2017 Lexus ES: What's Changed

Most significant changes: New standard safety equipment and a GPS app that integrates a smartphone’s navigation into the RX.

Price change: Base prices are $800 higher and the destination charge increases by $25 to $975.

On sale: September

Which should you buy, 2016 or 2017? 2017 because of the newly standard safety equipment

Related: See More Luxury Vehicle News

CARS.COM — The Lexus ES is the best-selling sedan in the brand’s lineup. For 2017, it gets new standard safety equipment, including precollision braking with pedestrian detection, adaptive cruise control, lane departure warning with steering assist, and automatic high beams; all of these features were grouped in an option package last year. The same features are also being made standard on other Lexus and Toyota models for 2017.

Another change of note is that Scout GPS Link is standard as well. It integrates voice-activated navigation and other apps from an Android or Apple phone into the car’s audio system.

The ES line returns as the ES 350 gas V-6 version and the 300h hybrid with a four-cylinder engine and electric motor (the same system used on the Toyota Camry Hybrid). Both are unchanged mechanically, except that the 300h gets Drive-Start Control, which is designed to prevent unintended acceleration caused by selecting the wrong gear after shifting out of Park.

The ES has always stressed quiet, refined luxury over sporty performance (a role covered by the IS sedan). That is appropriate for the current ES generation, which effectively soaks up bumps and provides a serene, composed ride. The ES is roomier than most rivals in its price range because it’s based on the Toyota Avalon large sedan instead of the midsize Camry, and Lexus outfits the interior with the high quality materials and amenities expected in a luxury sedan.

Short on excitement, but long on refinement, the ES delivers traditional luxury touches in a modern package.

Editor’s note: This story was updated on Sept. 16, 2016, to reflect that the Scout GPS Link is a navigation-only app.