2023 Lexus ES Performance

The new Lexus ES sedan is not a performance car. This vehicle's main focus is to coddle its passengers in sheer luxury, but being an executive sedan, most will still expect a decent level of go. If you're after any sort of performance, we'd suggest skipping the 2.5-liter four-cylinder altogether. This motor does the bare minimum to get the Lexus rolling and takes 8.6 seconds to get to 60 mph. Instead, go straight for the 3.5-liter naturally-aspirated V6 engine, which produces 302 horsepower. In V6 spec, the Lexus ES will hit 60 mph in 6.6 seconds and a limited top speed of 131 mph.

The greener alternative for 2023 utilizes the inline-four engine with hybrid assistance. Lexus ES hybrid specs are 215 hp combined and an 8.1-second sprint time. Max speed here is limited to 112 mph, but these models are much more oriented to economy, so don't expect many thrills.

ES 250 models are powered by a naturally-aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 203 hp and 184 lb-ft of torque. Power is sent to all four wheels via a direct-shift eight-speed automatic transmission. This engine does not deliver mind-blowing performance but is a solid choice if you're after good fuel economy. It performs well in the city, but on the open highway, you'll notice its lack of in-gear acceleration. The gas engine to go for here is the 302 hp 3.5-liter V6 engine on 350 models. This motor develops a more substantial 267 lb-ft of torque and gives the Lexus ES a semblance of performance. This motor also pulls better on the highway and handles full loads better. The same eight-speed auto does duty here, but power goes to the front wheels, only.

The final option in the ES lineup is the front-wheel drive 300h range, which adds hybrid assistance to the 2.5-liter inline-four for total system output of 215 hp. The setup isn't thrilling, but it performs adequately in the city.

The Lexus ES 250 AWD will manage gas mileage figures of 25/34/28 mpg on the city/highway/combined cycles. That figure drops to 22/32/26 mpg for the 3.5-liter V6-powered ES 350, and the ES 350 F Sport models drop that a little more to 22/31/25 mpg. The hybrid variants are the most frugal, achieving 43/44/44 mpg/

With a fuel capacity of 15.9 gallons, the Lexus ES gas models will achieve a maximum range of 445 miles in ES 250 configuration, while hybrid models stretch that to 580 miles with a smaller, 13.2-gallon tank.