Hybrid, All-Electric 2026 Lexus ES Is the Most Significant Lexus of the Decade: Review

What Car Shoppers Need to Know

• The eighth-generation Lexus ES sedan is available as either a gas-electric hybrid or full electric vehicle.
• Power ranges from 221-338 horsepower.
• Comprehensively redesigned inside and out, the new style might not be for everyone.

For better or for worse, the new eighth-generation Lexus ES is a landmark car in the brand’s unwinding history. Launched for the 2026 model year, this fresh ES is our first taste of the “new” Lexus, previewing a comprehensively reworked design language that’ll surely filter through the rest of the lineup. Check out the sedan’s cybereqsue duds in the lead photo. Does it convey “all-electric” vibes? It should, as the automaker launched the reworked ES with both hybrid and all-electric powertrains — and one of those feels significantly more appropriate than the other.

Related: All-New 2026 Lexus ES Offers Stepped Electrification With Hybrid and EV Powertrains

I’ll remain fairly tight-lipped on my opinion of the ES’ styling, as that’s a subjective topic. If you do, however, find its angled, pinched appearance somewhat challenging, know you are both not alone (according to internet chatter!) and that you should reserve full judgment until you see it in person. Under the cover of Southern California’s golden sun, the 2026 ES appeared far more conventional than in photos, though there are still folks who will find its sharpened edges and bold schnozz extreme.

Is the Interior of the 2026 Lexus ES Luxurious?

• Takeaway: For the most part it is, at least from a materials perspective. Presentation could use some work, however.

There’s no way to soften that cold, modern interior, though … or perhaps there is. I implore you: Physically poke at and around those “hard” surfaces at your local dealer before setting your mind. Much like myself, you’ll find that while the new ES can’t match the last-gen sedan for outright cushiness and extended padding, it’s significantly softer than — again! — it appears in photos. Controls, some paneling and accent trim are plastic, but the same can be said for the prior ES, and it’s all matte, well finished and offers damped actuation.

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In other words, it feels mostly primo. Pics of the new touch-sensitive center control bar had my hackles raised right up until I toggled the climate temp. The haptic soft-bar surface deforms with your press, and it’s a mighty step above the frustrating fixed-panel and digital controls present in so many current production cars. Note the latticed, textured physical volume roller; the simple pull-back electronic shifter and the cluster of hard controls for the brake hold and parking brake.

A quick break with the (attempted) objectivity — I’m not a fan of both the needless electronic door handles nor the new “Lexus” script on the steering-wheel center cap, but I do appreciate the deliberate texturing on the steering-wheel control panels that speak to Lexus’ signature attention to details and generally superior finishing. If this comes across as overly sterile, spend some time staring at Lexus’ cockpits of yore; with the exception of the fabulous LC and ritzy LS, these were hardly thrilling environments.

In other words, it feels mostly primo. Pics of the new touch-sensitive center control bar had my hackles raised right up until I toggled the climate temp. The haptic soft-bar surface deforms with your press, and it’s a mighty step above the frustrating fixed-panel and digital controls present in so many current production cars. Note the latticed, textured physical volume roller; the simple pull-back electronic shifter and the cluster of hard controls for the brake hold and parking brake.

A quick break with the (attempted) objectivity — I’m not a fan of both the needless electronic door handles nor the new “Lexus” script on the steering-wheel center cap, but I do appreciate the deliberate texturing on the steering-wheel control panels that speak to Lexus’ signature attention to details and generally superior finishing. If this comes across as overly sterile, spend some time staring at Lexus’ cockpits of yore; with the exception of the fabulous LC and ritzy LS, these were hardly thrilling environments.

legroom increases by an impressive 1.4 inches.

What Powertrains Are Available in the 2026 Lexus ES?

• Takeaway: The gas-electric hybrid ES 350h is offered with either front- or all-wheel drive, while the all-electric ES 350e and ES 500e have single-motor FWD and dual-motor AWD, respectively.

