Autoblog and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article.It's no secret that I'm not exactly an EV enthusiast. I appreciate what electric cars can do, and I understand why they're the future, but most of them leave me cold. They're often too heavy, too numb, and too obsessed with technology for technology's sake. I am, however, a big fan of Lexus. While they're not the quickest, most engaging cars and SUVs to drive (now that the LFA, IS 500, and LC 500 are gone), they are so remarkably well made and capable. So when Lexus invited me to experience the new 2026 ES 500e for myself, I showed up eager but skeptical. It didn't help matters that I also thought the new ES looked bad in photos.Amos KwonMy test vehicle for the day was the ES 500e Luxury AWD's, with a base price is $58,900. Standard feature highlights on the Luxury trim include 19" wheels, LED headlamps with auto-leveling, cornering lamps, auto power-folding, power moonroof, dual-zone automatic climate control, Semi-aniline leather interior, heated and ventilated front seats, heated steering wheel, thematic ambient illumination with Bamboo Layering door trim, 14-way power-adjustable front seats, front row radiant knee heater, manual rear-door sunshades, power rear sunshade, 14" touchscreen infotainment w/ nav, 12.3" multi-information display, wireless phone charger, Wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, head-up display, Mark Levinson 17-speaker 1,800-watt PurePlay Surround Sound, panoramic view monitor, and Lexus Safety System 4.0.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe press event put on by Lexus included a full presentation on the history of the ES over its now five generations, as well as development of the hybrid and EV on the same platform (a Lexus first). After the interesting overview of the car, I was able to get up close and personal with the new ES 500e on long loop drives. Sometimes, you get what you expect from a new model, while others change your mind altogether. In this case, it was the latter. It's the best ES Lexus has ever made, and it doesn't use a drop of gasoline.Lexus Has Created a Head-Turning SedanAmos KwonI've seen photos of the new ES, and I formulated an early opinion that was not favorable. Whereas the 2025 ES was attractive enough, the model has always been quite conservatively designed. I thought the new one was a hard pivot in the wrong direction, especially the angular cut lines in the doors. When I finally saw the new ES in the metal, my opinion did a 180. It's fresh, daring, and sets a wholly new tone for the model.Amos KwonThe 2026 redesign changes that. The proportions are cleaner, lower, and more planted. The spindle grille—long a love-it-or-hate-it Lexus hallmark—is now incorporated into the front fascia and hood in a more cohesive fashion. It still unmistakably reads Lexus, but now with a sharper, more premium edge. There's definitely some RX-ish styling up front, but it's even more contemporary. The L-shaped DRLs now mate with lower turn signals pointing in the opposite direction.Amos KwonThe ES 500e gets subtle EV-specific details, including unique 19" six-spoke aero wheels and cleaner surfacing, but altogether it doesn't look like an EV the way a Nissan Ariya or a Lucid Air does. If you put the ES 350h hybrid next to it, it's hard to tell the difference, honestly. The angular, contrasting black character line along each bodyside is derived from the far more radical LF-ZC electric concept sedan from 2023. The styling element isn't as dramatic as the one found on the concept, but on an ES sedan, it's positively stark. The character line give the side more depth and, frankly, dramatically alters the ES's conservative aesthetic.Amos KwonAdvertisementAdvertisementThe same goes for its near-fastback roofline that descends into the hood and the subtle spoiler-like edge to the trunklid. Overall, the body eschews chrome, opting for black window trim, black detailing, and both black headlight surrounds and lower grille trim. Lexus is aiming to move into a younger demographic without alienating its older ES loyalists. Along the lines of the latter, the new ES is a whopping four inches taller than the last-gen car, helping improve ingress and egress.The Cabin is Level BestAmos KwonThe interior of the ES 500e is everything you'd expect from a modern Lexus product: immaculate fit and finish, rich materials, and almost absurd attention to detail. But it's also remarkably fresh, likely indicating what future Lexus vehicles will look like. It's also about as far as you can get from the old one, and it provides a more airy atmosphere. It's minimalist without relgating almost everything to a center screen the way Tesla, Rivian, and Lucid do. Lexus isn't resting on its laurels. The cabin is more modern, simpler, more youthful, and more refined but still very functional.View the 2 images of this gallery on the original articleThe comfort level is top-shelf. The front seats are broad but not flat. Bolstering and cushioning and nicely balanced. The wheelbase has been lengthened, giving the ES 500e a positively cavernous back seat. Rear legroom was almost shocking at 40.7 inches, up from last year's 39.3 in the hybrid ES. I'm 6'0, 200-lbs and I sat behind myself with inches to spare. Foot room underneath the seatbacks is tremendous. I was wearing thick work boots, and there was ample space left.Amos KwonIt appears nothing has been retained from the old car, and the cabin is one of the freshest in recent memory, namely the hoodless instrument display that's set into a concave and sueded bezel frame. It is the first of its kind and a premium look, at that. At no point during the very sunny drive did the instrument display looked washed out or annoyingly reflective. Its layout is also clean and very legible while driving.Amos KwonAdvertisementAdvertisementView the 1 images of this gallery on the original articleThere are still physical controls where they matter, so Lexus doesn't obfuscate the user experience, especially for older drivers. The new shifter is brilliant and far better to use than past iterations. Lexus smartly kept physical controls. There's a knurled volume wheel in the center of the climate control panel. While there are no separated buttons and knobs for climate, the touch panel consists of a rubberized surface, and you can feel the depressing of the icons when you push them, much better than haptic feedback versions.View