Lexus ES300H vs Lexus UX250H

What's the difference?

There’s no denying the Sport Luxury is imposing, spacious, plush, chock-full of kit, efficient, speedy and pleasingly relaxing up to a point.

But its interior is also dated and true ride comfort can be elusive beyond smooth roads for this top-of-the-line version to make the grade as a proper luxury sedan.  

The ES 300h feels more like an aspirational Toyota than a Lexus for the (wealthier) masses, especially after recent triumphs like the latest NX and RX SUVs. The Camry DNA is difficult to disguise, as the amused strangers who sat in our test car uninvited thinking it was their Camry highlights.

Sure, the hybrid is no Chevy V8, but in many other ways, the Sport Luxury seems like the modern successor to the Holden Caprice experience.

Most cars get worse as they age as their makers try and save pennies by scrimping on quality and features. But the reverse seems to be true for the Lexus UX.

The 250h Luxury 2WD we tested is the car that the brand should have launched with back in 2018, with an appealing balance of performance and economy, comfort and sporty handling, as well as refinement and features. The UX has finally come of age.

Historically, cars like the ES appeal to an older and more conservative demographic, who value imposing, conspicuously-expensive looking sedans offering the luxury of space. This is the Cadillac model and our Lexus embodies it.

Which is why hire company operators snap such vehicles up. Great for airport-hotel-airport runs.

But it’s weird, given how much of Lexus’ design language is in the ES’ elaborate nose and tail treatments, how generically Toyota this looks. Certainly, our test car’s 'Sonic Quartz' white paint job does not help.

Just to reinforce this perception, two strangers were fully sat inside our unlocked test Lexus before they realised it wasn't their actual car parked nearby – a white Camry of course.

How they laughed. But if I had paid over $80K for my ES, I certainly wouldn't be amused.

A hefty portion of the UX’s engineering underneath is shared with the popular Toyota C-HR. Not that you would necessarily know that by glancing at it.

Even five years on from launch, the current model looks slick and contemporary, and it seems to have informed the styling of newer, larger Lexus SUVs like the latest NX.

Not that you’d call the UX an SUV – it’s very much a higher-riding hatchback, with a ho-hum 160mm of ground clearance.

To put that in perspective, other crossovers are taller: the GLA has 213mm, while Subaru’s new Crosstrek boasts 220mm. At least the UX’s is loftier than the C-HR and its pitiful 137mm.

That said, the angular wheel arches and wide-track stance serves the Lexus well.

The ES 300h may look like a gussied-up Camry on the outside, but there’s very little evidence of the Toyota inside the stretched cabin, with Lexus-specific seating, trim and dashboard.

However, if you’re familiar with the latest LS, NX or RX models, much of what you see is now dated, previous-gen tech, and that’s an issue in some key ways.

Let’s start with the SL positives, though.

Quiet and free from rattles, the interior is defined by its first-class fit and finish, and then closely followed by the vast length inside, with ample room up front to stretch out and relax in. The ES’ substantial width adds to the sense of spaciousness.

Ventilation is excellent, exemplary even, with strong and effective climate control all around the car. Great for very hot days.

The front seats provide practically infinite adjustment in most directions, and include a handy thigh-support extender that – like everything else inside – moves electrically.

Comfy and supportive, they do a fine job. Effective heated and vented cushions and backrests are further bonuses.

But let's call out the hard front headrests. They feel cheap. And the ES’ age now shows in other, eyebrow-raising ways for an $80K-plus machine.

The dash is a messy mix of now-dated Lexus styling cues – from the ugly asymmetrical centre console to the single circular instrumentation dial for speed and tachometer.

The original IS 200's analogue watch face theme was cool in '99. Today's iteration looks basic.

Storage seems poorly judged given the vastness of this sedan, provided for by cavities in the sub-sized centre armrest, glove box and door bins. Note that the latter cannot hold bottles.

Then, there’s the ill-conceived touchpad that requires brain-surgery precision when fingered to navigate the main display screen when driving (though now it's also a touchscreen, and not before time); after years of various iterations of this, it remains alien and confounding in the extreme to operate. Rest assured, it's been banished in newer-gen Lexuses.

Also annoying is the infernal ‘please obey all traffic regulations’ voice warning, just like you find in a Yaris; the limited and easily-flummoxed voice-control tech and the dated and low-fi graphics for the needlessly complicated sat-nav system.

We relied on CarPlay because the in-built item endlessly let us down. Chuck them all out.

However, there are upsides to a dated interior, because even though this is a confusing and at-times intimidating button-fest, it’s still preferable to the today's everything-behind-a-touchscreen mania.

