Pros/ Comfortable ride, premium cabin, stable handling
Cons/ Doesn’t feel 302-horsepower fast, occasionally confused transmission, F Sport adds little
Bottom Line/ A luxury sedan for those that prioritize smooth cruising over corner carving, the ES is all about travelling in comfort.
Table of contents
Toyota Crown vs Lexus ES: Which Luxury Sedan is Right for You?
The Toyota Crown is a car unlike any others on the market. But there’s a family rivalry brewing. For the best luxury bang for your buck, we’re looking at the Toyota Crown vs Lexus ES.
The Toyota Crown is a wholly different proposition than the Avalon that came before. A sort of crossover between a sedan and an actual crossover, this vertically stretched sedan sits as the flagship of Toyota’s car lineup. Available only as a hybrid (including a new, more powerful setup in the top Platinum trim), it certainly can’t be accused of blending in.
For similar money, you can get a luxurious four-door in a more conventional shape. Lexus has been cranking out the ES for 30 years now, and the latest one continues what it does best: smooth, nonplussed transport in a spacious, comfortable cabin. There are similarities—not least of which is the shared chassis both cars ride on—but the ES differs from the young upstart in a few key ways.
Which one better suits your needs? We take a deep dive into both cars’ specs to figure that one out.
Detailed Specs
| Price / | $42,490 - $49,985 |
| Engine / | 2.5-liter 4-cylinder / 2.5-liter 4-cylinder + hybrid / 3.5-liter 6-cylinder |
| Power / | 203 hp / 215 hp / 302 hp |
| Torque / | 184 lb-ft / N/A / 267 lb-ft |
| Drivetrain / | FWD / AWD |
| Transmission / | 8AT / eCVT |
| Fuel Economy (city/hwy) / | 22–43 mpg / 31–44 mpg |
| Cargo Capacity / | 13.9 cu ft |
Our Final Verdict
Lexus ES
3.9| Performance | 7.0 |
| Features | 8.0 |
| Comfort | 9.0 |
| Quality and Styling | 8.0 |
| Value | 7.0 |