2022 BMW IX3 vs Lexus ES250

What's the difference?

Much of the time behind the wheel of the iX3 I forgot it was electric. Which says as much about the refinement of current combustion engined cars as it does about the progress of EVs. But it demonstrates how easy it is to live with a zero emissions vehicle, particularly one of this calibre.

The iX3 represents good value in the premium mid-size SUV segment. And not just against other EVs. It’s quick, comfortable, practical, and recharging is getting easier by the day. I enjoyed driving it. In fact, a lot more than I thought I would.

Since day one Lexus has aimed to prise buyers away from the limpet-like grip of traditional luxury car players. Conventional marketing wisdom says consumers buy brands, with the actual product a secondary consideration. 

The updated ES has the value, efficiency, safety, and driving refinement to again challenge the establishment. Amazingly, the ownership package, specifically the warranty, is starting to lag the market. 

But for open-minded premium buyers this product is worth a look before following a well-worn brand path. And if it was my money, the ES 300h Luxury with Enhancement Pack is the range sweet spot for value and performance.

The most noteworthy thing about this car’s exterior design is how much it looks like any other BMW X3. No dramatic Hyundai Ioniq 5-style departure from the norm here. You have to have reasonably sharp eyes to spot the details that stand this car apart from its combustion-powered siblings.

For example, the signature kidney grille, with contrasting inserts, remains in place. Yes, it features active air vents, but really it’s more a single-piece branding decoration rather than a functional element. 

At first glance the 20-inch rims look much like other styles in the BMW catalogue. But closer inspection reveals large, close to flat and closed in surfaces to help aerodynamic performance. 

No small contributor to the car’s drag coefficient (Cd) of just 0.29, an outstanding number for an SUV, or any car for that matter. 

Although sci-fi three-dimensional, the tail-light treatment is the same as other X3s and even the broad apertures at each lower rear corner look ready to accept exhaust outlets, which of course, they don’t. The entire rear diffuser panel is part of smoothing the exit of underbody airflow.

The interior look and feel is straight out of the current BMW design playbook, with blue highlights here and there to signify the car’s ‘i’ electric identity.

Classy, yet functional with the big digital screens for instrumentation and multimedia also dialing up the tech factor.

The leather trimmed seats feel as good as they look, the ‘Vernasca’ hide available in a choice of three colours, with different interior trim elements on offer as well. 

It feels premium and driver-focused. The alignment, the stitching... A close attention to detail in the cabin’s design and execution is apparent.

From shy wallflower to life of the party, the Lexus ES was given a comprehensive design makeover for its seventh generation.

A dramatic, angular exterior incorporates signature elements of the Lexus brand's distinctive design language including an unmissable ‘spindle grille’, but is still clearly recognisable as a conventional 'three-box’ sedan.

The jagged headlights now feature ‘tri-beam’ LEDs on F Sport and Sports Luxury grades, adding an extra air of purpose to an already bold face. And the grille on Luxury and Sports Luxury models is now made up of multiple L-shaped elements, mirrored across the top and bottom sections, then finished in gunmetal grey for a close to 3D effect.

The ES is offered in 10 colours - ‘Sonic Iridium’, ‘Sonic Chrome’, ‘Sonic Quartz’, ‘Onyx’, ‘Graphite Black’, ‘Titanium’, ‘Glacial Ecru’, ‘Radiata Green’, ‘Vermillion’ and ‘Deep Blue’ with two other shades reserved for the F Sport only - ‘White Nova’ and ‘Cobalt Mica.’

Inside, the dash is a mix of simple sweeping surfaces contrasted by a flurry of activity around the centre stack and instrument cluster.

Located roughly 10cm closer to the driver, the new multimedia screen is a 12.3-inch unit with touch functionality, a welcome alternative to the laggy and inaccurate Lexus ‘Remote Touch’ trackpad set-up. Remote Touch remains, but my advice is to ignore it and use the touchscreen.

The instruments sit in a deeply hooded binnacle with buttons and dials on and around it. Not the sleekest design in the segment and passable only from an ergonomic point-of-view, but the overall feel is suitably premium.

