The Lexus ES EV barely beat its range estimate in the real world, but falls short of rivals
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- Lexus ES 350e drove 293 miles in Edmunds' real-world EV Range test, beating its EPA estimate of 292 miles (on 21-inch wheels) by just one mile, while the EPA rating with 19-inch wheels is 307 miles.
- Edmunds' test recorded efficiency of 26.6 kWh per 100 miles, improving on the ES 350e's EPA estimate of 28 kWh per 100 miles.
- 2026 Audi A6 e-tron outperformed the Lexus, traveling 402 miles in the same test, while the 2026 BMW i5 xDrive40 (with 21-inch wheels) achieved 321 miles.
- Lexus prices the ES 350e Premium at $48,795, undercutting the A6 e-tron ($65,900) and i5 xDrive40 ($70,100) by roughly $17,000–$21,000.
- The 2026 Lexus ES is the brand's first core model built on a multi-platform architecture offering both electric and hybrid powertrains, in its eighth generation.
- Edmunds' EV Range test runs 60% city and 40% highway driving at an average 40 mph, with climate control set to 72°F and vehicles in their most efficient settings.
Why it matters: For luxury EV shoppers, the Lexus ES 350e delivers usable daily range and better efficiency than its EPA paperwork suggests, but its 293-mile real-world result lags the Audi A6 e-tron by 109 miles and the BMW i5 xDrive40 by 28 miles. The ES 350e's $48,795 starting price gives Lexus a roughly $17K–$21K advantage over those rivals, reframing the buyer's decision as range versus value.
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