Compare the2025 Toyota CamryVS 2025 Lexus ES

Both the Camry and the ES have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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, post-collision automatic braking systems, 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 Insurance Institute for Highway Safety does 40 MPH moderate front offset crash tests on new cars. In this updated test, results indicate that the Camry is much safer than the ES:

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Camry is safer than the ES:

The Toyota Camry has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2024 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The ES was last only a “Top Safety Pick” in 2023 but no longer qualifies.

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Camry for 1 year and 15000 miles longer than Lexus pays for maintenance for the ES (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 Camry’s warranty.

The battery on the Camry is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Camry’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The ES’ battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Camry first among midsize cars in their 2024 Initial Quality Study. The ES isn’t in the top three in its category.

As tested in Motor Trend the Toyota Camry (base engine) is faster than the ES 300h 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder hybrid:

On the EPA test cycle the Camry gets better mileage than the ES:

Regardless of its engine, the Camry’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the ES Hybrid.

The Camry stops much shorter than the ES:

The Camry SE handles at .85 G’s, while the ES 300h pulls only .78 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Camry SE executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the ES 300h (27 seconds @ .62 average G’s vs. 28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Camry’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the ES’ (37.4 feet vs. 38 feet).

The Toyota Camry may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 50 to 250 pounds less than the Lexus ES.

The Camry has .8 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front hip room, 1.8 inches more front shoulder room, .3 inches more rear hip room and 1.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the ES.

The Camry has a much larger trunk than the ES (15.1 vs. 13.9 cubic feet).

The Camry’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 Camry’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.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Toyota Camry has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the ES.

The Toyota Camry outsold the Lexus ES by over seven to one during 2023.