In terms of space, there’s plenty of head and shoulder room up front and lots of storage, including a pair of cupholders in the centre console, big door bins with a separate section for large bottles, a decent glove box, and a medium-size storage cubby which doubles as an armrest between the seats.

There’s a 12-volt outlet, wireless smartphone charging and a USB-A socket in the console, as well as a USB-C jack in the centre storage box. 

The big media screen is easy to use with logical screen progressions accessed via direct touch, a rotary dial on the console, the writing pad on top of it, as well as gesture control or ‘Hello BMW’ voice control.

Move to the back and again there’s heaps of space. Over successive generations the X3 has quietly crept up in size to match that of the original X5.

Getting in and out is easy thanks to wide opening doors with big apertures, and sitting behind the driver’s seat set for my 183cm position there’s good head and legroom.

Again, there are big door bins with room for large bottles, individual climate control is a win for back seaters, and there are two USB-C outlets to keep devices powered up. 

There are netted map pockets on the front seat backs, and a fold-down centre armrest contains a shallow flip-top compartment and a pair of fold-out cupholders, adjustable for different size cups, which is a thoughtful touch.

A relatively low loading height and no lip into the boot space makes life easy, and with the rear seat upright the iX3 has a capacity of 510L, enough to swallow our three-piece suitcase set, or the bulky CarsGuide pram with room to spare.

Lower the 40/20/40 split-folding rear seat, and load space increases to no less than 1560 litres. And as long as you have the key with you the tailgate’s hands-free open and close kick function is a welcome addition. 

Those volume figures are down only slightly on petrol and diesel powered X3s (550L/1600L).

Multiple tie-down anchor points, a 12-volt outlet, as well as pop-out hooks and netted pockets are handy, but don’t bother looking for a spare of any description, your only option is a repair/inflator kit.

A small lidded space under the boot floor is designed for the on-board charging cables, and the tyre inflator canister.

A missed opportunity appears to be the lack of storage space under the bonnet. The combined motor/transmission unit is relatively small and mounted low in the chassis.

Peel back the plastic cover over the ‘engine’ bay and there’s plenty of room for a ‘frunk.’ Seems like a no-brainer, but the bean counters, engineers or some other link in the development chain must have knocked it on the head.

An overall length just under 5.0m long shows how much the ES and its competitors have crept up in size over recent generations. The Merc C-Class is more a mid-size car than the compact sedan it once was, and at nearly 1.9m wide and standing a bit over 1.4m tall the ES more than matches it for space.

There's plenty of room up front, the car feeling open and spacious from behind the wheel, thanks in part to the low sweep of the dash. And the rear is just as commodious.

Sitting behind the driver's seat set for my 183cm (6'0”) position I enjoyed good leg and toe room, with more than enough headroom, despite inclusion of a tilt and slide glass sunroof on all models.

Not only that, entry to and egress from the rear is a breeze thanks to a large aperture and wide opening doors. And while the back seat is best for two, three adults across is do-able without too much pain and suffering for short to medium journeys.

Connectivity and power options are plentiful with twin USB ports and a 12-volt socket front and rear. And storage starts with two cupholders in the front centre console, and another pair in the fold-down rear centre armrest.

If the remote touch system was (deservedly) given the boot, there would be room for extra oddments space in the front console.

The front door pockets are adequate rather than large (smaller bottles only), the glove box is modest, but the storage box (with padded armrest lid) between the front seats is more generous.

There are adjustable air vents for rear passengers, which you'd expect in this category, but are always a plus none-the-less.

The rear door pockets are okay, except the opening is relatively slim so bottles are a struggle, but there are map pockets on the back of both front seats as another bottle option.

Important to note that while boot space is decent at 454 litres (VDA) the rear seat doesn't fold. At all. A lockable ski port door sits behind the rear armrest, but the lack of a split-folding back seat is a significant practicality compromise.

A reasonably high loading lip into the boot isn't great, either, but there are tie-down hooks to help secure loose loads.

