front.

Even so, rear passenger storage is well catered for with a bottle-holder in each door, pockets on both front seat backrests and two cupholders in the fold-down centre armrest. The rear of the centre console offers two more USB-C ports, adjustable air vents and adjustments for numerous comfort settings.

The power tailgate provides access to the fully carpeted rear luggage area, which offers up to 793 litres (almost 0.8 cubic metres) of load volume with the rear seats upright and up to 1722 litres (almost 1.8 cubic metres) with the seats power-folded flat. This provides a versatile space for carrying everything from a mountain bike to flatpack furniture.

The luggage area also has four tie-down hooks, a 12V socket and a hinged floor section which when opened reveals an underfloor bin ideal for storing charging cables (see image).

The Lyriq is available in two trim levels comprising the Luxury from $122,000 and the Sport from $124,000 (both before on-road costs) but GMSV is currently offering both for $95,000, drive-away.

These list and drive-away prices compare more than favourably when cross-shopping German luxury EV SUV alternatives like the Audi Q8 e-tron ($140,090), BMW iX ($142,900) or Mercedes-Benz EQE ($146,700).

The key differences between the Lyriq duo are visual, with the Luxury emphasising traditional elegance with lavish chrome detailing while the Sport is more performance oriented with greater use of dark trim elements.

Our test vehicle is the Luxury variant, finished in optional ‘Crystal White Tricoat’ paired with what GM describes as ‘Noir with Santorini Blue Accents’ interior trim.

Large and stylish in true Cadillac tradition, the Lyriq is built in right-hand drive form at GM’s Spring Hill manufacturing plant in Tennessee, instead of local RHD remanufacturing like its Chevrolet pick-up siblings.

Luxurious standard equipment includes big 21-inch multi-spoke alloy wheels and 275/45R21 self-sealing tyres (no spare), a full-length panoramic sunroof with power internal sunshade, power tailgate, rear roof spoiler, heated door mirrors with puddle lamps and more.

Concealed door handles discreetly extend to allow access to a sumptuous synthetic-leather interior with power adjustable/heated steering wheel, power front seats with heating/ventilation/massage/memory functions, outer rear seating also with heating/ventilation/massage, tri-zone climate control, five USB ports, 360-degree camera, wireless phone charging, a choice of 126 ambient interior lighting colours and more.

The driver is treated to a curved 33-inch colour LED instrument cluster/multimedia display which controls premium 19-speaker AKG Studio sound (including speakers in the front seat head restraints) and numerous multimedia functions including wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity.

The ES 250 is powered by an all-alloy, 2.5-litre, naturally aspirated (A25A-FKS) four-cylinder engine featuring DVVT (Dual Variable Valve Timing) - electrically actuated on the intake side, and hydraulically on the exhaust side. It also uses a combination of direct and multi-point fuel-injection (D-4S).

Maximum power is a handy 152kW at 6600rpm and peak torque of 243Nm is available between 4000-5000rpm, with drive going to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The 300h features a modified (A25A-FXS) version of the same engine using the Atkinson combustion cycle which plays with valve timing to effectively shorten the intake stroke and lengthen the expansion stroke.

The down-side of this set-up is a loss of low-end power, while the up-side is improved fuel efficiency. Which makes it perfect for a hybrid application where an electric motor can make up for the low-end shortfall.

Here, the result is a combined output of 160kW, with the petrol engine producing its peak power (131kW) at 5700rpm.

The 300h's motor is a permanent magnet synchronous type producing 88kW/202Nm, and the battery is a 204-cell nickel-metal hydride type with a capacity of 244.8 volts.

Drive again goes to the front wheels, this time via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

The Lyriq features drive units with single-speed transmissions located at the front and rear which provide permanent all-wheel drive. Each is equipped with an electric motor, which combined produce 388kW of power and 610Nm of torque. There are also numerous selectable drive modes. Claimed 0-100km/h acceleration time is a rapid 5.3 seconds.

Hyundai's official fuel economy figure for the ES 250, on the ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban cycle, is 6.6L/100km for the Luxury and 6.8L/100km for the F-Sport, the 2.5-litre four emitting 150 and 156g/km of C02 (respectively) in the process.

