Lexus ES 250 – the Japanese answer to German brands

Russian drivers respect Toyota cars. They are considered the most reliable not only among Japanese brands. The best model is, of course, the Land Cruiser.


There has been a reverent attitude towards these SUVs since the 90s. It just so happened that the cars were bought by the new “elite”, such as racketeers and large businessmen. “Kruzaks” are still respectfully allowed on the roads, not wanting to get involved with their owners.

There is another legendary model in the Toyota line. Not as desirable as a Land Cruiser, but prestigious. This Camry is a worthy rival for the German BMW 5 Series and Mercedes E-Class. The model is not so famous, simpler, but more reliable than its competitors.


But few people in our country know about the premium modification of the Toyota Camry sub-brand, Lexus ES. The main reason is that these cars were initially aimed at the US market.

Today we will look at the Lexus ES 250. The number in the name refers to the engine size. Cars with 2,5 liter engines were produced in the first, second, third, sixth and seventh generations.

Lexus ES 250 V20

The model became the founder of the family. The Lexus ES 250 debuted in 1989 - specifically to conquer the United States. Of course, this sounds loud; the model was lost against the background of its famous competitors.

But it had a number of advantages:

✅ Low price
✅ Reliability
✅ Simplicity of design

The car is 4,65 meters long. In fact, it's a Toyota Camry, but improved. It is worth noting that the first generation Lexus ES 250 is quite compact. But it did not reach the BMW 5 Series E34 in all respects.


Under the hood of the Japanese car was a V6 engine. Its working volume, as is already clear from the index, is 2,5 liters. The power of the power unit is 156 hp. With. Since we started comparing with the BMW E34, the V6 there, even before restyling, with the same volume, developed 170 “horses”. The Lexus ES 250 did not stay long on the production line. The model was produced from 1989 to 1991.

Buying such a car in Russia is not easy now. They are rarely found on the secondary market. It’s difficult to say anything about the price - it depends on the condition. And with this, old Lexus cars found in our country have questions.

The second generation

The next Lexus ES 250 debuted in 1991. This generation, as they say, is gone. The model sold well in the USA. So they produced it until 1996, going through restyling.


The Japanese realized that their business class was not up to the German standard. In the second generation, the Lexus ES 250 has grown to 4,77 meters.


For lovers of drive, more powerful engines have appeared - 3,0 liters with 190 hp. With. But this is a Lexus ES 300, not a 250.

Advantages of the model:

✅ Simple and at the same time reliable suspension
✅ Powerful and economical motor for its size
✅ High build quality

In Russia, on the used market, these cars are found a little more often than first-generation examples. Now there is one restyled car on sale, but it is the Lexus ES 300. They are asking 360 thousand rubles for it. An impressive amount for a car produced in 1996.


Is it worth buying an old car? Is it fans of the generation? The car is reliable, but you will have to order most parts and wait a long time. In general, the Lexus ES 250 is not recommended for everyday use - too expensive.

Third Generation

In 1996, a new generation car entered the market. The model has once again become even more luxurious, larger and more expensive. Interestingly, the third generation Lexus ES 250 was sold primarily not in the United States, but in Asian markets. A model with the number 300 in the index was intended for North America.


The Lexus ES 250 engine is a V6 with a volume of 2,5 liters. The power unit develops 200 hp. With. The motor is reliable and unpretentious if serviced on time. Easily passes the milestone of 500 thousand kilometers.


The model is rare on the Russian used market. What this is connected with is difficult to say. Moreover, there are usually about two dozen single-platform Toyota Camry XV20 offered.

At the time of writing, there was only one third-generation Lexus ES on sale. Moreover, this is a version with a 3,0 liter engine producing 210 hp. With. They ask for a decent amount of 500 thousand rubles for the car. The car is from 1999.


Is it worth buying? The bodywork of these cars is often in good condition. But the search for spare parts may take a long time. Plus, 2,5 liter engines are not particularly fuel efficient. You can recommend the model as a “weekend” car, but it is too ordinary for that.

The Sixth Generation

After the discontinuation of the third generation model, the Lexus ES 250 left the world market. Only models with engines of 3,0 liters or more remain. But in 2012, the manufacturer revived the once popular modification.


There are already a lot of such cars in Russia - more than a hundred copies are offered right now on the used market. Lexus ES 250, by the way, is our most popular model in the series. The other versions are 10 times smaller. Occasionally there are hybrids, but this is the Lexus ES 300h.

Externally, the car still looks modern and even luxurious. It is correspondingly expensive. The minimum price starts at 1,6 million rubles. You can already feel that the car really belongs to the business class.


The car does not have any “trademark sores” - it is still too “fresh” for that. And in general, this is a Toyota, only improved, what can break down if the car is serviced on time.


But it’s difficult to find spare parts and consumables in Russia now. On the other hand, there wasn’t much in stock for Lexuses anyway. It is recommended to look for a serviced car and avoid hybrids. They are rare, and not every service center can repair them.

Seventh generation

Lexus ES 250 VII is already a model for the rich. Buying a car in Russia is not difficult, the main thing is to have at least 3,2 million rubles in your pocket. For this money you can count on a pre-restyling Lexus ES 250. By the way, the model has been produced since 2018 and is still in production.

The car has become even more luxurious, and most importantly, it has acquired driver's habits. For fans of sports modifications, they even offered the Lexus ES 250 in the F Sport package.

Both petrol and hybrid versions of cars are sold with 2,5 liter engines. But for some reason the latter is called Lexus ES 300. Apparently, to show that it is one step higher. Although, a car with a conventional naturally aspirated engine turned out to be more powerful. It has 200 l. With. versus 178 ponies for the hybrid.


Transmissions are either automatic or CVT. The latter are the lot of hybrids, which again speaks in favor of abandoning them.

To summarize, it can be noted that the Lexus ES 250 has not achieved the status of a legend. This is a beautiful and reliable car for those who find the regular Toyota Camry too simple and uncomplicated. And Lexus is in any case status.

You just need to immediately prepare for serious expenses on consumables and parts. You will have to buy mostly the original. Although, Toyota, and especially Lexus, do not break!