Lexus ES review

Overview

The ES is best understood as a long-distance saloon for someone who wants the noise and effort taken out of a journey. It looks more dramatic than it feels from behind the wheel. This review covers the UK 2022 model-year facelift ES 300h Premium Edition, with 18-inch wheels and the larger touchscreen. It does not apply to a similarly named Premium Pack or a later ES with the 2023 multimedia system; late calendar-year registrations can overlap. RoadMatch has not road-tested the car. We use Lexus's 2022 UK specifications and independent UK road reports to work out whether this particular trim makes sense used, rather than judging it on the most expensive version's equipment.

Exterior and interior

The long bonnet and separate boot take up more space than a hatchback, which is worth remembering if your daily parking space was laid out for smaller cars. The advantage of the low saloon layout is a driving position and cabin that feel built around people, not cargo. Premium Edition adds a heated steering wheel and 18-inch wheels; real leather and ventilated front seats belong to the separately specified Premium Pack rather than automatically coming with this name. On a viewing, adjust the wheel and seat before judging room, try the sunroof and check wheel lips and bumper corners for damage. F Sport trim and its suspension choices should not be assumed from the shape.

Practicality

The Lexus carries five, with generous rear passenger space for the class, but five adults and their bags deserve a trial if that is your normal workload. Lexus's UK luggage guide quotes a 454-litre VDA boot with the seats upright. The rear seatbacks do not fold like an estate's; load width and length are therefore constrained by the saloon opening and bulkhead. Two large suitcases may suit it better than one long item of flat-pack furniture. Take your actual luggage and inspect the boot hinges and opening before relying on the litre number. If child seats are part of the brief, test them while the front seats are set for the adults who will actually travel.

Driving experience

Gentle throttle and a steady motorway pace are the circumstances in which the ES makes most sense. Independent road reports emphasise comfort and easy progress rather than a chassis you buy for fast direction changes. A firm request for power can bring the petrol engine to the foreground, even while speed rises smoothly. That change in noise is a better test of whether you will enjoy this hybrid than a paper comparison with a diesel automatic. Take the car around an ordinary town route and onto a faster road, then check the brake response, tyre noise and what the assistance systems feel like. Do not assume a test of the F Sport's ride is a direct assessment of Premium Edition.

Performance

The 300h couples a 2.5-litre petrol engine and electric motor system to a front-wheel-drive electronic continuously variable transmission. Lexus gives 215 bhp, or 160 kW, as combined system output, not a figure obtained by adding peak engine and motor output yourself. The quoted sprint is 8.9 seconds to 62 mph, enough for routine merging but not representative of how quiet the drivetrain remains under full load. There is no plug or meaningful separate electric-distance figure to compare with a plug-in hybrid. Use a moderate uphill pull on your test drive to judge the relationship between engine sound and road speed, particularly if you are coming from a stepped automatic.

Fuel economy

Lexus's April 2022 UK price list gives a 48.7–54.3 imperial mpg combined WLTP range for the ES line. That is not a separately stated exact figure for the selected Premium Edition, so we do not assign its most favourable number to every example. For budgeting, assume 45 mpg: at 8,000 miles and £1.45 a litre, petrol is roughly £1,170 a year. At 40 mpg the same mileage and price give around £1,320. Stop-start traffic can favour the hybrid, but fast cruising, cold starts and tyre choice change consumption. If you are shopping against a diesel for continuous motorway work, compare annual fuel spending on your route rather than extrapolating the laboratory range.

Reliability

Our reliability confidence is limited because this review does not use a fleet failure dataset for the exact 2022 Premium Edition. Check invoices and mileage history, and ask how servicing and hybrid health checks were documented. On a drive, look for warnings, rough transitions between petrol and electric operation and noises from poorly matched tyres. These are checks for an individual used car, not claims of typical failures. Confirm any current service-activated warranty directly with Lexus using the VIN and read coverage and exclusions, especially for work carried out away from its network. More cabin electronics are another reason to test every feature you care about, rather than accepting the assurances of a clean dashboard at rest.

Safety

Euro NCAP assessed a right-hand-drive ES 300h Comfort in 2018, and its historical rating expired in January 2025. That is context for this generation, not a fresh test of a UK 2022 Premium Edition. Lexus's facelift release lists improvements to Lexus Safety System+, including its pre-collision functions, lane support and radar cruise. Those aids have limits; first make sure the car reports no warning, then try the relevant settings safely on your normal route. Ask about calibration records after windscreen or bumper work, and check that any child restraint is approved for the chosen seat position. Use GOV.UK by registration to check safety recalls, with Lexus confirming the VIN if you go ahead.

Technology and features

The facelift Premium Edition offers a 12.3-inch touchscreen while retaining the console touchpad. It also includes the heated front seats, intelligent front and rear sensors and smartphone integration of the underlying ES grade. Do not confuse its wireless charging pad with wireless phone projection. The separate 2023 update brought a different multimedia system and specifically promoted wireless Apple CarPlay while retaining a cable for Android Auto. Bring the phones and data cables you use and test music, maps and calls before purchase. The instrument display and driver-assistance settings deserve a look too: a cabin can feel impressively quiet without being easy for every driver to navigate.

Running costs

Use £19,500–£31,000 as a November 2026 planning range, not a statement about stock or an appraisal. At 8,000 miles, 45 mpg and £1.45 a litre, petrol comes to about £1,170. A rounded £250 tax provision and £830–£1,430 for scheduled work, MOT and consumables produce a planning total of £2,250–£2,850 before insurance, finance, depreciation and major repairs. That tax placeholder is not a quote; registration, first-list price and original extras can change what is payable, and a used purchase price is not the basis for judging any original-price supplement. Get the actual charge and insurance price before comparing two cars, and price a full set of the fitted tyre size separately.

Advantages and disadvantages