FreddyG

Hi Folk's! We took our ES 350 Ultra Luxury out today and my wife wanted me to ask you Guys/Gals if you think that the ride of our cars is stiff or if riding a covered wagon is normal (Her words, not mine )?

I have to agree with Her in that it does ride pretty stiff for something that is labeled "Ultra Luxury"! I think that part of the problem is that our other car (that we're comparing it to) is a 2009 Lexus LS460 with the air suspension. It's one of the best riding cars that we've had and it might not be a fair comparison. If we end up keeping the ES, we might end up putting an Accuair/Air Lift air suspension setup on it (with ride height sensors and all of the other goodies) just because of the adjustability and ride tailoring that is available with the system, not too mention that We can adjust the ride height without having to crawl under the car or mess with coil springs.

Anyway, in closing, I'd just thought that I'd ask what you Guys think about the ride of your ESses.

Thanks in advance!

Jack1986

I have a 22 F Sport and I ABSOLUTELY LOVE the ride 😁 It’s the most comfortable ride I’ve ever had in a car. That probably isn’t saying much because all my previous daily drivers were basic Accords, Camrys and Carollas. Also, this is my first Lexus. Yesterday marked a year since I’ve had my car and every time I drive it I’m just amazed at how comfortable the ride is. I also like how versatile it is with the adaptive suspension. I’ve never driven or ridden in an ultra luxury, but I would imagine it’s more comfortable because of the smaller wheels/bigger tires.

As far as air suspension goes, I’m into that kind of stuff. I used to build lowriders with hydraulics so I’ve always loved lowered cars. However, I’ve heard that air suspension can ride rough or bouncy and not as smooth as stock. I’m not sure, since I only have experience with hydraulics. Maybe someone who’s bagged can weigh in.

alextv

I have a 2001 LS430 UL since 2003 and a 2020 ES300h UL and the 2020 is a nice riding car but not as soft as my 2001. There is a lot of difference in the cars that accounts for the difference but I think the ES does a good job for what it is. It's like when we looked into trading our LS430 UL for a LS460 UL and found we liked the ride of ours better so never traded up at that time. Every car is different and all ride different. I have found the ES rides softer when there is more weight in the trunk.

ESAsh

What tire pressure you running? I run 36psi on the 17" wheels, I tried upping the pressure a couple psi and the ride was noticeably less soft, I'd reckon the 18" UL wheels could do with 34psi to make up for less tire wall.

dezymond

2022 300h F sport. The ride is firm, especially for what Lexus is well known for, but that's more due to the wheel and tire setup. When I test drove the UL, it was more of a cushiony/floatier of a ride. I love the F sport setup, I think it's a perfect balance of comfort and feedback. It's far more comfortable than my previous ride, 2015 TLX, though that is mostly due to the seat which is so much better. Insulation is superior to my old Acura, which was not a loud car itself, but the ES beats it in quietness for sure. I do wish I had the double pane windows though, maybe that can be added ....

BBQapple

Part of the issue is the ES is a mid level not really a luxury car and the suspension components are almost all steel instead of lighter weight forged aluminum which you’d see in the LS. That’s more mass that has to overcome inertia each time you hit a bump and the wheel isn’t as controlled plus sends a bigger “wham” shock through the chassis. There’s only so much you can do with spring and damper rates when there’s physics to overcome.

You could overcome much of that by going to lightweight wheels, plus of course more comfort benefits if you move from an 18 inch wheel to a 17 inch setup along with even bigger weight savings. The 18 inch NR wheels are super heavy.

Also if your car has the Bridgestone Turanza tires, they’re not great.

I had an LS430 years ago and still miss it…

LexFinally

I'm in the minority on this, but here was my reaction when I test drove a '20 Luxury, and my '22 Ultra Luxury turned out to be similar:

Once underway, I got my big surprise: This is not a boat. Not in either the bad or good sense of the term.

I expected some body float, and I detected hardly any. I expected some body roll in fairly fast corners, and there was very little. I also expected the car to fully suppress tire noise over rougher surfaces and swallow frost heaves without a trace. It did neither.

In fact, to my butt and inner ear, the car sounded and acted less like an old man's DeVille and more like the fourth-gen Acura TL (the last-gen enlarged one with the beak grille). I've owned good-handling cars, including a GTI and a golden-age 4DSC Maxima SE, and I thought this car gave a very good account of itself in routine cornering, with one conspicuous exception: off the line with the wheel turned, where it simply breaks 'em loose and squeals "Arrest me" while going wide and completely failing to gain traction. Savagegeese said this car needs limited slip, and I agree with him 100%.
I haven't driven the F Sport, and I'm sincerely not curious to. To me, this car behaves like I expected the F Sport would. Obviously anyone whose first priority is performance is silly to consider any ES; as we all know, it's simply not built for that. But I'd actually have preferred if the Lexus engineers had softened this car a bit more.

