Lexus ES 300h

While there are quite a few luxury hybrid vehicles available for 2021, most of them are plug-in hybrids. So what if you just want a regular hybrid to help keep cost and complexity in check? One option could be the Lexus ES 300h. This luxury sedan is comfortable and quiet and offers seriously impressive fuel economy. The EPA estimates that the 300h will get 44 mpg combined, which is excellent for any sedan, let alone a luxury ride.

The 300h has some drawbacks, such as poor acceleration for its class and an infotainment system with a steep learning curve. But overall this is a pretty appealing sedan. For all the details on the ES 300h and how it performs in the real world, read our Expert Rating below.

Which ES 300h does MatoCar recommend?

The 2021 Lexus ES 300h is a midsize luxury sedan available in three trims: the base ES 300h, Luxury and Ultra Luxury. All trims are powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired to an electric motor (215 total system horsepower) and a continuously variable automatic transmission. Only front-wheel drive is available.

Base The base 300h gets an impressive number of standard features including:

• LED headlights
• Sunroof
• Simulated-leather upholstery
• Power-adjustable front seats
• 8-inch central infotainment display
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility
• Wi-Fi hotspot
• 10-speaker sound system

Standard safety tech for the base 300h includes:

• Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
• Lane keeping assist (steers the ES back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker)
• Lane keeping system (makes minor steering corrections to help keep the vehicle centered in its lane)
• Adaptive cruise control (adjusts speed to maintain a constant distance between the vehicle and the car in front)

A Premium package adds:

• Heated and ventilated front seats
• Driver-seat memory settings
• Power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel
• Power-folding mirrors

Luxury The Luxury trim has the features of the Premium package plus:

• Leather upholstery and wood trim
• Additional front seat adjustments
• Power rear sunshade
• Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while reversing)
• Parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible in front of or behind the vehicle when parking)

Ultra Luxury The Ultra Luxury adds to the Luxury equipment with:

• Heated steering wheel
• Manual rear door sunshades
• Upgraded suspension
• Hands-free trunk release
• Rear automatic braking with pedestrian detection (brakes if sensors detect an imminent collision with an object behind the vehicle)

Other options include:

• Navigation system with a 12.3-inch display
• 17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system
• Wireless charging pad
• Head-up display