Lexus ES 300h | Finally a Mercedes, BMW, Audi or Volvo beater? 

Finally, people in Australia will be able to watch this review, we'll be the right way up next time!

2014 Lexus IS300h driver. Lexus really does give one a sense of superiority, especially over the multitudes of plebs and refugees driving their 316d Ultimate Driving Machine with halogen headlights, non-metallic paint and dakota sandpaper, uh, I mean leather.

A european luxury car is usually in a scrap yard after 10 years. This will still be on the road after 20 years.

Good review Bob, you never mention residuals, this is worth mentioning, the Lexus has a much lower total cost of ownership vs the Germans that end up being scrapped after 10/12 years, this will last 50+% longer, has smaller repair bills and is more reliable. The German may have a sportier edge, this is more luxurious though.

I walked past one yesterday, it looked very sleek and unique and not in a bad way. Looks far more expensive than it is too Quite impressive.

Liking the pricing graphics in the video. Can't say I would be gone about the car interior though. Great vid!

What a fine review. You have obviously heard all the bs, are not impressed and are certainly not going to repeat it. Just plain facts and honest impressions with a bit of humor. Great, thank you mr. Flavin. And of course the Irish, most musical accent in the western world. 😀 And oh yes, almost forgot: great camera work!

That instrument cluster looks so good

Mine, ES 300h Limited Edition, is arriving in the middle of March according to Lexus Sweden ! Looking forward to this event !

way better looking than the a6 and the 5 series

Great review and video Bob! I had this car for month last year meanwhile my previous car was in the garage to fix. I love this car and the build quality. The most annoying thing was to drive it in the winter here. I got stuck many times because of the rear RWD , apart from It had proper winter tyres for Finland.

I had an Uber ride a few weeks back in a new e-class, the quality of plastics in the rear was not good, so I disagree with the comment on the plastics here, and, in reality, the lower down plastics will always be hard wearing ones, they have to be. I think this ES is far more interesting inside than its rivals and doesn’t have the garish bling the EClass now promotes

Great review Bob! I like the thought of owning a Lexus. They're something a bit different. Why be a sheep? I agree with you on the non-folding seats though, huge oversight. Keep up the good work.

I actually just passed a black one of these on the way to Heuston station tonight (probably a press car nonetheless); I am not a Lexus lover but by god this is a gorgeous car that properly caught my attention. More nicer in black

This time around u were not that convinced as u did on the GS450H F-sport That many me buy it. Luv u reviews, and have a prosperous 2021

15:37 Australian mode activated

I'd be tempted, if I didn't still have my current 2010 Lexus GS450h which I've done an entirely comfortable 100K miles in without a single thing going wrong.

Great review style Bob. Touch of carwow with your personality.. winning formula

Great video, ive just bought a 2019 Premium,, and agree with a lot of what you said, i had a GS459 before, it was a lot faster. Android and Apple CarPlay should be in the car, the newer versions have it. As a tech guy i love it

I know it’s not going to take on a 5 series but it’s a nice slightly quirky alternative. Showing the Irish prices is a good idea as there can be no confusion then.

Loving the upside down shots Bob.

4.50 that’s not a transmission noise. It’s auto parking brake actuator operation noise when shifting gear from P to D or R.

On paper it should compete with the cars you mention. But for me Lexi owners are a slightly different breed. I don’t own a Lexus (would like to), but I wouldn’t even consider a BMW, Mercedes, or Audi - their drivers/owners often have very specific reputations.

There is a 2019 GS in USA. It’s not gone - yet. But if this ES gets AWD, game over. Problem with this car always will be FWD.

The only thing that Toyota/Lexus is a no go for me is that they don't offer back seats that drop down or an mid-sized estate

It beats all those german and swedish cars by miles!! Literally.. beautiful car that won’t break down..

The rear seats don’t fold down to preserve structural integrity and rigidity, or so they say.

Good review Bob 😀👍🏻We'll be looking for a new family car this year, and the wifey seems to like saloons. Do you think this would be a good substitute for our current Jag XF that we've ran for six years and 60k miles, it's been no bother. Problem is, I'm not keen on the current XF, so we're looking elsewhere. But, we kinda like the performance that the Jag gives us (5.0 V8, 385 bhp). Any ideas?

I was thinking of trading my E-Klass E400 for one of these, but when I drove a Lexus ES300 I didn’t feel it has the same class. I really liked the Lexus, I might get one someday cause of the higher quality reliability wise, but I backed out this time.

Better way to navigate to an address, than using the Touch Pad, is to push to Talking Icon on the steering wheel and say “navigate to an address” then just follow the instructions to verbally enter the address.

Great car. Lexus leading the way

Once a cvt gearbox is fitted because its the only type of gearbox that'll work well for a hybrid all it does is whine across the rev range.

The sound is from the automatic handbrakes

Beautiful

You like this car I think. But you really liked the GS. Do you think the GS is better?

Lexus really need to update there interior dash area it may work ok in the states but retro elements and layout are to polarising

Not being able to drop the back seats is most probably due to the batteries.

I would've considered this car, but a towing weight of 0 kg, it rules it out immediately I'm afraid. Seems to be to do with the gearbox/cvt system. Last model was the same. Pity.

