Toyota Announces Lexus ES 250 AWD with 203 Horsepower

[mikeavelli]

Comments on social media may not be a true indication of the real-world demand for a vehicle. Social media is an echo chamber -- a certain perspective (usually the louder, "enthusiast" community who want loud noise and high horsepower) usually drowns out the other (quieter) perspective. So you only hear from one perspective without hearing from the other. Experience tells me that the enthusiast community is a minority rather than a majority in the market.

I’m an industry expert in regards to social media. I work with aftermarket companies offering forecasting on what vehicles and parts will be popular.

The comments are not just from enthusiast pages. It’s any page including Lexus own. It is safe to assume this car is for a Lexus loyalist who wants an AWD sedan.

Let’s remind ourselves even the AWD NX at the same price has 240hp. Again this car will be most cross shopped with the new aCuRa TLX which has 270hp. What’s ironic is the current TLX base AWD has 200hp and that feedback they got since 2015 was the engine was weak. Well they seem to have fixed that.

Again I assume this is a stop gap measure until the all ES.

 

[Offthepace]

So Lexus just basically gave all current GS Owners over to the germans? Lol bad decision.

Even if they put the AWD into the current Es. It is still built on the fwd platform. Apples to oranges when compared to the Gs f sport. Very sad
and to put a Mickey Mouse engine in it. What a slap in the face.

 

[Offthepace]

GS AWD actually had a pretty good take rate in the northeast and Midwest. I think this ES 250 is a stopgap to try to appeal to some of those folks as they retire the GS - albeit a poor one.

If you need AWD because of your climate and you really want a midsize Lexus sedan, at least there will be something available once the GS is gone.

True but it won’t be able to get the car up a hill with a Mickey Mouse engine. It is only AWD when power is distributed for the need other wise this is Fwd generic vehicle. People might should place 50 lb barbell plates in the trunk. It Might feel like a Gs. Nah I doubt it 😀

 

[mikeavelli]

The GS has its own platform. And it’s a wonderful one, one of the reasons it drove so well.

Driving the ES and GS is a night and day difference.

 

[Offthepace]

It is just a way to keep their ES production line running well in NA... as you mention, GS AWD and ES AWD do not have many similar points.

At the same time, they are certainly giving their buyers a lot of options these days.

Yes agree , but a lousy set of options. I have a 2018Gs f sport with just 10000 miles. I wanted the last of the 20. But being It’s the Same car ,the residuals are horrible and the lease is equivalent to a Bmw7. I am going purchase this lease Outright. I couldn’t find a better car for the 30g price tag. Shame on Lexus. The relentless pursuit of perfection, Not!

 

[Enthusiast88]

That's exactly how I am in a 5 series lol. I would have settled for the smaller IS but there is no way I was going to spend that money on a FWD car in that segment. If I wanted a FWD V6, I would have just bought a 2010 Camry

Yup, me too.

 

[phoenixss]

Not sure why they rehashed 95% of the original 2019 press release just to share that they added the Camry's 4-Cyl and Toyota's AWD system from 2013 for this car.

Anyway...


EXPERIENCE AMAZING!!!!!!!!!!

They like to keep things fresh on the Lexus side.... recycling tech is cheap like the interior of the ES

 

[bogglo]

I haven't given up on lexus. Right now I think it's Toyota getting all the love from above. They just sprinkling stuff to lexus model to keep it going for now. Hence the unannounced infotainment change in the LS, the not so new IS, the heated stairing wheel in the GX, this new AWD ES and all the unnecessary black line they making. The all new redesigned cars is what we should all keep an eye out for. That's why I don't comment on all this refresh anymore.

 

[Dragon888]

A 4 cylinder ES250? Such a downgrade..
Lexus can't expect their current ES and GS customers to downgrade, or do they?

 

[GSFan]

Here’s why I won’t be getting a Lexus again. Time to move on to Genesis or the Kia K900.

 

[Motor]

 

[Gecko]

$54k for a 203hp 4cyl... yikes.

 

[kosoku61604]

I've been driving one for a few months now. I've also driven literally every generation of the ES. Yes, it could use more power but while driving it I have never thought about it. Acceleration is ok and gas mileage has been decent (right around 30mpg). I was expecting the worst after reading so much about it but - I like it!

 

[Sulu]

I've been driving one for a few months now. I've also driven literally every generation of the ES. Yes, it could use more power but while driving it I have never thought about it. Acceleration is ok and gas mileage has been decent (right around 30mpg). I was expecting the worst after reading so much about it but - I like it!

It is good to hear this. We always hear from the need-more-power crowd but very seldom hear from a happy owner of a controversial product, like cars with smaller engines.

 

[Motor]

 

[Berto3818]

@James I wasn’t trying to be funny. I was being serious. Yeah big miss on the es250 awd. It should have more power. All I meant was people will but it. As far as the rest my post. People keep wishing for the best engines and stuff to come out and they keep getting let. Maybe if they just take the wait and see approach. I know people don’t read what I post. That’s why I stay out. It’s not valued.