The 2019 Lexus ES

If you want an executive saloon then the chances are that you’ll opt for an Audi, BMW or a Mercedes. In fact, about 80% of people in this position do exactly this. However, if you’re one of the 20% of people who don’t want the same almost generic German executive express that everybody else drives then you have a few other options. So, you’ll probably be looking at models from Jaguar, Volvo and Lexus.

In other foreign markets, like in North America, Lexus actually has two offerings in this segment. The first is the Lexus GS, which is deemed to be the sportier choice and then you have the Lexus ES which concentrates more on comfort and quietness. Up until now in the UK we’ve only been offered the GS which if we’re totally honest never really lived up to all its sporting promises and the sales very much reflected this. However, now Lexus has decided to replace it with the ES so the question is whether this car strikes up any more of a chord with UK buyers. In this article we’re going to try and find out.

Step inside the Lexus ES and you’ll find a cabin that’s very Lexusee, that’s if there is such a word. So, the build quality is rock-solid and the materials feel pretty plush so it does feel like quite a classy environment. However, the ergonomics are somewhat less impressive. There are loads of really small similarly looking buttons and switches dotted around and the infotainment system isn’t the most intuitive either. The fact that you have to navigate the infotainment system with a mouse-pad style controller means that it’s pretty distracting to use on the move. The rear seats have loads of leg room but the head room will be a little bit tight for anyone over 6ft tall. Although the boot is a reasonable size the rear seats are fixed so you can’t boost cargo space when you need to.

Take the ES on the road and you’ll instantly notice that comfort orientated character that we were talking about earlier. It’s both wafty and cosseting so life inside stays impressively civilised. However, we need to temper this praise somewhat as you’d probably find that life on the average British B-road is a little different. The handling in this car isn’t quite as impressive as the ride either as it can feel big, heavy or cumbersome when you’re trying to string a couple of bends together. Saying this it does all feel very secure and the steering is a real high point because it’s got a nice hefty weight to it and is generally really responsive. The car we’re looking at for this review is the sporty F Sport model has adaptive suspension as standard that is optional on other cars in the range. What it does is hunker everything down and helps make things firmer and sportier when you select the appropriate driving mode. If we’re being honest it doesn’t really add much to either the ride or the handling and for this reason we don’t really see it as a must-have.

All ES models have hybrid power which brings together a 2.5 litre petrol engine and an electric motor to deliver 215 break horse power (bhp). The performance in general is on the modest side but progress is reasonable smooth and quiet. With a lot of hybrid cars you only have to breathe on the accelerator pedal to send the revs shooting sky high and you get a whole lot of noise but not a lot of performance. However, the system in the ES is rather better. Ok, it doesn’t take a massive amount of pressure on the throttle pedal for the revs to start climbing but the noise that the engine makes is kept very distant and at least there’s some resemblance between the work rate of the engine and your rate of acceleration.

So, provided the Lexus ES rides OK on slightly bumpier UK roads we think that it’s an affordable, better equipped and altogether more interesting alternative to the German saloons that everybody else drives. The efficient hybrid drivetrain also brings with it a few tax advantages that can make this car quite a compelling proposition from a cost of ownership point of view. This is especially evident if you’re a company car driver which many customers will be. So if you’re on the lookout for your next car and you’re one of those people that likes to plough your own furrow in life then the ES is certainly worth a look. Start your search for used Lexus ES cars for sale on DesperateSeller.co.uk today!