For those who want the polished refinement of Lexus's junior luxury sedan with an added measure of economy, the ES 300h is just the thing.
What's New for 2015
Now in its third year, the ES 300h has few changes for 2015. Look for a revised multimedia system, perforated NuLuxe (Lexus-speak for premium vinyl) as standard upholstery, and a new shade of Atomic Silver paint.
Choosing Your Lexus ES 300h
Lexus makes it easy by offering a single trim level that combines a 2.5-liter gas-powered engine with an electric motor to produce 200 horsepower. With the help of a continuously variable transmission (CVT) the ES 300h gets to 60 mph in 8.1 seconds and returns a combined 40 mpg.
Your primary decisions will focus on the selection of option packages:
Premium Package
The Premium Package costs just $730 and adds genuine wood trim, driver seat memory, a power tilting and telescoping steering wheel, and a wood-accented steering wheel and shift knob.
Luxury Package
The $1,370 Luxury Package includes everything in the Premium Package, plus perforated leather seating, heated and ventilated front seats, remote keyless entry, HID headlights, park assist, and a power rear sunshade.
Navigation/Mark Levinson Premium Audio Package
For $2,695 buyers get a 835-watt Mark Levinson 15-speaker audio system with 5.1-channel surround sound, voice-activated navigation, Lexus Enform, Bluetooth hands-free and audio streaming, and the Remote Touch navigation controller.
Ultra Luxury Package
The Ultra Luxury Package builds on the Luxury Package with ambient lighting, a driver seat cushion extender, a heated steering wheel, manual door sunshades, a one-touch power trunk, passenger seat memory, voice-activated navigation, an eight-inch color LCD display, an in-dash DVD/CD player, a Mark Levinson audio system with 15 speakers, rain-sensing wipers, and a panoramic roof. All of these premium goodies add just $2,695 to the ES 300h's MSRP.
Some of the features in the packages are also available as standalone options, so research closely to avoid buying a package that has options that you don't need just to get a single option that you desire.