2021 Lexus ES 350 Review

Name: 2021 Lexus ES 350
Brand: Lexus

Price Range: $24,444 - $37,590

The 2021 ES 350 offers ample power, surprisingly good handling, and Lexus' hallmark focus on comfort and serenity. Some rival German sedans can be sportier, but the ES remains one of today's best all-around performers.

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Average price: $31,084

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2021 Lexus ES 350 Review

Pros

Comfortable and mostly upscale interior
Excellent ride quality
Enjoyable handling balance from the F Sport version

Cons

Finicky infotainment interface
Rear seats don't fold down

What's new

Minor revisions to standard and optional features
New Black Line Special Edition debuts
Part of the seventh ES generation introduced for 2019

Overview

Written by automotive expert Christian Wardlaw

11/24/2020

With the cancellation of Lexus' midsize GS luxury sedan for the 2021 model year, the more affordable ES 350 sedan takes on greater importance for the automaker. It offers a roomy interior, plush driving dynamics and daring design.

Continue reading Edmunds Expert Rating below

For sale near Ashburn, VA

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2021 Lexus ES 350
F SPORT Sedan
$25,985
fair price
$79 below market
- 95,688 miles
- No accidents, 3 owners, corporate fleet vehicle
- 22 City / 31 Hwy MPG
- Safford Kia Manassas (19 mi away)
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Sunroof/Moonroof
- Keyless Entry/Start
- Upgraded Headlights
Close
Located in Manassas, VA
Recent Arrival! Experience dynamic luxury in this Clean CARFAX 2021 Lexus ES 350 F Sport, a stunning blend of performance, craftsmanship, and modern d...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: No
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
25 Combined MPG (22 City/31 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: 58AGZ1B18MU100186
Stock: P430B
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 11-03-2025
2021 Lexus ES 350
Base Sedan
$24,444
- 52,084 miles
- Frame damage reported, 2 owners, personal use
- 22 City / 32 Hwy MPG
- Auto Buying Service (18 mi away)
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Sunroof/Moonroof
- Keyless Entry/Start
- Upgraded Headlights
Close
Located in Fairfax, VA
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: No
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Issue reported
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: Yes
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
26 Combined MPG (22 City/32 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: 58ADZ1B15MU107860
Stock: ABS7745
Certified Pre-Owned: No
Listed since: 01-23-2025

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Equipped with a satisfying V6 engine, the 2021 Lexus ES 350 is one of three variants of the car. (The new-for-2021 ES 250 and the ES 300h hybrid are reviewed separately.) The regular ES 350 has the soft and sophisticated vibe common to Lexus models, and the F Sport version delivers a sportier look and a more engaging driving character. This year, the ES 350 F Sport is available in a Black Line Special Edition with black-out trim and two pieces of custom luggage.

Delivering big luxury car comfort at the price of a typical small European luxury sedan, the 2021 Lexus ES 350 offers plenty of value. Be sure to consult our full Expert Rating on the ES 350 for more in-depth analysis.

Edmunds Expert Rating

edmunds TESTED

by the Edmunds Experts

Good

8.0

out of 10

We drove the 2021 Lexus ES 350 on our test track and on real roads. Our Edmunds team conducts rigorous independent vehicle testing, driving 500,000 miles a year.

Performance

7.5/10

How does the ES 350 drive? Acceleration is powerful and smooth, and the V6 is strong throughout its rev range. The steering is nicely weighted and contributes to the ES 350's composure as you drive around turns. There's not a whole lot of maximum grip from the tires, but overall the ES handles better than you'd expect a luxury-oriented sedan to.

Around town, smooth acceleration and imperceptible gear changes make the ES a pleasure to drive. Even in city traffic, the ES feels as if it's just gliding along thanks to its relaxed powertrain.

Comfort

8/10

How comfortable is the ES 350? Comfort and isolation remain ES hallmarks, and neither has been sacrificed for improved handling. The front seats are firm and supportive, without excessive side bolsters that interfere with getting in and out. (Note that the F Sport's sport seats have a more aggressive shape and bolsters.) The rear seats are just as comfortable, if a bit wide and flat. You can sit up front or in the back for long stretches without fatigue.

