Most Exciting Yet? 2019 Lexus ES First Drive – Top 10 Things You Need to Know [Video]

Now in its seventh generation, the more aggressive 2019 Lexus ES shows there’s still life in the sedan yet.

Way back in 1989, Toyota introduced two new models under their fledgling Lexus brand. One was the LS, still the company’s sedan flagship today. The other was the smaller, more affordable mid-size ES. Back in April, the 2019 Lexus ES was revealed to the world in Beijing, as well as a small group of journalists – TFL included – in southern California. While we were able to see the new ES in the flesh, we never had the chance to drive it, until now.

In today’s TFLcar video, Roman heads to Tennessee to try out the all-new 2019 Lexus ES. Has it improved in its latest iteration? The seventh generation leans toward the sportier side, particularly with Lexus’ inclusion of the popular F Sport model. In fact, Lexus expects a quarter of all ES models sold to be in F Sport trim. The ES has been a steady seller for the Lexus brand, reliably hitting over 40,000 sales each year for the past two decades. With this latest model, Lexus expects that trend to continue with about 50,000 units sold annually.

2019 Lexus ES
The new Lexus ES 350’s updated 3.5-liter engine. [Photo: Lexus]
Under the hood of the 2019 Lexus ES 350 and 350 F Sport is the same 3.5-liter V6. In these models, it pumps out 302 horsepower and 267 lb-ft of torque through an eight-speed automatic transmission to the front wheels. There are selectable drive modes – Eco, Normal, Sport and Sport+ – which feature engine noise enhancement, for those who want a lively experience compared to previous ES models. The suspension also adjusts its firmness depending on which drive mode you’re in.

The hybrid model comes with a four-cylinder engine making 215 horsepower, tied to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).

More tech features

Apart from the new styling, there’s also 16.0 cubic feet of trunk space, as well as a range of new tech features. For the first time in an ES, you can actually get Apple CarPlay support. Toyota is finally including support for the popular Apple infotainment system in its models with the new Entune 3.0 system, as well as the new Lexus Enform system in this ES. There’s also Amazon Alexa support, so you can control your ES from your home, or vice versa. Unfortunately, Android Auto users are left in the cold, at least for now. The 2019 Lexus ES does not feature Android Auto support.

The 2019 Lexus ES will go on sale later this year. Pricing hasn’t been announced yet, but we don’t expect it to cost too much more over the current model.

To check out more of the Top 10 Things You Need to Know about the 2019 Lexus ES and what is good, bad and weird about the new model, check out the video above! Come back to TFLcar.com and subscribe to The Fast Lane Car and TFLnow on YouTube for more news, views, and real-world reviews.