The Lexus ES 300h is distinctly different from the competitors in its segment, and has more likening towards pragmatically designed sedans such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry. Nevertheless, it offers a lot more in terms of comfort, while it has unmatched rear seat convenience due to a plethora of features, the most of which are available in the top trim - Ultra Luxury

*expected

We Recommend 

Lexus offers plenty in the ES 300h considering the pricing, with higher trims being more valuable for what they offer. The Ultra Luxury trim is what we would recommend, as the features offered in it are optional even in the Base variant, which leads us to believe the ES 300h is best suited in its highest guise as it seems to have been designed for that. 

A 2.5 Liter Naturally Aspirated 4 Pot coupled with a Permanent Magnet Electric Motor in a wafty luxury sedan was never going to offer invigorating performance. The hybrid engine offers a modest 215hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. We were still hoping for it to be a tad spritely but unfortunately, that isn’t the case. Since the 2022 MY is also speculated to offer a similar powertrain as the outgoing model, we wouldn’t place our bets on the ES 300h to win any traffic stop drag races. The hybrid motor still does the bare minimum to fill up the torque dips since it has been tuned more for the economy than for performance.

For anybody that is eyeing an ES 300h, we doubt that out and out 0-60mph numbers even matter. And for them, the CVT transmission that is paired with the powertrain would be absolutely sublime. The transmission is okayish at best. If you want to be a little enthusiastic with the gas pedal, when driven like how the ES was meant to, it manages to provide a serene ride with seamless shifts. It just enhances the personality of this Lexus as being the perfect backseat business cruiser.

A 0-60mph time of 8.1 seconds on the ES 300h makes it the slowest amongst the lot even though it is one of the priciest. If you do value performance over luxury though, then looking at the significantly cheaper underdog in the form of the Accord Hybrid would be a sound decision. Yes, it isn’t as polished as the Lexus but it blows the doors off of all the rivals here when it comes to the pedal to the metal.

How does the 2022 Lexus ES 300h Handle?

If you like being behind the wheel occasionally and pushing your vehicle a little too hard on the canyon roads, then the ES 300h would provide a lukewarm experience at best since even in its “Sport” driving mode it manages to understeer for days. Although for 2022 MY of the ES 300h, Lexus is now going to offer the option of opting for an AWD instead of just the FWD. We wouldn’t put our hopes up too much on the handling front since the ES comes shod with a suspension setup that although feels amazing on the bad tarmac and provides for supreme passenger comfort, fails to keep the body taut enough for the driver to foray into fun driving escapades.

Don’t get us wrong, the ES never feels like a boat on wheels. And we believe that Lexus has nailed the brief on the suspension of the ES 300h but don’t expect a luxury sedan to carve out canyon roads for you. Especially not in 2022 MY since the suspension is bound to remain unchanged

Since 2022 MY for the ES 300h is a couple of months out from hitting the showroom floors, gauging exact EPA estimates could be a little tricky but since most bits on the 2022 MY are being carried forward from the current-gen, we would believe that the newer EPA estimates wouldn’t stray much from the current figures.

The ES 300h in its current guise manages to be a fantastic cruising machine offering 44MPG in the city and 52 MPG on the highway. With its 13.2 gallon tank and decent mileage, it demands minimal trips to the gas station.

*2021 Figures used for reference

It is surprising to note that when it comes to pure mechanicals, Honda, which is significantly cheaper than the competition, wipes the floor with everything from performance to decent fuel economy. Although the Lexus comes in a respectable second, it is the Honda that takes the cake for performance to fuel economy ratio. The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid offers the best fuel economy and the best range in the competition.

The Lexus ES 300h has always had an immaculately crafted cabin for as long as we can remember and for 2022 MY Lexus plans on turning it up a notch. It is speculated that the newer ES 300h would feature even more premium feeling upholstery and the infotainment system would finally have touch input functionality. Although the rest of the cabin is pretty much going to be identical to the outgoing model, we would be more than happy to see it make a return since the current interior is an exquisite place to be in.

The seats on offer have exceptional levels of room and comfort and finding a comfortable seat position in any seat isn’t a task due to the presence of electric adjustment in all 4 seats. All the seats on offer also come shod with heating and ventilation as standard which makes the overall cabin experience sublime, to say the least. Everything from the switchgear to the intricate door cards reflects the typical Lexus level of attention to detail which is what we have come to expect from it.

