In the luxury car world, Lexus is one of the few brands that strikes the perfect balance between luxury and sensibility. The manufacturer offers a range of cars, including sedans, crossovers, and full-size SUVs, catering to a wide range of buyers. Each of its models offers competitive luxury features and performance, making them terrific options in their respective segments. And being the luxury division of Toyota, you know it’s going to be super reliable, too.
Lexus has one more trick up its sleeve, too. With Toyota, Lexus has been at the forefront of electrified powertrains and has come a long way today. It offers 11 electrified models today, making them ideal for luxury car buyers looking for something fuel-efficient. And in this lineup, one car offers the most miles per gallon, and that’s the ES Hybrid. Here’s how this luxury sedan offers the best miles per gallon fuel efficiency in Lexus’ lineup.
The Lexus ES Hybrid Is The Most Fuel-Efficient Luxury Hybrid Car
44 Miles Per Gallon Is Mighty Impressive!
|
City |
Highway |
Combined |
Annual Fuel Cost |
|---|---|---|---|
|
43 MPG |
44 MPG |
44 MPG |
$1,050 |
It’s easy to associate luxury sedans with performance and opulence, not fuel efficiency, but the Lexus ES Hybrid breaks that stereotype. It is the most fuel-efficient luxury car in the market today, powered by Toyota’s 2.5-liter four-cylinder hybrid powertrain. It returns an EPA-estimated 43 miles per gallon in the city and 44 miles per gallon on the highway, for a combined 44 miles per gallon. So, for those looking for a sensible luxury sedan (without moving to an EV or a plug-in hybrid), the 2025 Lexus ES 300h is hard to beat.
Low Fuel Cost Of Just $1,050 Per Year
The excellent fuel economy delivers seriously low fuel costs for the Lexus ES Hybrid, despite its luxury title. According to the EPA, the ES 300h offers a total range of 581 miles and an estimated annual fuel cost of just $1,050; essentially, it should cost you only $1.72 per 25 miles. As a result, it can save you up to $2,750 in fuel expenses compared to an average new vehicle that is calculated to return 28 miles per gallon (combined). These estimates are based on a mix of 45 percent highway and 55 percent city driving with an annual average of 15,000 miles, so the actual fuel costs may vary.
All Trims Offer The Same Fuel Economy
The Lexus ES Hybrid comes in five trims, using the same powertrain, so they return the same 44 miles per gallon combined. So, the choice between the trims narrows down to the features you want, and not the fuel economy. Here, the base ES 300h offers the best value, featuring all the essential luxury features. But regardless of the trim, you can’t go wrong with the ES 300h if you’re looking for a luxurious yet efficient Lexus hybrid in 2025.
Followed Closely By The Lexus UX
As good as the ES 300h promises to be, it won’t be everyone’s cup of tea. It’s a sedan, after all, and many, if not most, buyers would prefer an SUV instead. Fortunately, Lexus has you covered, too, with the UX Hybrid. It’s a compact crossover available exclusively as a hybrid, offering the practicality of a small SUV without sacrificing fuel economy or luxury.
The 2025 Lexus UX is powered by Toyota’s 2.0-liter inline-four hybrid powertrain, which returns an incredible 43 miles per gallon (combined) in front-wheel-drive models. This gives the car an estimated range of 456 miles with an annual fuel cost of $1,050. Although with just 196 horsepower, it is barely adequate for anything more than urban roundabouts and an occasional highway sprint. Remember, it’s just a Toyota Corolla Cross with fancier trim.
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ES Hybrid Balances Its Frugal Fuel Economy With Everyday Performance
The Lexus ES Hybrid is not a performance car by a long shot; it does not boast impressive power output, zero to 60 sprint times, or top speed. Instead, it trades a bit of its punchy performance for fuel economy, smooth power delivery, and reliability. So, if you’re looking for something sporty or sharp, you’re better off with its more sporty rivals, like the BMW 3 Series. The ES Hybrid is better suited to those who want to avoid frequent gas stops, expensive high-octane fuel, and costly repairs.
Adequate Everyday Performance And Handling
The Lexus sedan is powered by a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine paired with an electric motor, producing a combined output of 215 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. It can go from zero to 60 miles per hour in 8.1 seconds with a top speed of 112 miles per hour. That’s not going to win you any races, but it should be adequate for everyday driving conditions, especially when you factor in its electronically controlled CVT and front-wheel drive.
