Cicnus

Hello all, as the title states, im thinking really hard about trading in my current vehicle for an ES hybrid. My current vehicle is a 2016 IS350 AWD F-Sport @63xxx miles. I love my IS, the way it looks, drives, its comfortable. But after owning it for almost 2 years ive started to notice some of its downfalls. Technology is kind of lacking (no memory seats/mirrors, manual steering wheel, etc.) Storage space is abysmal, cup holders are inconvenient. Gas has also become expensive as my driving habits have changed and am driving much more than i was 6 months ago.

Now when i had my IS in for service the time before last, i was given a 2019 ES300h as a loaner, and i was impressed. Was comfortable and quiet, better tech, ride was smooth, and gas mileage was 👍. Unfortunately the 2019's are out of budget for me, so im here. What are some of the things to look out for when purchasing an ES300h? Model years to stay away from? Known issues with certain years? General known issues? Rare options? Must haves? Anything you wouldnt normally think about?

Thanks

12jimmyjam

Great reliable vehicle overall. 2016+ is when they did the styling update which a lot of people are fans of. No real bugs in the 2013 first year rollout model which is what I have. Some people have complaints about not achieving the epa mpg.

Pretty spacious car but your biggest complaint coming from your IS would probably be the power difference and the cvt. It might feel a bit like a golf cart for you. But you can do the test drive a decide for yourself. I’m very happy with mine.

egk2lexus

I considered the hybrid version but glad I went with the gas model. Major deciding factor was the cvt trans, just not a fan of it, sounds terrible and not enjoyable to drive. Also, like mentioned above, the reason for going hybrid is to save a significant amount on gas... but after doing some research, alot of people are just not reaching those claimed mpgs. With that said, I decided to just go with the 3.5 gas es350, silky smooth with alot of power which makes for a great highway cruiser with passing power when you need it.

TechNut

We enjoyed our 2015 ESh so much that we moved up to the 2019 ESh. The CVT transmission is smoother than a typical transmission, but it is not for the performance oriented - so if you enjoy spirited driving you may not favor that design. We had two Priuses before this ES so we learned how to maximize our mileage in previous hybrid vehicles. We routinely got 36 to 38 mpg in town depending on the season (winter draws it down some as it has to run the gas engine more for heater) and on the last road trip we got one tank at 41mpg and one at 43mpg. Oh - and calculate mileage by hand - the dash gauge is always optimistic.

So in answer to your question, there are no particular "must have" options that you wouldn't already be familiar with as a Lexus IS owner. I agree with the suggestion from a previous post to target at 2016 - 2018 as that was the "refreshed" version of this generation. However, the differences are mostly cosmetic and an upgraded nav system. There aren't any model years I am aware of that you should necessarily avoid. Just bear in mind that the warranty on the electrical drive train components is 8 years, or 10 years in states that follow CARB regulations.

websurfer

I just happened to watch this mechanic talk about Toyota/Lexus hybrids.

If it's for a Rav4 hybrid (adding more power), I'll be all for it.

See if it fits you before purchase. Main thing is the service the hybrid filter and don't block it.

websurfer

Also, this one is really good to understand the hybrid.

norakat

I've only test driven 6th Gen 300H - but several times.

Here are my gripes:
1) The CVT transmission feels like crap
2) The regenerative braking makes the brakes feel like they are slipping or failing sometimes which is very alarming. You feel this especially when you press the brakes lightly. It makes it difficult for me to control my braking precisely.
3) The trunk space is significantly less than the ES350 due to the battery. I'm not sure if it was this model but may also affect the height of chair to the floor on the rear seats.
4) The smaller engine compared to ES350 lacked HP. Felt like driving a lawn mower. I even feel like the ES350 is underpowered most of the time.

For these reasons I got the ES 350.

norakat

Also because of the way a CVT transmission works, its lifespan is not as long as a conventional transmission under ideal conditions.

Also I heard battery changes can cost a fortune paying out of pocket. If you do mostly highway driving, the savings are not that significant since you will be using gas motor anyway. The significant difference comes when somebody does a lot of local street driving at under 35mph (or whatever speed the electric motor kicks in).

websurfer

Those sentiment are echo in the video above also. I had another Honda hybrid before and the mpg wasn't great on freeways driving.