The Lexus ES is a no-tow zone and a space-saver spare is your only flat tyre option.

The existing ES 300h (the ‘h’ denoting hybrid) is now joined by a non-hybrid model using the same petrol engine, tuned specifically to run without the support of an electric motor.

The pre-update, hybrid-only ES line-up spanned six model variations across a roughly $15K price spread from the ES 300h Luxury ($62,525) to the ES 300h Sports Luxury ($77,000).

Now there are five models with an ‘Enhancement Pack’ (EP) available on three of them, for an effective range of eight grades. Again, it's a $15K spread, stretching from the ES 250 Luxury ($61,620, before on-road costs) to the ES 300h Sports Luxury ($76,530).

Let's kick-off with the ES 250 Luxury. Aside from the safety and powertrain tech covered later in the review, the ‘entry-level’ grade is loaded with standard features including, 10-way power-adjustable and heated front seats, dual-zone climate control air, active cruise control, a new 12.3-inch multimedia touchscreen, satellite navigation (with voice control), keyless entry and start, 17-inch alloy wheels, a glass sunroof, auto rain-sensing wipers, plus 10-speaker audio with digital radio, as well as Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. The steering wheel and gearshift are leather-trimmed, while the seat trim is synthetic leather.

An Enhancement Pack adds wireless phone charging, privacy glass, a colour head-up display, and $1500 to the price tag (total $63,120).

The next rung up the price ladder brings the hybrid powertrain into play, so the ES 300h Luxury ($63,550) retains all the features of the ES 250 Luxury EP and adds a rear spoiler and power adjustable steering column.

Opting for the ES 300h Luxury EP then adds a power boot lid (with kick sensor), leather-accented trim, 18-inch rims, panoramic view monitor (overhead and 360-degree), 14-way power driver's seat (with memory settings), ventilated front seats, side blinds and a power rear sunshade, as well as $8260 to the price (total $71,810).

Next, as the name implies, two ES F Sport models dial up the performance personality.

The ES 250 F Sport ($70,860) retains the features of the ES 300h Luxury EP (except side blinds) while adding LED headlights with adaptive high-beam, a ‘wire-mesh’ grille, sports body kit, 19-inch wheels, performance dampers, an 8.0-inch driver display, alloy interior accents and grippier F Sport seats.

Stump up for the ES 300h F Sport ($72,930) and you'll ride on an adaptive suspension system with two driver-selectable settings, Go one step further and select the ES 300h F Sport EP ($76,530) and you'll also be cranking up a 17-speaker Mark Levinson audio system and warming your hands on a heated steering wheel.

Then, the top-of-the ES pyramid, the 300h Sports Luxury ($78,180), puts it all on the table adding top-shelf semi-aniline leather-accented trim, power adjustable, reclining, and heated rear outboard seats, tri-zone climate control, as well as side door blinds and a power rear sunshade. The rear centre armrest also features controls for the sunshade, seat heating (and angle), as well as audio and climate settings.

That's a lot to take in, so here's a table to help clarify the model walk-up. But suffice it to say this ES maintains Lexus’ reputation for value, testing its competitors in the luxury sedan space.

Under the bonnet is a ‘current-excited’ synchronous electric motor, single-speed auto transmission and the power electronics bundle placed together in a single housing.

Driving the rear wheels, the motor produces 210kW/400Nm, which is enough to propel the iX3 from 0-100km/h in 6.8 seconds.

The ‘current-excited’ bit means the motor doesn’t make use of magnets to induce the rotor, rather the feeding in of electric power.

It spins up to a maximum of 17,000rpm, and BMW says the design means the use of rare earth elements (the mining of which is increasingly controversial environmentally) is avoided.

The ES 250 is powered by an all-alloy, 2.5-litre, naturally aspirated (A25A-FKS) four-cylinder engine featuring DVVT (Dual Variable Valve Timing) - electrically actuated on the intake side, and hydraulically on the exhaust side. It also uses a combination of direct and multi-point fuel-injection (D-4S).

