2025 Lexus ES
Independent review & score by Carivo
Independent review & score by Carivo
| Seating Capacity | 5 passengers |
|---|---|
| Body Style | Sedan |
| Base Price | $43,764–$53,370 |
Source: EPA FuelEconomy.gov & manufacturer data. Figures reflect base trim; actual specs vary by trim level.
The 2025 Lexus ES is a sedan that earns a Carivo score of 8.4/10 — rated Recommended. Its strongest dimension is Reliability at 9.7/10, while Performance at 7.2/10 is where it trails the competition most noticeably. It's a solid all-rounder that delivers across most dimensions without obvious deal-breakers.
Reliability and safety are the two dimensions that matter most for long-term ownership costs. Reliability stands out at 9.7/10. The ES nameplate has earned that score through its track record and a comparatively clean recall sheet. Safety lands at 8.4/10 — solid, though some rivals offer more advanced driver-assist features as standard. Confirm official results for your trim at nhtsa.gov/ratings.
With 7.2/10 for performance, this is a car tuned for daily driving rather than excitement — perfectly capable on the commute, unremarkable on a back road. At 7.9/10 for technology, the infotainment and driver-assist package does its job without setting benchmarks — check which features cost extra on lower trims.
Priced from $43,764–$53,370, 31 MPG, seating 5, the Lexus ES sits in the mid-market bracket of the sedan segment. Its value score of 8.1/10 confirms that the price reflects the quality — you're getting a lot for your money here. At 1 year old, it's recent enough that the core feature set holds up well against current competition.
Verdict: Nothing about the 2025 Lexus ES will scare a sensible buyer off. It scores consistently across the board, and it does what a good sedan should — quietly and competently.
Carivo scores are our own editorial assessment, informed by NHTSA safety and recall records, EPA fuel-economy figures, and manufacturer-published specifications. Scores are reviewed periodically and updated when new data becomes available. See our full methodology →
The 2025 Lexus ES ranks #6 of 1310 sedans in the Carivo database — better than 100% of the segment. Its 8.4/10 overall score is 0.9 points above the segment average of 7.5/10. Its $43,764 starting price is about 58% above the segment's median of $27,664.
Rankings are recalculated as new vehicles and scores are added. See the full Sedan ranking → · Best Sedans under $50k →
| Fuel (75,000 miles) | ~$8,470 ($1,694/year at $3.50/gal) |
|---|---|
| Recall repairs | $0 — 1 campaign on record; recall work is always free at franchised dealers |
| Insurance | Varies widely by driver and state — always quote the exact trim before buying |
We only print costs we can compute from sourced data (EPA fuel economy, NHTSA recalls). We don't estimate maintenance or depreciation — anyone who gives you one number for those is guessing.
Smart-money pick: the 2022 Lexus ES scores 8.1/10 — within striking distance of the 2025's 8.4 — and starts roughly $4,000 lower. If you don't need the newest model year, that's money better spent on a higher trim or kept in your pocket.
| Year | Score | Starting price (MSRP when new) | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 (this review) | 8.4/10 | $43,764 | |
| 2024 | 8.3/10 | $42,490 | Read review → |
| 2023 | 8.3/10 | $41,215 | Read review → |
| 2022 | 8.1/10 | $39,940 | Read review → |
| 2021 | 8.1/10 | $38,665 | Read review → |
| 2020 | 8.1/10 | $37,391 | Read review → |
| 2019 | 8.1/10 | $36,116 | Read review → |
| 2018 | 7.9/10 | $34,841 | Read review → |
| 2017 | 7.9/10 | $33,567 | Read review → |
| 2016 | 7.9/10 | $32,292 | Read review → |
| 2015 | 7.8/10 | $31,017 | Read review → |
| 2014 | 7.4/10 | $26,600 | Read review → |
The following recall campaign has been filed with NHTSA for this model and year. Recall repairs are performed free of charge by franchised dealers; check your specific vehicle with our free VIN recall checker.
| Back over prevention / Display function 30/10/2025 · 25V744000 | Toyota Motor Engineering & Manufacturing (Toyota) is recalling certain 2022-2026 Toyota, Lexus, and Subaru Solterra vehicles equipped with a Panoramic View Monitor (PVM) system. Please see the recall report for a complete list of models. A software error… |
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Source: NHTSA recall database, fetched at page build time.
Own a 2025 Lexus ES that's been repaired repeatedly for the same problem? It may qualify under your state's lemon law — run the free lemon law check →
We rate the 2025 Lexus ES's reliability 9.7/10 — one of the stronger records in its class. It has 1 NHTSA recall campaign on record for this model year (details in the recalls section above — repairs are free at dealers).
1 NHTSA recall campaign matched this model and year as of our latest check. Verify your specific vehicle by VIN at nhtsa.gov/recalls.
It scores 8.4/10 overall, ranking #6 of 1310 sedans in our database (better than 100% of the segment). A solid choice for most buyers — compare it against the segment leaders before deciding.
The 2025 Lexus ES starts at $43,764 and ranges up to $53,370 across trims (MSRP when new). At 31 MPG, expect roughly $1,694/year in fuel at 15,000 miles/year.
Based on our year-by-year scoring, the weakest ES years we've rated are 2014 (7.4/10), 2015 (7.8/10), 2018 (7.9/10) — each at least half a point below the nameplate's best (8.4/10). See the full year table above before deciding.
The documented issues for the 2025 Lexus ES are its NHTSA recall campaigns, which involve: Back over prevention (details in the recalls section above; repairs are free at dealers). For wear-and-tear patterns beyond recalls, owner forums are the best source — we only report what federal data documents.
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Explore the full lineup of Lexus models scored by Carivo — ranked by overall score across reliability, safety, value, performance, and technology.