The Lexus ES 300h F SPORT struggled against the BMW 520d M Sport & Volvo S90 R-Design in a recent AutoExpress comparison test :
The ES is roomy in the rear seats and the hybrid powertrain feels like yet another step forward for the brand. But while the Lexus is mostly comfortable, it doesn’t ride as well as either of its rivals here. Its boot is also smaller and practicality is therefore a little more limited, too. However, it’s the woeful infotainment and a few areas of questionable quality in the cabin that really hold it back against this talented opposition.
And yet, a counterpoint to the result was tucked away within the review:
BMW finished in 21st place out of 26 in the makers’ chart of our Driver Power 2018 satisfaction survey, while Volvo was 13th. The German brand’s official franchises also trailed in the dealer poll, ranking 19th out of the 28 marques, with Volvo taking ninth position. Lexus achieved top spot in both categories.