Reliability and ease of maintenance: 10/10. Exterior and interior design, compared to European competitors: 6/10. Safety, comfort and ergonomics: 9/10. Performance/ driveability (compared to European competitors): 7/10. Quality, fit and finish: 8/10

Divan many Audis and BMs. Would I buy them. Nope. Drove an IS300h. Yep. Only thing I dont like about the is is the cruise control handle thing. Honda accord had the cruise right on the steering. Only place to have it. Also petrol engines sound boring.

Luxury car for EXport to the US

That CVT is still too odd, I'm sure a full Auto would make it a better drive

15:37 for Anzac watchers!

those two little knobs above the speedometer look ridiculous imo.

The luxuriousness of European design is unmatched in my opinion. On the other hand, if you plan to keep your car for 4+ years and a trouble-free ownership experience after the warranty period, the Lexus is the better choice.

I have always loved the bigger lexus.Like an arse everyone has an Audi or BMW there common.A better class seem to buy the Lexus.

It's crazy to think these can't actually do 200kph on an autobahn. Limted to 180kph.

I note your comment that the front seat moves back automatically to help fat Americans get in and out more easily. Frankly, I had the same thought when I first took a Lexus for a test drive 😂 but with advancing age and a bad back I have discovered that it’s a very useful feature for people with physical limitations. I like it!

Too similar to a top spec Camry/Avalon. I prefer the IS300h although that is smaller.

This car is so much better build than a Mercedes, Volvo and even Audi. This car will last 20/30 years. Paint job is superior to that of the German brands. I drove ES last week and also the Volvo S90. The Lexus is from another planet compared, comfort is superb, best in class. No engine noise at all, no road noise. Best of all the fit and finish of the Lexus, unbelievable accurate and build to last.

Fantastic car.

In the states, the luxurious germans kinda lost the battle to lexus somewhere in the 90s, if im not mistaken. Lexus just trumps everything the germans have. Cheaper to buy? Lexus. cheaper to maintain? Lexus. Tech? On par. Reliability? Lexus. Styling? Subjective, but audis look like edgy boxes nowadays n beemers are overdoing it with their grill. Some lexus look good, some look downright shocking. N if ur talking about outright firepower, not really important if ur aiming to shift numbers. For the sake of prestige, branding and the excess money to get a proper luxury WMD, get a german AMG or M car. For luxury that includes long-term ownership, reliability and peace of mind, get a Lexus.

Lexus has “nearly been there” in the luxury car market for a very long time now. I don’t think they will ever get there in my opinion. Exterior looks great but the interior just does not cut it, when you compare it to the German cars. What are the residual values like for the Lexus?

Track pads have been on Laptops for ages, easy to use, nobody complains, but when they put it on a Lexus other brand Fan boys complain....ALWAYS!! HAHAHA The Option of the seat and steering wheel moving, you can disable it if it makes you feel a fat american ;-) @ 4:44 DRIVE TRAIN??? That is the noise of the Parking Brake!! Seriously? Do you know that compared to the GS, the ES is Front wheel drive and GS rear wheel drive? Plus a Man that doesn't open the Hood but goes only for the luggage compartment ...... No words. But after all, nice review

Sold my ES because the back seats didn't go down. Why can't Lexus make a car that the average car guy wants. What a shame.

Finally? I think Lexus has been doing that. LOL

A review with a steering wheel on the wrong side : (

The new ES is a great looking car, but to me it just doesn’t have that same presence you get from a RWD based car. That front overhang screams economy.

But you wouldn't be driving a Lexus. Like me.

Is she diesel?

2.5 NA engine + cvt+front wheel drive no kidding?

What's the plural of Lexus?

It's different inside, but too 'busy' looking for me. Typical Japanese styling - more lines = more style. Well, it doesn't really.

Surely the CVT gearbox let's this car down. Why don't lexus go for a twin clutch set-up? It would be alot more engaging to drive!

Nice Camry 😒

No offense.....I own porsche 911 gts ,audi A7and bmw 4 coupe....now I only buy Lexus...

Lexus beat Merc and BMW back in 1990 with its first release. The LS430 in 2001 beat Rolls Royce, Audi, Mercedes, BMW and Jaguar (top series) in several hundred tests. All the Germans are pretty much pieces of junk after about 10 years, either with bad rust issues, or loads of niggles, or serious breakdowns. The Lexus will never do that. None of them. It irks me to no end to hear Europeans speaking of 'German superiority' and 'having to catch up to Merc and BMW. The Lexus has nothing to catch up to, and the Germans are nothing but bling and a marque. The LS430 had things the S-class introduced only years later (most cars have none of the luxury amenities the LS430 has), and the S-Class is NOTHING compared to Lexus's quality.

Lol 215bhp lol

It sadly still isn't a beater. It is absolutely no fun to drive. Even worse...its absolutely stale.

oh man, you got so many things wrong in this review. at least learn about the car before try to review it...

another title that implies that Lexus hasnt got what it takes to beat the 'established euro premium brands' + Volvo = LOL. If you aren't convinced after their relative short history, you never will be... What a joke.

Bob, correct me if I'm wrong but I think that twelve-year-old Mercedes S-Class had more features than that Lexus. That Lexus doesn't look even close to a Mercedes or BMW in terms of competition.

Can you say “fat Americans”?

Lots of scratchy plastics, an infotainment system from 15 years ago, a horrible engine with CVT and don't even start on the self charging hybrid marketing rubbish like Toyota.

Cant beat the Germans