Talking Cars 518: Driving the Lexus ES Electric Sedan

Is this the luxury electric sedan we’ve all been waiting for?

By Consumer Reports

Main theme: In this podcast episode, we share our first driving impressions of the Lexus ES 500e that we bought for testing. The panel discusses Lexus’ newest electric sedan, commenting on its whisper-quiet ride, comfort-first philosophy, real-world range, charging performance, and interior technology, and debates whether it delivers a true luxury experience despite a few frustrating tech quirks.

Read the review of the Lexus ES.

Audience question: Can you safely extend oil change intervals on a plug-in hybrid if you mostly drive in EV mode?

”Talking Cars” panelists (from left): Alex Knizek, Emily Thomas, and Keith Barry.

Photo: Consumer Reports

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Recent Podcast Episodes

Driving the 2026 Volkswagen Jetta GLI, episode 517
• Is Your Car Getting a ’Kill Switch’ in 2027?, episode 516
• Why Are Cars Turning Into Smartphones?, episode 515
• Driving the 2026 Hyundai Santa Cruz, episode 514
• The State of the American Auto Industry, episode 513

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