Compare the2022 Toyota PriusVS 2021 Lexus ES Series

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Prius are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The ES Series doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Prius has standard Active Headrests, which use a specially designed headrest to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Active Headrests system moves the headrests forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The ES Series doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the Prius and the ES Series have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Toyota Prius is safer than the Lexus ES Series:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Toyota Prius is safer than the Lexus ES Series:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Prius for 1 year and 15000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the ES Series (2/25000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 5 times as many Toyota dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Prius’ warranty.

The ES Series’ redline is at 6600 RPM, which causes more engine wear, and a greater chance of a catastrophic engine failure. The Prius has a 4000 RPM redline.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Prius’ reliability 28 points higher than the ES Series.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Lexus vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota second in reliability. Lexus is ranked third.

On the EPA test cycle the Prius gets better mileage than the ES Series:

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Toyota Prius higher (7 out of 10) than the Lexus ES Series (5 to 7). This means the Prius produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the ES Series every 15,000 miles.

The Prius stops much shorter than the ES Series:

The Prius Limited handles at .90 G’s, while the ES 300h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Prius Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 2.1 seconds quicker than the ES 300h (26.3 seconds @ .64 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Prius’ turning circle is 4.5 feet tighter than the ES Series’ (33.5 feet vs. 38 feet). The Prius Limited/XLE FWD’s turning circle is 3.4 feet tighter than the ES Series w/18-19” wheels’ (35.4 feet vs. 38.8 feet).

The Toyota Prius may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 550 to 700 pounds less than the Lexus ES Series.

The Prius is 1 foot, 3.9 inches shorter than the ES Series, making the Prius easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The design of the Toyota Prius amounts to more than styling. The Prius has an aerodynamic coefficient of drag of .24 Cd. That is lower than the ES Series (.26 to .29) and many sports cars. A more efficient exterior helps keep the interior quieter and helps the Prius get better fuel mileage.

The front grille of the Prius uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The ES Series doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the Prius’ hatch uses gas strut supported hinges that don’t intrude into the cargo area. Its intrusive beam hinge reduces the ES Series’ useful trunk space.

The Prius’ standard rear seats fold to accommodate long and bulky cargo. The ES Series doesn’t offer folding rear seats, only a ski pass-through.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Prius has a standard rear wiper. The ES Series doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

Consumer Reports rated the Prius’ headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the ES Series’ headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

The Prius LE/XLE/Limited’s Intelligent Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The ES Series doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the Prius owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Prius will cost $975 less than the ES Series over a five-year period.

The Prius will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Prius will retain 49.09% to 50.62% of its original price after five years, while the ES Series only retains 45.88% to 46.4%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Prius is less expensive to operate than the ES Series because it costs $309 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Prius than the ES Series, including $47 less for a water pump, $47 less for a muffler, $7 less for front brake pads, $294 less for front struts, $312 less for a timing belt/chain and $161 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Toyota Prius will be $15460 to $17216 less than for the Lexus ES Series.

The Toyota Prius has won recognition from these important consumer publications: