Compare the2023 Mercedes E-Class SedanVS 2023 Lexus ES

The E-Class Sedan’s pre-crash front seatbelts will tighten automatically in the event the vehicle detects an impending crash, improving protection against injury significantly. The ES doesn’t offer pre-crash pretensioners.

The E-Class Sedan’s standard pretensioning seatbelts also sense rear collisions and remove slack from the seatbelts to help protect the occupants from whiplash and other injuries. The ES doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Both the E-Class Sedan and the ES have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear 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, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, driver alert monitors, available lane departure warning systems, around view monitors 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 Mercedes E-Class Sedan 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 Mercedes E-Class Sedan is safer than the Lexus ES:

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

There are over 57 percent more Mercedes dealers than there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the E-Class Sedan’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the E-Class Sedan has a standard 850-amp battery. The ES’ 603-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the E-Class Sedan third among midsize premium cars in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The ES isn’t in the top three in its category.

The E-Class Sedan has more powerful engines than the ES:

As tested in Motor Trend the E 450 4MATIC Sedan 3.0 turbo 6-cylinder hybrid is faster than the ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the E 350 Sedan RWD gets better fuel mileage than the ES 350 F Sport (23 city/31 hwy vs. 22 city/31 hwy).

Regardless of its engine, the E-Class Sedan’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the ES Hybrid, and doesn’t offer a disable button.

The E-Class Sedan 350’s standard fuel tank has 4.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (17.4 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The E-Class Sedan 450’s standard fuel tank has 5.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the ES’ standard fuel tank (21.1 vs. 15.9 gallons).

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Mercedes E-Class Sedan, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the ES.

For better stopping power the E-Class Sedan’s brake rotors are larger than those on the ES:

The E-Class Sedan’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 E-Class Sedan stops much shorter than the ES:

For better traction, the E-Class Sedan has larger tires than the ES (245/45R18 vs. 215/55R17). The E-Class Sedan’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ES (245/45R18 vs. 235/45R18).

The E-Class Sedan’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ES’ standard 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the E-Class Sedan has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the ES.

Changing a flat tire near traffic can be dangerous and inconvenient. The run-flat tires standard on the E-Class Sedan can be driven up to 50 miles without any air pressure, allowing you to drive to a service station for a repair. The ES doesn’t offer run-flat tires.

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

The E-Class Sedan has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The E-Class Sedan’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The ES doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The E-Class Sedan’s drift compensation steering can automatically compensate for road conditions which would cause the vehicle to drift from side to side, helping the driver to keep the vehicle straight more easily. The ES doesn’t offer drift compensation steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the E-Class Sedan’s wheelbase is 2.7 inches longer than on the ES (115.7 inches vs. 113 inches).

The E-Class Sedan’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (54.2% to 45.8%) than the ES’ (57.4% to 42.6%). This gives the E-Class Sedan more stable handling and braking.

The E-Class Sedan 4MATIC handles at .93 G’s, while the ES 300h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The E-Class Sedan 4MATIC executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 3.3 seconds quicker than the ES 300h (25.1 seconds @ .77 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

The E-Class Sedan has 1.9 inches more front shoulder room and 2.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the ES.

To allow full utilization of available cargo room, the E-Class Sedan’s trunk lid uses concealed beam hinges that don’t intrude into the trunk. The ES’ useful trunk space is reduced by its intrusive beam hinge.

The E-Class Sedan’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 engine in the E-Class Sedan is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the ES. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because there are no rear spark plugs and the accessory belts are in front.

Unlike the driver-only memory system optional at extra cost in the ES, the E-Class Sedan has standard driver and passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, steering wheel position and outside mirror angle and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The E-Class Sedan’s standard easy entry system raises the steering wheel, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. An easy entry system costs extra on the ES.

The E-Class Sedan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The ES’ standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

Heated windshield washer fluid is standard on the E-Class Sedan to defrost the washer nozzles and quickly clear ice and frost from the windshield without scraping. The ES doesn’t offer heated windshield washer fluid.

To better shield the driver and front passenger’s vision, the E-Class Sedan has standard dual-element sun visors that can block glare from two directions simultaneously. The ES doesn’t offer secondary sun visors.

The E-Class Sedan has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the ES. The E-Class Sedan also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the ES.

The E-Class Sedan offers optional massaging front seats in order to maximize comfort and eliminate fatigue on long trips. Massaging seats aren’t available in the ES.

The E-Class Sedan’s optional Active Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The ES doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Mercedes E-Class comes in coupe, convertible, sedan and station wagon bodystyles; the Lexus ES isn’t available as a coupe, convertible or station wagon.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the E-Class Sedan is less expensive to operate than the ES because typical repairs cost much less on the E-Class Sedan than the ES, including $2 less for front brake pads, $147 less for front struts, $374 less for a timing belt/chain and $202 less for a power steering pump.

Motor Trend selected the E-Class as their 2021 Car of the Year. The ES has never been chosen.