Let’s first settle any possible confusing questions. The ES sedan slots in below the GS executive saloon, but it’s also more affordable than the compact IS sedan even though it’s similar in size to its bigger brother. Analyse the Lexus price list and the ES undercuts the base IS350 by R28 000. So, what exactly does it offer?
Drivetrain
The ES uses a rather old-fashioned 2,5-litre, four-cylinder engine developing 135 kW at 6 000 r/min and 235 N.m at 4 100 r/min. The only other option in the range is the ES300h hybrid, which combines a petrol engine with an electric motor, but that car will set you back R515 000 compared with the ES250’s R435 900 list price.
More importantly, this engine powers the front wheels. In a world where fuel consumption tends to be more and more on everyone’s lips (including the suits who make all the important decisions), the result is a claimed fuel consumption of 8,0 litres/100 km. It’s not such an impressive figure, but undoubtedly lower than what an equivalent rear-wheel-drive example would have been able to achieve (RWD vehicles suffer larger powertrain losses).
Power is send to the wheels via a six-speed automatic transmission. It takes its time to switch through the gears, a characteristic that is a little out of line compared with the quick shifting transmissions of several of the more expensive competitors.
On the road
Based on the same platform as the Lexus RX, the ES rides rather well. Equipped with 17-inch wheels, we drove it for several hours through the Western Cape’s Overberg region and rarely did I feel as if the car should have been able to absorb bumps and irregularities in a better way.
Needless to say, dynamically it is not the type of car you want to push too hard through corners, and it also doesn’t ask you to.
These days, you rarely experience a naturally aspirated engine in a car of the ES’s size. There is a reason for this, and one of them is acceleration. When you overtake traffic in the ES, you don’t have any other option than to press the throttle to the floor. The ES then accelerates in a linear but sedate fashion.
However, relax behind the wheel without a rush to get anywhere and you soon start to appreciate the quiet and spacious cabin. As there are no steering wheel-mounted paddles to shift gears, the aim of the car is clearly for the driver to leave it to its own devices.
On that topic, the ES’s cabin is not only spacious for the front passengers (although the transmission tunnel still divides front passengers), but is especially roomy for rear seat passengers. At 1,87 metres tall, I had a few centimetres of space in front of my knees towards the front seat when I sat behind myself.
Specification
Even though the ES slots in below the IS, the cabin offers a mix of IS and GS design and functions. The flow of the dashboard, the thick-rimmed steering wheel and stitching throughout the cabin are highlights that we’ve become used to seeing in Lexus models throughout the last couple of years.
Dual-zone air conditioning, park distance control, Bluetooth, USB connectivity, a sunroof, a reverse camera and the infotainment screen with satellite navigation all form part of the car’s standard specification. As with several other Lexus and Toyota models, the ES comes specced with this level of equipment and even the paint colour is a no cost option.
Summary
In terms of its drivetrain, the ES250 might not offer the latest technology, but it ticks several other boxes. It offers a very comfortable ride and will easily swallow five adults and a healthy amount of luggage.
With an impressive level of specification – including 10 airbags – the ES will definitely appeal to several drivers, or those that prefer to rather sit in the rear. The ES’s most natural rival is without a doubt Audi’s front-wheel-drive A6 2,0T FSI SE. Although it might be a more modern car in several ways, it will set you back R511 000.
Specifications*
Model: Lexus ES250
Engine: 2,5-litre, four-cylinder petrol
Transmission: six-speed automatic
Power: 135 kW at 6 000 r/min
Torque: 235 N.m at 4 100 r/min
0-100 km/h: 9,8 seconds
Fuel consumption: 8,0 L/100 km
CO2: 188 g/km
Top speed: 207 km/h
Price: R435 900
Maintenance plan: 4 years/100 000 km
Service intervals: 15 000 km
*According to the manufacturer