Maximum power is a handy 152kW at 6600rpm and peak torque of 243Nm is available between 4000-5000rpm, with drive going to the front wheels via an eight-speed automatic transmission.

The 300h features a modified (A25A-FXS) version of the same engine using the Atkinson combustion cycle which plays with valve timing to effectively shorten the intake stroke and lengthen the expansion stroke.

The down-side of this set-up is a loss of low-end power, while the up-side is improved fuel efficiency. Which makes it perfect for a hybrid application where an electric motor can make up for the low-end shortfall.

Here, the result is a combined output of 160kW, with the petrol engine producing its peak power (131kW) at 5700rpm.

The 300h's motor is a permanent magnet synchronous type producing 88kW/202Nm, and the battery is a 204-cell nickel-metal hydride type with a capacity of 244.8 volts.

Drive again goes to the front wheels, this time via a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

Worst case charging scenario is a 1.8kW AC single-phase domestic connection which has you staring down the barrel of a 44-hour charge time.

But using the latest BMW three-phase wallbox, the car's AC maximum rate of 11kW equates to charge time from 0-100 per cent is 7.5 hours. While DC fast-charging at a rate of up to 150kW means 10-80 per cent charge in 32 minutes.

The ports behind the not-fuel flap are a Type 2 for AC and Type 2 CCS (Combined Charging System) Combo for higher powered DC charging. And the car comes with two cables covering domestic and public scenarios.

Worth noting the single recharge point is on the right-hand side. Our driver’s side, but kerb side for left-hand drive countries. No problem at a dedicated charging station. But if you’re street charging, a connector poking out on the traffic side of the car could be risky.

BMW claims energy consumption for the combined cycle of 18.9kWh/100km, and over a week of city, suburban and highway driving, mostly in the default Comfort mode (with A/C on) we recorded an average of 19.1kWh/100km.

Worth noting the car features a regenerative braking system feeding energy back into the battery, but this one’s adaptive, able to read what’s ahead and determine the appropriate intensity of the regen function.

But underneath all this is that complimentary five-year Chargefox membership. And for reference, the current Chargefox network includes 1400 plugs, mainly along the East Coast, Tassie, Adelaide and Perth with the intention of 5000 by the end of 2025.

That’s across standard AC (22kW), fast (50kW) and ultra-rapid (350kW) units, with all of the latter powered by 100 per cent renewable energy.

Hyundai's official fuel economy figure for the ES 250, on the ADR 81/02 - urban, extra-urban cycle, is 6.6L/100km for the Luxury and 6.8L/100km for the F-Sport, the 2.5-litre four emitting 150 and 156g/km of C02 (respectively) in the process.

The official combined cycle fuel economy figure for the ES 350h, is just 4.8L/100km, the hybrid powertrain emitting only 109g/km of C02.

While the launch program didn't allow us to capture real-world (at the bowser) figures we did see a dash-indicated average of 5.5L/100km in the 300h, which is brilliant for a car in this class, weighing in at 1.7 tonnes.

You'll need 60 litres of 95RON premium unleaded to fill ES 250's tank and 50 litres to brim the ES 300h. Using Lexus figures that equates to a range of a little less than 900km in the 250 and just over 1000km in the 350h (900km using our dash-indicated number).

To further sweeten the fuel economy equation Lexus provides an Ampol/Caltex five-cents-per-litre discount as a permanent offer via the Lexus app. Nice.

The notion of automotive tuning would normally lead you to the engine bay rather than the orchestra pit. But believe it or not, according to BMW, the simulated start/stop sound for this car has been designed by Oscar-winning composer Hans Zimmer and BMW sound designer Renzo Vitale. And every driving state is accompanied by a matching acoustic pattern, so keep your ears peeled.

Hans and Renzo’s work amounts to a brief (as in, half a second) triumphal burst as you hit the start button, and a similarly concise composition as you shut down.

At parking speeds, with the hum of the Acoustic Protection system in your ears, the overhead view, clear reversing camera and clean all around vision make parking the iX3 pretty straightforward.

