chkdg8

Long time unregistered lurker, first time poster here. After almost 20 years of my German car fascination, I'm coming back to Toyota/Lexus. Since 2005, I've owned a C230K then traded that in for a 2010 E350 (big mistake). Drove that to 127K miles and was looking at a possible $9K bill for a new tranny. Traded that in for a lease (an even bigger mistake) on a 2016 C300. Mercedes cars look beautiful but once that beauty wares off, crap starts breaking down. My lease is up in December and to be quite honest, I'm over Mercedes. I cannot wait to get into a Lexus.

Here's my dilemma. I don't buy new luxury cars. I always buy them used. My credit is very good at round 790/810. I'm stuck between a 2015/16 IS 350 F Sport or an ES350 of the same year combo. I've grown spoiled to the creature comforts of Mercedes and found that most of those features are in an ES and not IS F Sport. Such as multi-profile memory seats (as an example). MPG also plays a small factor for me. Currently, my C300 is a turbo charged inline 4. Decent MPG at 25/33. The ES 350 is a little better than the IS350 F Sport so that's a plus.

I work 50 miles from home so in 4 days, I put in 400 miles. Through Lexus' reliability, I want to take care of my next car and ride it until I pay it off/wheels fall off. I'm done hopping around every couple of years. Why are used ES's of the same year so much affordable than the IS if they're more expensive when they're new? As far as design and tech, the IS is really growing stale even when you look at the 2019 IS350 F Sport. The ES still looks elegant and even sporty throughout it's yearly lineup.

Here in South Florida, used 2015/16 ES 350s are littered all throughout Lexus dealerships as they're coming off leases and most are priced under $25K and loaded. Are they worth the price of admission? This will be my first Lexus. I want to be part of the Lexus family. Although I enjoy performance, my modding days have taken a back seat. I am still open to the idea of future slight performance mods but for now, I want reliability, features and comfort.

I just want to get some honest feedback from ES350 owners. Thank you all in advance.

Tootsall

Well I can't say I came from a German ride...drove Toyotas for the last 30 years or so. Mother and daughter drove Corollas, I went through a Toyota XTraCab pickup then a couple of Camrys. Prior to that I had GM, Ford, and Chrysler. For pure economical and reliable transportation, the Toyotas beat them all hollow (which isn't necessarily saying much). The last Camry lasted for 15 years and 280,000 km and not a spot of trouble (one battery, one set of plugs, one brake job, one set of front wheel bearings; my daughter is driving it now). Decided since I had retired it was time to treat myself so started looking at Avalons but after perusing used market and comparing them, switched to ES350 (mainly because it was a clone of Avalon and used regular gas...premium is an arm and a leg and a second mortgage up here in Canada, because I liked the position of the GPS display in the ES better, as well as the general car appearance both inside and out). Did my due diligence, checked Consumer's Reports, talked to a couple of guys I've known for years who also have Lexus, spoke to the local Toyota dealer about service, and purchased the one in my signature line back in March. Happy as a clam with it... my private mechanic will do brakes and simple mechanical stuff like that for me and Toyota will do the rest...good thing because the closest Lexus dealer is about 120 miles away.

The car is super comfy, knocks down really good gas mileage (actually better than I expected, especially on the highway), has enough "get up and go" to keep me moving down the road, and I expect it to last me until I'm ready for either a hybrid or a coffin. I know that doesn't speak to the actual reliability of this particular vehicle but it generally indicates the cumulative experience of others and the statistical evidence of Consumer reports.

BTW, here's a website you might want to take a peek at: https://www.yourmechanic.com/article...y-maddy-martin

Just my take on it: your mileage may vary..blah blah. Cheers.

12jimmyjam

The newer ES uses the same engine and transmission as your old one if that makes a difference to you. Overall those transmissions are very reliable though. In terms of price difference between the ES and IS the ES has a single drivetrain while the IS has 3 I think with the 350 being the most expensive.

rmak

I too decided on the ES350 over the Avalon, MB, BMW and the IS / GS Lexus line due to my needs and driving style. For a little bit more money the ES beats the Avalon across the board. I love the IS / GS line, but for the ride, comfort and economy I chose the ES. Also chose the ES for the same reason my wife drives a 4Runner Limited; The drivetrain is old, proven and damn near bulletproof.

I ruled out the BMW and MB due to cost of ownership and maintenance issues (friends own them).

