2020 Lexus ES 300h Review
Price Range:Â $28,990 - $32,998





+135
Good
7.9
out of 10
edmunds TESTED
The 2020 Lexus ES 300h is one of just a few luxury midsize hybrid sedans. Fuel economy is excellent, and the 300h handles surprisingly well and retains the Lexus hallmark focus on comfort and serenity. European plug-in hybrids are typically sportier, but the ES remains one of today's best all-around performers.
2020 Lexus ES 300h Review
by the Edmunds Experts
What's new
- The Lexus ES 300h carries over essentially unchanged
- Part of the seventh Lexus ES generation introduced for 2019
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2020 Lexus ES 300h 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.04 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia
$87/mo  for ES 300h Base
ES 300h Base
vs
$193/mo
Avg. Large Car
See Edmunds pricing data
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Reliability Ratings by RepairPal
4.5 out of 5 stars4.5/5Excellent
#2 out of 68 among Luxury Midsize Cars
RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.
Cost
The average total annual cost for unscheduled repairs and maintenance across all model years of the Lexus ES 300h from 2008-2022.$339/yr
vs. $607/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize Car
for Average Luxury Midsize Car
Frequency
The average number of times this model is brought into the shop for unscheduled repairs and maintenance in a single year. RepairPal calculates this metric by tracking millions of unique vehicles over multiple years to determine an average number of visits per year (omitting small routine visits, e.g., oil changes).0.47x/yr
vs. 1.36x/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize Car
for Average Luxury Midsize Car
Severity
The probability that a repair will be a major issue, meaning the repair costs 3x the average annual repair cost for all models. This threshold will be higher for vehicles that have higher labor rates and parts costs (such as a premium brand).5.6%
vs. 10.5%
for Average Luxury Midsize Car
for Average Luxury Midsize Car
powered by RepairPal Based on RepairPal reliability data as of 8/23/2023. Ratings are provided by RepairPal and Edmunds is not responsible for their accuracy.
Lexus ES 300h Reviews
Owner Reviews
5(78%)
4(13%)
3(6%)
2(3%)
1(0%)
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
2019 ES 300h Hybrid Luxury
5 out of 5 starsJ Daw, 02/10/2019
2019 Lexus ES 300h Luxury 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
This is a luxury, teriffic milage, car that is very quiet. The layout of tha interior is similar to the LS. The operation of the instrumentation leaves something to be desired-way too complicated to operate. Lexus seemed to go out of their way making everything instrumental way too hard to easily operate. My 2013 Lexus ES300h was much easier insofar as operation of the instrumental … package. Otherwise, it is a great car. Smooth, quiet, firm easy driving. I would strongly suggest paying extra for the Luxury package in order to get the noise reducing wheels and window glass. They come standard as part of the Luxury package.
BEST Hybrid 'Prius' made
5 out of 5 starsDoug S., 05/08/2019
2019 Lexus ES 300h Ultra Luxury 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
This is my second ES300h. I now have 3,200 miles on this car. SUPERB Automobile.. SO safety conscious. Far superior to the 6th generation. I am a bit of an enomoly... I get 49 - 52.5 mpg about town, 46 on the highway. SO comfortable.. seats are wonderful to drive from.. This 'Mark Levinson' is infinitely better than previous versions. Driving, on the road, is surgical as … to placement and position. I got the UL package with every option they offered... not inexpensive, but for what you get.. WELL worth waiting for a special Order. "Get your hands on a Toyota, you'll never let Go".. and the Lexus label is even better..
Very impressed and pleased with this car!
5 out of 5 starsandylibby, 07/30/2019
2019 Lexus ES 300h Ultra Luxury 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
This is my first Lexus. My last four cars were (1) 2012 Prius 5, (2) 2013 Avalon Limited Hybrid, (3) 2014 Mercedes E250, and (4) 2017 Mercedes E300 so I’m not unfamiliar with luxury cars or hybrids. This car is truly awesome. I drive about 35,000 miles per year and appreciate comfort and technology. This car has loads of both. The interior is not as stunning as my Mercedes E300, but … I also don’t expect to make as many trips to the dealer for repairs as I did with both Mercedes cars. I love them, but they wore me out with their maintenance needs. I, also, don’t like the mouse pad as well as the control on my Mercedes, but it’s usable and learnable. I love the quiet cabin, silky smooth ride and the surprisingly responsive handling.
Among my favorite features are the head-up display and ventilated seat, which is truly great in Texas as are the blinds for the rear seat passengers. The mouse pad is the only chink in an otherwise wonderful car, but it's certainly not enough for me to dislike the entire car. It would be nice if Lexus or some aftermarket entity could retrofit a knob of some sort to replace the mouse pad, but I imagine that would be far too problematic.
Update February 2020: I'm still loving the Lexus after five months behind the wheel. I have over 14,000 miles on the car now and can report it's had two trips to the dealership; one for tire rotation at 5k miles and a second at 10k for oil change and checkup. Neither visit cost me anything. I've learned how to use the car's technology package and take full advantage of the advanced features like Apply CarPlay, adaptive cruise, auto-dim headlamps, lane departure, and its various emergency/safety functions which have come in handy more than once in Dallas and Houston traffic. The lights on this car are incredible. For one thing, they're incredibly bright. Yes, I've been flashed more than once by an oncoming car who thought I had brights on. I imagine that's just a matter of perception. Plus, the headlamps track when turning and there are curb/corner lights just like on my Dad's 1967 Buick Electra. Cool! MPG is still going strong at 40+ and gas prices are low. What could be better?
ES300h Ultra Luxury
5 out of 5 starsRichard from Myrtle Beach, 12/29/2019
2020 Lexus ES 300h Ultra Luxury 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
This model has all of the bells and whistles that I wanted. Plus some new features I didn't know it had. For example, a forward camera that also provides a visual image when pulling up to a curb so you don't hit the front grille area.
After driving the car for six months I still love it but with two noticeable issues.
1) I received a Recall Notice that certain engine blocks were … defective so the entire engine must be replaced to avoid a possible fire. A defective engine will be replaced free of charge.
2) The steering column and seat height requires constant adjustment to avoid having my knee hit the steering column when braking. Evidently the steering column is slightly lower than previous models. Being tall I didn’t have this issue with my 2005 Lexus ES 330.
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2020 Lexus ES 300h, so we've included reviews for other years of the ES 300h since its last redesign.
2020 ES 300h Highlights
Base
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $41,810 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Hybrid |
Combined MPG | 44 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $87/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 16.7 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
Safety
Our experts like the ES 300h models:
- Lexus Safety System+ 2.0
- Bundles a variety of standard safety features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking and lane keeping assist.
- Panoramic View Monitor
- Displays a 360-degree image of the area around the vehicle to aid in parking maneuvers.
- Blind-Spot Monitor
- Warns the driver if a vehicle is in the ES 300h's blind spot.
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%
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