Lexus ES Review 2025

It’s not that long ago that expensive saloon buyers who chose a Lexus over one of the German triumvirate, let alone a Jaguar, typically did so because they valued bulletproof dependability and hybrid efficiency over intangibles such as style, history and character. With 35 years’ worth of its own legacy in the UK, the Japanese upmarket brand could be about to invert those old stereotypes if this new Lexus ES is anything to go by.

Large, luxury saloons aren’t as popular with well-heeled consumers as they once were, with many swapping into plush SUVs years ago. Before 2025 was more than a few days old another prestige four-door was unceremoniously removed from the price lists — the Lexus LS. Sales had dwindled to such a degree that it was no longer viable to offer it, thus ending the run of the model line it entered the UK market with back in June 1990.

There is another saloon in its range in the guise of the smaller, less costly Lexus ES. It’s a direct competitor to the likes of the Audi A6, the BMW 5 Series plus the Mercedes E-Class — which is akin to suggesting that in the Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stan Lee’s cameos are right up there for screen time alongside Chadwick Boseman, Robert Downie Jr. and Scarlett Johansson.

Nevertheless, a seismic shift could be on the cards in the near future with the arrival of the eighth iteration of the Lexus ES, although it’ll only be the second generation of the model to be sold here. Why such a claim? Well, first off, just look at it.

It’s as daring as Lexus saloons of old were conservative, with styling that’s wilfully polarising. From the angular frontal protuberance, along the bodywork slice that opens in the front doors before concluding just ahead of the rear wheels, while the tail itself is tapered in a coupe-esque manner that’s not unreminiscent of the Jaguar XF and Mercedes CLS.

Sloping roofline aside, the Lexus ES is a proper saloon, albeit a striking and long one, that promises comfortable space and luxury appointments for four-to-five adults. While we collectively applaud the bravery of the overall design, we have questions about its practicality credentials.

At 5140mm long, the boot should be capacious, but these first photos suggest that its aperture could be relatively small — even though the boot lid itself incorporates a faux panel to suggest the rear windscreen continues on much further than it does in reality to reinforce that coupe-ish vibe.

Inside the new Lexus ES, the smooth, overlaying surface themes seen outside continue, including with the minimalist dashboard. A large, tablet-style multimedia screen sits slightly off-centre for easy access by both driver and front passenger, while the main instrumentation is housed on a separate, hooded screen.

While we’re pleased to note that several minor operations can be undertaken by controls that aren’t integrated into the main touchscreen, we’re less enamoured by Lexus referring to them as Hidden Tech switches — they’re touch-sensitive, in other words, rather than physical, moving buttons. Sure, they look slick and disappear when the ES is switched off, but they’re not as easy for your fingers to find without taking your eyes off the road.

What Lexus calls the ES’s Clean Tech x Elegance design language is a portent for a further significant change — as well as the petrol-electric self-charging drive system with which the brand’s synonymous, there will also be a pair of fully electric alternatives that we’ll cover in a separate review when they go on sale.

At this early juncture, details are a little sketchy and are some way off being homologated, so there’s no word yet on efficiency levels or electric driving ranges. Powering the hybrid Lexus ES 300h is a combination of a four-cylinder 2.5-litre engine and an electric motor, with a combined power output of 201PS. Front- and all-wheel drive versions are likely to be offered.

Driving the front wheels of the electric ES 350e is a 224PS motor, while Lexus’s Direct4 all-wheel drive is part and parcel of the ES 500e. Its 343PS total power output is produced by two electric motors — one for each pair of wheels — and can automatically divert 100% of its drive to the front or rear depending on traction levels.

Orders for the hybrid and electric Lexus ES may open before the end of 2025, although early 2026 is more likely, with initial customer deliveries commencing soon after that.

Keep this page bookmarked for further news as well as to read our comprehensive full Lexus ES hybrid and electric reviews in the months ahead.