*2021 Model used for reference

When looking at the cargo space of the Lexus, it falls right in line with the industry standard of the segment with only the Toyota Camry falling behind the rest of the competition. Some of the standout interior features of the ES 300h are as follows:

• Multi-level Heated and Cooled Seats
• 10-way powered adjustable driver and 6-way manually adjustable seats with electrically adjustable under-thigh and lumbar support
• Ambient Lighting
• Keyless Entry and Push Button Start
• Dual Zone Climate Control
• Digital+Analog Gauge Cluster on F-Sport Models
• Lexus Safety System 2.0+

2022 Lexus ES 300h: Infotainment and Connectivity

The 2022 Lexus ES 300h is finally speculated to incorporate touch input into its 12.3-inch infotainment display which was a definitive sticking point with us. Although Lexus won’t do away with the touch input controller on the central console that has been used to date for interacting with the system, we would be more than happy to never use it again. Navigating the Lexus Infotainment UI without a touch screen was quite a painful experience but with the upcoming model, we can rest assured that our woes have been heard.

The standard 10 speaker Pioneer sourced audio system is one of the better systems in the class and if you desire to have an even more impressive audio setup then stepping up to the 17 Speaker Mark and Levinson 1800 W Audio System would be worth every single penny.

Lexus has also incorporated Apple CarPlay and Android Auto since 2021 MY into its suite of features for the infotainment system which is always a neat touch to be appreciated. Some standout infotainment features are as follows:

• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• 10 Speaker Audio System upgradeable to 17-Speaker Mark Levinson system
• Touch Control
• Revamped UI(Speculated)
• Inbuilt Navigation
• Google Assistant and Amazon Alexa Integration
• WiFi Enabled
• Bluetooth and USB Smartphone Connectivity
• SmartDevice Link
• Wireless charging system

On the exterior front, the Lexus ES 300h has definitely been one of the sleeker-looking sedans in its segment and we have grown to love that predator-style grille as time has passed. As it stands right now we have next to no complaints with the exterior styling of the ES and wouldn’t be any happier if it is identically retained for the 2022 MY. Although it is reported that Lexus would be opting for a newer Bi-LED Headlight setup that would feature dynamic headlight auto-leveling, we don’t believe that it would impact the design language significantly enough to even take note.

As far as the other bits and bobs on the exterior are concerned, we love the inclusion of smoke chrome wheels on the ES line-up which are so tastefully done that we can’t falter them even if we initially couldn’t wrap our heads around the fact that “chrome” wheels were going to feature on a Japanese luxury sedan.

*2021 Figures used for reference

The Hyundai Sonata is significantly lighter than the rest of the competition which is arguably why it has a leg up in all the performance metrics but when it comes to pure comfort and raw space, it is the Lexus that takes home the victory. Exterior features of the Lexus ES 300h:

• Power Sun/moonroof
• Rear Spoiler
• Predator-grille (Lexus Exclusive)
• Chrome alloys

There isn’t much to speculate about when it comes to the safety levels provided by the Lexus ES 300h, and neither is there any room for doubt. The compact luxury sedan is based on the Toyota Avalon, which also has a hybrid variant. Both the Toyota Avalon and Lexus 300h have scored 5-star ratings for overall safety from the NHTSA, for the model year 2021. 

The crash test scores signifies that both are built on a solid platform, and have plenty of safety features on offer too. Despite any changes, the 2022 Lexus 300h will continue to be built upon this proven platform, so ample safety levels and occupant protection are assured. Standout safety features in the 2022 Lexus 300h:

• Traction Control
• Lane Departure Warning
• Lane Keep Assist
• Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
• Daytime Running Lights
• Electronic Stability Control
• Emergency Brake Assist
• Blind Spot Monitor
• Auto-Leveling Headlights

The 2022 Lexus ES 300h is slated to be a mildly tweaked version of the outgoing version, and wouldn’t feature anything distinct enough to convert a person into a customer if he already wasn’t looking to pick one up. If you are in fact on the edge of pulling the trigger for this wonderful sedan, we would suggest just wait out a couple more months as you would greatly appreciate the newer battery tech and much-improved infotainment system down the line.