2014 Lexus ES Photo Gallery

Serving as one of two anchors in the Lexus lineup, the 2014 Lexus ES is a large, front-drive luxury sedan sharing a platform with the Toyota Avalon. It is available as the ES 350 with a 268-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine or as the ES 300h with a gas-electric hybrid powertrain that is shared with the Toyota Camry and which returns 40 mpg in combined driving. The vehicle depicted in this photo gallery is the 2014 Lexus ES 350 in Fire Agate Pearl paint with a Parchment semi-aniline leather interior.

2014 Lexus ES Photo Gallery

Unlike the Lexus ES models built during the past decade, the latest version of the car possesses genuine style. When it was redesigned for the 2013 model year, the ES was one of the first Lexus models to wear the company’s now-signature spindle-style grille design, and the ES demonstrates details in accordance with the automaker’s L-Finesse design language. The result remains conservative, but is not ordinary.

2014 Lexus ES Photo Gallery

One of our favorite things about the Lexus ES is how the interior employs traditional buttons, knobs, and stalks for almost all of the controls. In fact, a touchscreen is not offered for this vehicle. Instead, the driver controls selections on the infotainment screen using the car’s Remote Touch device, which works in similar fashion to a computer mouse.

2014 Lexus ES Photo Gallery

Comfort is a Lexus ES hallmark, and the 2014 ES 350 equipped with the Ultra Luxury Package does not disappoint. Premium semi-aniline leather is perforated to provide heated and ventilated front seats, and the driver gets a power extending thigh support. Plush armrests and a heated wood-and-leather steering wheel contribute to the driver’s comfort levels.

2014 Lexus ES Photo Gallery

Because the Lexus ES is now based on the Toyota Avalon platform, rear seat space is quite generous, almost like a limousine. This test vehicle had the Ultra Luxury Package, which contains manual rear side window shades and a power rear window shade. What’s missing? Heated rear seats, which are inexplicably unavailable.

2014 Lexus ES Photo Gallery

Equipped with 15.2 cu.-ft. of trunk space, the Lexus ES 350 can carry a decent amount of luggage. If you need more space, a pass-through can accommodate longer items. Choose a Lexus ES 300h, though, and the trunk shrinks to 12.1 cu.-ft. in order to accommodate the battery pack. My test car had a power trunk opener and closer, which is unnecessary.

2014 Lexus ES Photo Gallery

A 268-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 engine is installed in the 2014 Lexus ES 350. It is rated to get 24 mpg in combined driving, and I averaged 24.7 mpg. Note, however, that I spent the majority of my time driving on the freeway, so while that sounds pretty good, it actually represents disappointment.

2014 Lexus ES Photo Gallery

Take a look at a Consumer Reports reliability chart for the Lexus ES, and you’re gonna see lots of red. That’s a good thing. In fact, during the past decade across 170 individual evaluation points, Consumer Reports find that the ES rates below average in just 4 of them. Plus, J.D. Power consistently rates the Lexus ES as one of the 10 most dependable vehicles you can buy.

2014 Lexus ES Photo Gallery

In addition to proving dependable, the Lexus ES is a safe car. In crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the ES receives a 5-star overall rating, the highest possible. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the Lexus ES top scores for all tests against which the car has been assessed. The IIHS has not, however, tested the ES in the tough small overlap frontal-impact test as this photo gallery is compiled.

2014 Lexus ES Photo Gallery

In addition to providing structurally capable of protecting its occupants, the 2014 Lexus ES is available with several safety-related upgrades that earn the model an Advanced rating from the IIHS for front crash prevention. Standard equipment includes Smart Stop Technology, which prevents the car from accelerating as long as the brake pedal is pressed, and Safety Connect telematics with an Emergency Assistance SOS button and Automatic Collision Notification. Options include a Blind Spot Monitor, Lane Departure Alert, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, and a Pre-Collision System designed to automatically brake the car if radar sensors determine that a crash is unavoidable.

2014 Lexus ES Photo Gallery

Thanks to options including a heated power tilt-and-telescopic steering wheel wrapped in leather and wood, soft and supple premium leather, heated and ventilated front seats, and a 10-way power driver’s seat featuring a power cushion extender for improved thigh support. All that’s missing here is a massage function for the driver.