2023 Lexus ES 300h F Sport Handling Review: Float (And Sting) Like A Butterfly – SlashGear

As far as saving fuel goes, the 2023 Lexus ES 300h F Sport Handling does a fine job at that. Rated at a combined 44 mpg (43 city, 44 highway), my mostly in-town driving, plus my usual loop up and down through Draper Valley Overlook in Pulaski County, Virginia, netted me a peak fuel economy of 38.2 mpg, most of it split between Normal and Eco modes. After a week of driving, the ES needed just over 3 gallons to bring the 13.2-gallon tank back to full for its return trip home to Washington, DC.

Cameron Aubernon/SlashGear

As far as driving goes, the ES 300h F Sport Handling glides along streets and highways with little issue, though frontward visibility could be improved, especially when its cousins like the Toyota Corolla Hatchback offer excellent views of the road ahead for less than half of the Lexus’ base MSRP. As mentioned earlier, the ES 300h F Sport Handling has the power to pass the big rigs down I-81, though you may need to give the sedan more encouragement with a heavier foot than other luxury sedans in this category to do so, even with Sport mode engaged.

But does it live up to the expectations having the “Handling” in its name implies? If excitement is what you’re hoping for, you’ll have to settle for just gently floating around the turns, when the sedan’s enormous heft isn’t felt, that is. In short, the ES 300h F Sport Handling floats like butterfly, but stings like one, too.