2023 Lexus ES 350

The 2023 ES 350 will come in five trims, namely the base ES 350 trim, the ES 350 Luxury trim, the ES 350 Ultra luxury trim, the ES 350 F SPORT DESIGN, and the ES 350 F SPORT HANDLING. With the distinct luxury-oriented and performance-oriented trims, Lexus broadens its appeal to both crowds. The base ES 350 trim comes with Simulated leather upholstery, Power-adjustable front seats, and a Sunroof which still makes it a cut above the rest and gives it a luxurious touch that doesn’t break the bank. The higher trims have a wooden trim with ambient lighting, Heated and ventilated front seats, and many more luxury elements that go on to justify the significant price hike that comes along with the topmost trim in the lineup. The inclusion of Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 is a major one as it adds a lot of much-needed safety features to the ES 350 and makes it a much more secure daily driver. 

Each trim of the 2023 ES 350 builds on its lower trim and as the price increases we see the addition of more quality interiors and a more visually appealing and distinct look come to the ES 350. The addition of the ES 350 F Sport Design and the ES 350 F Sport Handling is a nice addition for the more performance-oriented enthusiasts who need that extra bit of power and handling from their sedan. Lexus also offers various small packages for each of its trims, the only significant one is:- 

Premium package (Optional for the base ES 350)

• Heated and ventilated front seats 
• Rain-sensing windshield wipers 
• Lexus memory system
• Easy access driver’s seat and power tilt with telescopic steering wheel
• Heated leather-trimmed steering wheel 
• Intuitive parking assist with auto braking and rear cross-traffic alert
• Wireless charging support 
• Windshield wiper with De-icer
• Fast response interior heater 
• Power-folding outside mirrors 
• Wood trim

We Recommend 

We would recommend sticking with the ES 350 luxury as it has a healthy balance of performance and luxury. It can be a workhorse and a daily driver while not breaking the bank. The addition of a wood and leather-trimmed steering wheel, and Premium Leather seats make the sedan downright luxurious and a pleasure to drive in. While the V6 provides enough power to see it through any troubles that might come its way. For more performance-minded individuals who also like to have sporty aesthetics, we would recommend going with the ES 350 F SPORT HANDLING.

Release Date 

The 2023 Lexus ES 350 started production in August of 2022 and deliveries in October of 2022 according to the Lexus USA Newsroom. 

The ES 350 comes with a 3.5L V6 configuration, which is standard throughout the entire 350 lineup. It is capable of pushing 302 hp @ 6,600 RPM of horsepower and 267 lb-ft @ 4,700 RPM of torque. This helps the ES 350 have a major heads up against the ES 250 which comes with a 2.5L Inline-4 engine. The standard Front-wheel drive is also only coming in the ES 350 and it misses out on the All-wheel drive that comes with the ES 250. Furthermore, the ES 350 has an 8-speed automatic transmission with overdrive and when combined with all the above power, helps the sedan go from 0 to 60 in 6.1 seconds and cover a quarter mile in 14.6 seconds. Although the luxury orientation is clearly a drawback when it comes to high performance, the stats on the Lexus ES 350 are still surprising as Lexus generally steers clear of too much power in their vehicles. 

Overall, the ES 350 gets the shorter end of the stick when it comes to the competition, it has the highest horsepower output but is outclassed when it comes to acceleration and top speed. The Infiniti Q50 comes first with the highest stats in all segments, the Acura TLX with its relatively less powerful engine configuration comes in second with a surprisingly potent acceleration and top speed. The third place goes to the Nissan Maxima which decides to go down swinging as it is on its last leg and will be discontinued after its 2023 iteration. 

2023 Lexus ES ES 350 Sedan Ride and Handling

Handling is one of the ES 350’s strongest suits. It has historically always had a silky smooth handling and a powerful powertrain. Turning and cornering are done exceptionally well as the car does it effortlessly even at highway speeds. The F sport design and the F sport handling trims are the best among the trims when it comes to comfort while keeping top-notch handling. The braking feels gentle and the ES 350 responds quickly when the brakes are applied. With multi-link suspension in the front and strut suspension on the back accompanied by a Rack-Pinion steering system makes the sedan stable over adverse road conditions. With the ES 350, comfort, smoother ride and reliability are the name of the game. 

2023 Lexus ES ES 350 Sedan Braking performance 

The Lexus ES 350 is known for its reliability and that extends to the braking performance as well, even though it has brake rotors on the smaller side, the ES 350 has a smooth and efficient braking action. It has a 4-wheel disc braking system along with 12-inch rotors up front and 11.1-inch rotors out back. As the ES 350 is on the lighter side when compared to its competition, these smaller rotors almost negate the issues that may arise with having smaller brake rotors. 

