Drove to Dallas and picked up my ES300h on Tuesday, Nov.6. I was a little apprehensive buying a car, especially having my RX to trade, over the Internet. The price for the ES, the trade in price for my RX450h and the free "add-ons" like the optional 17" ES350 wheels with Michelin tires and the Lexus all weather mats were all too good to be true. But Sewell Lexus and Dawn Betrus, the Internet Sales Rep were very easy to work with and made me feel welcome. I have to say that I have no connection to Sewell and only contacted them because of a post here on CL by another Louisiana member. If you don't live close to Dallas, but are willing to drive or fly there, give Dawn a call and let her try to get your business.

I enjoyed the drive back to South Louisiana because the Interstate had little traffic and the weather was sunny and cool. It gave me a chance to get to know the car. The suspension might be a little firmer than the last generation, but not by much. I think it is more refined and handles better. I think the harshness comes from the tires that are designed stiffer for better fuel economy. The car is quiet, the trunk is roomy for a hybrid, and except for some hard plastic trim, the interior is very well designed.

The major surprise was the fuel economy. I was not trying to hypermile and I kept up with the traffic which was flowing at around 80 mph on the stretch from Shreveport to Lafayette, LA . As I pulled into my driveway, the "MPG Since Fill-Up" reading was 44.2. I guess you can see that this whole experience, from the contact with the dealer to the drive home, was enjoyable. Not an adjective I could have used with many of my other vehicle purchases.

 

Welcome to the Louisiana Es300h Club!

 

Thanks Bob.

 

Actually, soft riding tires have traditionally delivered good fuel economy; e.g. the Goodyear Integrity and Invicta series are both really soft riding and have low rolling resistance. I think the ride harshness you mentioned comes from firmer springs /reduced suspension travel in combination with the extra wide tread tires. I just got back from a 800 mile trip in a rented 2012 Camry LE and despite the fact that the car had narrower 16" wheels and 65 series Michelin Energy Saver A/S tires, I though the ride was a bit stiffer than past generations of Camrys no doubt due to the stiffer springing of the 2012-13 models. I even tried airing the tires down to 28 PSI and I still felt and heard quite a bit of impact harshness from bumps on the freeway.

 

Congrats! I've been driving my es300h for almost a week now and love it.

 

Congratulations!! Sounds like you're enjoying the new car. I'm really impressed with the 44.2 mpg.

 

Congrats! Dawn is the best!

 

we need pics MikeP ... we would love to see her.

 

Your wish................

 

Mike, looks like you upgraded your wheels. Are they 17" or 18" wheels?

 

Ted, the wheels are the optional ES350 17" wheels. Included in my original deal was a swap for the 18" wheels, but after reading comments about a harsher ride, I decided on these 17" wheels. I think they are a good compromise with the same ride as the standard wheels but a similar look as the 18".

 

Man, she is nice. Got any
shots with a little more sun?
Thx.

 

They look great !.... That is the best choice that Lexus offers, IMHO
I should have done the same swap, but at the time I was just glad to get the 300h at a good price without waiting.

I had to take a second look to see they were not the 18" wheels.
You get about 98% of the look of the 18"wheels and 100% of the softer ride, by not lowering the profile.

 

Maybe just a little more sun.

 

Thx! Wow, nice!