2019 Lexus ES Road Test and Review

2019 Lexus ES F Sport Front Quarter Blue Sunset ・ Photo by Lexus

Let’s face it — mid-size cars generate mid-size opinions. It’s hard to develop passion about a vehicle designed for everyday transportation, even when that vehicle is a luxury car like the 2019 Lexus ES. Unless you’re a Lexus engineer or designer, that is.

During a recent launch event for the redesigned ES, Lexus introduced the team leaders who were responsible for the vehicle’s development. These Japanese gentlemen (and they were all gentlemen) presented their new car with such pride and determination that it was impossible not to pay closer attention to the details that they deemed important. Even the translator was a passionate Lexus apostle. With that passion in mind, let’s take a look at the 2019 Lexus ES.

What is it?

When Lexus launched as Toyota’s luxury brand in 1989, its first two models were the full-size LS 400 sedan and the mid-size ES 250 sedan. Based on the same platform as the Toyota Camry for its first six generations, the ES was front-engine/front-wheel drive, as it remains today. The 2019 model represents the seventh-generation ES, and it now rides on an all-new Global Architecture-K (GA-K) platform, a slightly different setup than Camry and Avalon’s TNGA platform.

The ES is the most popular Lexus sedan, with over 2.1 million examples sold to date worldwide (over 1 million of those in the United States). The new ES will be offered globally, including in Japan, Europe, and China.

Photo by Lexus

Exterior Design

The 2019 ES wears the love-it-or-hate-it Lexus signature spindle grille on its face, flanked by its horizontally arrayed pair of headlamps. The front of the car looks like it has just triumphantly burst through a barrier. The windshield sweeps back to a low roofline that curves all the way to the end of the decklid, subtly emulating coupe styling.

Expressive character lines and indentations in the body sides hint at athleticism, like a well-toned executive in a well-tailored suit. The wheel arches are big but not cartoonish, making room for standard 17-inch wheels and upgrades that reach up to 19 inches. Lexus’ well-deserved reputation for quality fit and finish is on display with deep rich paint, uniform gaps, and supremely ripple-free body panels.

Photo by Lexus

Interior Design

Inside the ES, a new focus on the driver is evident immediately in the design. The Lexus designers use the term “Seat in Control” to describe their approach to the interior’s design and layout. The 2019 ES takes inspiration from the Lexus LC and LS models, with a big landscape-oriented display at the top of the center stack, slightly higher than the instrument panel. A knob protrudes from the side of the IP cowl. The odd positioning belies its importance — it grants access to the ES’s drive modes. Usually, the button that controls this function is buried somewhere in the center console, where the driver will have to glance away from the road to find it. Nice touch, ES.

Interior fit and finish are excellent, with a layered look, cut-and-stitch leather, and detailed grooved metal trim.

Photo by Lexus

Infotainment

The big news, at least for iPhone users, is that the ES is the first Lexus to offer Apple CarPlay. It also comes with Amazon Alexa compatibility that's capable of executing car-to-home and home-to-car commands, because that seems to be important nowadays. The standard audio system is a 10-speaker Pioneer system, while a 17-speaker Mark Levinson system is available with Harman’s Clari-Fi technology that helps improve the sound quality of low-resolution digital source material.

The ES comes standard with onboard Wi-Fi from Verizon (free for one year), and Lexus Enform Safety Connect and Lexus Enform Service Connect with 10 years of free access. Lexus Enform Remote is free for the first year, allowing owners to use a smartphone app to activate remote door lock/unlock, remote start/stop with climate control, vehicle finder, guest driver, and more. In-dash navigation is optional and includes an upgrade to a 12.3-inch full-color display.

Photo by Lexus

Powertrains

The latest generation of Lexus’ 3.5-liter V6 engine lurks beneath the ES 350’s hood, using D-4S direct gasoline injection and variable valve timing to extract 302 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque, which is 34 hp and 19 lb-ft better than the previous ES. Fuel economy is estimated at 22 mpg city/33 mpg highway/26 mpg combined. A new eight-speed Direct Shift automatic transmission sends the power to the front wheels and has the capability of skipping gears during downshifts in response to throttle inputs, better matching the engine's rpm to the desired performance. 