The official combined cycle fuel economy figure for the ES 350h, is just 4.8L/100km, the hybrid powertrain emitting only 109g/km of C02.

While the launch program didn't allow us to capture real-world (at the bowser) figures we did see a dash-indicated average of 5.5L/100km in the 300h, which is brilliant for a car in this class, weighing in at 1.7 tonnes.

You'll need 60 litres of 95RON premium unleaded to fill ES 250's tank and 50 litres to brim the ES 300h. Using Lexus figures that equates to a range of a little less than 900km in the 250 and just over 1000km in the 350h (900km using our dash-indicated number).

To further sweeten the fuel economy equation Lexus provides an Ampol/Caltex five-cents-per-litre discount as a permanent offer via the Lexus app. Nice.

GMSV claims official combined consumption of 22.5kWh/100km and up to 530km of driving range from the Lyriq’s 102kW lithium-ion propulsion battery.

When we collected our test vehicle the dash display was showing 100 per cent charge and an estimated driving range of 583km.

We drove 239km over five days and still had 52 per cent charge and 300km of range remaining when we did an overnight charge at home using the supplied AC charger with a domestic three-pin plug.

However, after 15 hours the charge only increased from 52 to 65 per cent for just 76km of extra driving range, so we would recommend installing a dedicated wall box for faster home charging.

In total we covered 297km across our usual mix of suburban, city and highway driving with average energy consumption just under the Cadillac's official figure, so based on our test results a driving range of around 500km per charge is credible.

GMSV claims 7.4kW AC charging can add up to 43km of range per hour, which increases to 94km with 22.1kW charging. And up to 128km of range can be added in just 10 minutes using 190kW DC fast charging.

The first thing you notice behind the wheel of this ES is how extraordinarily quiet it is. Sound absorption materials are stuffed all around the body. Even the engine cover has been designed to keep the decibels down.

And ‘Active Noise Control’ (ANC) uses the audio system to generate “noise-cancelling waves” to suppress mechanical clatter from the engine and transmission. The car is eerily EV-like in it's pin-drop interior tranquility.

We focused on the ES 300h for the launch drive, and Lexus claims 0-100km/h 8.9sec for this version of the car. It feels every bit that quick, but the engine ‘noise’ and exhaust note are like the humming of a distant bee hive. With thanks to Daryl Kerrigan, how's the serenity?

Around town the ES is composed and supple, absorbing pock-marked urban irregularities with ease, and on the freeway it feels like a hovercraft.

Lexus makes a lot of noise about the torsional stiffness of the ‘Global Architecture-K’ (GA-K) platform sitting under the ES, and it's clearly more than hot air. Through twisting B-roads it remains balanced and predictable.

Even in non-F-Sport variants the car points nicely and will steer accurately on the throttle through constant radius corners, with only modest body roll. The ES doesn't feel like a front-wheel drive car, with neutral handling up to an impressively high limit.

Luxury and Sports Luxury grades are offered with three drive modes - ‘Normal’, ‘Eco’ and ‘Sport’, tweaking engine and transmission settings for economy or a more spirited drive.

ES 300h F Sport variants add three more modes - ‘Sport S’, ‘Sport S+’ and ‘Custom’, further revising engine, steering, suspension and transmission characteristics.

Despite all the tuning options, road feel is not the ES's strongest suit. Dialing in sportier modes will add steering weight but no matter what the setting, the connection between the front wheels and the driver's hands is less than intimate.

The CVT auto suffers some of that disconnect between road speed and revs, the engine moving up and down the rev range in search of the power/efficiency sweet spot. But wheel-mounted paddles allow for manual shifting through pre-set ‘ratio’ points, and that option works nicely if you prefer to take the reins.

And when it comes to slowing down the ‘Auto Glide Control’ (ACG) system smooths out regenerative braking when you're coasting to a stop.

The conventional brakes are ventilated (305mm) discs at the front and a solid (281mm) rotor set-up at the rear. Pedal feel is progressive and outright stopping power is strong.

Random notes: The front seats are great. Super-comfortable yet neatly bolstered for secure location. The F Sport's chairs, even more so. The new multimedia touchscreen is a winner. It looks good and menu navigation is agreeably straight forward. And the digital instrument cluster is similarly clean and clear.

