Driven: 2024 Lexus ES Hybrid Ultra Luxury Is Luxury Without The ‘Ultra’

Those who are dismissive of Lexus will generally describe the brand as merely selling expensive Toyotas. That’s unfair, in our opinion, as Lexus does some wonderful things with Toyota’s platforms, creating an entirely new dynamic. That being said, the Lexus ES lineup isn’t exactly mind-blowing. What it is is a sedan with a soft, isolated ride boasting a comfortable premium interior wrapped up in Lexus style. The total package is a car that provides serious value for money if you’re not looking for something that will provide some semblance of fun when driving. If that’s what you want from sedan, you best look elsewhere. However, if understated elegance, fuss-free driving, and the benefits of a hybrid powertrain are on your priority list, read on.

Lexus sent us a 2024 ES 300h in its Ultra Luxury trim for a week – that’s the mid-range Lexus ES Hybrid – and we like the idea of Ultra Luxury. We were left slightly disappointed, though, as the name is misleading in this case. However, that doesn’t mean it should be written off – there’s more to the ES Hybrid than simply assuming it’s an upgraded Camry wearing premium badging.

Exterior: Keeping It Low Key

Apart from a signature sharp front end, there’s not a lot to get excited about with the ES Hybrid, which is great if you like to cruise in traffic without getting a second glance. The automaker’s elegant but unexciting design language works for those who don’t want to attract attention – particularly in the Moonbeam Beige that our tester arrived in.

The Ultra Luxury trim includes a set of 18-inch alloy wheels with Vapor Chrome finish and, well, not much more. Like all models, the Ultra Luxury comes with a color-keyed rear spoiler, bi-LED headlights, that famous spindle grille, and a power moonroof.

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It does also include a power trunk with a kick sensor – but it’s possibly the slowest opening trunk we’ve experienced. This is where we first started having a problem with the Ultra Luxury trim name. There’s also a button to close the trunk, but not one to close and lock it, which we feel is a rather basic oversight on a luxury vehicle.

Interior: Comfy Camry

The ES sedan is based on the previous generation Camry platform, and it feels like it inside; on the plus side, you get lovely wood trim and semi-aniline leather-trimmed seat coverings in an attempt to dampen those Camry vibes. The steering wheel is also trimmed with wood and leather, but it doesn’t help shake the Camry feeling – and Lexus is usually great at making a Toyota platform feel different. Neither does having a power sunshade for the rear window and pull-up shades for the rear passengers.

It’s all very pleasant and relaxing, but it’s a far cry from ‘ultra luxury’. Not even with an analog clock on the dashboard, which is almost humorous at this point when placed next to a large infotainment screen that’s perfectly capable of, and for the majority of the time, showing the time.

The good news is that space inside is nicely measured for the car’s overall mid-size. There’s comfortable legroom for rear passengers while leaving a decent amount of space in the trunk for regular use, and the hybrid doesn’t lose out on any of these metrics in comparison to the non-hybrid.

Infotainment: Lexus Standard

The screen holding everything together infotainment-wise is a 12.3-inch unit that comes with Lexus’s 4G-dependent Drive Connect with Cloud Navigation as a three-month trial. The Cloud Navigation is fine, but the good news is that Android Auto and Apple CarPlay are standard. The Lexus infotainment is one of the better ones out there, and the voice assistant is a strong point.

It’s all standard Lexus, though, which is to say it’s pretty good – but it’s not ‘ultra luxury’. We do consider the standard head-up display to be premium and the17-speaker Mark Levinson sound system to be luxury – but the latter doesn’t come standard and needs to be paid for to replace the standard audio. The upgraded system is an excellent one, but even then it’s not special enough to add the word “ultra” to.

Under The Hood: Hybrid Efficiency

The ES 300h is powered by Toyota’s tried and tested 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and electric hybrid system, and it’s front-wheel-drive – definitely not a luxury car feature. Total output is a measly 215 hp and processed to the wheels by a Continuously Variable Transmission (CTV), which – as you guessed – we do not consider luxurious by any stretch. A luxury engine is one that is quiet and effortless in acceleration, and this isn’t that. Nothing about the powertrain sets it apart from a hybrid-powered Camry – it’s important to note that the 2025 Toyota Camry we tested was more impressive in this regard.

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But can it surpass the Accord’s as the quintessential midsize sedan with actual sporting aspirations?

The upside is the cost to run the hybrid system – but we’re not sure that’s a priority for those buying something in the upper end of the “luxury” segment. The EPA estimates 44 mpg combined, and in our experience over a week of mixed driving, that’s right on the money.

On The Road: It’s A Car

There is nothing special about driving the ES 300h. However, there isn’t much to complain about if you don’t demand fun from your car. The steering is light and easy and, well, it goes around corners just fine. It stops just fine. And its suspension is great if you remember and enjoy the old-school wafting-along feel that we enjoyed before luxury also meant sporty.

For a modern sporty luxury car – and blame the Germans for making that the standard – the suspension tends to be heavily damped by the shock absorbers, which is an effect that can be easily imagined. If you dropped a lightly damped car on its wheels from a height of 12 inches, it would land, and the chassis would bounce on the springs a few times. A heavily sprung and damped car would land, the chassis would compress the springs, then bounce maybe once or twice and not as far before settling. The Lexus ES belongs to the former category.

The end result of the ES 300h’s suspension is a wonderfully pleasant ride on a straight road. It soaks up average lumps and bumps nicely, and cushions against heavy bumps in a lovely, floaty way. The downside is in how much the chassis leans in corners, making driving a country road in a brisk fashion rather annoying. Instead, the ES 300h demands that things to be taken calmly.

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The base model costs $42,040, but the automaker has introduced an optional Technology Package across the range.

Conclusion: The Right Price For The Right People

The definition of luxury is succinctly summed up by the Oxford Dictionary as “the state of great comfort and extravagant living.” There’s not much about the ES 300h Ultra Luxury we would describe as extravagant, let alone with the ultra modifier – including the $52,330 price tag on our tester (excluding $1,150 destination and handling).

It’s an absurd trim name in this case; however, that $52,330 includes everything you need in a family sedan – and even more if you dig into the safety systems. The optional Mark Levinson upgrade will add $1,080 to the bill, and premium triple-beam headlights are available at $1,215. Other than that, it’s pretty well equipped to be a comfortable everyday driver.

If you’ve looked at a BMW, a Mercedes, or even a Genesis sedan and rolled your eyes at the unnecessary excess of power, high fuel consumption, weird looks, overwhelming infotainment feature list, and then playing the options game to get what you want in terms of daily quality-of-life features and the extra cost they incur… the Lexus ES 300h Ultra Luxury might be the Moonbeam Beige bullet you’re looking for. Several other colors are available, though. We recommend checking out Sunlit Green.

However, it may be worth considering the 2025 Toyota Camry instead; even at its highest trim level, though, you will need to add options to match standard features found on the Lexus:

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Get yourself a luxury car for a very non-luxury price.