---
title: 'Road Trip of Regret in the New Lexus ES'
source: 'https://youtube.com/watch?v=w4TLAad_uRY'
video_id: 'w4TLAad_uRY'
date: 2026-07-24
duration_sec: 1263
channel: 'Throttle House'
---

# Road Trip of Regret in the New Lexus ES

> Source: [Road Trip of Regret in the New Lexus ES](https://youtube.com/watch?v=w4TLAad_uRY)

## Summary

In this video, the hosts take a road trip in the new Lexus ES to eat the world's hottest chicken wings. They review the car's features, performance, and comfort, while also sharing personal stories and enduring the painful wing challenge.

### Key Points

- **Introduction to the Road Trip** [00:01] — The hosts plan a mini trip in the new Lexus ES to get the hottest wings on the planet.
- **Lexus ES Overview** [01:12] — The Lexus ES has been a comfortable midsize luxury sedan since 1989. The new eighth generation is the most powerful and quickest ES ever.
- **Platform and Powertrain** [01:53] — The ES is now based on the Toyota Crown platform instead of Camry. It offers a four-cylinder hybrid and a 340 horsepower version.
- **Aggressive Driving Detection** [02:05] — When driven aggressively, the car detects an incident and records a 20-second clip, prompting the driver to calm down.
- **Cabin Impressions** [02:44] — The cabin has unique styling like bamboo accents, but lacks rear heated seats and third-zone climate control despite the $80,000 price.
- **Sound System and Steering Wheel** [04:51] — The Mark Levinson sound system is excellent, and the steering wheel buttons are real buttons, not capacitive.
- **Highway Driving and Assist Systems** [05:40] — The ES's assist system is less advanced than Tesla's, but it can charge at Tesla charging stations. Range is mediocre.
- **Sport Mode Experience** [06:23] — Sport mode makes the car quicker and adds a fake vibration for a sporting feel, but it triggers incident detection.
- **Driving in Rain** [08:02] — The all-wheel drive Lexus handles rain well, providing a comfortable and unaffected ride.
- **Personal Stories** [09:09] — The host shares memories of working at a farm and a bait shop, and being fired for having long hair.
- **Wing Challenge Begins** [10:32] — The hosts order wings, including 'Fast and Furious' (3 million Scoville) and 'Blackenstein' (10 million Scoville).
- **Eating the Hottest Wings** [14:14] — The wings cause intense heat, tingling, and discomfort. The hosts struggle to finish even one bite.
- **Conclusion and Final Thoughts** [19:47] — The Lexus ES is calm and docile but records 47 incidents due to aggressive driving. It's a good car but not luxurious enough to fill the LS void.

### Conclusion

The Lexus ES is a comfortable and capable luxury sedan, but its aggressive driving detection system and lack of some luxury features are drawbacks. The wing challenge was extremely painful and memorable.

