Michael Satterfield
The Lexus ES 250 is a new addition to the ES line up for 2021, powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder and standard all-wheel drive. With just 205 horsepower the ES does lag behind most other vehicles in its class, but if performance driving isn’t your goal a well-optioned ES 250 will offer a lot of luxury and comfort for thousands less than the entry-level MSRPs of most of the competition.
Inside the ES 250 is a very nice place to be, with sporty red leather heated and ventilated seats, a beautiful infotainment screen, and very details throughout the entire cabin. The interior space in the ES is amazing both in the front and rear a massive trunk, which was more than large enough to transport a pair of MG Midget race car quarter panels. It does have the uber-annoying Lexus touchpad which while intended to help the driver keep their eyes on the road, at least for me, felt far more distracting and less intuitive when compared to other systems. Apple CarPlay does help, but the touchpad interface has been one of my biggest issues with modern Lexus vehicles.
Being a Lexus, the build quality and comfort is top-notch, but the F Sport badge does feel a little misleading, as even in Sport mode the 205 hp ES doesn’t have the same dynamic feel as other midsize sport sedans, however, it is supremely comfortable and effortless to drive. As equipped our ES tester has an MSRP of $52,605 including fees, the Mercedes-Benz E-Class, for example, starts at over $54,000 and the options quickly add up. For the money, the ES offers a lot of technology and nice features like a power rear sunshade, heads-up display, heated steering wheel, wireless phone charging, and much more. It even offers more features for the money than Japanese luxury rivals like the Acura TLX and the Infiniti Q50.
If you are in the market for a luxury sedan the choices are getting slimmer with brands like Lincoln moving to an all SUV line up, but having owned a Lexus in the past they are one of the best Luxury values on the market offering incredible reliability and quality at very competitive prices. The 2021 Lexus ES 250 and ES 350 both start at $39,900, with the ES 250 F Sport starting at $45,700. There is also the ES 300h Hybrid which starts at $41,810.
