2021 Lexus ES 250 Review
Price Range: $27,449 - $31,998





+104
Good
7.7
out of 10
edmunds TESTED
The 2021 Lexus ES 250 finally brings an all-wheel-drive powertrain to the ES lineup. Unfortunately, the 250's lethargic four-cylinder engine is unworthy of being in a luxury car such as this. Unless you absolutely need the AWD system, the V6-powered ES 350 is a better buy. The ES 250's endearing qualities are otherwise present in the ES 350 as well.
2021 Lexus ES 250 Review
by the Edmunds Experts
What's new
- New ES variant with four-cylinder engine and all-wheel drive
- Part of the seventh ES generation introduced for 2019
Cost to Drive
Monthly estimates based on costs in Texas
$119/mo for ES 250 Base
ES 250 Base
vs
$176/mo
Avg. Large Car
Lexus ES 250 Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
Great luxury car for the money
4 out of 5 starsBrian , 02/20/2021
2021 Lexus ES 250 Luxury 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl 8A)
Other poster talked about cheap interior and bad stereo. Luxury version has leather seats. Mark Levinson upgrade provides great stereo. Features are as good or better than what you find on higher priced cars.
ES250 isn't powerful but I got 37 mpg on a long trip. I would like to see better ambient lighting.
Love our Lexus
5 out of 5 starsStephen Bowman, 08/29/2023
2021 Lexus ES 250 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl 8A)
Purchased 2021 ES250, 30,000 miles, Lexus Certified two weeks ago. We absolutely love our car. Quality throughout, very comfortable ride and seats. Roomy. Easy to get in and out of. Love the styling. Top Safety Pick. Loaded with safety features. Getting 34+ MPG highway. Power is adequate. All wheel drive a plus for us. Update - We have owned this car for more than a year- Certified Pre … Owned. 29,000 miles on odometer . We have driven it about 10,000 miles since purchasing. We absolutely love it. Perfect car for us.
Old school reliable daily
5 out of 5 starsVaLexusDriver, 10/08/2022
2021 Lexus ES 250 F SPORT 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl 8A)
Traded my beloved Infiniti QX70 Limited but I really like this car. It’s the 4 cylinder so it’s not as powerful as others in the class but the simplicity and old school demeanor and AWD is what sold me. I’m getting high 30’s low 40’s mpg and the luxury look/feel is top notch. I have the F Sport with red interior with every option except the HUD and rear window shade. ML audio and triple … beam headlights are simply amazing and a must have, the 12.3” screen has crisp graphics and the ride comfort is top of the class. I also love the F Sport gauges and this is surprisingly very roomy. No turbos or anything to complicate reliability gives a peace of mind and expectation of long term reliability.
Extremely under powered
2 out of 5 starsJohn, 01/08/2021
2021 Lexus ES 250 4dr Sedan AWD (2.5L 4cyl 8A)
Brought my older es350 in for service and got a 2021 es250 as a loaner. I was thinking on trading my es350 for newer model since in am nearing 150k miles but after driving the new es250 I will be keeping my old one. Biggest first impression is the vehicle is extremely under powered and takes excessive throttle input to get it to move. 4 cylinder engine is loud and feels like I am … driving a Toyota Corolla. Interior feels cheap and not like previous models and has one of if not the worst stereo I have ever heard in a car. Very cheap...I feel like Lexus really missed the mark and I can’t see them selling many of these cars. I predict they will drop this model after a couple years as I can’t see who would buy this. If you like this car you should buy a Camry as they are probably similar except Camry has better stereo
2021 ES 250 Highlights
Base
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $40,000 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 28 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $119/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 13.9 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | all wheel drive |
Warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
Safety
Our experts like the ES 250 models:
- Blind-Spot Monitoring
- Uses radar to detect when vehicles are alongside and alerts the driver to potential side collision due to a lane change maneuver.
- Lexus Enform Safety Connect
- Provides automatic collision notification, stolen vehicle location, an emergency button inside the cabin, and enhanced roadside assistance.
- Lexus Safety System+ 2.0
- Bundles a variety of standard safety features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist.
NHTSA Overall Rating
5 out of 5 starsThe National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverall4 / 5Driver5 / 5Passenger4 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverall5 / 5
- Side Barrier RatingOverall5 / 5Driver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront Seat5 / 5Back Seat5 / 5
- RolloverRollover4 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of Rollover10.5%
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestGood
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalGood
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestGood
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintGood
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