Give us physical switches and buttons every time, like the ES. Yes, the Lexus also has them replicated within the central display, but the point is, the driver has a choice.

You shouldn't be shocked to learn that the Sports Luxury impresses most as a sumptuously comfortable back-seat experience.

Rear access is easy, the passengers can adjust the front seat, climate control and audio systems via handily-sited switches (meaning they're replicated thrice in some instances).

Limo luxury amenities include individually-reclinable and heated outboard seats that are downright sumptuous, blinds for all glass (electric for the rear window), a lined centre bin, face-level air vents, two USB ports, a 12V outlet, generously-sized elbow rests on the doors, overhead lighting and door pockets are also included.

This is tailored as an airport/hotel shuttle and very comfortable doing so.

No folding backrest, though, meaning the boot – though not small at 454 litres – lacks the load-through facilities now common in most other sedans, including the Camry.

Under the flat floor is a space-saver spare with the words ‘SPACE MISER MKIII’ emblazoned across it. Classy.

In summary, the ES’ interior is one of two parts – comfortable but dated up front, invitingly lush out back. Perfect for its intended station in life then.

The UX’s compact crossover-esque hatchback proportions have implications inside. Inevitably, this is no larger than the (related) Toyota Corolla, despite having the higher seating position.

Beyond that, though, the 2023 model highlights how Lexus has made its so-called ‘gateway’ model better than before.

For starters, despite being the base grade, this UX has a properly premium ambience, backed up by exceptional fit and finish.

From a sensory perspective, the UX looks, smells, feels and sounds like a Lexus should. And by the latter, we mean the cabin is pleasingly isolated from the outside world.

The overhauled touchscreen and multimedia system is a huge step forward for the series. The larger new display looks great and works well – what a monumental improvement over the infuriatingly fiddly old set-up. It’s difficult to see how they’ll improve it. Dependable and glitch-free. Are you listening, all European manufacturers?

Meanwhile, the carryover parts that worked well enough before continue to impress.

The UX’s front seats are sumptuous in their cushy softness and comfort, yet provide sufficient support over longer driving distances.

There’s also the excellent driving position, with most switchgear within grasp. There’s just enough space for taller people to settle in nicely up front. And the basics like ventilation and storage are thoughtfully executed. The climate in the UX is always fine.

Negatives? Don’t worry, we’ve identified several.

As mentioned earlier, the now-better-equipped Luxury does have all the essentials. But for a car that’s approaching $60K-drive-away, we’d expect kerb-side mirrors that dip down when reversing to avoid damaging alloys against gutters; we couldn’t get ours to auto-fold when locking up, either.

Driver vision out isn’t great. Thick pillars and that rising shoulder line make changing lanes and reversing a technology-reliant affair, as it’s difficult to see objects that are too-easily obscured. For the same reasons, a front camera would be useful in this grade.

Others might expect a sunroof, or cooled seats that massage, or a head-up display for the instrumentation, but we’d argue that they’re hardly necessities. Lexus has to upsell buyers to something.

Moving on to the back-seat area betrays the UX’s compactness most.

The back doors have small apertures. Entry/egress is challenging for folk with long legs. Legroom is tight, and three adults abreast would be a struggle, so it’s best to treat the littlest Lexus crossover as a four-seater.

Yet headroom is fine, the appearance and finish remain first class as it is up front, and the basics are all present – air vents, grab handles, coat hooks, overhead lighting, one map pocket, centre armrest with cupholders, two USB outlets, and windows that wind all the way down. Narrow front seats aid with light, vision and ambience, too.

Further back, the luggage area is pretty petite for an SUV, though the boot is (slightly) larger than the Corolla and Mazda3’s. That powered tailgate is useful if your arms are full, but the loading lip is high.

Normal boot floor depth is shallow but most of that flooring can be removed to reveal a hidden compartment underneath.

Small side pockets are also useful. You’ll find a 240V outlet. Bag hooks and floor tie-down hooks are fitted.

And – being a hybrid – there’s no spare wheel, just a tyre inflation kit. And the flimsy cargo cover is there only to keep prying eyes out.

Not big on utility, then, but the UX is true to its role as a Lexus in concentrate form.

Let’s list those changes briefly, as they inform the car you see before you.

The pre-facelift UX released in 2018 was criticised for riding too harshly and not being fun enough to drive.

So, Lexus says the MY23 version’s steering rack is better braced, the suspension and rear adaptive dampers have been retuned, the chassis gains more spot welds for added rigidity and the body is now stiffer and stronger than before. These are learnings directly applied from the UX300e EV version released in late 2021.

