nriesen

Hello Club Lexus... long time reader. Have often visited this forum for answers to questions. Hoping that you can assist with this:

Looking for a 2" receiver for a 2024 ( 2019- Newer ) ES300h. Our guest has a bike rack that requires it, adapting down to a Class II doesn't make sense given the size and weight. Has anyone found or know of Class III (2") receiver?
Thanks in advance for your help.

Nate

LexFinally

There was a previous thread that anawered this in detail.

The short version is, the ES is not rated for any rear hitch. One person successfully fitted one made for an Avalon, but considerable cutting was required, and I'm guessing that was a Class II anyway. If your ES has a Yamaha Performance Damper at the rear of the frame (the F Sport Handling does), you will also have to remove and dispose of the damper, losing its benefit as well.

If you're absolutely hell-bent on accommodating your guest, a chaaper and less destructive method would be to simply fit a Saris Bones trunklid-mounted removable bike carrier for the duration. I have one, and it carries 2 or 3 bikes without damage to the finish. eTrailer can recommend the exact model that fits your ES; note that cars without a trunklid spoiler can accept additional bike carrier options.

Note also that no matter what solution you choose, you will have to temporarily disable the back-up braking safety nannies at the start of your drive by using the buttons on the left of the steering wheel. Otherwise the car will mistake the dangling bicycle for a car or pedestrian and intrusively slam on the brakes in a mistaken effort to prevent a disaster. Ask me how I know.

KMiles

I installed a trailer hitch for my previous 2010 Lexus ES350 and it was easy to install. The biggest challenge is that car was fairly low to the ground and we regularly scraped the Kuat bike rack at the end of our driveway. When we got our newer 2019 ES350 FSport, I looked at the clearance which had dropped at least 2 inches over the 2010. I wouldn't waste a hot minute considering installing a trailer hitch on it. It would be too low to the ground. I ended up installing one on my other car, which rode much higher. I also have a Thule trunk rack and highly recommend it. It works great on the 2019 ES350. Looking at the etrailer site, they only show a Class 2 hitch for your car. If you have a steep driveway or a good drop at the curb, you'll need an adapter with a 4-5" rise to clear curbs. Best of luck!

nriesen

Thanks for the input here gents, we'll be unwinding this deal.