2023 Lexus ES 300h: How Many Miles Per Gallon?
As more and more manufacturers prepare for the electric highway ahead, Toyota and its luxury wing, Lexus, have held firm to building hybrids like the Prius, RAV4 Prime and the RX 500h. It makes sense for the two automakers to focus their attention on hybrids, though. Unlike Tesla and its well-developed Supercharger EV charging network, manufacturers with plug-in vehicles in their lineup must contend with an infrastructure that's been slow to build for years. Not to mention that what's there may not always be in good working order. Plug-in hybrid and standard hybrid owners, of course, can bypass all of this by simply pulling into the first gas station they come across.
For the 2023 model year, Toyota offers 10 hybrids, including the aforementioned Prius and RAV4 Prime, as well as the Tundra equipped with the i-Force Max Hybrid twin-turbo V6, while Lexus has eight hybrids in its lineup, from the flagship LS Hybrid to the entry-level UX Hybrid crossover. In the middle of the latter's hybrid lineup is the 2023 Lexus ES 300h, the hybrid version of the original entry-level luxury sedan from the beginning of Lexus' time on the world's stage, the ES.
Lexus ES 300h delivers on the fuel savings
The 2023 Lexus ES 300h can be had in five trim levels: the base ES 300h, Luxury, Ultra Luxury, F Sport Design, and F Sport Handling. No matter which trim level is chosen, the powertrain is the same: the 2.5-liter A25A-FXS inline-four — equipped with the Lexus Hybrid Drive system of two electric motors — paired with an eCVT to move a combined 215 horsepower to the front wheels. It's not a hustler by any means, hitting 60 mph from a stop in 8.1 seconds. The ES 300h, however, is good at cruising through the high streets and highways while delivering on the luxury Lexus is known for.
Though it may be slow on the draw, the 2023 Lexus ES 300h gets excellent fuel economy no matter which trim you choose. All five trim levels of the luxury midsize hybrid sedan net 43 mpg in-town and 44 mpg on the open road, for a combined 44 mpg.
That comes to 580 miles on a full 13.2-gallon tank. From Georgetown, Kentucky — where the ES has been built since 2016 — you can drive all the way to cities like Kansas City, Kansas, Pine Bluff, Arkansas, Newport News, Virginia, Branson West, Missouri (not to be confused with the more famous Branson next door), and Omena, Michigan. And with the money saved between visits to the pump, you'll be able to enjoy more barbecue, battleships and cherry orchards. Not bad for a ride starting at $44,590.