This latest ES 350 hasn't lost its ability to absorb bumps and road rash either. There's a bit of intrusive wind noise at highway speeds — more than we'd expect of a Lexus — but maybe it's just more noticeable since the car tames road and tire noise so well. Engine noise is almost imperceptible. More warmth from the seat heaters on cold days would be nice.

Interior

8/10

How’s the interior? Getting in and out of the ES is no trouble thanks to the low seat cushions and wide door openings. There's also a good-size gap between front passengers and door panels that creates a feeling of space. There's loads of room in the back seat, especially between the seatbacks and knees, even for 6-foot-tall passengers.

Drivers of most heights and body types should find a comfortable driving position given the ES' power-adjustable seat and mostly clear views all around the car. Only the ES' incoherent array of buttons and switchgear is inexplicably inelegant in an otherwise elegant cabin. The volume knob is great, though, and feels like an old-school stereo receiver.

Technology

8/10

How’s the tech? Our test car came with the spectacular-looking 12-inch infotainment display. The widescreen navigation maps look great thanks to excellent color contrast and indicators. But using the touchpad controller while in motion is onerous; a dial-and-button controller would be preferable. Fortunately, you can control many nav, phone, audio and even climate control functions through voice commands.

The ES also includes several standard driver safety features, such as adaptive cruise control and lane keeping assist, which help minimize lane wandering. It isn't semi-automated driving, and the degree of steering correction is limited, but it's useful for occasional lapses of attention.

Storage

8/10

How’s the storage? The ES 350's 13.9-cubic-foot trunk has a suitable amount of room for luggage and golf clubs. However, the rear seats don't fold down, so you're not going to be able to load longer items. Interior storage space for small items is adequate. The door pockets are slim but the cupholders work well for holding various sizes of water bottles or drinks.

Have kids? There's plenty of space for installing child safety seats, and the car seat anchors are easy to access.

Fuel Economy

8.5/10

How’s the fuel economy? With an EPA rating of 26 mpg combined, the ES 350 is one of the more efficient midsize luxury sedans on the market. Of course, you can also pick the hybrid ES 300h for even better fuel economy. We observed a respectable 27.3 mpg on our evaluation route.

Value

8.5/10

Is the ES 350 a good value? For a relatively affordable sum, the ES delivers an appealing luxury experience. The top-shelf interior materials and design make the ES cockpit an attractive place to be. The upholstery feels supple and substantial, and the cabin shows typical Lexus attention to detail: tight panel gaps, damped button action and detailed stitching.

Lexus' pricing is appropriate for the high quality of materials, space and comfort. Some competitors start at a little less but aren't quite as refined. It's on par with rivals in warranty coverage, but most can't match the Lexus dealer experience.

Wildcard

8/10

There's nothing overly exciting about the ES 350. The ES is made to appeal to a wide range of drivers and broadcasts a well-made vibe inside and out. Yet with its well-sorted suspension and pleasantly powerful V6, the ES 350 can deliver that luxury and still cut loose on occasion.

2021 Lexus ES 350 trim level differences

Lexus offers the 2021 ES 350 in four levels of specification. If you wish to upgrade from the standard ES 350, your main choices are the ES 350 Luxury and the ES 350 F Sport. Additionally, the lineup offers an ES 350 Ultra Luxury model including nearly every factory option. There's also the limited-production Black Line Special Edition. Highlights of each version of the car are as follows:

Which ES 350 trim does Edmunds recommend?

We're partial to the ES 350 F Sport for its racier look and more athletic driving dynamics, but most people will likely be happiest with the ES 350 Luxury. It equips the car with upgraded interior materials, improved seat comfort, added safety equipment and nicer alloy wheels.Compare 2021 Lexus ES 350 trim levels

Cost to Drive

Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia

$131/mo

$184/mo

Avg. Large Car

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Reliability

The 2021 Lexus ES 350 has a 4 years / 50,000 miles basic warranty and 1 recall. RepairPal gives it a reliability rating of 4.5 out of 5, ranks it #3 out of 68 among Luxury Midsize Cars. Below you’ll find our owner reviews.

