2026 Lexus ES350h First Drive: Better Tech, Better Ride, Same Relaxed Personality

More than 600 miles of range is the kind of number that gets your attention. In the 2026 Lexus ES350h, both front- and all-wheel-drive versions of the new midsize luxury sedan are estimated to handily clear that mark, meaning you could drive from Los Angeles to Las Vegas and back and still have fuel left in the tank.

The hybrid’s improvements in overall range and efficiency are byproducts of a nearly ground-up rethink of the ES lineup, which has sprouted hybrid and EV branches built on the same platform and wearing largely the same fresh exterior and interior styling. As for the hybrid, it gets a new name—ES350h—and an updated powertrain as its means of motivation.

Although it still uses the same general layout as other Toyota and Lexus hybrid systems, with a 2.5-liter inline-four pairing with a front motor-generator and a starter-generator integrated into the car’s continuously variable transmission, the ES350h is the first Lexus to be fitted with the automaker’s sixth-generation hybrid system. It features cooling system and packaging enhancements, a larger and more powerful front traction motor, a newly available AWD option with a 54-hp rear motor that can shove as much as 80 percent of available torque to the rear wheels, and a power bump for the 2.5-liter of 10 hp and 10 lb-ft. Total system output rises to 244 hp from last year’s 215 hp, while combined fuel economy climbs to as high as 46 mpg. Overall range is aided by a fuel capacity increase from 13.2 to 14.5 gallons to help it reach that 600-plus number.

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A Bigger, Bolder Sedan

The ES350h may be the more conventional half of the new ES lineup, but its new dimensions and exterior style are anything but. At 202.4 inches long, 75.6 inches wide, and 61.2 inches tall, the new hybrid is longer than many midsize luxury sedans, and it’s unusually tall in stance for anything that still comes with a trunklid. It doesn’t feel like a crossover from behind the wheel, but from the curb, this is no longer the low-slung, quietly anonymous ES we remember.

The upside is that it now has presence. The broader stance and extra height make the ES 350h look more substantial, while the cabin still delivers the airy, easygoing comfort Lexus buyers expect. The trade-off is that the dimensional growth doesn’t translate cleanly into extra space everywhere, with gains in front headroom and rear legroom offset by small losses in front legroom and trunk capacity. The new ES feels bigger because it is, but Lexus seems to have spent that growth as much on posture as it did on raw interior volume.

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Spotting the Hybrid

Aside from the powertrain, the ES hybrid has a few subtle exterior differences from the ES EV. All ES 350h models come with 19-inch wheels with aero covers, with no larger wheel option like the EVs offer.

The hybrid also gets an upper air intake in the front bumper, an opening the all-electric models do without. The easiest giveaway is the conventional fuel door on the driver-side rear quarter panel, compared with the EV’s charge port on the front passenger-side fender.

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Simplified Cabin

The new ES hybrid and EV share a much more minimal cabin than before, with many of the outgoing model’s physical controls either removed, relocated, or consolidated. Drive mode selection and media controls now live in the standard 14.0-inch touchscreen, which is paired with a 12.3-inch driver information display—a major upgrade from the previous model’s small base screen.

In addition, the sunroof shade switch has moved to the ceiling, the old volume knob has been replaced by a subtler scroll wheel in the center of the dash, and the steering wheel uses more dual-function controls. Even the shifter has been pared down, with a short electronic toggle replacing the outgoing model’s traditional lever, while the climate and camera controls that remain on the dashboard are now rubbery soft-touch buttons.

Simplified doesn’t mean stripped down, though. The ES350h still comes well equipped, with NuLuxe-trimmed seats, heated and ventilated front chairs, a power-adjustable driver’s seat, and the Lexus Memory System, which stores settings for the driver’s seat, outside mirrors, and steering wheel. A wireless phone charger is also standard, and the EV can be equipped with two.

The Premium trim includes a 10-speaker Lexus Premium audio system, while Premium+ models offer a 17-speaker Mark Levinson surround sound setup. Lexus also adds small upscale touches throughout the cabin, including ambient lighting effects in the door panels and speakers, plus a soft, fuzzy material surrounding the gauge display.

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Feels About as Quick as Before

Acceleration was one of our primary complaints with the previous ES hybrid, and the new ES 350h may not completely change that impression. We tested a 2022 ES300h F Sport at 7.3 seconds to 60 mph, which was adequate rather than quick. Although the 2026 model gets a modest power bump, it’s also at least a couple hundred pounds heavier, so we expect real-world acceleration to land in roughly the same neighborhood.

The good news is that the new hybrid feels more refined than before as a holistic driving experience. We didn’t notice the same undue noise and vibration that bothered us in the previous ES hybrid, though the engine can still sound strained near its limits. That engine noise is one of the few sounds that makes its way into the cabin, along with some occasional tire noise, but both remain relatively muted and weren’t overly intrusive during our drive.

Weight also shapes the way the ES350h handles, though not simply because the hybrid is heavy. In fact, the lightest hybrid is hundreds of pounds lighter than the heaviest EV, but it doesn’t carry its mass the same way. Without the EV’s large, low-mounted central battery, the hybrid’s weight sits higher and feels more spread out, which translates to more body motion than we noticed in the electric ES.

That doesn’t make the ES350h feel sloppy, just less settled. The steering is accurate enough but forgettable in feel and not especially engaging. The brakes are more encouraging: They feel competent and natural in normal driving, with none of the brake-pedal weirdness we’ve criticized in previous ES hybrids.

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A Sensible Pick

The ES350h and ES EV may look and feel like close relatives inside and out, but they separate most clearly from behind the wheel. The new hybrid has improved upon several of the old ES300h’s weak spots—brake feel is better, the cabin tech is far stronger, and overall refinement has taken a step forward—but it still isn’t especially satisfying or engaging to drive. Anyone expecting Sport mode to transform it into something genuinely sporty will come away disappointed.

That said, driver engagement has never been the point of the ES. Efficiency, range, space, and value have long been strengths of the earlier model, and Lexus doubled down on them for the ES350h, along with improved fuel economy and more than 600 miles of estimated driving range in both front- and all-wheel-drive forms. That’s a huge convenience advantage, and it helps explain why Lexus may see the hybrid as worthy of pricing close to—or even above—its EV counterpart.

So, the ES350h remains a sensible pick, not a passionate one, and that will probably be just fine for most prospective owners. It’s quieter, more modern, and better equipped than before, a car that’s at its best when driven gently, and one that can go a long, long way between stops. For buyers still looking for the traditional Lexus sedan experience done up in a stylish new way, the ES350h makes a stronger case than ever.