Lexus ES

Which Lexus ES Version Should You Buy?

The Lexus ES choice depends on whether you prioritize lower measured fuel consumption, stronger acceleration, a manual gearbox, or the newer electric and Hybrid powertrains. Among versions with complete comparable figures, the seventh-generation 2.5 CVT Hybrid uses as little as 4.7 combined, while the 302 hp 3.5 AT reaches 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds.

The Lexus ES choice depends on whether you prioritize lower measured fuel consumption, stronger acceleration, a manual gearbox, or the newer electric and Hybrid powertrains. Among versions with complete comparable figures, the seventh-generation 2.5 CVT Hybrid uses as little as 4.7 combined, while the 302 hp 3.5 AT reaches 100 km/h in 6.6 seconds. The eighth generation changes the formula most dramatically: its 500e is an Electro, AWD version with 343 hp and a 5.9-second sprint, while the 300h, 300h AWD, 350h, and 350h AWD provide Hybrid alternatives. All listed ES generations use a Sedan body, but specifications vary substantially by version and production period.

Lexus ES generations and version choices

The first generation, produced from 1989 to 1991, offered two versions: 2.5 MT and 2.5 AT. Both have a 2496 cc Gasoline V-shaped 6-cylinder engine producing 156 hp and 215 Nm. The practical choice is therefore transmission-led: the 2.5 MT has a 5-speed Manual, while the 2.5 AT has a 4-speed Automatic. Both are FWD and both reach 100 km/h in 11 seconds.

The second generation ran from 1991 to 1996, including its 1994–1996 restyling, and comprises six listed versions. Before restyling, buyers could select 2.5 AT, 2.5 MT, 3.0 AT, or 3.0 MT; the restyling reduced that choice to 3.0 AT and 3.0 MT. The restyled 190 hp 3.0 MT reaches 100 km/h in 9.5 seconds and 210 km/h, compared with 10 seconds and 195 km/h for the restyled 190 hp 3.0 AT.

The third generation, produced from 1996 to 2001, has three 3.0 AT versions, distinguished here by output: 200 hp, 210 hp, and 223 hp. All use a 4-speed Automatic and FWD. The 210 hp version records the quickest acceleration at 8.1 seconds, while the 223 hp version has the highest measured top speed at 241 km/h.

The fourth generation covers 2001–2006, including the 2003–2006 restyling. The original range has two 3.0 AT versions, producing 214 hp and 232 hp. The restyled range contains 3.0 AT with 210 hp and 3.3 AT with 228 hp. The 3.3 AT cuts the measured sprint to 7.5 seconds, compared with 8.1 seconds for the restyled 3.0 AT, while both reach at least 225 km/h.

The fifth generation spans 2006–2012, including its 2009–2012 restyling. Each phase lists one 3.5 AT. The earlier version produces 275 hp and 344 Nm; the restyled version produces 277 hp and 346 Nm. Both reach 100 km/h in 6.8 seconds, but the measured top speed rises from 220 to 230 km/h after restyling.

The sixth generation covers 2012–2018, including its 2015–2018 restyling, with five versions in each phase. Its selection includes 2.5 AT, several 3.5 AT outputs, and 2.5 CVT Hybrid. The original Hybrid produces 200 hp, while the restyled 2.5 CVT Hybrid is listed at 161 hp. The restyling also introduced a 2.0 AT with 150 hp alongside 2.5 AT and 3.5 AT alternatives.

The seventh generation spans 2018 onward through two restylings. The 2018–2021 range has five versions; the first restyling from 2021 has five; and the second restyling from 2024 has two. Across these phases, choices include 2.0 AT, 2.0 CVT, 2.0 i CVT, 2.5 AT, 2.5 CVT, 2.5 i Hybrid CVT, and multiple 3.5 AT outputs. The most powerful seventh-generation 3.5 AT produces 302 hp.

The eighth generation starts in 2026 with six versions: 500e, 350e, 300h, 300h AWD, 350h, and 350h AWD. It is the only generation listed with Electro versions and introduces AWD alongside FWD. The 500e leads the range with 343 hp, while Hybrid outputs run from 197 hp in 300h to 247 hp in both 350h and 350h AWD.