Reliability Rating by RepairPal

4.5 out of 5 stars4.5/5Excellent

#3 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

$364/yr

vs. $607/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize Car

Frequency

0.79x/yr

vs. 1.36x/yr
for Average Luxury Midsize Car

Severity

5.2%

vs. 10.5%
for Average Luxury Midsize Car

Recalls

1 recall found

Checking if a car has a recall is simple. Just type the car's VIN number into the NHTSA website (https://www.nhtsa.gov/recalls). If there's an unrepaired recall, you'll see it there.

If a recall shows up, just call your local car dealer. They'll know about the recall and will work with the car maker to fix it for free (if the recall happened within 10 years of the car being first sold).

Recall Number:: 23V865000
Manufacturer Recall Number:: 23TA15, 23
Number of vehicles affected:: 999901
Defect Description:: Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2020-2021 Avalon, Avalon Hybrid, Corolla, Highlander, Highlander Hybrid, RAV4, RAV4 Hybrid, Lexus ES350, Lexus RX350, Lexus RX450H, 2021 Sienna Hybrid, Lexus ES250, 2020-2022 Camry, Camry Hybrid, and ES300H vehicles. A short circuit may develop in the Occupant Classification System (OCS) sensor, preventing the front passenger air bag from deploying.
Defect Consequence:: An air bag that does not deploy during a crash increases the risk of injury.
Corrective Action:: Dealers will inspect and replace the sensor as necessary, free of charge. Owner letters were mailed October 31, 2024. This is a phased recall. The next phase is anticipated in June 2025. Multiple phases are planned through 2026. Owners may contact Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331. Toyota's number for this recall is 23TB15/23TA15 Lexus 23LB03/23LA03.

Warranty

4 years / 50,000 miles Basic Warranty

Basic Warranty: 4 years / 50,000 miles
Drivetrain Warranty: 6 years / 70,000 miles
Rust Warranty: 6 years / unlimited miles
Roadside assistance Warranty: 4 years / unlimited miles
Free maintenance Warranty: 1 years / 10,000 miles

Lexus ES 350 Reviews

Owner Reviews

4.5

51 reviews

5(70%)

4(14%)

3(7%)

2(9%)

1(0%)

See all 51 reviews of the Lexus ES 350

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Most Helpful Owner Reviews

better than prior generation

hjs, 04/14/2020

2020 Lexus ES 350 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 8A)

The good: better ride, more supple and softer suspension with improved cornering abitity, better appearance inside and out, plenty of important standard features. mpg is good for class, I average 28-30 back and forth to work. Power is superb and instant. The bad: stereo sucks!! 95% of sound comes from front speakers no matter what you do. One time transmission slammed so hard in reverse …

Great vehicle- best value for luxury car

JEB, 12/29/2020

2021 Lexus ES 350 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 8A)

Great car- my third ES and just as good as MB E350 I owned previously. Plus I don’t have to pay $350 for an oil change. Quiet, smooth and the gas mileage is incredible for a medium size V6. Plus, not paying for premium gas.

