2016 LEXUS ES 300h
- Price/As-tested price………………… $40,920/$41,860
- Mileage…………………………………… 40 mpg/city; 39 mpg/hwy
- Engine……………………………………… 2.5-liter 4-cylinder/electric
- Horsepower…………………………… 200 hp/156 lbs.-ft.
- Transmission……………………………………… Continuously variable
- Drive wheels……………………………………… Front-wheel drive
- Final assembly point……………………………………… Kyushu, Japan
Ssshhh. Hear that? Didn’t think so. That’s the 2016 Lexus ES 300h.
Hybrids aren’t new and the 300h isn’t the only hybrid luxury sedan out there. But Lexus has refined the mate to the gas-powered ES 350 sedan to such a state and at such a low price difference that you might just wonder why not make the switch to green.
The 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor might fall short of the 268 horsepower produced from the ES 350’s 3.5-liter V6 engine, but with a still-adequate 200 hp, fuel mileage that is 50 percent better and a price tag that is about $2,000 more, the 300h is a viable alternative.
Now, Lexus models are going to limit the sound into the cabin to a large degree. The 300h takes it to another level this year with additional noise-reducing materials. At a standstill, hybrids are quiet. The 300h never comes close to loud, even over rough road or hard acceleration. The driving experience as a whole can be described as pleasurable, with smooth handling matching the cabin sedateness.
Available only with front-wheel drive, the ES 300h aligns closer to the full size Toyota Avalon than the Toyota Camry, although there are similarities all around. The ES takes on the look of other Lexus products like the IS and RC with a wider grille, beefed-up fenders and narrower windows. The goal appears to be to drive the stodgy out.
The ES 300h gets Lexus quality materials throughout the cabin (not to diminish the Toyota standards) and has a central screen in the dash with audio features that can be controlled by a turn dial on the console or buttons on the steering wheel. The dial is my preference to the Lexus Remote Touch computer mouse that is available with the navigation system. Passenger space is plentiful and comes with an equal amount of comfort.
One compromise to the hybrid is in the amount of cargo space, which is reduced from 15.2 cubic feet in the ES 350 to 12.1 cubic feet because of the rear-mounted battery pack.
Not every hybrid car measures up to a comparable gas-only version, mainly because of the price involved. Lexus has made the ES 300h a viable option on many levels.
David Mikesell is a free-lance automotive reviewer based in Indianapolis.
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