Hybrid sedan has luxury amenities, and packs a punch

Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews also can be seen in the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News magazine published monthly out of Folsom, California.

Sacramento, California -- The venerable Lexus ES sedans were reworked in major ways in 2019, and the good vibes carried over nicely for the current model year.

My recent tester was the 2020 Lexus ES 300h, featuring a hybrid system made more powerful and fuel-efficient.  Inside the cabin, drivers are transported to a luxurious environment that lives up to the Lexus badge.

Style-wise, the ES is a looker, with a dominant, swallow-me-in-one-bite grille and angular body cuts on the front and sides.  The 17-inch, five-spoke wheels looked flashy, and the rear spoiler on the tester was subtle enough to add a sporty touch without being gaudy.

The 2.5-liter, four-cylinder engine paired with a hybrid battery helper was advertised at a combined equivalent of 215 horsepower.  Frankly, I didn't believe it.  The power package felt much stronger than that.

Case in point: I'm winding down a steep, curvy portion of Interstate 80 in the Sierra Nevada foothills when I encounter an obviously nervous driver seemingly frozen in fear in the left-side blind spot of an 18-wheeler.  Not liking to ride in the blind spot of a heavy truck, I did a mild tap on the accelerator when the nervous pilot cleared the big hauler.  The Lexus blew around the poke like a top-flight NASCAR machine in a full-on Daytona draft.

Performance feels good.  Performance that gets you out of tight spots in a hurry feels even better.  This Lexus had plenty of both.

The tester was packed with perks that I believe would exceed the expectations of most  luxury sedan fans.  That included top-tier technology features to enhance safety and the driving experience.  Extras beyond the norm included specially illuminated door sills, triple-beam LED headlights and a blasting, 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system.

Power, agile handling and plentiful standard features almost make you forget that this is a hybrid system.  The payoff for that: 43 miles per gallon in the city and 44 mpg on the highway.

Throw in a max five-star safety rating in federal government crash testing, and the $53,530 on the tester's bottom line almost felt like a steal.

A loaded luxury liner with excellent road manners, notable fuel-sipping qualities and good looks thrown in ... What's not to like?