The Lexus ES Hybrid is a relatively sedate luxury sedan with a high-quality interior and superior ride quality. It offers a focus on comfort and luxury over performance, and its hybrid powertrain delivers stellar fuel economy. Lexus also recently improved the sedan's infotainment software, finally making it competitive with its European and Korean rivals.
2024 Lexus ES Hybrid Pricing, Specs, and Release Date
- What's New for the 2024 Lexus ES Hybrid
- Design
- Powertrain
- Interior
- Technology
- Safety
- Pricing and Release Date
- Further Research
What’s New for the 2024 Lexus ES Hybrid
Lexus didn’t make many major changes for the 2024 ES Hybrid. The sole update is the wider availability of the Technology package.
Design
The ES features deceivingly aggressive styling, as its visual “bark” far outpaces its ability to “bite.” Its prominent spindle grille and sharp headlight shape give it a powerful look, and Lexus gave it sculpted sides for a beefier profile. The interior is clean and handsome, with most controls centered under the large touchscreen, and more expensive trims add high-end accent materials like wood and metals.
Powertrain
All 2024 ES Hybrid models come with the same 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with two electric motors. The combined output lands at 215 horsepower, which reaches the front wheels only through a continuously variable transmission (CVT). While the car takes around eight seconds to reach 60 mph from a standstill, its ride quality is good, and there’s enough power for commuting or cruising on the highway. Lexus’s focus on a smooth ride comes at the expense of handling, however, as the Hybrid is much better at dealing with a rough road than it is at carving corners. The upside is that the interior remains remarkably quiet in most situations, and the car handles well enough to inspire confidence in almost all conditions.
Interior
The ES Hybrid’s interior is straightforward and subdued, but there are plenty of high-quality materials throughout the cabin. Lexus gives the car synthetic leather as standard, but buyers get genuine hides and heated and ventilated seats in higher trims. The car offers room to seat five people in comfort, and the back seat can easily accommodate three adults.
Technology
The 2024 ES Hybrid comes standard with an 8-inch touchscreen that brings wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. 10 speakers, SiriusXM radio, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and dual-zone climate control are also on board by default. Higher trim levels add a 12.3-inch touchscreen, and some configurations come with a Mark Levinson stereo sporting 17 speakers.
Safety
The 2024 Lexus ES earned a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), and the automaker equips a generous list of standard driver aids. Tech includes automatic emergency braking, blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert, traffic-sign recognition, lane-departure alert, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, cyclist and pedestrian detection, forward collision warning, and automatic high beams. Available features include parking sensors, a head-up display, rear pedestrian detection, and more.
Pricing and Release Date
As of this writing, the base 2024 Lexus ES 300h starts at $44,590. The ES 300h Luxury costs $49,760, while the Ultra Luxury trim steps up to $53,480. The F Sport Design trim has a $48,975 starting price, and the top F Sport Handling variant starts at $50,885.