Various independent testers have said the F Sport is stiffer, even at its softest setting. So you can imagine my surprise when I read posters in this thread -- whose opinions are every bit as valid as mine -- reporting that they consider their F Sports to have an outstandingly comfortable ride.

Yes, the LS's air suspension is the killer app for ride comfort. But be aware that doesn't necessarily mean you'll achieve the same result by fitting an aftermarket air suspension to your ES. The LS is a more expensive car with a longer wheelbase, an entirely different platform, and very expensive suspension components engineered to deliver that magic carpet ride you enjoyed. The ES is a front-drive car on a new, stiff platform meant to split the difference between ride comfort and approximately German-adjacent handling, adapted from the same bones that were cost-engineered to enable affordable production of Camrys and Corollas. To be blunt, only so much is possible.

Shaboom

Are you at 36 psi in the garage at night when the tires and air are cold or when they’re warmed up from driving a while and if 36 psi heated up, then probably 33 psi at rest? Just want my 350 ES tires to be inflated correctly and for the best ride.

ESAsh

36psi cold, my owners manual actually recommends 35psi cold for all wheel configs, but I like to reduce the tire wall flex a tad on the 17's and go with 36psi. In colder weather I may increase psi accordingly.

CJS57

Yes your wife is correct. It is a firm even hard ride for a semi-luxury car. My 2010 ES 350 was quite a bit nice ride.

Freds430

Agree with everyone that mentions tire pressure. Everytime I take my vehicles in Lexus puts 40 psi in cold which is way to high. Friend test drove a 2022 NX 300h a couple of years ago at our local Lexus dealer. She complained of a harsh ride. We checked the pressure and they were at 42psi. Took it back to the service department they lowered them to 36 psi and she said the ride was now fine.

ATL350

The sad reality is that this is another example of the decades long push to make it all "sporty" and "not your dad's car", because, hey, after all everyone like's a "firm" (or hard or harsh) ride, no? If it's soft, why you won't be able to control it, might flip it just going around a corner - well, at least from the stories and comments you hear from people and, of course, the automotive press, one of the biggest reasons for it all, not public demand. I grew up in the era of the big "floaty Baracalounger on wheels" car and I don't recall cashed and burned cars at every intersection due to their soft suspensions.

There are always people who want a true sports ride, prioritizing handling and performance in their cars - and that's great and that should always be an option. What we have now, however, is by and large a choice of hard or less hard, not actually comfortable. Ad in universally hard seats and you remove a lot of comfort in driving. I have a 22 ES350 UL, coming back to the brand after a number of years with no car (while I lived in NYC) and then a few years of a Mercedes E350 once I moved. I do love my 22 but I immediately noticed it is not nearly as soft riding or cushy as my last ES back from 2006, not by a long shot. Even the LS was severely criticized in its last iteration for how Lexus had tried to compete with MB and BMW and focused on "performance" which made the ride overly harsh. Even the dear press complained. Changes to the bushings, spring rates, etc. eventually helped along with the availability of air suspension.

Air is great if done right but can be very expensive and problem prone, especially once out of warranty. The cost of that system wouldn't make a lot of economic sense for Lexus in the ES line from the pricing point, I'm guessing. But don't focus on the stamped steel versus aluminum suspension as the main culprit - the older, smoother ES's all had steel as did the old comfy cars of yore. Unsprung weight is important for some reasons but is not the main determinant. Lexus made a conscious effort to stiffen up the ride in this current generation of ES in order to "be more competitive", using, of course, the assumption that the old version was a geezer set up and the hip new customers would want a firmer ride, I guess. But I think they went too far. Yes, with modern tires, especially, handling is, and should be better today, but there is a compromise point between ride and handling, and corporate Lexus has clearly landed on the handling side of the equation.

The last comment is just an old one for me - stick to the recommended cold psi for your tires and don't put in less air to make the ride better. Sure it will negatively affect your mileage and tire wear, which some won't care about, but you will also lessen the actual handling of the car if you put it too low (it's all engineered to work in certain parameters, of course) and the tires will generate more heat which may eventually lead to failure. So it's not worth it.

Do I wish my 22 rode better? Yes. Mind you, it's not bad most of the time, and actually a far sight better than many other cars, but it is still a noticeable change.

E46CT

It's stiff. I've had two *2* 7ESes. Part of the issue it shares 1:1 suspension with the Camry, just tuned slightly different stiffness (stiffer) for the heavier weight of the ES. Front axle carrier, rear axle carrier, stamped steel suspension, hubs, brakes, steering, dampers/springs, sway bars, etc. are all direct bolt on from Camry. It's a decent ride, just not a very good one, considering the class of car. Something I hope improves in the next ES--more differentiation between Camry and ES. And unfortunately there's no sports car handling ability for the trade off in stiff ride, particularly on the non-sport model. I always felt the rear jiggles (not bounces) too much over uneven pavement.

BTW I posted this exact thing multiple times well over a year ago.

Oldfart

I still miss my LS400

ESh

My 300h is softer than my ES350 2007.