The ES 300h hybrid also returns for 2019, using a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and an electric motor to generate 215 total system horsepower, hooked up to an electronically controlled continuously variable automatic transmission. Its nickel-metal hydride battery is mounted beneath the rear seat to conserve trunk space. Fuel economy is estimated at 44 mpg city/45 mpg highway/44 mpg combined.

Photo by Lexus

Suspension, Steering, and Handling

Suspension tuning is somewhat of a dark art, and Lexus has some engineers who have devoted themselves to becoming wizards. The ES benefits from a six-year journey to create a damper that uses a swing valve to give it a dual personality. When rough roads hit, the swing valve gets forced open, controlling rebound to calm the jolts. When stiffer responses are needed, the valve remains closed, and the damper responds differently. Some systems use electromagnetism to achieve similar behavior, but the swing valve is purely mechanical, uncomplicated, and elegant. And a team of Lexus engineers spent six years on it. That’s passion.

The power steering motor on the ES is mounted on the rack, which delivers better steering feel than column-mounted systems. The steering is nicely weighted on turn-in, though a bit more on-center feel would be welcome.

Photo by Lexus

Safety

Safety is a point of pride with luxury car brands, and Lexus includes a good level of standard features that go beyond the basic. The Lexus Safety System + 2.0 is standard on the ES, including a pre-collision system with oncoming vehicle detection, low-light pedestrian detection and daytime bicyclist detection; high-speed radar-based dynamic cruise control with road sign assist; lane tracing assist; a lane-departure alert with steering assist and road edge detection; automatic high beams; Enform Safety Connect (free for 10 years of ownership); and 10 airbags.

A blind-spot monitor, parking assist sonar with pedestrian detection, and a panoramic view monitor are available — but they would have been welcome as standard features, considering how much they enhance safety and the driving experience.

Photo by Lexus

On the Road

We didn’t take the ES to a test track and put it through a day of extreme driving. We didn’t push it through an off-road course or test its mettle on a skid pad. During the Lexus launch event, we got a chance to drive a range of trim levels where they will live: in city traffic, on suburban lanes, and sharing space on the freeway.

The ES does what it does very well, just as you’d expect from a mid-size luxury sedan. It is supremely quiet in operation, even with the sound-system-aided enhanced engine sound that you get in the F Sport trim level. The ES does a great job at muting the harshness of rough roads, and it has just enough bite in the corners to keep things mildly entertaining. 

Photo by Lexus

Models, Trim Levels, Pricing and Packages

Pricing and trim levels haven’t been announced for the 2019 ES yet. That’ll come closer to the vehicle’s availability in September 2018. Lexus promised that it will start close to the outgoing model’s $39,000 starting price, with about a $3,000 premium for the hybrid powertrain.

Trim levels will start with Premium Package, and step up the ladder to Luxury Package, Ultra Luxury Package, and the new F Sport Package. The latter will come with sport-themed 19-inch wheels, front seats, pedals, gauges, grille, analog clock, and shift lever and knob, as well as active noise control, performance dampers, and a rear spoiler.

Photo by Lexus

Final Thoughts

We’re all attracted to cars that were conceived and executed with passion. The 2019 ES is decidedly that. It’s not alone — there are several other entry-level luxury mid-size sedans out there that you should drive before settling on the new ES. Lexus identified the Mercedes-Benz C300, Audi A4, BMW 330i M Sport, and Acura TLX as members of the ES’s competitive set. We’d add the Cadillac ATS, Volvo S60, and even the Mazda6 to the list because it’s so good to drive. Don’t overlook the new Toyota Avalon, too, which can bring a lot of near-luxury chops to the table.

If you treasure the stories behind your car, there are plenty of great ones behind the 2019 Lexus ES. Maybe the passion of the Lexus engineers and designers can become your passion, too.

Photo by Lexus