F-Sport avoids looking like your grandparents car

Mark C., 08/07/2020

2020 Lexus ES 350 F SPORT 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 8A)

Started leasing an F Sport ES 350 in Feb of 2020. Was a bit of an impulse buy. Was driving a 2012 Chrysler 300 before that had loads of service issues. While the 300 was very comfortable, it would lean too much in turns and was just boring to drive compared to this car. The F-Sport gets dinged for not having more powerful engine, but the 302 HP is plenty unless you want to race high … horsepower opponents on a regular basis. It is front wheel drive which might bother some, but it hasn't impacted daily driving experience in my opinion. The car will get up and go, especially in Sport Mode. Car slides down the freeway at 85 mph with tachometer at less than 1800 RPM. The best part of the car is the handling. The tuned suspension makes going around curves and turning at speed feel solid and confident.... always! Brakes are good, never nervous about getting from 60 mph to 0. It is a very nice balance of being tight but not rigid. I bought this car instead of a 2017 Mercedes CLS 550 due to back seat issues. The Benz was essentially a coupe with tight seating in back for smaller individuals. I'm 6'3 and usually that means the back seat behind the driver seat is useless. This car can comfortably fit a grown family of 4 in it for a longer trip. Head and leg room in the back is excellent. Front driving position is good, but could use a little more leg room if I am splitting hairs. B pillar does impede vision for me with seat moved back fully. Interior is generally very nice. The gauges on the F-sport and brushed aluminum around the dash give it a tech-aggressive feel that I like. The upgrade to the high end stereo would have been nice, but it required changing the head lamp configuration to small LED lights which are not as attractive as the base head lamps in my opinion. It was also a $2800 package upgrade. Only complaints about this car are that the standard stereo. When all windows are up, the surround features work well, but it needs to be louder when driving at speed with sunroof open, windows down. Also, to use the Apple Car Play need to plug into the jacks in front of shifter. Cord has to travel back to arm rest from there. There is a phone slot in front of jacks, but doesn't work with larger screen phones. Would have been nice if that jack was in arm rest. Agree with comments about the touch pad; it isn't great when driving. Not tactile/ specific enough. Have to spend more time looking at screen and fiddling with it than you should be when in motion. Outside of that, you might have to get used to the newer body lines (I did) when considering this car, but the car has good width and length dimensions. It has more presence than an Accord, Nissan, or Infinity which tend to be rather narrow. Stance could be a little more aggressive, but overall this car delivers if you want something that is comfortable, quiet, with a little edge. I think the standard model of this car suffers from the smaller wheels and the more standard instrumentation when sitting inside it. You would also miss out on the improved suspension of the F-Sport, which is no small matter if you are looking for a driver's car. It is a very fun car to drive and spend time in during your daily commute. Love the reliability so far and customer service of Lexus. It will be hard to shift gears to another brand once this lease expires.

New 2021 ES 350 One Month In

Shaboom1965, 03/14/2021

2021 Lexus ES 350 4dr Sedan (3.5L 6cyl 8A)

This car, when bought right, is an excellent value. Reasonable price can be negotiated for a whole lot of car. Dealers are very flexible in discounting the price of these cars and Lexus tossed in a generous $2,000 rebate to boot. It finally came down to this car or BMW. Couldn’t tolerate that Automatic Stop Start feature on the Euro-Lux cars. Also don’t care for the harsher …

We have a limited number of reviews for the 2021 Lexus ES 350, so we've included reviews for other years of the ES 350 since its last redesign.

2021 ES 350 Highlights

Trim:

Base

Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee	$40,000
Engine Type	Gas
Combined MPG	26 MPG
Cost to Drive	$131/month
Seating	5 seats
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place	16.7 cu.ft.
Drivetrain	front wheel drive
Warranty	4 years / 50,000 miles

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Safety

Our experts like the ES 350 models:

Blind-Spot Monitor with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert: Warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while reversing.
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

The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.

Frontal Barrier Crash Rating
Overall4 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger4 / 5
Side Crash Rating
Overall5 / 5
Side Barrier Rating
Overall5 / 5
Driver5 / 5
Passenger5 / 5
Combined Side Barrier & Pole Ratings
Front Seat5 / 5
Back Seat5 / 5
Rollover
Rollover4 / 5
Dynamic Test ResultNo Tip
Risk Of Rollover10.5%

IIHS Rating

The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.

Small Overlap Front Driver-Side Test
Good
Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side Test
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Original
Good
Moderate Overlap Front Test – Updated
Not Tested
Side Impact Test – Original
Good
Side Impact Test – Updated
Not Tested
Roof Strength Test
Good
Rear Crash Protection / Head Restraint
Good

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2021 Lexus ES 350 Review

Price & Payment

2021 Lexus ES 350 Review

Pros

Cons

What's new

Overview

For sale near Ashburn, VA

2021 Lexus ES 350F SPORT Sedan

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

2021 Lexus ES 350Base Sedan

AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary

Edmunds Expert Rating

Performance

Comfort

Interior

Technology

Storage

Fuel Economy

Value

Wildcard

2021 Lexus ES 350 trim level differences

Which ES 350 trim does Edmunds recommend?

Cost to Drive

Reliability

Reliability Rating by RepairPal

Cost

Frequency

Severity

Recalls

Warranty

Lexus ES 350 Reviews

Owner Reviews

Most Helpful Owner Reviews

better than prior generation

Great vehicle- best value for luxury car

F-Sport avoids looking like your grandparents car

New 2021 ES 350 One Month In

2021 ES 350 Highlights

Safety

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