Top Safety Pick +

2022 Lexus ES 350

midsize luxury car / 4-door sedan

Crashworthiness

Rating overview
Evaluation criteria	Rating
Small overlap front: driver-side
Small overlap front: passenger-side
Moderate overlap front: original test
Side: original test
Roof strength
Head restraints & seats

Crash avoidance & mitigation

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Headlights
Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle
Standard system	Superior
Front crash prevention: pedestrian (day)
Standard system	Advanced

Seat belts & child restraints

Evaluation criteria	Rating
LATCH ease of use

Other available safety features

Standard blind spot detection
Standard lane departure warning & prevention
Optional rear automatic braking

Key

G
Good
A
Acceptable
M
Marginal
P
Poor

Superior
Advanced
Basic

Some ratings use a scale of Poor to Good. Others range from Basic to Superior.

Small overlap front: driver-side

Rating applies to 2019-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2019 Lexus ES 350 4-door

The Lexus ES was redesigned for the 2019 model year. Two driver-side small overlap frontal tests of the ES were conducted, one by the Institute and the other by Toyota. Ratings are based on both tests.

Evaluation criteria	Rating

Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Action shot taken during the Institute's driver-side small overlap frontal crash test.

The dummy's position in relation to the door frame, steering wheel, and instrument panel after the crash test indicates that the driver's survival space was maintained very well (Institute test car shown).

The frontal and side curtain airbags worked well together to keep the head from coming close to any stiff structure or outside objects that could cause injury (Institute test shown).

The driver's space was maintained well in both tests, and risk of injuries to the dummy's legs and feet was low.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEN1812	VTN1810
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	1	1
Footrest (cm)	2	3
Left toepan (cm)	1	4
Brake pedal (cm)	2	3
Parking brake (cm)
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	0	0
Upper occupant compartment
Steering column	0	1
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	1	1
Upper dash (cm)	2	1
Lower instrument panel (cm)	3	2

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	CEN1812	VTN1810
Head
HIC-15	139	175
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.1	1.1
Extension bending moment (Nm)	20	19
Maximum Nij	0.19	0.28
Chest maximum compression (mm)	21	25
Femur (kN)
Left	0.6	0.7
Right	0.6	1.0
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	0	1
Right	0	1
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0	0
Right	0	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.40	0.47
Right	0.60	0.55
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	2.1	2.4
Right	1.4	1.5
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	50	59
Right	45	51

About the small overlap front test

Small overlap front: passenger-side

Rating applies to 2019-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2019 Lexus ES 350 4-door

The Lexus ES was redesigned for the 2019 model year. Passenger-side small overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Passenger restraints and dummy kinematics
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Hip/thigh
Lower leg/foot
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP1822
Lower occupant compartment
Lower hinge pillar max (cm)	4
Footrest (cm)	8
Right toepan (cm)	12
Center toepan (cm)	10
Rocker panel lateral average (cm)	1
Upper occupant compartment
Center dash (cm)	3
Upper hinge pillar max (cm)	3
Upper dash (cm)	4
Right lower dash (cm)	3

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP1822
Head
HIC-15	190
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.3
Extension bending moment (Nm)	12
Maximum Nij	0.25
Chest maximum compression (mm)	22
Femur (kN)
Left	1.7
Right	1.8
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	4
Right	5
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.42
Right	0.41
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	2.8
Right	2.9
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	114
Right	82

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTP1822
Head
HIC-15	132
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.3
Extension bending moment (Nm)	11
Maximum Nij	0.23
Chest maximum compression (mm)	23
Femur (kN)
Left	0.7
Right	1.1
Knee displacement (mm)
Left	1
Right	1
Knee-thigh-hip injury risk (%)
Left	0
Right	0
Maximum tibia index
Left	0.45
Right	0.42
Tibia axial force (kN)
Left	0.9
Right	2.0
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	82
Right	63

About the small overlap front test

Moderate overlap front: original test

Rating applies to 2019-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2019 Lexus ES 350 4-door

The Lexus ES was redesigned for the 2019 model year. Moderate overlap frontal ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Chest
Leg/foot, left
Leg/foot, right
Driver restraints and dummy kinematics

