Which Lexus ES trim holds its value better?
The seventh generation of the Lexus ES was released towards the end of 2018, offering enhanced comfort, better dynamics and improved efficiency in a package that has established itself as one of the best value for money saloon cars available. With the updated model’s imminent arrival, we look at which one of the outgoing models retain their value best.
With seven generations of ES under its belt, it is safe to say that Lexus has mastered its craft when it comes to front-wheel drive luxury saloon cars. With many of its mechanicals shared with parent company Toyota’s Camry, the ES features a more luxurious expression of a Japanese mid-size executive saloon car. When the latest generation arrived locally, Lexus South Africa decided to offer just two variants, a petrol, and a petrol-electric hybrid.
To ascertain which ES variant holds its values best, we have used 2019 and 2020 models with no more than 60 000km on the odometer, allowing for 20 000km per year for 2019 models as this is deemed an industry standard for annual mileage for passenger vehicles. There were nearly twenty models that qualified for our comparison on AutoTrader, with an impressive twelve ES 250 EX models and just five ES 300h EX models, which still provide enough of a sample size.
2019 Lexus ES 250 EX
New Price: R 593 300
Current Market Value: R501 339
Value Retained: 84.5%
The entry-level ES appears to hold its value incredibly well, losing just 15.5% in nearly three years, making it a particularly sound new vehicle purchase but potentially making it appear expensive as a used product.
2019 Lexus ES 300h EX
New Price: R 843 900
Current Market Value: R 559 900
Value Retained: 66.3%
It is interesting to see how the hybrid variant of the ES has lost nearly 20% more of its value during the same period versus the petrol model. This does make the hybrid, with its superior power and fuel economy appear to be a fantastic pre-owned buy.
* Pricing was accurate at the time of writing but may change without any prior notice.
Verdict
Having looked at the stark contrast between the pre-owned values of the two outgoing Lexus ES variants, it becomes clear that there is more market demand for the petrol-only model, with the hybrid cementing itself as a tempting used proposition for those looking for the best value for their money.
