alextv

This is my personal assessment and others may see it different. Went yesterday to look at maybe trading my 42k mile car to start new car warranty all over again before mine runs out. Interior color option for my now chateau is almost a white or too orange color and I like what I have but nothing close. Moving the wireless charger out of the center console you would think would give more space but there is a usb and 12v outlet there that goes straight down and seems to me I actually have more space in mine because I can go underneath the wireless charger. I currently have a cupholder that has a spring loaded tray which makes it deep and the new cup holders are not which makes larger cups easier to tip over. As for the touchscreen I think I would like to have both the pad and touchscreen like the 2022 had. If I had a touchscreen laptop with usb mouse the touch function would be used rarely. As for the new infotainment system a few months ago I went to NX forum and saw a lot of problems with the new system and also the new nav interface accuracy is still no where near google maps. If I bought a new car I would still use my carlinkit T Box Plus as that is full android with full screen maps with speedometer also. I like my 2020 better than what I saw yesterday and by buying a new one I would only be gaining new warranty and loosing features I like in my current car. Again this is my perspective only and has anyone else upgraded to the 2023 with an opinion?

ATL350

Remember too that only with the Palomino interior (NuLux or leather) can you get the walnut trim, albeit “open pore”…everything thing else gets that dreadful black, IKEA-looking wood trim unless you do for the F Sport.

alextv

Don't know about others but the UL gets the lighter trim with the Palomino interior but that interior looks too orange for me. It's ridiculous they got rid of the creme color that I have now and the choices are white or orange.

ATL350

I have it in my 2022 ES350 UL with the Nightfall Mica and it’s a great combo. It is apparently hard to render in photos but it’s not as orange in real life as it appears.

alextv

That's why I went yesterday to look at in reality and to me it is almost as orange as the flaxen available in 2020 but I guess you could get used to the color. The big disappointment to me was the Macadamia semi-aniline leather was too white for me. That accompanied by the redesign makes it a big decision for me. I wish they had left the design alone and just added the new infotainment system then I would be more inclined to want to pick
one of the interiors. There has been talk of a redesign in 2025 but the manager expressed to me that it probably would not happen till 2026. I might just be looking for another type car by end of year when my second lease extension ends. The deal is right now with almost 14k equity but the car isn't.

E46CT

For me, safety is #1 for any model year changes. I'd wait for an 8ES.

For 2023 ES got structural revisions as well as interior revisions for improved side impact performance. Despite the 2023 upgrades, the 2023 with safety upgrades only performs "acceptably" in side impact scenarios. Although the 7ES 19-22 was not tested in the updated test, results from the 2022 and older Camry on the updated test can give a reasonable idea what the older ES would look like. 2022 Camry scored a "poor." Essentially worse structurally and higher forces recorded on passengers. Toyota gave TNGA-k a global update for 2023 due to the new test. So the new Camry and ES for 2023 (as well as other toyota products) received for 2023 a bit of structure and a bit of interior cladding (high pelvis readings were being shown in 22 and older Toyota/Lexus TNGA/k products)

Aside from the only "acceptable" side structure, the 2023 ES registered elevated readings for the following bodily areas, moving its rating down to "acceptable" or "marginal":

Torso-Front Driver
Pelvis-Front Driver
Pelvis-Rear Passenger

Overall 2023 ES does OK on updated side test. I'd wait for a next model year though before trading, personally. Keep your 2020.

TechNut

This conclusion assumes facts not in evidence. We haven’t seen anything to suggest next year’s model will do any better on side impact tests, let alone that next year will be the first year of a new ES generation. A lot of assumptions happening here.

Shaboom

"There has been talk of a redesign in 2025 but the manager expressed to me that it probably would not happen till 2026."

I doubt that he knows anymore than we do. Just anxious for you to deal now.

LexNL

I am surprised to hear that the basic Lexus warranty period in the USA is limited to 4 years/50,000 Miles. In the Netherlands we are blessed with a much more generous warranty period. Every Toyota and Lexus comes with a free basic warranty of 10 years/200,000 km. The only condition is that the prescribed regular maintenance is done by the official Toyota/Lexus dealership.
This warranty also applies to "older" cars. My 2020 ES 300h came that year with a basic warranty of 5 years/100,000 km. After this period, the warranty will be prolonged every year when the car is serviced by the dealership, until the maximum of 10 years. The warranty period stays valid for future owners of the car.

But, on the other hand, there is no need to trade in your Lexus for a new one before the warranty expires, because the chance that you will experience any serious trouble is very small. I would have trust in its reliability and save the money.

Greetings from The Netherlands.

LexFinally

Completely agree with this advice. This is a car that indendent reviewer Savagegeese described as capable of going "200, 300,000 miles or more with minimal drama." The luxury of keeping it long after the payments are over is, in fact, one of the very best selling points of the ES over its German competitors. Enjoy it.

Shaboom

I wish U.S. would adopt that policy. I'd spend the extra money for Lexus dealership maintenance interval charges to get that very extended warranty.

mikemu30

You'd be more than paying for that extended warranty with the stealership cost of maintenance. No thanks. I have mechanical breakdown coverage through my insurance carrier that costs next to nothing should something major fail out of warranty.

LexNL

That could be another difference between the US and the Netherlands. In our country, the costs for normal maintenance services at the dealership are prescribed by Lexus Netherlands, and are known to be much lower than the maintenance costs for the 3 premium German brands. Here are some official prices for the ES 300h:
Small maintenance (15,000, 45,000, 75,000 km etc) costs 363 Euro, including taxes, oil and the usual parts to be replaced (oilfilter, airfilter etc.)
Major service (30,000, 60,000, 120,000 km etc) costs 565 Euro, including taxes, oil and the usual parts to be replaced.
The 90.000 km service is more comprehensive and costs 815 Euro.

mikemu30

Well just one small example - an oil change and tire rotation at a typical dealer here will cost roughly $150. Maybe more these days. I pay about $80 for the same thing at an independent shop.

aygriffith

I went to the dealer last week because my 2019 ESh Lease that has been extended twice and is up in 2-3 weeks. I had every intention of getting a 2023 ESh UL that they had in stock. I left buying a 2023 RX350h Luxury that someone had ordered months ago and walked away from. It will be here next week.

I was thrilled to get rid of the trackpad in either option, but seeing the new 14" screen on the RX it was hard to be as excited about the updated 12" touchscreen in the ESh. The RX350h also has the Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 vs the 2.5 in the 2023 ESh. I will say there was ABSOLUTELY a 10k price difference in the ESh UL to the RX350h Luxury package, which I will feel in the pocketbook as I pay that monthly for the next few years. What I worry less about is which one will hold its value better. RX SUVs never go out of style when it comes to resale.

I will end up buying the RX vs leasing it. I haven't done that in years, but I'm not paying a money factor on the lease that essentially equals 7%. At least on financing, if rates ever get better you can refi the car loan. The lease/finance deals with Lexus Financial on both models were awful and of course, all the promo interest rates and lease deals were only on the ICE versions of both the RX and ES. It sucks that Lexus Financial didn't throw a bone on the BHEV versions of both, but they know they won't have trouble selling the BHEV Hybrids.