Hybrid and Electrical
For those who appeared on the 2026 Lexus ES hybrid and electrical automobiles subsequent to one another, you’d be arduous pressed to note the distinction. In and out, the 2 automobiles are practically an identical. After all, you may search for the tell-tale “h” or “e” badging on the again, however the massive, and actually solely, distinction goes to be on the nostril. The hybrid has a horizontal slot on the grille to permit for airflow to the engine. The EV doesn’t. However that’s it.
2026 Lexus ES
Because the Lexus ES enters its eighth technology for 2026, it marks the primary time a single Lexus nameplate affords each electrical and hybrid powertrains. Beforehand, it has separated the “common” automobiles from the electrical with totally different badging. For instance, the RX is a midsize gasoline, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid automobile, whereas the RZ is a compact to midsize electrical automobile. I’m unsure if this may change into a “factor” at Lexus although, because the model has concurrently launched the brand new TZ, a three-row electrical SUV, separate from the TX, a three-row gasoline, hybrid, and plug-in hybrid SUV.
Massive Footwear to Fill
With the departure of the full-size Lexus LS sedan from the lineup, the Lexus ES grows up. Actually. It’s 2.2 inches wider, 6.5 inches longer, and 4.5 inches taller than the outgoing mannequin. With its bigger proportions, it provides further passenger quantity–particularly within the again seat. It doesn’t fairly hit full-size sedan standing, however you may see how Lexus is attempting to woo a few of its former LS homeowners.
One factor that doesn’t get larger? The trunk. The 2025 mannequin had 13.9 cubic ft of cargo house, and the 2026 mannequin shrinks to 13.3 cubic ft. It’s additionally price noting that that the rear seats of the ES nonetheless don’t fold flat to permit for transporting larger gadgets.
Engines
The eighth-gen ES is constructed on the very versatile TNGA-Okay platform, which incorporates the whole lot from the Toyota Camry, Crown, and Sienna to the Lexus RX, TX, and TZ. Which suggests it could possibly deal with gasoline, hybrid, plug-in hybrid, and electrical powertrains.
The ES hybrid bears the 350h badge, and it’s geared up with Toyota’s sixth-generation hybrid system, which we additionally see within the all-new Toyota RAV4. It consists of a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine, an electrical starter-generator and a motor-generator built-in into an electronically managed constantly variable transmission. Complete system output is 244 horsepower, and the ES 350h is out there in each front- and all-wheel drive. The EPA estimates it’ll get 46 mpg in mixed driving in FWD fashions, and 44 mpg with AWD.
The ES electrical automobile can also be accessible in front- and AWD, however the front-driver mannequin would be the 350e, and the AWD mannequin is the 500e. As you’ll count on there may be fairly the horsepower enhance from the single-motor to the dual-motor choice, and the 350e delivers 221 horsepower, whereas the 500e delivers 338 horsepower. However after all, with energy comes diminished vary. The ES 350e will get as much as 307 miles of vary, and the ES 500e will get as much as 276 miles. One other be aware on vary: 19-inch wheels are customary, and vary drops a bit on each automobiles if you happen to go for the 21-inch wheels.
Each the 350e and 500e come customary with a North American Charging Normal (NACS) port, which suggests homeowners can use Tesla Supercharger installations.
Govt Package deal
With all the additional house within the again, Lexus has added a premium rear-occupant-oriented Govt Package deal ($3,635) with power-reclining seats, a passenger-side ottoman-style footrest, heated-and-ventilated seats, seat massagers, local weather controls, and energy rear sunshade. Exterior of the back-seat facilities, this package deal additionally provides an influence trunk lid with a kick sensor. This package deal is barely accessible on the ES 350e Luxurious trim.
In the course of the transient media preview, I used to be capable of spend a while with this package deal. The important thing for being snug is the flexibility to maneuver the passenger-side entrance seat ahead in an effort to deploy the ottoman. This makes the house doable for a petite particular person like myself, however average-sized adults may also have the ability to make use of it. With the seats reclined, ottoman out, and seat massagers on, I may very well be fairly blissful sitting there for a half hour whereas the automobile prices—or if I needed to flee household stress within the driveway.
New infotainment system
The 2026 ES will get a digital improve. Along with a 12.3-inch instrument-panel show, the ES additionally will get a 14-inch infotainment display, in addition to Lexus’ latest infotainment system. Whereas the tech usually seems the identical, there are couple of massive adjustments, together with the addition of a customizable residence display. Beforehand, the one strategy to work together with the system was via a sequence of icons on the left facet of the display.