The ES 350 has the smallest brake rotors and also the smallest curb weight. Despite its smaller size, it achieves the shortest braking distance from 60 to 0. The Acura TLX has the biggest brake rotors and an average curb weight making it the best in this segment, with a braking distance right next to the ES 350. The Maxima and Q50 are pretty evenly matched as well with their only difference being a slightly smaller curb weight for the Maxima and a much longer braking distance for the Q50. Overall, the ES 350 has the quickest brakes matching its rapid acceleration. 

Despite keeping the same configuration since last year, the fuel efficiency of the ES 350 takes a big boost. The fuel efficiency of the Lexus ES 350 is comparatively better than the competitors with upwards of 25 mpg in the city and 34 mpg on the highway, giving it a combined mpg estimate of 28mpg. Combine it with a 15.9-gallon gas tank and the range of the sedan changes to 397.50 miles in the city and 540.60 miles on the highway. Essentially, the ES 350 trades performance for fuel efficiency, and for good reason, as a minor hit on performance results in a much larger extension of its fuel efficiency.

The 2023 Lexus ES 350 beats all its rivals by a wide margin when it comes to fuel efficiency. The only factor holding it back is its comparatively smaller fuel capacity, which is shared by the Acura TLX as well. The Infiniti Q50 has the lowest fuel efficiency in the segment but has the highest range due to its large fuel tank. The Nissan Maxima gets the shorter end of the stick as it has a comparatively weak fuel economy as well as a relatively small gas tank which makes it comparatively the worst among its competitors. 

One of the best parts about owning a Lexus is its interiors, and the ES 350 is no exception. With its sleek and stylish dashboard, comfortable seats, and interior space, the ES 350 provides an opulent environment for everybody inside. The dashboard has eye-catching aluminum accents on the dashboard, which when paired with the 8-inch central display, makes the front of the sedan irresistible. The supple semi-aniline leather-trimmed seats which are also Power-adjustable provide an excellent addition to the ES 350 which makes it comfortable and reliable. The additional elements like dual-zone climate control and ambient lighting make it more homely and comforting to be inside. The addition of a wooden trim with ambient lighting is also a major aesthetic complement to the luxury-based ES 350 trims. Overall, Lexus has kept things short and sweet with the interiors, they have also painstakingly made sure that everything blends in and makes the ES 350 a seamless beauty both from the inside and outside. 

Lexus has been boasting about the rear dimensions of the ES trims for quite some time now and for good reason as the rear headroom and legroom are significantly better than the competition. However, we don’t see the same mind blowing specifications up front where it is beaten by every other competitor. The ES 350 also has the biggest cargo capacity among its competitors. The Infiniti Q50 comes in second in terms of interior space and the Maxima is a close third, despite having the second-best cargo capacity. The Acura TLX has the smallest cabin overall and the second smallest trunk.

Some of the standout interior features of the 2023 Lexus ES 350are:- 

• Dual-zone automatic climate control with interior air filters
• Perforated NuLuxe interior trim
• Wood trim with ambient lighting
• Power rear sunshade
• Lexus 10-speaker Premium Sound System
• 14-way power-adjustable driver's seat
• Heating and ventilated functions in higher trims

2023 Lexus ES ES 350 Sedan Infotainment system 

Going with the theme of luxurious interiors, the Lexus ES 350 is jam-packed with functionality and tech features as well. The 10.2-inch Head-Up Display is paired with an 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen display which can be upgraded to a 12.3-in multimedia touchscreen display if needed. The Lexus Interface also comes in handy as it has an easy-to-grasp UI and added functionality of Drive Connect capability with Cloud Navigation, Intelligent Assistant, and Destination Assist which is available by subscription. The Lexus 10-speaker Premium Sound System makes its appearance once more making the ES 350 a potent multimedia consumption tool. This time around, Lexus is also offering a Mark Levinson 17-speaker 1,800-watt PurePlay Surround Sound system which adds a major boost to sound quality. Standard features like Bluetooth connectivity, HD Radio, Wireless Apple CarPlay and Wireless Android Auto, Lexus Enform WiFi, and Voice Command are also present.

Some of the standout features in the 2023 Lexus ES 350 infotainment unit are:- 

• 8.0-inch multimedia touchscreen
•  Lexus Interface
• 10-speaker Premium Sound System
• Bluetooth connectivity
• Wireless Apple CarPlay and Wireless Android Auto support
• SiriusXM 3-month Platinum Plan trial subscription
• Available 12.3-in multimedia touchscreen 
• Available Mark Levinson 17-speaker Premium Surround Sound system

Lexus has unmatched quality, elegance, and diligent planning when it comes to every single car that they produce. The 2023 ES 350 has a dynamic stance and a sleek, coupe-like silhouette. The signature Lexus front grille is incredibly attractive and the LED headlamps accompanying it give the Lexus ES lineup a commanding presence on the road. It exudes class and sophistication through every inch of its design, be it the Bi-LED headlamps, optional Color-keyed rear spoiler, 17-inch twin-V-spoke alloy wheels, or the optional Panorama glass roof. The F sport trims take aggressive styling to the next level with a unique front bumper, grille surround, and rear spoiler. It also features F SPORT 19-inch split five-spoke alloy wheels with a gloss black finish and black lug nuts. 

