The 2022 Lexus ES splits the difference between the stately LS and sprightly IS in the Lexus sedan family. The is a premium mid-size sedan with good handling and great hybrid gas mileage. It’s a quiet contender in a shrinking class that includes the 2022 Acura TLX, 2022 Genesis G80, and 2022 Cadillac CT5.
Long a leader in the premium sedan class, the ES does what good sedans do best with efficient and potent powertrain options, and a peerless ride quality ideal for road trips. Refreshed for 2022, the Lexus ES mid-size sedan comes with standard LED headlights, a revised touchscreen infotainment interface, and some minor cosmetic and suspension upgrades.
With the GS gone and the related Toyota Avalon discontinued, the Lexus ES serves a big role in the broader Toyota Lexus family. Straddling the mid- and full-size sedan divide, the ES wears the spindle grille, pronged headlights, taut body creases, and other Lexus design elements in a cohesive, appealing style that carries over inside. The standard 8.0-inch and available 12.3-inch infotainment display screens have been moved forward 4.3 inches and turned into touchscreens this year, and they rule over a cabin trimmed in wood and aluminum.
Three powertrain choices are underscored by a calm, quiet ride. The 203-hp ES 250 has a 2.5-liter inline-4 with standard all-wheel drive. The front-drive ES 350 turns it up with a 3.5-liter V-6 making 302 hp and has a pleasing Sport mode. New dampers and rear suspension braces bolster higher trims, but despite the performance upgrades, we’d pick the ES 300h hybrid. The parallel hybrid with an electric motor and 2.5-liter inline-4 nets an EPA-rated 44 mpg combined for efficient around-town use and excellent highway touring.
The 2022 Lexus ES 300h gets 43 mpg city, 44 highway, 44 combined, according to the EPA. The hybrid can’t be matched by any gas-powered rivals. That would be an 8 here, but we base our rating on the most popular model. The bestselling ES 350 fares decently for a V-6 with front-wheel drive; it gets 22/32/26 mpg, which is 1 mpg better than the Acura TLX. The 4-cylinder ES 250 with all-wheel drive rates at an impressive 25/34/28 mpg, while the ES 350 F Sport drops to 22/31/25 mpg.
The IIHS and the NHTSA give the Lexus ES top crash-test ratings. The ES gets a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA, but a four-star rating for frontal protection. The IIHS calls it a Top Safety Pick+, and top models with LED headlights level up to a TSP+. All ES sedans have good outward vision, and come with standard automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, active lane control, blind-spot monitors, and automatic high beams. Options include parking sensors and a surround-view camera system.
A comfy cruiser, the Lexus ES exudes calm. The Lexus ES seats up to five in a quiet, spacious cabin lined with available open pore wood and quilted leather. Trunk space is limited to 13.9 cubic feet and the fifth seat is narrow. It’s an 8 for comfort and utility. At nearly 196 inches long, the ES is slightly longer than an Acura TLX but not quite as long as the Volvo S90, so it straddles the mid-size and full-size sedan segments. Five adults fit inside, but the rear seats and its generous 39 inches of legroom best fit two without having to worry about encroaching limbs. The middle rear seat fulfills its duty as an armrest or pass-through for longer items in the trunk, since the rear seats don’t fold down.
The cabin favors front-seat occupants with soft leather or convincing synthetic upholstery. Comfy power bucket seats with available heating and cooling ease fatigue during longer rides, and the leather- and wood-trimmed steering wheel never gets old. Open pore walnut trim contrasts with aluminum on the dash in warm elegance. Once you get everything set how you like it, and only need to rely on the steering wheel controls, it’s an oasis of calm on road trips, abetted by laminated front windows and other sound deadening techniques that isolate road and wind noise from the cabin.
Spending $41,875 will get either the ES 250 AWD or ES 350. Standard goods include an 8.0-inch touchscreen with Apple CarPlay/Android Auto/Amazon Alexa, power front seats covered in synthetic leather, and a good 4-year/50,000-mile warranty. The $42,975 ES 300h hybrid provides the best overall value when considering cost of ownership. An Ultra Luxury Grade adds a surround-view camera system and a head-up display to the heated wood-trimmed steering wheel, quilted leather upholstery, and 14-way power front seats of the Luxury Grade; add in the Navigation package with the 12.3-inch touchscreen and the price tips $54,000.
The 2022 Lexus ES is the most impressive ES to date. With the newly refined 2022 ES, Lexus builds upon a long legacy of leadership by embracing its core values and bestowing stunning styling, refined efficient driving dynamics that won’t disappoint, and cutting-edge technology. The 2022 Lexus ES is the best ES ever, there’s nothing it doesn’t do well.
