Talking Cars 530: Driving the Lexus ES Hybrid

Plus, the risks of buying a redesigned car in its first production year

Alex Knizek, Consumer Reports Associate Director, Auto Test Development.

By Alex Knizek
Director, Auto Test Development

October 28, 2026

Main theme: In this episode, the podcast panel talks about the 2026 Lexus ES Hybrid. We share our first impressions, discuss how it stacks up against its all-new electric vehicle twin (the Lexus ES 500e), and debate whether the 2026 redesign offers enough improvements over older, popular (and reliable) models from Toyota/Lexus.

Read our Lexus ES Hybrid review.

Audience questions:
• What are the risks of buying a redesigned car in its first production year?
• How have child car seat technology, seat belts, and driving habits changed over the last 60 years?

Learn more about car reliability.

Talking Cars 530 podcast panel on the Lexus ES Hybrid — “Talking Cars” panelists (from left): Alex Knizek, Jon Linkov, and Keith Barry.

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Recent Podcast Episodes

• Driving the Toyota RAV4 Woodland, episode 529
• Driving the Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness, episode 528
• Best Tires for Winter Driving, episode 527
• Driving the Kia Telluride Hybrid, episode 526
• All-Questions Episode With Answers on Hybrids, Tires, Rear Wipers, and More, episode 525

Talking Cars

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Alex Knizek

Alex Knizek is an automotive engineer at Consumer Reports. He has been with CR since 2020 and works on the vehicle testing program, technical reporting, and tracking automotive trends and technology. Alex earned a master’s degree in automotive engineering from Clemson University, where he led a team that designed and built a fully functional prototype vehicle. Previously, he was an ergonomics engineer at Ford Motor Company.