Compare the2026 Hyundai Ioniq 5VS 2026 Lexus ES

Both the Ioniq 5 and ES have child safety locks to prevent children from opening the rear doors. The Ioniq 5 has power child safety locks, allowing the driver to activate and deactivate them from the driver's seat and to know when they're engaged. The ES’ child locks have to be individually engaged at each rear door with a manual switch. The driver can’t know the status of the locks without opening the doors and checking them.

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Ioniq 5 are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The ES doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Hyundai Ioniq 5 achieved a “Acceptable” rating - the second highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Lexus ES has not been tested.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Ioniq 5 has standard Rear Cross-Traffic Collision Warning with Rear Cross-Traffic Collision-Avoidance Assist, systems which detect vehicles approaching from the sides and can automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. Rear Cross-Traffic Braking costs extra on the ES.

Both the Ioniq 5 and the ES have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2026 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, a “Good” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised vehicle-to-vehicle crash prevention test. The ES has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2026.

The Ioniq 5 comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The ES’ 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 10,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Ioniq 5 4 years and 30,000 miles longer than Lexus covers the ES. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the ES ends after only 6 years or 70,000 miles.

The Ioniq 5’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the ES’ (7 vs. 6 years).

There are almost 4 times as many Hyundai dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Ioniq 5’s warranty.

The Ioniq 5 has more powerful engines than the ES:

The Ioniq 5 can travel longer on a full charge than the ES on electricity, only, on a full charge:

The Ioniq 5 N’s launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The ES doesn’t offer launch control.

For better stopping power the Ioniq 5 N’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the ES:

For better traction, the Ioniq 5 N’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the ES (275/35R21 vs. 235/55R19).

The Ioniq 5 N’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 35 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the ES’ optional 45 series tires.

The Ioniq 5 has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The ES doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The Ioniq 5 offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The ES’ suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Ioniq 5’s wheelbase is 2 inches longer than on the ES (118.1 inches vs. 116.1 inches).

The Ioniq 5’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (50% to 50%) than the ES’ (54.8% to 45.2%). This gives the Ioniq 5 more stable handling and braking.

The Ioniq 5 is 1 foot, 7 inches shorter than the ES, making the Ioniq 5 easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The front grille of the Ioniq 5 uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The ES doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Ioniq 5 has 1.6 inches more front headroom, .2 inches more front shoulder room, 1.1 inches more rear headroom and 3.8 inches more rear shoulder room than the ES.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Ioniq 5 has a standard rear wiper. The ES doesn’t offer a rear wiper.

The Ioniq 5 was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2025 and 4 more times in the last 5 years. The ES has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.

The Hyundai Ioniq 5 outsold the Lexus ES by 18% during 2025.