With more JD Power and Synovate quality survey plaques than wall space back at Toyota South Africa head office, the perception is that a Lexus will stick around well after its original owner has ‘kicked the bucket’, as my mother used to always say. This is why the Lexus badge is worth half a punnet of gold for those who want something reliable, comfortable, luxurious and not necessarily the final word in sportiness. But because Lexus wanted to compete with the German they’ve always insisted on being rear-wheel drive; the sedans anyway, and while that does wonders for the handling, steering, balance and overall sophistication it makes it more expensive as well. Conundrum.
In essence, this is what Lexus are acknowledging with the new front-wheel drive, four-cylinder Lexus ES 250. Gone is the clever, expensive, rear-wheel drive drivetrain; gone is the lusty six-cylinder engine. Although new to us, the Lexus ES was first introduced in 1989 around the world in various left-hand drive markets, the Japanese-built ES sedan is now in its sixth-generation where it is sold and arrives in South Africa for the first time with the auspicious tag of ‘world’s best-selling Lexus sedan’. Yip, the world over, people can’t get enough of the charming Lexus ES.
So, the ES is as big as a GS and just as fully-equipped but it’s priced like an IS. The ES gets a 2.5-litre Dual VVT-i that produces 135 kW and 235 Nm of torque. With the aid of a six-speed automatic, the Lexus ES 250 trundles to 100 km/h in 9.8 seconds and tops out at 207 km/h using 8.0 L/100 km. To drive it isn’t exactly the fastest machine ever and Korean competitors can offer you more powerful and torquey direct injection GDI engines in the Hyundai Sonata and Kia Optima. The engine note isn’t all that bad though and just as long as you keep it below about 4100 r/min you want drown out a conversation you’re having in the comfortable cabin. The six-speed gearbox doesn’t like to be rushed and this is prefaced on the fact that it doesn’t have paddle shifter on the steering wheel. Lexus clearly don’t envisage owners taking the ES 250 all the way to the redline on a regular basis.
But what lives under the bonnet isn’t the whole story. Specification wise you get: Daytime running lights, a second-generation Remote Touch interface, fully integrated satellite navigation, analogue clock and the Nano-e climate system, a moonroof, smart entry system, power seats with seat heaters, electrochromatic mirror, PDC, wall-to-wall leather with high quality stitching and ambient lighting. Lexus don’t skimp on the ES 250’s safety either and you can count on Lane Change Asssist with Blind Spot Monitor, Vehicle Stablity Control, ABS with EBD and Brake Assist, Pre-Crash safety system and 10 airbags as standard on the ES 250.
Importantly for a Lexus, the door closes with a reassuring thud and aside from the vast specification and array of buttons all over the fascia, the ES’s interior is a sumptuous malaise of soft touch leather, quality materials and a light airiness that is undeniably Lexus. You can specify a beige or black interior and we believe the black is more luxurious to the eye and touch. The seats are totally fab with a soft cushioning to them and great overall support. The only place more comfortable would be your favourite leather sitting room chair. The second-generation remote touch interface still takes getting used to if you’ve never encountered one before.
On the road, the Lexus ES 250 is surprisingly deft and not-totally horrible to drive. It isn’t dynamic or overtly sporty, granted, and the front end isn’t the grippiest on Yokohama rubber but it feels light and supple and well balanced and the steering is nicely weighted in your hands. You can easily roll into a long sweep and trace a dedicated line without any unnecessary inputs from behind the wheel. The multi-link rear suspension also sits nicely on the road, even though its merely propping the rear of the car up and it can communicate what’s going on to the driver. The traction control is very quick to intervene and you can deactivate it but you soon realise there isn’t much fun to be had without it on anyway.
Although it wasn’t available to drive at the launch, there is also a Lexus ES 300h which sees the 2.5-litre single VVT-i twin-cam Atkinson cycle four-cylinder unit with 118kW and 213Nm of torque joining hands with a 105kW electric motor that’s fed by a 650V nickel-metal hydride battery for a combined output of 151kW. Equipped with an eCVT system, the Lexus ES 300h does 0-100 km/h in 8.5 seconds before maxing out at 180 km/h. So, the hybrid is a little more frugal, a little faster to 100km/h and more economical at 5.5 L/100 km.
The Lexus ES 250 is not revolutionary in any other way than being everything that’s good about a Lexus (comfortable and quiet), without any extra flim-flam. The ES 250 wasn’t developed around the Fuji race circuit, it won’t win any traffic light drag races, nor will it chauffeur anyone higher than a C-list celebrity, but that’s probably why it’s a good car to have for the money.
Lexus ES 250 R435 900
Lexus ES 300h R515 000
All prices include VAT, CO2 tax and a 4-yr/100 000 km service plan.