The 2023 Lexus ES 350 is the longest car in the segment with the highest ground clearance and a longer wheelbase for better maneuverability. The Acura TLX comes in second with a similarly sized wheelbase to the ES 350 and lower curb weight. The Maxima has the lowest curb weight among the competition and the lowest ground clearance which is also matched by the Q50. However, the Q50 falls short in other aspects and is the smallest car among its competition.

Some of the standout exterior features of the 2023 Lexus ES 350 Sedan are:- 

• Bi-LED headlamps
• 17-inch twin-V-spoke alloy wheels
• Power moonroof
• Rear Spoiler
• LED Brakelights
• Dark-background chrome-accented grille
• Rain-sensing windshield wipers

Toyota, and by extension, Lexus have a suite of safety features that are standard across all trims. It's one of the greatest features of the companies as they do not compromise on safety. The Lexus Safety System+ 2.5 comes with a lot of safety features like a Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection, Lane Tracing Assist, Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, Road Sign Assist, and All-Speed Dynamic Radar Cruise Control. The Sedan has 10 standard airbags which is a reassuring sight. Other than that we also see the inclusion of a Backup camera with dynamic gridlines, Vehicle Stability Control, a Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, and Intuitive Parking Assist with Auto Braking. These features make the ES 350 a great choice for beginners or more safety-oriented drivers who need an extra helping hand on the road.

Some of the standout safety features present in the 2023 Lexus ES 350 lineup are:- 

• Lexus Safety System+ 2.5
• 10 standard airbags
• Backup camera with dynamic gridlines
• Blind Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert
• Intuitive Parking Assist with Auto Braking
• Automatic Emergency Braking

2023 Lexus ES ES 350 Sedan VS 2023 Nissan Maxima

Despite being at its last leg, the Nissan Maxima gives the ES 350 a hell of a fight with its slightly quicker acceleration, better top speed, better ground clearance, and a bigger fuel tank. Whereas the ES 350 is lighter, has better fuel efficiency, a smaller tank but a higher range, marginally better interior space, a higher cargo capacity, and a longer wheelbase. Overall, we would recommend going with the ES 350 as it has better capabilities of a daily driver and a much more luxurious interior. The Maxima does have areas it excels in but its shortcomings are detrimental to its overall practicality. 

2023 Lexus ES ES 350 Sedan VS 2023 Infiniti Q50

The ES 350’s luxury-based approach is much more evident when it goes against the Q50. The Q50 has a much quicker acceleration, a far higher top speed, a much bigger gas tank and thus a longer driving range and a lower ground clearance. The Lexus ES 350, meanwhile, has a lighter frame, far better fuel efficiency, a bigger cabin, a bigger trunk, and a longer wheelbase. For the more sport minded among us, the Q50 may be the better choice overall, but the average commuter would do well to stick with the ES 350’s better fuel economy and comfy interiors. 

2023 Lexus ES ES 350 Sedan VS 2022 Acura TLX

The Acura TLX comes very close to the ES 350 in many ways, despite having a similarly proportioned gas tank and a wheelbase of similar size, it has a far higher top speed and bigger brake rotors. However, the ES 350 is lighter, has better fuel efficiency, a more spacious interior, and has higher cargo capacity than the TLX. Acura has always been a niche brand as for every Acura there is a similar Honda, but the TLX has tried to make itself more distinct and presentable over the years with relative success. Most people will be pleased with the design and reliability of the TLX but perhaps not so much with the fuel efficiency and seating space. 

The bigger and more powerful ES 350 does not live up to the hype in our opinion. It has remarkable specifications but the performance of the V6 engine is underutilized, which is the whole gimmick of the ES 350. Lexus as an extension of Toyota does enjoy unmatched reliability, a quick and fuel efficient drivetrain, and an efficient engine. Along with that, the ES 350 also has ample seating space, a low ground clearance and superior handling due to a long wheelbase. Overall, the ES 350 is a good choice for daily driving with some extra punching power and responsiveness. The warranty coverage provided by Lexus is much better than rivals like BMW and Mercedes Benz but it's not quite as good as the coverage provided by Genesis either. The issues with the Lexus ES 350 cannot be overlooked and the sedan is not all it's cracked up to be. The lower trims do the same job at a lower price point and we wouldn’t advise going for the ES 350.