Lexus ES vs is vs GS

We admire the stately styling of Lexus' midsize sedan, the ES, but you'll definitely notice its bigger footprint over the IS when you're maneuvering around a parking lot. The IS is 10.5 inches shorter than its big brother. It's just an inch narrower and roughly the same height.

Looking for spacious accommodations? If so, the ES is a better bet. There's more than enough legroom for rear passengers, and trunk space is a generous 16.7 cubic feet, plenty of room to hold weekend luggage for four people. Overall, the interior of the IS runs small, even compared to other compact sedans. The trunk offers just 10.8 cubic feet of space, and the rear seats are a tighter squeeze. Surprisingly, though, the IS benefits from a few more inches of front-row legroom than the ES.

Lexus IS
Trunk space: 10.8 cubic feet
Legroom (front/rear): 44.8/32.2 inches
Headroom (front/rear): 38.2/36.9 inches

Lexus ES
Trunk space: 16.7 cubic feet
Legroom (front/rear): 42.4/39.2 inches
Headroom (front/rear): 37.5/37.8 inches

First things first—neither Lexus sedan is as athletic as the superior Alfa Romeo Giulia or Genesis G70. If you're attracted to either of those, you may prefer the more lively dynamics of the IS F Sport—at least until the recently-announced IS500 with its 472-horsepower V-8 engine arrives. The suspension smooths out road imperfections large and small, keeping body roll at bay. Steering is particularly sharp with the Dynamic Handling package. The ES, however, is better at cruising than carving canyons. In addition to numb steering, the ES can feel floaty on rough surfaces. In F Sport guise, both models make more than 300 hp, and the IS is just slightly quicker to 60 mph, taking 5.7 seconds instead of 5.9 seconds.

You'd think a larger vehicle would suffer from worse fuel economy, but that's not the case here. Even when paired with a (turbocharged) four-cylinder engine, the IS tops out at an unimpressive 21/31 mpg city/highway. Numbers drop to 19/26 mpg on the V-6-powered AWD F Sport. In contrast, the ES maxes out at 25/34 mpg on the four-cylinder model with standard AWD, and at its least efficient, the V-6 F Sport gets 22/31 mpg. Buyers looking for even better efficiency will gravitate to the ES Hybrid, which nets 43/44 mpg.

High-quality materials fill the cabins of both models. Unfortunately, Lexus leaves much to be desired when it comes to the layout of these interiors. Although Lexus recently updated the IS, the interior remains somewhat outdated with a clunky center stack featuring lots of buttons and not enough helpful storage cubbies for devices. The ES benefits from a more attractive layout, but like the IS, vestiges of the past remain, including a CD player.

The size of the screen isn't the only thing that matters about an infotainment system. An 8.0-inch screen is standard on both models, but a 10.3-inch screen is an option on the IS, and the ES can be had with a 12.3-inch display. On both vehicles, the display can be controlled by a finnicky touchpad near the shifter. But the IS has one big advantage: Its screen also responds to touch commands, whereas the unit on the ES does not.

For many buyers, the choice between the IS and ES will come down to size and driving style, especially since the starting prices of both sedans are $1,000 apart. If you're looking for a practical, comfort-oriented sedan with good fuel economy and plenty of space for the family, look no further than the ES. If your heart is set on a hybrid, the ES will likewise be the obvious choice. But enthusiasts looking for a hint of athletic performance before the Is500 arrives will want to veer toward the top trim levels of the IS if superior-driving options like the Alfa Romeo Giulia, Tesla Model 3, and Genesis G70 aren't on the list.

2021 Lexus IS Advantages

• Compact exterior dimensions
• Sportier performance
• Infotainment touchscreen control

2021 Lexus ES Advantages

• More spacious cabin
• Fuel economy
• Attractive interior design