One other massive replace is the addition of route planning. In case you are planning an extended drive, the brand new subscription-based cloud navigation will present you the place charging stations are alongside the route in addition to how lengthy you will want to cease on the station to cost in an effort to make it to your vacation spot. The general route time, then, consists of the time it takes to cost.
On development, this new system additionally consists of an built-in “drive recorder,” which is a elaborate method for saying sprint cam.
On the Highway
Typically, each the hybrid and EV are clean, quiet, and quick. They each have a pleasant nimbleness {that a} midsize sedan brings, and they’re each extremely snug when it comes to each the general trip in addition to the seat cushions.
Separating out the hybrid from EV, I’ll say the sixth-gen hybrid system from Toyota Motor Gross sales is extremely good—as you’ll count on. The transition from electrical to gasoline modes is barely perceptible, and the engine, when it activates, is quiet. That is going to be a candy spot for lots of patrons who crave gasoline effectivity however don’t need to take care of charging conditions.
Nonetheless, the EVs are each phenomenal. Whereas the 500e has fairly much more horsepower than the 350e, I’ll say in every-day driving, you aren’t going to note the distinction due to the instantaneous torque. Each automobiles are extremely fast off the road. The place you may want the 500e over the 350e is as a result of AWD. Along with including peace of thoughts to those that reside in winter-weather states, there’s a sure agility to the 500e that the 350e doesn’t have. As somebody who lives in a metropolis with plenty of tight areas, each little little bit of maneuverability helps.
A couple of issues we didn’t like
I’ll be trustworthy, I favored just about the whole lot concerning the new Lexus ES, and I actually needed to stretch to provide you with the issues that I didn’t like. And I’ll say these two issues are extra of annoyances than dealbreakers, and so they’ve each on the EV.
First, neither the 350e nor the 500e have one-pedal driving. It has some aggressive regenerative braking that you could alter by way of the steering wheel paddles, however it’s simply shy of 1 pedal. Actually, it would sluggish you right down to about 5 mph, after which it’s just like the regen shuts off and you start coasting. You need to use the brake to cease. I do know you don’t essentially want one pedal driving to get one of the best regeneration, however I prefer it. And I don’t perceive why you wouldn’t no less than supply it as an on/off choice.
The opposite factor I didn’t like is a type of issues that simply appeared bizarre to me. You need to flip off the automobile to open the cost port, and there’s no strategy to open or shut the cost port from contained in the automobile. As somebody who’s had to make use of a public charger at each -14 levels and 100+ levels, I don’t need to flip the automobile off to plug in. Particularly if I’ve a passenger. With plug-and-charge functionality, I’m positive the engineers would argue that you just should get out and plug in, then inside a pair seconds you’ll be again contained in the automobile and may flip it again on when you are charging. Nonetheless, that’s in an ideal world. And I’ve discovered that charging in actual life isn’t excellent. Generally port doorways are frozen shut, or there’s ice and snow contained in the port door, or the charger doesn’t need to join correctly till you plug and unplug and replug 4 occasions. This will take 10 to fifteen minutes. Actually. And all that point, my passenger is sitting in a quickly cooling or heating automobile.
2026 Lexus ES Costs and Trim Ranges
The pricing construction for the 2026 Lexus ES is, properly, shocking. The EV is lower than the hybrid. Not by loads, however by sufficient that it may need some patrons look severely on the EV first—particularly if which have a strategy to cost at residence. On the time of this writing, Lexus lists pricing as follows (together with a $1,395 vacation spot cost):
- 350e Premium: $48,895
- 350h Premium: $51,095
- 500e Premium AWD: $51,895
- 350h Premium AWD: $52,495
- 350h Premium+: $55,895
- 350e Luxurious: $57,295
- 350h Premium+ AWD: $57,295
- 500e Luxurious AWD: $60,295
Take a look at that once more. The bottom EV is greater than $2,000 lower than the hybrid. And the AWD hybrid is simply $800 greater than the bottom hybrid. The highest trim ranges of the 350e and 350h are priced precisely the identical, and the highest model of the 500e is simply $3,000 greater than the highest 350e and 350h. That pricing is actually tight for 2 fully totally different powertrains.
And I’m nonetheless shocked that the EV has a decrease beginning value.
CG Says:
Whereas the worth has elevated considerably for the bottom Lexus ES with the redesign, you get lots of automotive to your cash. We all know some individuals discover the outside design polarizing with the hockey-stick swoosh on the facet, however we discovered it began to develop on us the extra we drove it. It’s actually distinctive. With the additional passenger house and distinctive powertrain choices, the brand new ES ought to be in your must-test checklist if you happen to’re in search of midsize luxurious.
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