## Transcript

>> is somehow the dumbest thing we've ever done. [cough] >> Yeah. >> What you going to do when Blackenstein >> What you going to do when Blackenstein runs wild [laughter] in you?
Yeah. What you going to do? >> And I'm James. And today we're going to take a mini trip in the new Lexus ES
>> to get the hottest wings in the world. >> No, you can't say in the world. >> Can't say the words are already in use. >> Uh, right. Hottest wings on the planet.
>> Because I know that they're the hottest. >> I know that they're the hottest. I've >> Just purely based on probability. The chances that that happens to be in >> Just trust me. Okay. Just trust me. >> Speaking of hot.
>> The 500. >> So, it has a V8 then? >> So, it has a V8 then? >> No. Way less than that. [music] >> The Lexus ES, a car that since 1989 has
[music] whisked its occupants from place to place in a comfortable and quiet midsize palace of above medium levels [music] of luxury. And almost 40 years later, we now have the new eighth generation ES. This one today is the
most powerful and quickest Lexus ES the world has ever seen. is Thomas's [music] first moments.
for [music] a second. >> We're backing up, >> right? >> This is based on the Toyota Crown >> where once the ES used to be based on a Camry. This is on the Crown platform.
You can have it with a four-cylinder hybrid. We've we've got the big boy >> Yeah. >> 340 horsepower. >> So aggressive, in fact, >> that when you floor it,
>> it tells [music] you you've got into an accident and it records it. >> Yeah. Anytime you drive this aggressively, it doesn't like it. So, quite a do do an aggressive turn. This entire squeal.
>> Incident detected. >> Incident detected. Saving 20 second clip. calm down and that's the theme of this car. You got to calm down. >> Put down. >> There is a mode in Europe where they
>> There is a mode in Europe where they have the uh Ionic 5N style shift uh fake like fun here in Canada. >> I don't know. >> What do you think of the cabin? Apart from the weird steering wheel fabric,
>> um it's fine. I'm a little bit high and I'm also a little bit confused as to why there is half of an opera house bolted to the doors. The bamboo. >> Okay. >> It's an acquired taste. I think it
works. >> It It works a bit. It works there, but >> No. >> However, considering this is 80,000 >> However, what? >> Despite the spacious back seats, no
heated rear seat, no ventilated rear seat, no third zone climate control, >> 80,80. You do get soft closed doors with the luxury plus and there's no LS anymore. So that's the closest you have to a
luxury back seat in a Lexus nowadays. >> I'm trying to process the I didn't say hey Lexus. >> You didn't say Alex. You just said, >> "Hey Lexus, where's your third zone climate control?"
>> She knew. >> And it's nice cuz this gauge cluster which sits >> It's a stallag stall tight. >> Yes. Right.
>> Yes. So the the gauge shrust has been stagnated. Where else would you have known that if >> does that not fit perfectly in your ey >> Yes, it does. >> Lovely. And we got
>> But that's we the bare minimum of making a car Porsche. >> It's better [laughter] than a Porsche. >> And it says Lexus on the steering wheel now instead of the big L. Now we got big dub.
>> Things that look capacitive. Yeah. >> Or not. >> It's a button. >> Oh, I don't mind that. >> Lovely camera. >> That's good.
[laughter] >> Is this Is this This is the charger marshmallows at the same time. >> Yeah. Exactly. Yeah. >> Otherwise, the materials just feel a bit lessy. I mean, the one thing that will
determine whether or not this car is a win from an interior perspective is if this [music] armrest opens both directions. One, and >> It did it. >> Also, the Mark Levenson sound system.
Excellent. The buttons on the steering wheel, real buttons. Those buttons look capacitive. They aren't. >> They aren't. Look at you. Look at that. >> Um, all right. All that matters now. We Okay, we've established that first
impressions quite a nice vehicle. >> Yes. And new feeling. I've not been in a >> Yes. No, this is all really, really good. What matters now is how it does over a journey. >> And so, the ES [music] continued to f us
westward, eating up highway miles like a champ. But in consideration for what we the hottest [music] wings in the known universe, I thought it appropriate that we stop for some milk. We should probably stop [music] for some milk.
[music] the highway, a place where, compared to the Lexus, something like a Tesla has a much more advanced assist system. So advanced, in fact, that on the way to filming, I saw a fella asleep at the wheel. For shame. That's a
at the wheel. For shame. That's a 5,000lb missile, my friend. Well, don't ES and you shouldn't, but you also can't. You can charge it at a Tesla charging station though, [music] which I tried and it worked, which is good
because the range of the ES is pretty meh. But that didn't stop us testing the delights of sport mode. What happens if we flip you into sport? >> This is a bit of laziness here. >> Oh, it's quicker.
responsive. Incident [music] detected. Calm the down, please. [laughter] And transmission shifts at higher RPM now, which I think is a lazy carryover >> No, from the hybrid. >> Oh, I see. Yeah. What transmission?
>> Hold on. There's an incident, sir. Do you feel that vibration? They've added like a there's a sound and a vibration >> in sport mode. >> You ready? Ready? Ready? >> Go on.