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF1822
Footwell intrusion
Footrest (cm)	6
Left (cm)	9
Center (cm)	8
Right (cm)	4
Brake pedal (cm)	3
Instrument panel rearward movement
Left (cm)	1
Right (cm)	2
Steering column movement
Upward (cm)	1
Rearward (cm)	-2
A-pillar rearward movement (cm)	1

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTF1822
Head
HIC-15	341
Peak gs at hard contact	no contact
Neck
Tension (kN)	1.3
Extension bending moment (Nm)	17
Maximum Nij	0.27
Chest maximum compression (mm)	30
Legs
Femur force - left (kN)	0.8
Femur force - right (kN)	1.7
Knee displacement - left (mm)	2
Knee displacement - right (mm)	1
Maximum tibia index - left	0.30
Maximum tibia index - right	0.48
Tibia axial force - left (kN)	2.5
Tibia axial force - right (kN)	2.2
Foot acceleration (g)
Left	90
Right	74

About the original moderate overlap front test

Side: original test

Rating applies to 2019-25 models

Tested vehicle: 2019 Lexus ES 350 4-door

The Lexus ES was redesigned for the 2019 model year. Side ratings are assigned by the Institute based on a test conducted by Toyota.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Structure and safety cage
Driver injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Driver head protection
Rear passenger injury measures
Head/neck
Torso
Pelvis/leg
Rear passenger head protection

Technical measurements for this test

Test ID	VTS1820
B-pillar to longitudinal centerline of driver's seat (cm)	-22.0
Negative numbers indicate the amount by which the crush stopped short of the seat centerline.

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS1820
Head HIC-15	391
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.7
Compression (kN)	0.1
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	32
Lateral force (kN)	1.2
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	29
Average deflection (mm)	28
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	4.39
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.49
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	1.3
Acetabulum force (kN)	1.2
Combined force (kN)	2.4
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.6
L-M moment (Nm)	70
A-P moment (Nm)	35

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Test ID	VTS1820
Head HIC-15	124
Neck
Tension (kN)	0.2
Compression (kN)	0.6
Shoulder
Lateral deflection (mm)	9
Lateral force (kN)	0.6
Torso
Maximum deflection (mm)	26
Average deflection (mm)	22
Maximum deflection rate (m/s)	1.45
Maximum viscous criterion (m/s)	0.21
Pelvis
Iliac force (kN)	0.8
Acetabulum force (kN)	1.1
Combined force (kN)	1.8
Left femur
L-M force (kN)	0.5
L-M moment (Nm)	55
A-P moment (Nm)	-31

About the original side crash test

Roof strength

Rating applies to 2019-23 models

Tested vehicle: 2019 Lexus ES 350 4-door

Rating applies to both the ES 350 (tested) and the ES 300h (hybrid) models.

Overall evaluation
Curb weight	3,657 lbs
Peak force	21,051 lbs
Strength-to-weight ratio	5.76

About the roof strength test

Head restraints & seats

Seat type: Power leatherette seat

Overall evaluation
Dynamic rating
Seat/head restraint geometry

Technical measurements for this test

Seat type	Power leatherette seat
Geometry
Backset (mm)	28
Distance below top of head (mm)	2
Seat design parameters
Pass/fail	Pass
Max T1 acceleration (g)	15.1
Head contact time (ms)	62
Force rating	1
Neck forces
Max neck shear force (N)	0
Max neck tension (N)	445

About the head restraint & seat test
Currently, IIHS tests apply only to front seats.

Headlights

Ratings are given for 2 different headlight variations available on this vehicle.

Trim level(s)

All trims equipped with Triple Beam LED Headlights package

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good in all 4 tests.

The low beams created some glare.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on the right side of the road and fair on the left side. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual left and gradual right curves and fair on the sharp left and sharp right curves.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on the sharp left curve.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Trim level(s)	All trims equipped with Triple Beam LED Headlights package
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating Applies to 2022-25 models

LOW BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)	Amount glare exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge	137.0 m	None
Straightaway left edge	69.5 m	None
250m radius right curve, right edge	77.3 m	22.8%
250m radius left curve, left edge	72.1 m	None
150m radius right curve, right edge	62.2 m	None
150m radius left curve, left edge	57.3 m	None

HIGH BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge	143.4 m
Straightaway left edge	135.4 m
250m radius right curve, right edge	77.5 m
250m radius left curve, left edge	85.1 m
150m radius right curve, right edge	62.0 m
150m radius left curve, left edge	64.0 m

Trim level(s)

All trims

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating
Distance at which headlights provide at least 5 lux illumination:

Low beams
On the straightaway, visibility was good on both sides of the road. On curves, visibility was good on both right curves and fair on both left curves.

