Lexus ES 300h: next attempt

When a car manufacturer like Lexus talks about sales figures in Europe, especially in Germany, you can expect my figures to frighten the salespeople in Munich, Ingolstadt and Stuttgart. Only 250 people per year opt for the BMW 3 Series, Audi A4 or Mercedes C-Class competitor Lexus ES 300h in Germany. In this country, it is mainly taxi drivers who use the ES key. In the rest of the world things look different again, where the sedan is one of the bestsellers in the portfolio of the Japanese car manufacturer.

After all, the Lexus ES 300 is already in its seventh generation and around 2.8 million drivers have opted for the car during this time. Now is the time for a facelift. Let’s start with the visual news. Above all, they are visually more manageable: the radiator grille now has fewer struts, and the bi-LED headlights now have three elements. Inside, things look different, especially with the infotainment: The central 12.3-inch monitor is now a touchscreen. To make it easier for the driver to operate, the Japanese technicians pushed the display 11.2 centimeters forward and tilted it five degrees towards the driver. Good thing. But that doesn’t change the fact that the graphics, as well as the look and feel of the infotainment and navigation graphics are a bit old.

Nothing has changed with the powertrain. This means a combination of an electric motor with 88 kW / 120 PS and a 2.5 liter four-cylinder Atkinson combustion engine with 131 kW / 178 PS, which results in a system output of 160 kW / 218 PS. According to the data sheet, the WLTP consumption is 5.8 l / 100 km. We needed 0.7 liters more on our test drive. The fourth generation of the hybrid drive train is now working under the bonnet and the improvements are noticeable. The Japanese are slowly driving out the chewing gum characteristic of the CVT transmission. Means: As long as you don’t overdo it, you can be relaxed with the Lexus ES 300h. If you ask for the electric-gasoline combination, this combustion engine also has its say, but not nearly as annoying as we have already experienced with this constellation.

However, the 1,680 kilogram Japanese is not a real dynamic man. Especially since the top speed is limited to 180 km / h. The Lexus ES 300h completes the standard sprint from zero to 100 km / h in 8.9 seconds. That is enough for brisk overtaking maneuvers, especially since you can sharpen the drive train with the rotary wheel that grows out of the cockpit like a horn with the Sport driving mode. Then the response behavior to the accelerator pedal is better, but basically it is sufficient to be on the road in the normal or eco program. In an emergency, you can switch to the S-Alley of the automatic or choose the gear yourself with the shift paddles. When shifting down, the system uses the e-machine as an engine brake and recuperates at the same time. The Japanese engineers have re-tuned the brakes for better controllability and enlarged the brake pedal. The chassis with an improved rear suspension is comfortably tuned, bobs slightly, but copes well with larger speed bumps. The Lexus just doesn’t handle pronounced transverse joints so well.

The new camera side mirrors work perfectly even in heavy rain and you have a good view of the traffic behind you. When a car approaches, the blind spot alarm also sounds the alarm. However, the attached monitors in the A-pillars with the hard plastic frame look a bit like a retrofit solution. In general, a freshening up would do the interior good. And the seats could also use a little more lateral support and a longer seat surface. But there is plenty of legroom in the second row and only from a height of 1.85 meters does it get tighter around the head.

Lexus has sharpened the ES 300h for the assistance systems. Now the helpers also recognize cyclists by day and pedestrians by night and the autopilot not only helps to stay in lane, but also supports the driver in evasive maneuvers. There is also an LED light that does not dazzle oncoming traffic. With a base price of 50,300 euros, the Lexus ES 300h is not a special offer, but an alternative from the end of the year.