added a vibration. >> Gives you a sporting feeling. >> No, you can't do that. Why can we do the German one, though?
>> The war. [laughter] also involved in some small way, too. But anyway, leaving civilization behind us, we finally arrived at the edge of [music] Wing Town, aka Brford, aka my
childhood home. >> That place that we just drove past, that gas station. Yeah. When I was really, really young, the queen came to Brford where I grew up, which is where we're heading. And I missed her. I missed her
out the window. Yes. >> And so my parents rushed me to this place cuz they figured out where she was going and then at speed she drove by. It was just me and my parents. And I saw her wave out the window at me. The queen
her wave out the window at me. The queen waved to me. >> Now she's dead. And as if she'd been listening, the heavens opened [music] and we were royally pissed off. Happy Christmas. Fortunately, being in a comfy
all-wheel drive Lexus, we found ourselves quite unaffected. >> Not really. >> You know, I've been driving it now for EVs lately. >> Yes.
>> Yes. >> This one is one of the best. Hit F12. >> He's affected by the rain. >> He is affected by the rain. No, this is uh it's a completely >> nice car to drive.
>> Absolutely benign. And it doesn't it's not doing anything that pisses me off. calibrated. >> Would you do you think it gives you that much more than a crown? >> Uh
>> Don't have an opinion. >> The Crown comes in a Signia trim where >> The Crown comes in a Signia trim where it's a wagon. Would a wagon of this opinion. >> Um, we're about to go through a wall of
rain. Um, it's good to cool off though because we're about to uh eat something that's going to result in us fire out our asses tomorrow. Considering our spicy destiny ahead, I felt it only right that I take this moment to look
back and recount to James other avenues of my life that could have gone down instead of Throttle House. >> Story time. I used to uh just down this road here was a farm that I used to work at. Uh just a couple times I I bailed
>> bailed hay? >> Yep. Um and then just up here on our left actually is another job that I worked at as a youth. Uh it was a bait and tackle store and I was responsible for packing worms, leeches, and crayfish
into small styrofoam containers for fishermen and weighing dead turkeys >> for Thanksgiving. >> Turkey hunting season. And the guy that I work for, he fired me. I did have long hair at the time. And I'll never forget
one time a hunter came in. Big burly dude. I had long hair. I was in a band, >> Is there a scar band? >> Uh I was in a scar band and also a rock >> That's not cool, right? Scar bands now. >> No, Scar Band's very cool. Shut up. And
and and then the guy looked at me and said, "If you had tits, >> And so you thought, "I'm getting out of this town." You moved about 10 minutes this town." You moved about 10 minutes away. [laughter]
for a moment as we reached our fiery destination. The Lexus ES having successfully carried us in [music] comfort and safety the entire way. >> Are you ready? The Sorry. You know, I I already know the answer. You're not
>> You were not ready for these wings. >> I'm ready. >> All right, let's do it. We wandered in and sat down for some warm-up wings of various flavors before we ordered the real ones and thought we should have a
little chat about the ES. >> So, we've established it's a good car. >> yes, >> despite being bathed in the color called >> Yes. >> You had to look that up. You didn't just
>> Inherently know wavelength. >> I have no idea. >> I don't like the look of it either, but I don't care. So, it's more it matters drives well. So, like in other words, the styling is not a thing that would
>> Yeah. But you want to know it looks like this black accent here. >> Yeah. >> But it's it's to help make the car look >> right? >> Like Chevy did it with the Blazer SS as
inheriting these >> K-pop demon hunter style patterns. >> I see what you're saying. But it is otherwise very large. It's bigger than >> It's bigger than it looks. >> Is it bigger than an M5?
>> And it's tall. >> That's bizarre. >> On the rear, there is no L for Lexus anymore. You got the word Lexus in the >> Is this a new thing they're doing? I'm not sure I'm on board with it.
>> Yeah, but the problem is is the the L in Lexus is synonymous with Lexus. And it's LFA. >> It's on the front. It's on the wheels. >> These are so good. >> But it doesn't Yeah, it doesn't inspire.
Look, let's just say here, I got it here. between intelligent packaging and proportions that highlight the sedan's inherent beauty. Realizing a sleek
flowing silhouette that hints at the emotional driving experience to come, >> That's not true. We went through your hometown. You went through memory lane. emotional. It's emotional >> and it was because of the It took me
down memory lane. >> Yes. There you go. So, if you take Lexus [laughter] DS to your hometown, >> you may then realize the beauty. >> you may then realize the beauty. >> We then tried the cheddar cheese dust.
>> It just tastes like sherry Kool-Aid. >> That's horrible. It's like I've grabbed >> A car seat on a hot summer day. [laughter] arrived. >> Okay.