The low beams never exceeded glare limits.

High beams
On the straightaway, visibility was fair on the right side of the road and inadequate on the left side. On curves, visibility was good on the gradual left and gradual right curves and fair on the sharp right and sharp left curves.

High-beam assist compensates for some limitations of this vehicle's low beams on both left curves.

Technical measurements for this test

Evaluation criteria	Measurement
Trim level(s)	All trims
Low-beam headlight type	LED projector
High-beam headlight type	LED projector
Curve-adaptive?	No
High-beam assist?	Yes
Overall rating Applies to 2022-25 models

LOW BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)	Amount glare exceeded threshold
Straightaway right edge	123.0 m	None
Straightaway left edge	66.0 m	None
250m radius right curve, right edge	80.0 m	None
250m radius left curve, left edge	64.1 m	None
150m radius right curve, right edge	62.8 m	None
150m radius left curve, left edge	47.1 m	None

HIGH BEAMS	Average minimum useful illumination distance (5 lux)
Straightaway right edge	140.6 m
Straightaway left edge	126.6 m
250m radius right curve, right edge	80.6 m
250m radius left curve, left edge	80.8 m
150m radius right curve, right edge	62.2 m
150m radius left curve, left edge	61.6 m

About the headlight evaluation

Front crash prevention: vehicle-to-vehicle

System details

Standard Lexus Safety System + 2.5 Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection

Overall evaluation

Applies to 2022-23 models

Superior

This system does not meet the requirements for forward collision warning.
In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

About the original front crash prevention test

Front crash prevention: pedestrian (day)

System details

standard Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection

Overall evaluation

This rating applies to all 2019-25 models

Advanced

Crossing child

In the 12 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

Crossing adult

In the 12 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 11 mph.
In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.

Parallel adult

In the 25 mph test, this vehicle avoided a collision.
In the 37 mph test, impact speed was reduced by 17 mph. A warning was issued 1.5 seconds before impact.

About the pedestrian front crash prevention test

Child seat anchors

Rating applies to 2019-25 models

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Vehicle trim	ES 350
Seat type	leatherette

This vehicle has 2 rear seating positions with complete child seat attachment (LATCH) hardware.

It has 1 additional seating position with a tether anchor only.

Evaluation criteria	Rating
Overall evaluation
Vehicle trim	ES 350
Seat type	leatherette

Rating icon	Rating
G	Good
A	Acceptable
M	Marginal
P	Poor
	Seating positions that rely on borrowed lower anchors or have only a tether anchor available are not rated.
thether anchor symbol	Tether anchor
lower anchor symbol	Lower anchors
shared lower achors symbol	Lower anchor(s) can be borrowed from adjacent positions(s)
	No hardware available

Details by seating position

Position	Rating
1
1	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	not too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors
2
2	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	none available
3
3	Tether anchor
	easy-to-find location
	no other hardware could be confused for anchor
	Lower anchors
	not too deep in seat
	not too much force needed to attach
	easy to maneuver around anchors

Technical measurements for this test

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	Yes
Depth	Visible
Force (lbs)	0
Clearance angle (degrees)	79
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	Yes
Depth	Visible
Force (lbs)	0
Clearance angle (degrees)	82
Tether anchor
Location	Rear deck
Confusing hardware present	No
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	Yes
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

Lower anchor A
No lower latch for this seat position
Lower anchor B
No lower latch for this seat position
Tether anchor
Location	Rear deck
Confusing hardware present	No
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	Yes
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

Lower anchor A
Open access rated	Yes
Depth	Visible
Force (lbs)	0
Clearance angle (degrees)	77
Lower anchor B
Open access rated	Yes
Depth	Visible
Force (lbs)	0
Clearance angle (degrees)	79
Tether anchor
Location	Rear deck
Confusing hardware present	No
Has contrasting label within 3 inches of tether anchor	Yes
Tether anchors can be accessed while seatback is properly positioned for use of LATCH	Not measured

About the child seat anchor evaluation