The steering is light and the distance sensors front and rear aren’t too manic, only giving you a shout out when necessary.

Pick up the pace and the iX3 feels quick. Zero-100km/h in 6.8sec is rapid, but it’s the nature of the acceleration that changes the experience in pretty much any electric car.

In this case 400Nm of maximum torque is available from step-off and there's still solid pulling power at high revs, remembering the motor spins to 17,000rpm! Squeeze the accelerator at any speed and there’s plenty of urge available. 

The nature of current EV tech means you don’t have to worry about a dual-clutch or CVT. The single ratio auto transmission just picks up the motor’s output and smoothly feeds it to the rear wheels.

By definition an electric car will be quiet but this one is so hushed the mega Harman Kardon system has a clean sheet to work from.

Suspension is strut front / five-link rear with all the major elements made from aluminium and the adaptive set-up includes electronically-controlled dampers.

There are ‘Comfort’, ‘Sport’ and ‘Eco Pro’ driving modes, with the switch from Comfort to Sport a pronounced one in terms of compliance and, well, comfort. But even in that softest setting, the ride is on the firm side. 

This car weighs a not insubstantial 2260kg, and with that big battery pack spread out under the floor its centre of gravity is around 7.5 centimetres lower than a conventionally powered X3.

The drive unit sits in a model-specific sub-frame, and while you sense that weight through corners the iX3 feels planted and composed.

It points nicely at speed, steering feel and weight are good, while the mixed Bridgestone Alenza rubber (245/45 fr / 275/45 rr) is quiet and grippy. Worth noting they’re premium SUV-focused tyres rather than specific, low-rolling resistance specials. 

The dash layout is classically driver-focused, with a clean and simple approach making for a relaxed drive. The front sports seats remain supportive and comfy over long stints behind the wheel.

Intensity of the ‘Brake Energy Regeneration’ is automatically adapted, although you can select ‘High’, ‘Medium’ or ‘Low’ settings through the iDrive system.

More direct still is moving the gear shift over to the ‘B’ position which effectively generates a one-pedal mode. You barely have to touch the left-hand pedal at all, while you’re feeding energy back into the battery to boot.

The first thing you notice behind the wheel of this ES is how extraordinarily quiet it is. Sound absorption materials are stuffed all around the body. Even the engine cover has been designed to keep the decibels down.

And ‘Active Noise Control’ (ANC) uses the audio system to generate “noise-cancelling waves” to suppress mechanical clatter from the engine and transmission. The car is eerily EV-like in it's pin-drop interior tranquility.

We focused on the ES 300h for the launch drive, and Lexus claims 0-100km/h 8.9sec for this version of the car. It feels every bit that quick, but the engine ‘noise’ and exhaust note are like the humming of a distant bee hive. With thanks to Daryl Kerrigan, how's the serenity?

Around town the ES is composed and supple, absorbing pock-marked urban irregularities with ease, and on the freeway it feels like a hovercraft.

Lexus makes a lot of noise about the torsional stiffness of the ‘Global Architecture-K’ (GA-K) platform sitting under the ES, and it's clearly more than hot air. Through twisting B-roads it remains balanced and predictable.

Even in non-F-Sport variants the car points nicely and will steer accurately on the throttle through constant radius corners, with only modest body roll. The ES doesn't feel like a front-wheel drive car, with neutral handling up to an impressively high limit.

Luxury and Sports Luxury grades are offered with three drive modes - ‘Normal’, ‘Eco’ and ‘Sport’, tweaking engine and transmission settings for economy or a more spirited drive.

ES 300h F Sport variants add three more modes - ‘Sport S’, ‘Sport S+’ and ‘Custom’, further revising engine, steering, suspension and transmission characteristics.

Despite all the tuning options, road feel is not the ES's strongest suit. Dialing in sportier modes will add steering weight but no matter what the setting, the connection between the front wheels and the driver's hands is less than intimate.

The CVT auto suffers some of that disconnect between road speed and revs, the engine moving up and down the rev range in search of the power/efficiency sweet spot. But wheel-mounted paddles allow for manual shifting through pre-set ‘ratio’ points, and that option works nicely if you prefer to take the reins.