Lexus ES engine options and specs

Lexus ES performance, fuel economy, and mpg comparison

For acceleration, 500e is the leading measured version at 5.9 seconds to 100 km/h. The 302 hp seventh-generation 3.5 AT follows at 6.6 seconds in both its original and first-restyled forms. The fifth-generation 3.5 AT versions both take 6.8 seconds. Acceleration for 350e is 8.9 seconds, while acceleration for 300h, 300h AWD, 350h, and 350h AWD is not measured.

For measured fuel consumption, the original seventh-generation 2.5 CVT records 6.1 city, 4.8 highway, and 4.7 combined. Its first-restyled counterpart records 5.5 city, 5.3 highway, and 5.3 combined. The sixth-generation 2.5 CVT records 5.8 city, 5.2 highway, and 5.4 combined, as does the restyled 161 hp version. Fuel consumption for the eighth-generation versions is not measured.

The performance-focused seventh-generation 302 hp 3.5 AT records 10.7 city, 7.1 highway, and 9 combined before restyling; the first-restyled version records 10.7 city, 7.4 highway, and 9 combined. Its 6.6-second acceleration is 2.3 seconds quicker than the first-restyled 2.5 CVT, but the Hybrid’s measured combined consumption is 3.7 lower.

Top speed reaches a measured maximum of 241 km/h in the third-generation 223 hp 3.0 AT. The latest 500e, 350e, 300h, 300h AWD, 350h, and 350h AWD top-speed figures are not measured.

Lexus ES dimensions, weight, clearance, tank, and wheels

Detailed exterior dimensions are not measured in the supplied data. Kerb weight, gross weight, ground clearance, tank capacity, and wheel sizes provide the available size-related comparison.

Among seventh-generation versions with measured mass, kerb weight runs from 1655 kg for the first-restyled 302 hp 3.5 AT to 1725 kg for the 249 hp and 250 hp 3.5 AT versions. The 302 hp first-restyled 3.5 AT therefore carries about 5.48 kg per horsepower, while the 250 hp alternative carries 6.9 kg per horsepower. The original 302 hp 3.5 AT is close at about 5.49 kg per horsepower.

The seventh-generation tank holds 50 litres. Ground clearance is 150–154 mm before restyling and 153 mm in the first restyling; the second-restyling clearance is not measured. Listed wheels for the original seventh generation are 215/55 R17, 235/45 R18, and 235/40 R19. Wheel sizes for both restylings are not measured.

Earlier tank capacities are 60 litres in the first generation, 70 litres across the second through fifth generations, and 65 litres in the sixth generation. Measured ground clearance ranges from 130 mm on several early versions to 155 mm on selected second-, fourth-, and fifth-generation versions. Eighth-generation kerb weight, gross weight, clearance, tank capacity, and wheel sizes are not measured.

Which Lexus ES version should you choose?

Choose the seventh-generation 2.5 CVT if measured combined consumption is the priority: its 4.7 figure is the lowest in the data, and its 218 hp output equals about 87.7 hp per litre. The first-restyled 2.5 CVT is slightly less powerful at 215 hp and records 5.3 combined, but it carries the Euro 6 label.

Choose the seventh-generation 302 hp 3.5 AT if you want the strongest fully documented Gasoline performance. Its 6.6-second sprint is the quickest among the measured Gasoline versions, and its roughly 87.4 hp per litre exceeds the 72.3 hp per litre of the 250 hp 3.5 AT. Both use an 8-speed Automatic and FWD, so the higher-output version’s principal numerical advantage is 52 hp and a 1.3-second quicker sprint.

Choose 500e if outright measured acceleration and AWD matter most. With 343 hp and 5.9 seconds to 100 km/h, it has 41 hp more than the strongest seventh-generation 3.5 AT and is 0.7 seconds quicker. Consumption, weight, torque, top speed, clearance, and wheel sizes are not measured, so the available data does not support a broader running-cost comparison.

Choose 350h or 350h AWD for the highest-output eighth-generation Hybrid specification: each produces 247 hp from 2500 cc, or 98.8 hp per litre. The decision between them is purely FWD versus AWD on the available figures because their acceleration, consumption, weight, and torque are not measured.

Choose an early 2.5 MT or 3.0 MT only when a Manual gearbox is itself the priority. The restyled second-generation 3.0 MT is the strongest measured manual choice at 190 hp, and it reaches 100 km/h 0.5 seconds sooner than the equivalent 3.0 AT. For most number-led comparisons, however, the clearest choices are the economical seventh-generation 2.5 CVT, the fast 302 hp 3.5 AT, the AWD 500e, and the 247 hp 350h or 350h AWD.