the 4 images of this gallery on the original articleThe ambient lighting and trim choices feel upscale, and the bamboo trim is one of the most attractive and unique in the space. It's not even bamboo but a 3D printed material that does an incredible job of mimicking the real thing. If that info hadn't been disclosed, I would've never been able to tell the difference. The "weave" is truly an impressive feat, as is the feel of it. There's even a bamboo insert framing the rear passenger's HVAC vents, a simple but attractive touch that beats plastic any day.Amos KwonIt's nice that there's enough freshness in the cabin of the ES 500e that the infotainment system doesn't take precedence, but it is noteworthy and not just becuse of its 14 inches of high-res real estate. The already easy interface has evolved wonderfully to include a drag-and-drop feature to move widgets for customization. There's a new Quick Control Menu in the upper right to make quick setting changes, avoiding menu diving to get there. There's also a nifty Charge Management screen where you can access charge limites, scheduling, etc. EV routing is also integrated into the cloud-based nav, so you can plan your drive more efficiently.AdvertisementAdvertisementThe ES 500e also has one of the quietest cabins I've experienced under $80,000, which is saying something. Without an engine, the 500e reveals just how good Lexus has become at noise isolation. I didn't drive at freeway speeds, but 50 mph exhibited virtually no road or wind noise.Thinking about selling your car? Get an instant cash offer online now. Click here to get started.It's Lexus-Quick, Meaning Super SmoothAmos KwonSometimes when a car model experiences a dramatic generational change, there's the risk of losing the characteristic that cemented its image. The first ES EV doesn't do that. Every 500e is powered by a 74.69 kWh lithium-ion traction battery providing 338 horsepower and 276 miles of range. The ES 500e makes around 340 horsepower through a dual-motor all-wheel-drive setup, and unlike the ES 350h (hybrid), all of that power is available immediately.While the new ES 350h is great, the EV trumps it not only in performance but also in powertrain refinement. The EV exhibits none of the droning endemic to continuously variable transmissions. Hybrid setups with CVTs tend to detract from the premium brand driving experience. There's typically a sacrifice made in the name of convenient non-charging-required efficiency. The ES 500e doesn't have to deal with a CVT, and it's better for it.Amos KwonWhile the ES 500e is quick, it doesn't feel alarmingly so, the way some premium EVs can. Merging, passing, and city acceleration happen with immediacy. What surprised me most wasn't the speed—it was the refinement of the experience. Many EVs hit hard off the line but feel abrupt or overly aggressive. The 500e is calibrated to be consistent with the Lexus experience. It's smooth, progressive, and properly polished. It should make ES loyalists happy while attracting younger drivers to its performance. 0-60 mph happens in around 5 seconds, which is the quickest ES ever made.Ride and HandlingAmos KwonEV battery weight often makes handling feel artificial and ponderous. The ES 500e doesn't avoid that altogether, but it still feels very competent in most situations. If you push it hard into a corner, the extra 700-lb weight and low center of gravity make it feel less agile than the hybrid. The steering is still light, because this is a Lexus, not a sports sedan. But it's accurate. More importantly, the ride quality is exceptional. Lexus customers will be very pleased with the smoothness of the ride, as well as the added quietness of a fully-electric experience.Amos KwonAdvertisementAdvertisementIt glides over broken pavement with the kind of isolation luxury buyers expect, and it's consistent with the ES's reputation for providing a comfortable ride but with more substance. Chicago roads these days—or any road that resembles a war zone these—barely upset it. The 500e feels more substantial than its hybrid counterpart. Something about the added weight and more planted feel that makes the ES 500e feel more premium.Range and ChargingAmos KwonRange is always the elephant in the room with EVs. The ES 500e offers around 310 miles on a full charge, which isn't class-leading, but it's more than enough to drive a few days without charging. It does fall short of rivals like the BMW i5 xDrive40 (321 miles) and the Audi A6 e-tron (370 miles) respectable. I would have no issue buying the ES 500e as long as I had a Level 2 charger setup in my garage. About 30 miles of daily driving would probably yield a week in real world conditions, and I wouldn't need to charge very often. It hits a sweet spot where there's not much range anxiety.The Lexus ES 500e fast-charges at a peak rate of 150 kW DC. Using a DC fast charger, the 500e is able to charge from 10% to 80% in about 30 minutes. That means going from 30 miles to almost 250 miles in half an hour given ideal charging conditions. That's still less convenient than filling the hybrid with gas in five minutes, obviously, but it also means you may not have to spend much time charging up during the week if you don't have access to a home charger. The ES 500e also comes equipped with a native NACS port for easy charging access to Tesla Superchargers.Final ThoughtsI still wouldn't call myself an EV person. But the 2026 Lexus ES 500e gets so much right, not just for EVs but for the brand. It doesn't feel like an EV experiment, nor does it feel like boring rehash of the past. It feels like the right ES for a new generation, and one that just happens to be electric.AdvertisementAdvertisementFor buyers cross-shopping the new ES lineup, the hybrid remains the practical no-brainer choice. But if you can swing the higher price tag and have access to home charging, the 500e is the one to get. It's the first ES I've driven that feels like it appeals to me. And somehow, against my own expectations, it's also an EV that outdoes its already very good hybrid sibling.Disclaimer: Autoblog aims to feature only the best products and services. If you buy something via one of our links, we may earn a commission.This story was originally published by Autoblog on Jun 26, 2026, where it first appeared in the Reviews section. Add Autoblog as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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