Most buyers will probably be more impressed with a now two-inch larger touchscreen, updated and (at long last!) easier-to-operate multimedia system, post-crash emergency services-callout should the driver end up incapacitated, upgraded voice recognition system, more-effective lane-keep assistance, improved traction through corners, better surround-view monitor and jazzed-up trim presentation.

Collectively, they strive to finally bring the expected/demanded on-brand qualities lacking from the previous model and in the UX’s largely-patchy competitor set – namely the Audi Q2, BMW X2, Jaguar E-Pace, Mercedes-Benz GLA and Volvo XC40. 

This is especially so when sizing up the entry-level front-wheel drive grades (euphemistically dubbed 2WD at these exalted heights) of each, as we have done with the least-expensive hybrid version of the UX, the 250h Luxury from $53,820 (all prices are before on-road costs).

Costing nearly $8000 more than the base 200 Luxury petrol version, the hybrid accounts for the lion’s share of sales, and really has no direct electrified premium rival at that price point, except in the recently-released Alfa Romeo Tonale Ti from $49,900 – though that’s a mild-hybrid set-up with a 48-volt battery.

Along with an electric motor and a small Nickel-metal Hydride (Ni-MH) battery, the 250h Luxury is compellingly equipped for a base grade, including a 12.3-inch touchscreen, wireless Apple CarPlay, wired Android Auto, Bluetooth telephony, ‘Hey, Lexus!’ voice recognition, 10-speaker audio, digital radio, satellite navigation, remote engine-start/door-unlocking/hazard flashers/buzzer, acoustic windscreen glass, heated/powered mirrors, powered steering column, heated/powered front seats, climate control, keyless entry/start, a powered tailgate, roof rails, alarm and 17-inch alloys.

The 250h Luxury also comes with ‘Enhancement Pack 2’, featuring a powered tailgate with kick sensor, a wireless phone charger, cornering lights, headlight cleaners and rear privacy glass.

On the safety front, there’s all the usual driver-assist tech equipment including Autonomous Emergency Braking (AEB), lane-support systems and rear-cross traffic alert, amongst other items. Check our safety section for a full rundown.

So, yes, the UX 250h Luxury represents strong value. Even for a luxury-branded vehicle.

Doing duty in a cornucopia of Toyota products, the ES 300h’s A25A-FXS engine remains the same as the pre-facelift model, meaning it is a 2487cc (2.5-litre), double overhead cam, 16-valve Atkinson Cycle in-line four-cylinder petrol unit with variable valve timing.

In this application, it makes 131kW of power at 5700rpm and 221Nm of torque between 3600rpm and 5200rpm, and sends that through to the front wheels via an e-Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) with a sequential shift facility offering artificially stepped 'ratios' for a more-conventional automatic transmission sensation.

A series/parallel full hybrid system, the engine is backed up by a permanent magnet synchronous electric motor, delivering 88kW and 202Nm, and is fed by a tiny 1.6kWh Nickel-metal hydride battery pack.

With only a couple of kilometres of pure-EV driving availability, and only under light throttle or when coasting along, the latter is recharged via the petrol engine as well as recaptured energy from the regenerative braking system. Combined power output is 160kW. No combined torque maximum is stated.

With an impressive power-to-weight ratio of 92kW/tonne, the 1740kg 300h needs 8.9 seconds to reach 100km/h, and maxes out at 180km/h.

To handle all that movement and mass, the steering is an electrically powered rack and pinion set-up, the front suspension consists of MacPherson-style struts and the rear suspension is made up of a multi-link arrangement.

The UX’s Corolla/C-HR connection continues with its 2.0-litre (1987cc) twin-cam four-cylinder petrol engine, delivering 107kW of power at 6000rpm and 188Nm of torque between 4400 and 5200rpm.

The 250h Luxury pairs that with an 80kW/202Nm permanent magnet motor and 1.4kWh Ni-MH battery, for a combined power output of 135kW. A second, rear-mounted motor is available in higher grades, providing all-wheel drive. But not in this Luxury guise.

As with most Toyota and Lexus hybrids, charging is only via the petrol engine and recuperated energy from braking. Electric-only drive is only offered during brief spells of low-speed light-throttle driving, or off-throttle coasting where conditions allow.

Drive is sent to the front wheels via an electronically-controlled continuously variable transmission (CVT). Three modes are offered – 'Eco', 'Normal' and 'Sport'.

Tipping the scales at 1625kg (kerb), the 250h Luxury offers a power-to-weight ratio of nearly 83.1kW per tonne. That’s a hefty output for a hybrid. Top speed is 177km/h, with 0-100km/h needing 8.5 seconds.