And when it comes to slowing down the ‘Auto Glide Control’ (ACG) system smooths out regenerative braking when you're coasting to a stop.

The conventional brakes are ventilated (305mm) discs at the front and a solid (281mm) rotor set-up at the rear. Pedal feel is progressive and outright stopping power is strong.

Random notes: The front seats are great. Super-comfortable yet neatly bolstered for secure location. The F Sport's chairs, even more so. The new multimedia touchscreen is a winner. It looks good and menu navigation is agreeably straight forward. And the digital instrument cluster is similarly clean and clear.

The Lexus ES scores a maximum five-star ANCAP rating, the car first assessed in 2018, with updates in 2019 and September 2021.

It received high ratings against all four key criteria (adult occupant protection, child occupant protection, vulnerable road user protection, and safety assist systems).

Active crash-avoidance technology on all ES models includes, a pre-collision safety system (Lexus-speak for AEB) active from 10-180km/h, with pedestrian and daytime cyclist detection, dynamic radar cruise control, road sign assist, lane tracing assist, fatigue detection and reminder, tyre pressure monitoring, a reversing camera, as well as rear cross-traffic alert and parking support brake (including an intelligent clearance sonar).

Other features like blind-spot monitoring, adaptive high-beam and a panoramic view monitor are included on F Sport and Sport Luxury grades.

If a crash is unavoidable there are 10 airbags on-board - dual front, driver and front passenger knee, front and rear side airbags and side curtain airbags covering both rows.

There's also an active bonnet to minimise pedestrian impact injuries, and ‘Lexus Connected Services’ includes an SOS call (driver-activated and/or automatic), and stolen vehicle tracking.

For child seats there are top tethers for all three rear positions with ISOFIX anchors on the outer two.

The iX3 is covered by BMW’s three-year/unlimited km warranty (including paintwork), as well as 12-year/unlimited km anti-corrosion cover.

That main warranty’s off the premium market pace now with Audi, Genesis, Jaguar-Land Rover, Lexus and Mercedes-Benz at five years/unlimited km. 

The battery is warranted for eight years/160,000 kays, which is on par with Audi, Jag and Merc, but lagging behind Tesla at eight years/240,000km.

Service is condition-based, the car telling you when maintenance is required, and a range of service packages are available.

The ‘Basic’ plan covering an iX3 for four years/unlimited km comes in at $1200, appreciably less than for an equivalent combustion X3, as it should be for a car with far fewer moving parts.

A four year ‘Plus’ package adds brake pads and rotors as well as wiper blades, upping the price substantially to $4605. While six year/unlimited km Basic and Plus plans come in at $1650 and $5500, respectively.

From the time it arrived in the Australian market just over 30 years ago Lexus has made the ownership experience a key differentiator for the brand.

Its focus on post-purchase benefits and ease of servicing shook the established luxury players out of their button-backed leather lounge slumber and into a new aftersales mindset.

That said, the Lexus standard four-year/100,000km warranty is some way off luxury newcomer, Genesis, as well as traditional heavyweights Jaguar and Mercedes-Benz, all at five years/unlimited km.

Yes, Audi, BMW and others are at three years/unlimited km, but the game has moved on for them, too. Plus, the mainstream market standard is now five years/unlimited km, with some at seven, even 10 years.

On the other hand, the ‘Lexus Encore Privileges’ program provides 24-hour roadside assistance for the duration of the warranty, as well as, “dining, hotel partnership and luxury lifestyle experience offers exclusive to owners of new Lexus vehicles.”

The Lexus Enform smartphone app also offers access to everything from real-time advice on events and the weather to nav destinations (restaurants, businesses, etc), and more.

Service is scheduled every 12 months/15,000km (whichever comes first), and the first three (capped price) services for the ES are $495 each.

A Lexus loan car is provided while your pride and joy is in the workshop, or a pick-up and return option (from home or office) is available. You'll also receive a complimentary wash and interior vacuum.