Compare the2023 Hyundai Sonata HybridVS 2023 Lexus ES

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 Sonata Hybrid are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The ES doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Sonata Hybrid and the ES 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, driver alert monitors and available around view monitors.

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

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is safer than the Lexus ES:

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

The Sonata Hybrid comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire car and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The ES’ 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Sonata Hybrid 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the ES. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the ES ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The Sonata Hybrid’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the ES’ (7 vs. 6 years).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Sonata Hybrid for 2 years and 26000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the ES (3/36,000 vs. 1/10,000).

There are over 3 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Sonata Hybrid’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai third in reliability, above the industry average. With 11 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

The Sonata Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 87 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 184) than the ES 250 AWD’s standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Sonata Hybrid’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid produces 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (271 vs. 267) than the ES 350’s standard 3.5 DOHC V6.

As tested in Motor Trend the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid is faster than the ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Sonata Hybrid gets better mileage than the ES:

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

The Sonata Hybrid’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the ES are solid, not vented.

The Sonata Hybrid stops much shorter than the ES:

The Sonata Hybrid has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The ES’ suspension doesn’t offer rear gas-charged shocks.

For better handling and stability, the average track (width between the wheels) on the Sonata Hybrid is 1.7 inches wider in the front and .8 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the ES.

The Sonata Hybrid Limited handles at .83 G’s, while the ES 300h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Sonata Hybrid Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the ES 300h (27.5 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Sonata Hybrid’s turning circle is 1.9 feet tighter than the ES’ (36.1 feet vs. 38 feet).

The Hyundai Sonata Hybrid may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 350 pounds less than the Lexus ES.

The Sonata Hybrid is 3 inches shorter than the ES, making the Sonata Hybrid easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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

Because it has more passenger and cargo room, the EPA rates the Sonata Hybrid a Large car, while the ES is rated a Mid-size.

The Sonata Hybrid has 4.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the ES (104.4 vs. 99.9).

The Sonata Hybrid has 2.5 inches more front headroom, 3.7 inches more front legroom, 2 inches more front shoulder room, .1 inches more rear hip room and 1.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the ES.

The Sonata Hybrid has a much larger trunk than the ES (16 vs. 13.9 cubic feet).

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

The Sonata Hybrid’s standard speed-sensitive wipers speed up when the vehicle does, so that the driver doesn’t have to continually adjust the speed of the wipers. The ES’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

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

The Sonata Hybrid Limited’s Remote Smart Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. Remote Smart Parking Assist will park and retrieve your car remotely: press a button and watch it park itself. This is ideal for tight locations. The ES doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the Sonata Hybrid owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Sonata Hybrid will cost $205 less than the ES over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid will be $13130 to $16445 less than for the Lexus ES.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Hyundai Sonata Hybrid and the Lexus ES, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Hyundai Sonata outsold the Lexus ES by 10% during the 2022 model year.