Underpinning that performance is a MacPherson-style strut-front and a multi-link rear suspension set-up.

Rated as Euro 6, the ES 300h requires a minimum brew of 95 RON premium unleaded petrol.

But that’s where the bad news stops, because over 626km of all sorts of driving in hot weather with the tri-zone climate control in full workout mode, we averaged an extremely commendable 5.6 litres per 100km. Well done, Lexus.

That’s against the official combined average of 4.8L/100km, which equates to just 109 grams per kilometre of carbon dioxide emissions. Not bad.

With the 50L tank brimmed, expect a real-world range of about 890km – or 1041km using the official average fuel consumption figure.

Either way, the 300h is mighty frugal for a 5.0-metre long and 1.8-tonne luxury machine. But cab and hire companies already knew that from their Camry hybrids, right?

Officially, the 250h averages an impressive 4.5 litres per 100km on the combined cycle, which is just 103 grams per kilometre of carbon-dioxide emissions.

Now, out in the real world, with plenty of inner-city and urban driving as well as a spell of fast highway runs punctuated by some very heavy-footed acceleration, we managed just under 7.4L/100km pump-to-pump.

That’s not too bad given how hard our UX was caned. The trip meter showed 5.6L/100km over the same distance (nearly 400km).

This is one Lexus hybrid that will happily sip from the standard 91 RON unleaded petrol pump. With a fuel tank capacity of a smallish 43 litres, expect a range of between 930km and 1000km.

For a luxury small crossover, these are economical figures.

In the right conditions, the ES 300h is a big, squishy, comfy drive. At low speeds, for instance, thanks to an airtight cabin that does a great job isolating its pampered occupants from the outside world.

You cannot hear the car on start-up because the electric motor whirrs this Lexus off the line instantly, silently and effortlessly. And aided by all the surround-view cameras, the steering is light and direct enough to make parking a breeze. Automotive Valium to soothe your weary head after a long day.

Likewise, get the ES out on a smooth motorway and that relaxed feeling remains, with the 300h being right at home as it lopes along quietly and steadily. Cocooned in sumptuous leather and walnut, the adaptive cruise control gently rolling with the ebb and flow of traffic, it’s easy to zone out in here.

Find an empty stretch of road and you might also be impressed at how instantaneous the 300h’s throttle response is, leaping into action and piling on the speed without even breaking a sweat. This thing ain't slow!

Likewise, if you must hurry through a tight set of corners, the Lexus will remain composed and in control, without skipping a beat. Even the brakes seem well tuned and nicely modulated – something that many electrified vehicles struggle to achieve. It’s all so nice and easy.

So, what’s the catch?

First of all, while hushed when pussyfooting around, the illusion of posh sophistication is shattered once the accelerator pedal is prodded down hard, with the accompanying engine noise seeming incongruous.

Perhaps it’s because we’ve been lulled into an electric peace, but once the revs are up, no amount of sound-deadening will quell the mechanical roar.

And it's that same Camry hybrid symphony you've probably heard hundreds of times before, in the back of a taxi hurrying to the airport.

Except in the Lexus, it's far-more muffled. Like you're wearing headphones. 

Then there’s the question of bonding. While the ES 300h will do what’s asked of it capably and without complaint, there is nothing to connect car with driver.

By this, we mean that the steering is remote and feels numb at all times, with little to no feedback. Enthusiasts will search for the short way home. This is the anti-Alfa Giulia - technically a rival.

Most people will not care about that, but on the Sport Luxury’s 18-inch wheel and 235/45R18 tyre package – while modest by today’s standards – the ride quality is less than ideal on anything but smooth roads.

The ES can easily cope with small-frequency surface irritations, but seems to lack sufficient suppleness dealing with larger bumps and pot holes.

There’s an underlying and often unyielding firmness that undermines this car’s luxury aspirations. We’d dial back the taut handling for more cushiness if we could. Or fit a decent set of adaptive dampers.

Plus, the Dunlop Sport Maxx tyres aren’t as quiet as we’d expect on some of our coarser bitumen surfaces.

Comfy on smooth roads, fast when you need it to be, fit enough to go exactly where you point it to without losing composure, and wonderfully economical even when driven like it’s been stolen, the 300h has much to offer from a driving point of view.

But you won’t be aching to drive it just for fun’s sake. And you’ll quickly learn which roads are less than perfect in your neck of the woods.

Before driving the 2023 UX250h hybrid, there was some trepidation.

All versions of the original series from 2018 were tested previously, and in every one bar the base 200 on small wheels and tyres, none lived up to the promise of a premium Lexus crossover. A harsh ride, excessive noise intrusion and dull handling made this model a disappointment.

That’s all in the past, thankfully, thanks to a sustained program to save the UX from mediocrity. The company really got the basics wrong the first time around with the horrid CT200h predecessor back in 2011, so we imagine that it would be damned if this was going down the same sorry path again.

In the 250h Luxury, as reviewed here, it is difficult to objectively fault the way everything works and drives.

Let’s start with performance. Even in Normal or Eco mode, the UX steps off the line briskly, and initially at least, it’s the electric motor and battery that silently whooshes the car forward.

If you’re gentle, you can reach speeds of up to about 40km/h before the petrol engine chimes in unobtrusively.

Beyond that, there’s a stream of electric power you can feel, keeping the acceleration coming on strong, even as speeds rise above 100km/h.

This is also true for Sport mode, except that it all happens a bit quicker and earlier, and with extra urge.

And the welcome news here is that the CVT doesn’t really make the engine sound too droney, unless the driver is mashing the pedal to the metal.

Travelling along at normal urban speeds, there’s a seamless transition from electric-enhanced petrol propulsion back to electric-only if the conditions are right – such as when coasting off-throttle.

This is most common in heavier traffic, and the resulting smoothness and quietness adds to a refined and relaxed experience.

About our only objection is when you apply the brakes. In our test car, they felt a little on/off, like a switch. At times, they seemed too grabby for smooth stopping.

That said, the driver can downshift using the gear lever to provide powertrain braking, to help minimise snatchiness.

Road noise seems to be more muted than before, supporting Lexus’ claims that retuning the suspension and beefing up the structure/chassis has helped with refinement.

We wouldn’t say the UX is at the top of the class for quietness, especially on Australia’s coarse-bitumen highways, but now things have hushed sufficiently enough for a crossover purporting to be a premium.

Where the suspension changes really transform the UX, at least on the 215/60R17 tyres the Luxury wears, is how much softer and comfier the ride is.

Where before there was suddenness there’s now suppleness, substantially improving the experience. We wonder whether the bigger-wheeled rubber the richer grades receive are as well-resolved.

As the 250h Luxury is not trying to be a hot hatch, the resulting body lean through fast corners is a happy trade-off, though it’s not so roly-poly that handling composure is adversely affected.

Plus, the steering – while light and easy at parking speeds – still offers enough response and feedback for most drivers to enjoy taking the UX for a cross-country blast once in a while.

To that end, the steering’s weighting does increase in Sport mode… though you won’t be selling your Peugeot 205 GTi for one just yet, but that previous dullness is history. In fact, whether behind the wheel or ensconced in one of the inviting outboard seats, the UX250h as a whole is a much sunnier experience all-round than before.

Tested in 2019, the UX has managed an ANCAP crash-test rating of a maximum five stars. The rating applies to all models built from October, 2020, onwards.

That’s no surprise, given the level of standard safety equipment fitted, even to this entry-level 250h Luxury grade.

You’ll find eight airbags – dual front, side chest, side head and driver and passenger knee – as well as Lexus’ ‘Pre-collision safety system’ with AEB for pedestrian (day/night) and cyclist (day) detection and daytime intersection assistance.

The AEB functions from 10km/h to 180km/h and the lane support systems between 50km/h and 180km/h.

Also included is lane-keep assist, speed-sign recognition, rear cross-traffic alert, parking support braking, blind-spot monitor, emergency steering assist, auto high beam, full stop/go adaptive cruise control and front and rear parking sensors.

Anti-lock brakes with brake assist and electronic brake-force distribution, traction control, stability control, active cornering assist, four-wheel disc brakes and a reverse camera are fitted.

Lexus’ Connected Services offers SOS emergency call, stolen vehicle tracker and other GPS-based assistance features.

The outboard rear seats include ISOFIX child restraint anchors and there are three top tethers for baby capsule/child seat straps across the second row.

Here is where Lexus really excels nowadays.

Since the beginning of 2021, it caught up with most other manufacturers by offering a five-year, unlimited kilometre warranty with roadside assistance – up from four-years and 100,000km previously. Free towing and loan vehicles are provided for that period, too.

Service intervals are at 12 months or 15,000km, whichever comes first.

The ES offers three years and 45,000km of capped-price servicing, with each one costing $495 – as well as a free loan vehicle and car wash.

Plus, there’s also Lexus’ ‘Encore’ aftersales subscription program offering myriad offers and services.

Lexus offers a five-year/unlimited kilometre warranty and roadside assistance.

Service intervals are at 12 months or 15,000km.

The first three scheduled services are capped at $495 each, with the work carried out detailed online.