Freds430

Had three German cars and would never ever go back. I had horrible reliability problems. On my sixth Lexus and never have had one problem. Lexus has been #1 in dependability for 8 years in a row by J D Power. The ES has consistently been rated the most dependable mid-size premium car. Lexus has been rated the third least expensive car to maintain behind it's cousins Scion and Toyota. My maintenance for 30,000 miles on our ES and RX come out to be about $415 each. I get all service work done a la carte meaning I never go in an ask for a 10,000 mile service or 30,000 etc. Every 10,000 miles the oil needs to be changed. Every 30,000 miles the brake fluid needs to be changed. That is it until 100,000 miles. The cabin and air filter are bought on line and takes five minutes for both to change. One can save any more money by getting the work done at a Toyota dealership. Now you can do this maintenance routine on a German car too good luck.

The IS is not generally rated that high as a car like the GS or ES. If you are torn between the two the comprise could be a GS that has the ride and sport of the IS with the room of the ES. Love our ES and on our second one. had a 2013 and now a 2017. In 2016 they changed the exterior and interior. Personal opinion like the 2016+ much better. front is sportier looking again going back toward your liking of the IS. In 2016 the safety options were an option(lane mitigation, adaptive cruise contro,l forward collision etc.). In 2017 they were standard.

lexsc4

As an previous BMW 540i owner and a current 17 ES350 owner, I can honestly say I will never drive German again, unless I have too much money to know what to do with and a couple of other cars in my garage.

Anyway, If I had to do it again, I would have gone with the GS350 instead of ES350. My brother drives a 17 GS350 Fsport. Sure it is a little more expensive and the ride is stiffer and a tag noiser than the ES, it does handle a lot better. I never gave the IS any thought, as it is just too small/tight for me. Keep in mind that my commute is only 11 miles 1 way. If I have to commute 400 miles per week, I might go with the ES 300h (my neighbor told me he get ~35MPG)

17 ES350 (mine 15K miles)
08 RX350 (Wife's 133K miles and still drives great, with proper maintenance)

AlexNY

i'll strongly suggest the IS over ES if you care about driving enjoyment.

The ES is a quiet cruiser, reliability is a big plus. But all lexus are reliable anyways.

i'll give you my 2 cents since i'm coming from a 2016 C300 i leased as well.

Now granted, my c300 had a msrp of $54k as it had about $12k of extra options. With this in mind, the C300 was a REAL luxury car in every sense of the word. I felt special every time i sat to drive it. Every single thing in the car felt special to touch. Every ****, every button, every panel felt premium.
The biggest plus of the C300 = it felt connected to the road and you can appreciate german engineering, the precision everytime you turn on the steering wheel is unrivaled. It was an absolute joy to drive every day.
But benz being benz, it started to have random issues at around 28k miles. Thank god i leased it as i did not want to deal with the issues. I had some electrical monkeys, i really did not feel like dealing with this. So i just kept my mouth shut when i returned the lease.
it's an incredible car to lease, but a big no-no for long term ownership.
On the other hand, we have the Lexus ES. I can feel the reliability of it every day i drive it. there's just not enough complexity to be unreliable as the benz. the benz was full of sensors and mechanisms that made the car what it is. but these things will eventually fail, and when they do god help your wallet if you are out of warranty.

The ES driving dynamics vs the benz = on a scale of 1 to 10, the benz scores a 8 and the lexus ES a MINUS 3. Minus 3 because the Lexus ES actually made me lose interest in driving every day. It has one of the worst driving dynamics i ever felt in a car. I think the oldsmobile 88 i had as a freebie when i started driving was the only car in my memory that drove worse than my current lexus ES.

i do appreciate the ES for what it is, a quiet and comfortable car that does not scream for attention. It's also very reliable and easy to work on.

But if you care at all about enjoying a drive, please look at the IS or GS. The IS is very agile and nimble, but you need the 300 or the 350 (i4 turbo or the 300hp v6). Do not get the IS250, this is so underpowered is not even funny. The GS350 is where comfort, luxury and performance come together. But the GS commands a hefty premium over the ES.

lexsc4

Completely agree on the ES350 being a cruiser, there is nothing sporty about it. Just quiet and reliable.
Again I should have bought the '17 on GS350. Oh well, I need to drive the ES for a 8 more years before kids finish college and I am thinking a slightly used LC500.

Poppa

Never owned a german vehicle.. always had GM or Ford products until 2007 when I bought my first Toyota, an Avalon... six months into owning that car I knew I would probably be staying with Toyota / Lexus for the duration. went from a 2007 Avalon, then bought my wife a 2010 Toyota 4 Runner SR 5 that we still have and now my 2013 ES which I bought new. Love my Es... no issues to speak of and it is a very comfortable nice riding car... between the ES and the IS I would think you would be happier with the ES... You said it yourself, some of the creature comforts you have gotten used to in your other car are not in the IS but are in the ES. In my opinion your best bang for your buck is the ES... Either way you're going to be happy.. Go with the ES.. you'll be happier. lol