Toyota Is Excited to Introduce the New 2021 Lexus ES 250 AWD

The pandemic has permanently changed the automotive industry. Toyota has vowed to remain profitable, and has used time during the pandemic to invest in development. From launching an augmented reality app to help car shoppers browse cars from home, to launching its first EV, Toyota is working hard to stay ahead of the curve. As consumers learn to go through the entire buyer’s journey from home, use mobile mechanics, and visualize possible new cars in their own garage, adapting will determine the success of future car launches.

Although it might not be what you expect, the 2021 Lexus ES gets an all-wheel-drive for the first time. Four-wheel traction is often paired with a modestly noisy four-cylinder-powered engine. Considering the steadily ceasing competition, the ES continues to be among the most prominent luxurious cars in the market that is cost-efficient and is not hellbent on being sporty.

With a higher-quality interior, enhanced seclusion from wind and road noise, the Lexus ES 2019 redesign was a more luxurious car, but that wasn’t the last of the ES upgrades. In the 2021 ES 250 model, Lexus added a four-cylinder gas only, which offers an all-wheel-drive feature. It is oddly inappropriate to refer to the four-cylinder as a base engine, especially since with AWD, the ES 250 has a similar starting price to the V-6 ES 350 front-wheel drive only.

The ES faithful isn’t a suitable market for this new AWD four-cylinder variant because it’s more diverse than they are accustomed to. With the focus of automakers shifted towards SUVs, the market isn’t currently crazy about Mid-size sedans. This ES 250 will be a proper fit for buyers looking for an all-season SUV-like capability packaged in a familiar sedan instead of satisfying several consumers.

The 2021 all-wheel drive is only available with a new 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine which makes 184 pounds-feet of torque and 203 horsepower. The ES 250′s power is a little underwhelming, especially for a 3,780-pound sedan, but a Toyota RAV4′s power to weight ratio would be more applicable. However, the Lexus’ eight-speed automatic transmission would react faster while passing than in similar front-wheel-drive Lexus applications. It might be as rewarding as the experience you’d get from the base turbocharged four-cylinder in the Audi A4 or BMW3 Series. Still, the ES 250′s grainy-sounding four cylinders are somewhat incompatible with the buttoned-up sedan.

Toyota’s 2.5 liter is a commendable engine in other cars with surprising linear power and torque delivery even though it appears incompatible in the ES because of its going soundtrack. During both near redline and moderate acceleration, the engine wheezes through its powerband. 

In Toyota SUVs and cars, this engine appears more often in Lexus. Turbocharged four cylinders from competitors do not have to rev as often or as high, and turbos act as a muffler for engine sounds.  

Lexus is known for its high performance and good quality,  and lexus enthusiasts countrywide can’t wait to lay their hands on the new car. “Finally a car with german-like performance, with the reliability of Toyota ” says John Kims, a Lexus enthusiast.