The ES range is interesting with Lexus as it may be the entry price point but it's not the smallest car in their local range. The ES is actually a large luxury sedan and fills this role extremely well.
Powered by the familiar 2.5L 4 cylinder petrol engine used in numerous other Lexus and Toyota models, it may not be a ball of fire in the performance stakes. Instead, it provides relaxed and comfortable cruising ability in all situations. 152kW and 243Nm are not modest figures but I somehow never felt like pushing this car. Rather sit back and enjoy the ride cocooned in luxury and space.
As befits a car in the executive field, the ES, even in "base" EX variant is packed with all possible luxury features. Heated front seats, electric adjustment for driver and front passenger, comfort movement of the steering wheel for easy entry and egress, plenty of USB ports, dual-zone climate control are just some of the features.
On the safety front, blind-spot warning, lane departure, cruise control plus autonomous emergency braking are all present. The emergency braking kicked in when pedestrians walked behind the car when reversing out of a parking spot. Besides the surprise factor, the stop was rather violent but that's exactly what's needed in an emergency.
On the road, the fact that the ES has front wheel drive was not even apparent and whether in traffic, freeways or heading through a mountain pass all were handled with ease. Overall fuel consumption for the test was 7.6l/100km. A good result but for economy and extra responsiveness, I would seriously consider the hybrid option available.
The current price as tested is R719 900 including a 7 year/ 105 000km full maintenance plan.
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