On the handling front, it should still offer the intrinsic road competency that we’ve come to expect from modern Lexus cars. Owners do claim that the ES Hybrid offers plenty of character and engagement, regardless of speed. Lexus also offers the F Sport Handling trim, which adds larger wheels and suspension tuned for performance. It still won’t overcome the lack of power, but it should add a bit more finesse to the car’s handling.
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A Luxury Car For Smart Spenders Who Want Peace Of Mind
With decently adequate performance on tap and high fuel efficiency, the Lexus ES Hybrid isn’t attracting the sporty crowd. Instead, it’s suitable for people who want a comfortable, luxurious, and efficient sedan. So, the ES 300h also offers similarly competitive maintenance costs, high reliability ratings, and good safety scores. Put everything together, and it turns out to be quite a sensible sedan that you can get today, run it for years to come, while minimizing unnecessary expenses.
Edmunds Cost To Own Estimations
According to Edmunds Cost to Own, the ES Hybrid has an estimated maintenance cost of $4,397 in the first five years of ownership. Here, years one to three should cost you $158, $639, and $349, respectively, while years four and five cost you $1,017 and $2,034, respectively. Similarly, expect to spend about $752 on repairs over the first five years, with the first three costing you nothing. So, while the true cost to own can vary due to local taxes, insurance, and other factors, the Lexus ES Hybrid is estimated to cost you around $5,149 in maintenance and repairs in the first five years.
Well-Tested Hybrid Powertrain With High Reliability Scores
Underneath the sleek exterior, the ES Hybrid hides a well-tested Toyota hybrid powertrain, which makes the sedan one of the most reliable luxury cars available today, with high reliability ratings. For instance, J.D. Power gives it a “Great” score of 89 out of 100 for quality and reliability, while iSeeCars rates it at 8.2 out of 10. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) reports only one recall for the 2025 model year, related to the rearview camera.
5/5 Overall Safety Rating From The NHTSA
In the NHTSA crash tests, the ES Hybrid earned an overall safety rating of 5/5. In frontal crash tests, it earned 4 stars on the driver’s side and 5 stars on the passenger side, whereas it earned 5 stars across the board in side crash tests. In rollover tests, it earned a 4/5 with a 10.5 percent rollover risk. These are not segment-leading safety ratings, but overall, the Lexus ES Hybrid promises to be safe enough to be seriously considered.
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Unmistakable Lexus Luxury Wrapped Up In An Efficient Package
The 2025 Lexus ES 300h offers an unmistakable Lexus luxury experience, with an interior and features that rival those of high-end European sedans. The cabin features signature Lexus touches, and it is known for its whisper-quiet NVH levels even at highway speeds. It also has enough legroom for long-legged folks and 17 cubic feet of cargo room, which is more than many of its rivals, like the Volvo S90 and Acura TLX. Although some owners will miss a folding rear seat, it makes it difficult to haul oversize cargo.
The car also comes packed with features, including standard dual-zone automatic climate control, perforated NuLuxe interior trim, a 10-speaker audio system, an eight-inch display, and plenty of driver-assist features. Higher trims and optional features unlock a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen, Mark Levinson 17-speaker audio system, panoramic glass roof, and more. F Sport trims add performance touches, including larger alloy wheels, rear spoiler, heated and ventilated front seats, and adaptive variable suspension.
This Hybrid Sedan Offers The Perfect Blend Of Luxury And Affordability
This hybrid sedan is a rare example of a vehicle that provides affordability without sacrificing luxury, tech, and features.
You Don’t Need To Sacrifice Efficiency For Luxury With The ES Hybrid
The Lexus ES 300h is a unique hybrid sedan in 2025. It offers the driving experience you’d expect of a Lexus, along with all the high-end features that bring it neck-and-neck with its European rivals. Yes, it does lack in engine performance, but it makes up for it by offering segment-leading fuel economy of 44 miles per gallon (combined). For owners looking for a sedan that balances both luxury and efficiency (not to forget, reliability), the Lexus ES 300h is a great fit.
Source: Lexus, EPA, NHTSA, J.D. Power, Kelley Blue Book, Edmunds, iSeeCars