12jimmyjam

The transmission in the ES hybrid is actually great and reliable. It uses a planetary gear system unlike those in Nissans which can crap out really early. Different beasts.

norakat

I think my statements still stand which is: they do not feel that good to drive and are not as reliable as the standard transmission in the ES 350.

websurfer

The transmission on the ES hybrid feels different, some people may not like that. I don't think it's bad. It's a personal preference at the end though.

SpaceGravy

I don't know how long you plan to keep your vehicle (you said 63k on your current) but I would go with an ES350. The gas mileage is pretty good, decent power and a smooth transmission that will last 3-400k. Now if you don't plan on keeping a vehicle that long, I guess you can buy whatever feels best when you're behind the wheel but I have driven the hybrid ES and like others on here have mentioned, the transmission feels a little different (not in a good way) and I don't think any EPA gas mileage estimates are particularly accurate. Have you considered a Prius? I know you own a Lexus now but they can actually achieve 50+ mpg if that is a deciding factor for you.

Hasman69

I was kind of in the same boat as you, undecided between the 300h or the350. Since I was coming from a 2009 GS350, though the mpg was very attractive, thought maybe a 300h would be too steep of a jump for me so went with a used 2016 ES350 and boy am I glad. I have had the 350 for a little over a year and very satisfied. I usually drive in the ECO mode as I feel it has plenty of power for my daily Chicago commute and get around 28/29 mpg with mixed city and hwy driving. Compared to 20/21 mpg from my GS350 on Premium gas, needless to say am very happy and plenty more space to in the trunk and a very roomy cabin.

tomscot2

We bought a 2016 ES300H in January 2018. We moved from an 2017 Altima Hybrid that we bought new. We, my wife and I, are in our 70s so even though we should probably be spending the time we have left going as fast we can wherever we go :-), performance driving is not what we care about. We do care about comfort first and then mileage, reliability and safety. Also, we live in San Diego County which has almost zero miles of flat roads which means our mileage was lower than expected with both the Altima and the Lexus. Finally, as retired folks most of our miles are local, but we have taken 6 road trips to NorCal and Arizona. Th

1. This is the most comfortable car we have ever had, including a couple of Acuras. Seats are comfortable, It is quiet. The HVAC works the way it should. With my Altima I had to use a gel foam cushion on long drives. That cushion has not left my office chair since we got the Lexus.
2. Mileage: I have entered every tank of gas in my Fuelly app. It is reporting today that we have put 24,425 miles on the car. Avg mpg 34.8 per tank. The best tank has been 41.7 mpg. I actually hit indicated mileage of 50.7 driving DOWN from the White Mountains in AZ a couple of days ago. However, in normal use around home the car usually indicates around 35 mpg. My Altima averaged 31 mpg over 135K miles.
3. Reliability: There is a total of 52,300 miles on the car. The only unexpected service was a wheel alignment at the dealer after 21 months. One caution: we needed to replace the windshield due to a rock. This is an expensive operation, primarily because you have to pay $300 (Safelite) to calibrate the camera and sensors that sit behind the rearview mirror (We have the full safety package). I also use the synthetic fuel which is expensive, but has 10K replacement interval.
4. Safety: The safety measures are fantastic. As older persons we appreciate the lane departure warning, the blind spot monitoring and proximity warning sensors which warn you of approaching persons & vehicles in the rear as well as warning you of being too close to other objects. I also like the adaptive cruise control that will keep you a set distance from the vehicles in front and the automatic emergency braking.

I have only two complaints:
1. The control of the audio and navigation system is via a joystick. It is a cumbersome process.
2. Walking up to the driver's door and touching the handle unlocks the driver's door only. If you have a passenger you have to unlock the rest of the doors from inside the car. This is a mystery because all of the other doors are unlocked when you touch the handle.

I have no problem with the CVT or the acceleration. The trunk is larger than our Altima's. It meets our needs for road trips and my wife's trip to the garden store for bags of topsoil and fertilizer.

All in all, I love this car and highly recommend it.

Tom in San Diego