The driving position is supportive and comfortable with multiple power-adjustment of the seat and steering wheel ensuring people of most heights and girths can enjoy luxurious travel.

The low dashboard height ensures vision to the front of the bonnet and its array of physical buttons, knurled dials and knobs minimise touchscreen use, which makes driving far less distracting than having to search through digital menus.

It’s very quiet given its electric drivetrain. Most noise emanates from the tyres but that is also minimised by the audio system’s noise cancellation technology and the cabin’s effective acoustic insulation.

Ride quality and handling are excellent thanks to the Lyriq’s suspension refinement and close to an ideal 50-50 weight distribution mostly influenced by the positioning of its drive battery.

This battery’s considerable heft (we reckon it weighs at least half a tonne) also creates ample sprung weight to assist the suspension in smoothing out bumps and its underfloor location ensures a low centre of gravity for surefooted cornering.

Standing start acceleration is more than impressive for a luxury car weighing almost 2.7 tonnes, with instantaneous torque from its two electric motors helping to propel the Lyriq to a neck-straining 100km/h in about five seconds.

This spirited response creates a sporty and engaging drive that belies the vehicle’s weight, particularly in Sport mode with its sharper throttle response and firmer steering feel.

We also like the choices for regenerative braking which include ‘One Pedal Driving’ mode with 'Normal' and 'High' settings, both of which make the quartet of disc brakes largely redundant (the High setting feels like heavy pedal braking) while optimising battery charge. There’s also a small paddle on the steering wheel which increases regenerative braking in response to the amount of finger pressure applied to it.

Our only criticism from a driver’s point of view is the absence of a head-up display (HUD) and traffic sign recognition (TSR), both of which are notable omissions for a prestige vehicle in this price range.

The Lyriq does not come with an ANCAP rating (typical for small volume production) but has a suite of passive and active features like multiple airbags including dual head side-curtains, AEB with intersection/front pedestrian/cyclist detection, lane-keeping, a 360-degree camera, parking assist, tyre pressure monitoring, adaptive cruise control and lots more. The rear bench seat has ISOFIX child seat anchorages on the outer seating positions and top tethers across all three.

In this part of the market it's fair to expect a head-up display and traffic sign recognition as standard but both are missing in action. 

From the time it arrived in the Australian market just over 30 years ago Lexus has made the ownership experience a key differentiator for the brand.

Its focus on post-purchase benefits and ease of servicing shook the established luxury players out of their button-backed leather lounge slumber and into a new aftersales mindset.

That said, the Lexus standard four-year/100,000km warranty is some way off luxury newcomer, Genesis, as well as traditional heavyweights Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, all at five years/unlimited km.

Yes, Audi, BMW and others are at three years/unlimited km, but the game has moved on for them, too. Plus, the mainstream market standard is now five years/unlimited km, with some at seven, even 10 years.

On the other hand, the ‘Lexus Encore Privileges’ program provides 24-hour roadside assistance for the duration of the warranty, as well as, “dining, hotel partnership and luxury lifestyle experience offers exclusive to owners of new Lexus vehicles.”

The Lexus Enform smartphone app also offers access to everything from real-time advice on events and the weather to nav destinations (restaurants, businesses, etc), and more.

Service is scheduled every 12 months/15,000km (whichever comes first), and the first three (capped price) services for the ES are $495 each.

A Lexus loan car is provided while your pride and joy is in the workshop, or a pick-up and return option (from home or office) is available. You'll also receive a complimentary wash and interior vacuum.

The Lyriq comes standard with a five-year/unlimited km warranty including five years' of roadside assist, while the propulsion battery is covered by a separate eight-year/160,000km warranty.

Scheduled servicing is every 12 months/12,000km whichever occurs first, with costs for the first five years of scheduled servicing or five scheduled services included in the vehicle’s purchase price. These servicing terms are generous for this segment, although some rivals offer similar enticements like Audi’s six-year ‘complimentary’ servicing for its Q8 e-tron.

GMSV has a national network of 45-50 dealerships across most capital cities and some regional areas but not all offer vehicle servicing.