2014 LEXUS ES 300h: Green luxury

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This article was published 21/02/2014 (4480 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.

The Lexus ES 300h is a very good automobile. Unfortunately, it is also the Rodney Dangerfield of the automotive world, as it is a model that doesn’t get the respect that it deserves.

What’s the problem, you ask? The main issue is the typical buyer of the modern hybrid vehicle is a budget-savvy consumer looking to get the best deal and stretch every dollar. At an as-tested price of $52,621.25, the 2014 Lexus ES 300h is not inexpensive, yet when compared with similarly equipped competitors such as the BMW ActiveHybrid 3 and Lincoln MKZ Hybrid, it becomes apparent that the car is, in reality, well priced for this segment.

The biggest challenge to ES 300h sales comes from an in-house contender from parent company Toyota that can be had for substantially less money. The Toyota Camry Hybrid shares most of its drivetrain and major components with the Lexus ES 300h and can be had for about $15,000 less than the Lexus.

This makes the Camry Hybrid a steal, especially for those environmentally conscious consumers looking to reduce their carbon footprint without exhausting their savings, or laying waste to the family budget.

The Lexus, on the other hand, is a more substantial car, in more ways than one. Buyers stepping into a Lexus dealership tend to be immediately smitten by the brand, as Toyota has worked very hard to bestow its luxury division with an environment and philosophy designed around satisfying the needs and wants of its customers. The emphasis is on providing individual attention to its clientele, and one look at customer-satisfaction results prove Lexus excels in this department.

The ES 300h also offers a slightly larger passenger compartment, as the car is marginally longer than a Camry overall, and the wheelbase has been stretched to help augment rear legroom.

I had more than enough room to wiggle the toes of my big size-12 feet in the rear footwell, but I did find myself wanting more headroom in the rear passenger compartment. At 6-2, I found the need to lean my head forward or sideways to find enough airspace for my big melon. Luckily, I got to spend my time behind the wheel, where I had more than enough leg-, hip- and headroom.

The quality of the materials and trim pieces used throughout the ES are definitely a step above those used on the Camry, and one look at the exterior styling and appointments suggests great care was taken to give the Lexus its own identity. The look is simple, but classy.

The Lexus offers more refined styling and a more posh-looking and -feeling interior environment, but when it comes to the mechanical bits, there are very few differences between the two cars. Both derive their motivation from the 2.5-litre, four-cylinder Atkinson cycle engine, which produces 200 horsepower and 156 pound-feet of torque. Power delivery is to the front wheels, and the CVT transmission works quietly to maximize overall efficiency.

Acceleration from a standstill to 100 km/h can be executed in about 7.5 seconds. This is an impressive number for a five-passenger sedan fitted with a four-cylinder engine.

The ES300h features three drive modes: Normal, Eco, and Sport. At the twist of a dial, the driver is able to customize the vehicle’s engine mapping and throttle response to best suit his or her mood or driving conditions. The colour of the compact instrument cluster will change to reflect which mode you select — red for Sport, blue for Eco.

In Sport mode, the ES 300h delivers a driving experience akin to that of the V6-equipped ES 350, to the point that you soon forget you are behind the wheel of a hybrid automobile. Handling is precise and predictable, although the winter tires fitted to my test vehicle seemed prone to skating and squealing during hard cornering manoeuvres.

Alternately, in fuel-sipping Eco mode, the car’s drive system sets the engine and transmission to work as efficiently as possible in an effort to maximize fuel economy. This Eco system is so well thought out that it even adjusts the operation of variables such as the climate control system to help further reduce consumption.

The ES 300h also features an EV mode, which permits low-speed operation of the car for short periods solely on electric power. Once the power reserve is depleted or the system’s speed threshold is reached, it will re-engage the gasoline engine without the need for driver input. It is a strange experience indeed to run silently in an urban setting, with the only noise the sound of the tires rolling on the road surface.

The ES 300h is a well-equipped, five-passenger sedan that should appeal to the environmentally conscious buyer who is attracted by the car’s impressive fuel efficiency, conservative styling and green image.

For those consumers unwilling to pay the premium required to own a Lexus product over one from Toyota, the Camry Hybrid is on deck and ready to fill this demand. For the Toyota Motor Company, this is a win-win situation and further supports why the company is the largest automobile manufacturer in the world.

— Postmedia Network Inc. 2014