There are five main trim levels on offer, starting with the base model, and followed by the Luxury, F Sport, the limited F Sport Black Line Edition, and Ultra Luxury. The ES 250 is powered by a 203-hp 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, the ES 300h by a 2.5-liter four-pot/hybrid powertrain with 215 hp, while ES 350 models get a 302-hp 3.5-liter V6 engine. Base models come standard with 17-inch alloy wheels, a panoramic moonroof, LED lighting, an eight-inch infotainment display with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, ten-way power-adjustable front seats, and driver assistance features such as forward collision warning and pedestrian detection. Luxury models add leather upholstery, a 14-way power-adjustable driver's seat, a power rear sunshade, and blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic assist. The F Sport gets unique exterior styling features, sport bucket seats, an upgraded suspension, and performance-inspired instrumentation. The Black Line Edition adds more sporty styling with black trim, and the Ultra Luxury offers perks such as a surround-view monitor.
Lexus offers what appears to be several reasonably priced packages but the rosy picture loses its appeal when you realize that to get one package, you have to specify either another package or feature that may not be as important to you. On the base ES 250, you can opt for the $1,375 Premium Package that adds heated and ventilated front seats, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a Lexus memory system, and a power tilt/telescoping steering wheel. However, Lexus compels you to add blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert for another $500 and wood trim for $360 at the same time.
The $1,820 Navigation package adds navigation with a 12.3-inch display and dynamic voice command. To get this, you need to add blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, the Premium Package, and wood trim, all adding another $2,235 combined. What if you wanted navigation without wood trim? For some reason, Lexus finds it unfathomable for such a scenario to exist.
Higher-spec models are also able to be customized. For instance, the ES 300h Ultra Luxury can be upgraded with the Navigation/Mark Levinson Premium Audio Package for $1,080, or you can add individual options like premium triple-beam LED headlamps for $1,515 or a head-up display for $500.