Lexus ES 300h Design
Toyota really caught us off guard at the 2012 New York Auto Show. While scanning the press materials for the 2013 Avalon, we noticed the word "sporty" was used on quite a few occasions, and the release even talked about foreign-to-the-Avalon concepts like "throttle response," "steering feel" and "paddle shifters." At the time, it appeared that Toyota was actually getting serious about injecting a bit of youth and enthusiasm into its most geriatric-friendly machine.
Lexus itself wants us to believe that this new ES is more athletic. Scan the company's literature and you'll read about the "direct steering feel" and the "sport mode increases powertrain and steering responsiveness." Sure, it sounds like the usual PR mumbo-jumbo, but these sorts of phrases had never appeared in ES press releases before now.
Lexus ES 300h Engine
The big news for 2013 is that there are now two ES models on offer – the naturally aspirated ES 350 and the ES 300h hybrid. Only a trained eye will be able to tell the two apart on the road – the hybrid model setting itself apart with unique 17-inch alloy wheels, a rear decklid spoiler, unique rear valence and hybrid-appropriate badges. That's it.
Lexus ES 300h Interior
The ES 350 uses the same 3.5-liter V6 as the Camry, good for 268 hp and 248 lb-ft of twist, mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with a manu-matic function (no paddle shifters, though). This is the exact same powertrain as the outgoing Camry-based ES, though thanks to the slightly lower curb weight and some engine massaging, fuel economy has been given a respectable bump to 21/31 mpg city/highway – gains of two mpg in both driving cycles versus the outgoing car.
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