Did the ES350 change from FWD to AWD?
05-13-21, 08:34 PM
#2
Go check out all the awesomeness of the ES250 AWD on the 7th gen forum. LOL
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bc6152 (05-14-21)
05-15-21, 02:43 PM
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05-15-21, 04:14 PM
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05-15-21, 04:55 PM
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05-15-21, 06:56 PM
#8
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I had read a few articles, and it wasn't clear to me, so that's why I asked.
The way I read the articles, it seemed like both the 250 and the 350 were offering AWD.
The way I read the articles, it seemed like both the 250 and the 350 were offering AWD.
Last edited by nuraman00; 05-15-21 at 09:30 PM.
05-15-21, 07:34 PM
#9
Driver School Candidate
Only the ES250 is AWD, the ES350 is FWD only. The engine compartment is too small to accommodate the V6,. transmission and the mechanicals to power the rear wheel drive. Only the 4 cylinder engine is small enough to allow all of the mechanicals for AWD to fit into the engine compartment.
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nuraman00 (05-15-21)
05-16-21, 04:50 AM
#10
Pole Position
Only the ES250 is AWD, the ES350 is FWD only. The engine compartment is too small to accommodate the V6,. transmission and the mechanicals to power the rear wheel drive. Only the 4 cylinder engine is small enough to allow all of the mechanicals for AWD to fit into the engine compartment.
The real problem is not the engine compartments size of the ES350 (because the compartment is actually larger), the problem is they’d have to change the entire design of the drive train. The 2GRFE engine in the ES350 is a transverse mounted engine allowing the transaxle to easily place the axles to the front wheels. It works well and has been used in many different vehicles forever. To change it to AWD would require mounting the engine longitudinal and creating a tunnel underneath the car to allow access for the rear drive shaft, transfer case and transmission. It would add a hump in the rear legroom/backseat area. They could do this, but it’d change the whole design of the car...add cost to it, lower the gas mileage of the vehicle and impede on the GS350/IS250 market. As it is now, Lexus is probably already thinking why they have/need an ES, GS and IS. The IS isthe more sporty/smaller option, the I think the GS and ES would be a little too close for comfort in the consumer/marketing department. IMO.
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bc6152 (05-16-21)
05-16-21, 05:51 AM
#11
Lead Lap
The real problem is not the engine compartments size of the ES350 (because the compartment is actually larger), the problem is they’d have to change the entire design of the drive train. The 2GRFE engine in the ES350 is a transverse mounted engine allowing the transaxle to easily place the axles to the front wheels. It works well and has been used in many different vehicles forever. To change it to AWD would require mounting the engine longitudinal and creating a tunnel underneath the car to allow access for the rear drive shaft, transfer case and transmission. It would add a hump in the rear legroom/backseat area. They could do this, but it’d change the whole design of the car.IMO.
Not only would the problem of having a hump have been removed, but a hybrid would have added much needed horsepower from the electric motors and, more importantly, the instant torque that the electric motors would have provided, and doing that would make the horsepower difference between the 3.5 l V6 and the 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine feel smaller than it is.
I think that a main reason why Lexus may have chosen not to make the AWD ES a hybrid is related to pricing. If they had made the car an AWD hybrid, a fully loaded version of the car would have started to come close to having an MSRP of $60,000, and I think that Lexus would want to keep ES pricing as far below that level as they can.
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Doublebase (05-17-21)
05-16-21, 09:04 AM
#12
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What you explained about the transverse engine mount and the need to change the design of the car and add a hump in the back seat to have an ES350 AWD relates to the reason why I think that Lexus would have been better served to have offered an ES250 AWD hybrid vehicle.
Not only would the problem of having a hump have been removed, but a hybrid would have added much needed horsepower from the electric motors and, more importantly, the instant torque that the electric motors would have provided, and doing that would make the horsepower difference between the 3.5 l V6 and the 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine feel smaller than it is.
I think that a main reason why Lexus may have chosen not to make the AWD ES a hybrid is related to pricing. If they had made the car an AWD hybrid, a fully loaded version of the car would have started to come close to having an MSRP of $60,000, and I think that Lexus would want to keep ES pricing as far below that level as they can.
Not only would the problem of having a hump have been removed, but a hybrid would have added much needed horsepower from the electric motors and, more importantly, the instant torque that the electric motors would have provided, and doing that would make the horsepower difference between the 3.5 l V6 and the 2.5 liter 4 cylinder engine feel smaller than it is.
I think that a main reason why Lexus may have chosen not to make the AWD ES a hybrid is related to pricing. If they had made the car an AWD hybrid, a fully loaded version of the car would have started to come close to having an MSRP of $60,000, and I think that Lexus would want to keep ES pricing as far below that level as they can.
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Doublebase (05-17-21)
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