bostonsnow

Hi all,
My 6th Gen 2016 ES 300h just got in an accident, and seems like it is totaled , so deciding whether to get a 7th gen similar ES300h or maybe go RX or maybe non-Lexus. BUt I have heard about the 7th Gen seats being possibly harder, less soft, and less comfortable? Does it make a difference on the trim level? Does the heated/ventilated seat mechanism or the bottom seat cushion adjuster make it uncomfortable (so is it best to avoid those features)?

I have always liked the lexus seat comfort but if that nice plush seat comfort has gone away, then I'm not sure I want to move to the 7th Gen....
thanks for any comments.

Myshkyn

For me, three months into a 2023 ES Luxury, the leather seats are firm and become uncomfortable after about an hour. Some have commented that the non-leather seats aren't as firm.

dezymond

Have a 2022 F sport trim. I find the seats to be very comfortable and fit my body type well being 6ft with a skinny build. I find the cushions to be supportive; soft but also firm enough to not feel any fatigue or indent in the seats. With as many different cars I've driven, I feel the F sport seats really hold me in, and it feels as if I'm sitting "in the seat" versus "on top of the seat", if that makes sense. I recommend you go visit your local dealership and sit in them for yourself.

Side note, I've also been VERY happy with how well NuLuxe holds up. No creases, no marks, looks brand spankin new still.

ESAsh

I find my 2023 Nu-Lux seats comfy, but only had the car ~1000 miles and only weigh 176lbs, when I press them with my hand I would not describe them as plush, they are more on the firm side, but a very supportive shape, still the best seats I've sat in, you would have to sit in one yourself. I would imagine that since Nu-Lux doesn't deform much it will hold up better, when leather stretches the foam padding will be under more pressure and provide less cushion.

LS500Fan

I have a '22 Ultra Lux, have not driven previous gen ES's. That said, after 1 year 24000km I find the seat cushion too hard for longer trips and use an add-on cushion. I would consider it my only real complaint about the car.

The seat doesn't bother me around town or shorter drives (<2 hours) but more than that and I want my cushion. Perhaps I should just use my Town Car for road trips, that thing is smoooth with the air suspension and all 🤔

The current gen ES hybrid is incredibly efficient, smooth, quiet, great looking, has better tech, and is super dependable, in a way it's a little bit old school, doesn't have huge pi-mp wheels on it that ride rough, etc. If you like the ES, test drive the new one but also you aren't going to tell seat comfort in an hour or less. That single issue can be fixed by using the cushion that many of us use, it's like $30 from Amazon.

Just to clarify, the seat comfort in general is good, the shape, etc. it's just the seat bottom cushion that feels hard on a long drive.

F3Woody

Wow, this topic is almost as subjective as sound system quality. So many personal factors and variables here. Bottom line: You just have to try it out. IMO, these seats are the superb - a main component of the overall driving experience that makes me love just being in the car.

RKF350

I agree with F3Woody. The seats in our 022 300h luxury are the best. I am 6’2 and my wife is 5’4.

I had a 2007 and 2010 ES350 and the seats were softer but did not give support where I needed it. 2016 and 2018 seats were more firm and more supportive.

I have had no lower back discomfort in the 2022 ES 300h.

E46CT

My experience with two 2021 ES300h ES premiums is that the seats are fine for about three-six months, then harden significantly after that. The seat bottom cushion and Nuluxe material deforms (waves) and stretches and its hard and looks used. It's commonly posted here "why are my seat bottoms wavy" -- in fact i think i posted pics before. if i can find them, i'll post.

disappointing since my 2015 CT200h @ 6 years old and 60k miles had perfect poofy/new looking unstretched comfortable seats.

It seems Lexus cheaped out for 7ES seats by selecting rock bottom (hah) cheapest padding and materials that stretches.

And again I have pics of this so its not me being unfair. Wavy/deformed seat bottoms after 3-6 months. Both ESes.

TechNut

I owned a 6th Gen (2015 ESh) premium package model and now a 2019 ESh Luxury model. The 2019 is leather but aside from the thigh extender I can’t honestly tell much difference between the two generations. I’m 5’8” and a little under 150 pounds and my wife is 5’4” and heavier. I have no complaints and she hasn’t expressed any discomfort either. We have taken long distance trips in both and just haven’t found anything to complain about.

Bottom line as others have said, you really need a good test drive where you can evaluate it with your own butt meter. I was just trying to offer my opinion comparing your totaled generation and the current generation. Another member has commented that it gets harder over time. I have never perceived such an aging process, but then we also get used to the seats and likely aren’t able to easily discern subtle changes. Now if we only drove the car once every few months, we might be able to pick up on such changes.

ESh

I don’t know about the 6ES seats but the seats in my 5ES are much softer than the ones in my 7ES.

SonOfABisc

I traded in my 2019 ES Luxury because the seats weren't comfortable, to me. It's like they had bar right underneath the middle of the seat. My 2022 RX is much better, but I wouldn't mind a little more plushness. Some people say plush seats just bottom out, but my uncle's 70's Cadillac seats were comfortable for 200,000 miles.

LexFinally

I have an Ultra Luxury with the thigh extender. I'd basically agree with the other posts here. I find the seats stiffer than ideal, and I'd guess they pointlessly under-padded them just because they thought it was the German thing to do (ironic since BMW in particular is fleeing toward comfort). But because they are also well shaped and highly adjustable, I haven't experienced fatigue caused by them on longer rides. Needless to say, I also agree with the advices you've received here to try before you buy.

BBQapple

In the future I’m going to spend an hour in a car on the lot following up on email etc so I can see what the seats are like on a longer trip. Seats felt fine for a couple test drives but driving around town for extended periods or road trips they are not great. Impossible to tell on a short test drive.

bostonsnow

great idea. I will do this on the weekend. the dealership will let you sit in a car for seemingly unlimited time
I'm also going to test drive a BMW 5 series in comparison to the EH300h

LS500Fan

Don't buy an LS500 thinking the seat is more cushy and plush, it isn't. If you press hard you can feel the hard plastic bumps for the massager inside. The LS500 does give you loads of adjustments so your position will be comfortable for sure but the seat isn't plush like say, a Town Car.