Time for the big powertrain chalk talk. FWD is standard for both the hybrid and electric models with AWD available, and no extra power for the hybrid but a sizable 117-hp boost for the dual-motor ES 500e. The ES 350h is a traditional, non-plug-in hybrid with no pure electric range from the augmented 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. It’s a powertrain we’ve seen plenty of times elsewhere in the greater Toyota family tree (Toyota is Lexus’ parent company), here producing a fine 244 hp combined and a manufacturer-rated 48/44/46 mpg city/highway/combined with FWD and 47/42/44 mpg with AWD.

Nothing revelatory to report here, frankly. If you’ve driven one of the current Toyota hybrids, you’ve driven ‘em all, and this is neither an insult nor reductive. Power and acceleration is just a dollop better than adequate, with a Lexus-reported 0-60 mph time of 7.3 and 7.1 seconds for FWD and AWD, respectively. Far from sports sedan numbers, but then, the ES is far from a sports sedan even in its meatiest 500e form; the traditionally buzzy, raspy four-cylinder engine is admirably isolated from the cabin even under full-throttle merging and aggro passing, settling down to an intermittent whump as it cycles on and off.

Yes, yes, I, too, miss ye olde 3.5-liter V-6 of the ES 350. It ain’t coming back, but I’d be genuinely surprised if the hybrid wasn’t potent or refined enough for your tastes. If you did need the six-second 0-60 mph run of the last-gen V-6, I think you might be confused with the core ethos of the intentionally milquetoast ES family. And provided an EV slots into both your needs and lifestyle, the 500e’s 338-hp dual-motor artillery lops the 60 mph scramble down to a gutsy 5.1 seconds.

Should You Get the Hybrid or All-Electric 2026 Lexus ES?

• Takeaway: The smoothness and instant torque of the ES 350e and ES 500e make them the ones to get provided an EV fits your lifestyle.

Which, as is usually the case with non-performance EVs, feels more like a side effect than a feature. It hustles, but the whole package is far removed from the smaller, sporting IS sedan, with the ES intentionally falling far, far more on the “daily” side of the “daily driver” formula. It’s hard to argue against well-tuned EVs as the ideal workaday sled, and the ES 350e and 500e offer exceptionally smooth driver inputs. There’s the seamless, well-mapped accelerator and perfect brake blend between the physical brakes and regenerative capability, accompanied by the preternatural silence of the electric powertrain.

Expert Rating: 7.3/10

• Powertrain: 7/10
• Ride quality: 8/10
• Driver comfort: 8/10
• Passenger comfort: 9/10
• Interior quality: 7/10
• User interface: 7/10
• Cargo space: 7/10
• Value: 7/10
• Overall appeal: 7/10
• Driving range: 7/10
• Charging speed: 6/10
• Efficiency: 7/10

Really, the one to get is the single-motor, FWD ES 350e. A 7.4-second 0-60 mph scoot is all you need (come on, be honest with yourself), and it mirrors the smoothness and motive elegance of the juicier 500e. You’ll have a bit more estimated range, too — either 292 or 307 miles, depending on specified wheels, compared to the dual-motor 500e’s 272 or 276 miles of range, all from the shared 74.7-kilowatt-hour battery pack.

Solid, but it gets slightly worse when you go to plug in. As it does in Toyota’s other EVs, DC fast charging peaks at 150 kilowatts, returning a 10%-80% fast-charge time of 28 minutes in ideal conditions, according to Lexus. This isn’t bad per se, but it’s clearly a step behind the competition, as indicated in the table of base rear-wheel-drive rivals below:

My ultimate takeaway: Stick with the ES 350e if an EV works for you; otherwise, park the hybrid ES 350h in your driveway if the new aesthetics and ‘tude are appealing. All of it can be yours for a starting price of $48,895 for the ES 350e or $51,095 for the base hybrid (prices include destination fee). Got the strange need for speed? It’s $51,895 for the cheapest ES 500e, just $3,000 more than the base 350e.

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