>> We're bringing Carsten in. All right. >> Yes. Caren through absolutely no goating >> So So this one's called Fast and Furious. Um aptly named I guess for us being car [snorts] related. Uh >> people care about Scoville. Just for
reference, the hottest source on the popular video series Hot Ones is rated at 2.7 million Scoville. >> I have tried this before. This one is uh 3 million Scoville. >> Going to need a Corona after this one.
D. >> And this one is called Blackenstein and >> And this one is called Blackenstein and it's 10. Furious and probably all tap out before we even get to Blackstone. No, we got to
make it. And we have milk here. I'm going to pour this now. And whoever drinks last is the winner. >> Ready? Cheers, boys. >> Ready? Cheers, boys. >> Cheers. Cheers.
>> Oh, I forgot how hot it is. >> Don't have any open wounds near that. >> I forgot to say just a genuine thing. It's really important that you don't >> ever again. >> I can't do 10 million. [laughter]
>> you can have water. You can have water, right? Which one's mine? I don't I don't >> How does it compare to like the hot ones? Wow. I can feel like it's like electricity in my arms. >> I've tried the uh the hot one sauces.
>> these are hotter. >> These are hotter. >> My arms are getting really warm. Yeah. fingers are tingling. >> Everything's tingling.
>> Fine. >> Yeah. [laughter] Fine. >> I don't know if I can do tech. My whole body is like vibrating. Not very nice. >> Yeah. Yeah. Exactly. It's the same feeling. It's like the panic. Um,
>> a bit of water. Just cool it down. >> I grab water. >> Yeah. I think it's not correctly named >> cuz I haven't felt anything like that for the like the last seven Fast and Furious films [laughter] put together.
hotter. Just as a reference point. >> I don't have a reference [music] point >> 100%. >> Yeah. Is that the hottest wing you've >> It's so uncomfortable. It's uncomfortable.
>> Just as like like we didn't eat the wing. We took a bite. >> Don't touch your eyes or or pick your nose. >> [laughter] >> Did I already say the penis thing
>> Okay. My hand is actually shaking. >> Yeah. Yeah. It's not good. Feels nice. >> Okay. Here we go. Ready? >> It was time for Blackenstein.
>> Did you take a bite? You Take a bite. Okay. bite. Okay. [clears throat] man right there. >> Gets hot. [laughter]
>> Yeah, it's warming up. >> I'm seeing you in a fever dream right now and it's really scary. [laughter] [clears throat] >> It tastes like >> It tastes [clears throat] like what's it
called? Blackenstein. >> There's [laughter] like a There's like a >> I don't I don't mean cultural. >> Not like [laughter] >> but like the like the bottom of the Mariana Trench.
>> That's >> Yeah. >> Hold on. >> I'm getting stomach. like >> I'm getting stomach cramps from it. This
feels good. >> That feels This feels Is this normal? She's sweating, >> boy. There's so much going. It's my >> 20 years of the >> I almost would prefer you wear
>> Oh, it's building, man. Stiletto and tread on balls. >> Yeah. >> It's actually getting worse. weird. >> On your throat,
>> It's going up the roller coaster and you're expecting a drop, but it doesn't roller coaster. It's here. >> Your fingers away from your eyes. >> Your fingers away from your eyes. >> We're going to have a big surprise.
>> What was that? One bite. >> Yeah. Second bite. >> How do I look? >> Feels like I'm standing on one vibrating abice.
hit the walk [cough] >> later on. >> Oh, it's in my balls now. I don't know why. [laughter] >> Oh, no.
>> Ain't no remedy for that. >> I don't know how you guys haven't. >> I got to do milk. I got to do the milk. >> And Don and Don. the toughest one here. Oh, my tongue's actually on fire.
>> It's absolutely on fire. I want you guys to see how much I ate of the wing. ate. >> How much? >> What would it take to to actually >> eat the wing?
>> Finish all the meat on there and throw the bone down. it, honestly. I think I would wouldn't get through it. done on the phone. That is somehow the dumbest thing we've ever done.
[cough] to be great. >> I dare you to break something hotter, Trey. >> I I dare you because it's not possible. >> 10 million Scoville units.
>> My whole face is vibrating. >> Yeah. Really weird. It's really really >> Yeah. >> All right. I'm good. >> That's another bite. >> No. Do you want a bite?
it. >> You guys are sounding pretty. >> I think I'm over the roller coaster hump, Carson. [laughter]
brother? >> What you going to do when Blackenstein >> What you going to do when Blackenstein runs wild [laughter] in you?" Yeah. What you going to do?
calm, very dosile, and very upset with acceleration, as shown by the 47 incidents it reported on the way, we will always associate the Lexus ES as a record-breaking machine from a fever dream. In reality, it does its job very
well. It definitely borrows some Chinese market influence with its visually simplified interior, weird exterior, better tech than usual on the inside, and even funky lighting cues. And indeed, many of the new ES's are now
made in China, although North America gets Japanese-made ES's. It is not luxurious enough to fill the LS void, but it is half the price. And for what the ES sets [music] out to achieve, this new generation does a pretty good job of
answering the question. Now, if you don't mind, I need to go flames. don't mind, I need to go flames. Thanks for watching.
This is how it feels to drive a Lexus ES500. [laughter] No, it isn't.