Freds430

Lexus ES 300h: Spend on the Luxury, Save on Gas Money

With a stylish exterior, a spacious cabin and a ‘silky, near silent’ hybrid system that gets 44 mpg, this surprising overachiever meets the demands of most drivers. Dan Neil, for once, finds few faults

WELL RED The redesigned ES 300h averages 44 mpg, something no other car in its class can boast. PHOTO: LEXUS

77 COMMENTS
By
Dan Neil
Jan. 24, 2019 12:02 p.m. ETAT THE OUTSET of what will be a rave review of a slow beige hybrid sedan, I feel the need to lay out my car-guy bona fides. Naturally I enjoy being strapped in the nosecone of a hypercar like the McLaren Senna atop a blooming pillar of testosterone. I believe the greatest TV show in history is Alain de Cadenet’s “Victory by Design.” The three classics I would choose to be marooned with on a desert isle are the Citroën DS21 Decapotable, Facel Vega HK500, and a Porsche 959 Komfort.

But I contain multitudes. I also admire excellence in fuel-efficient, mass-produced large appliances such as our test subject, the redesigned-for-2019 Lexus ES 300h ($44,960 MSRP for Ultra Luxury package, $54,405 as tested). This is the most overachieving car I’ve driven lately, the most surprising, the one whose refinement and per-inch value will give snobby Mercedes and Audi intenders the longest pause. Toyota’s fourth-gen hybrid system is silky, near-silent and super-efficient: 44 mpg, combined. Even the beige—Moonbeam metallic—is fabulous.

I figure about 10% of this column’s annual mailbag is from readers seeking a car with the ES’s very attributes: full-size premium/entry-luxury sedan, extra spacious cabin, great seats, smooth ride, good fuel economy. Plenty o’ buttons. Not too dear—say, in the $50,000s. Lately these letters have been tinged with frustration as sedans themselves have become marginalized by crossover/SUV sales. These people don’t want an SUV, damn it.

Other notes are from longtime ES owners who, while loving their cars, would be interested in something a little less stolid, a little less of a bürgermeisterwagen.


The 2019 Lexus ES300H. PHOTO: LEXUSIt seems like Lexus designers have been talking to the same people. The seventh-generation ES—based on the Toyota Avalon box of parts—is longer, wider and lower than the outgoing model, over a wheelbase 2 inches longer. The rejiggering of dimensions has cascading effects, both practical and poetic. The wider front and rear track and longer wheelbase made the chassis engineers’ job that much easier, improving the platform’s roll resistance and drivability without compromising the ES’s ride quality, which is super-bueno deluxe.

The extra longitude also helped grow rear cabin legroom without compromising trunk space. At 16.7 cubic feet, the trunk was large enough to support a family trip to a destination wedding requiring wardrobe changes like a Cardi B show.

‘The ES’s refinement and per-inch value will give snobby Mercedes and Audi intenders pause.’

On this more ample canvas, Lexus’s exterior stylists composed a compelling shape of light and shadow, bulge and hollow, rake and curve, and above all shameless amounts of brightwork. Please note the vertical bars in the ES 300h’s “spindle” grille, as compared with the warp-and-weave pattern in the LS sedan. The ES now enjoys some of the presence and formality of Lexus’s grand piano, the LS 500, plus its own sidling quintessence.

I have a theory about this car, supported only by long experience with Toyota. Management tolerated above-the-line development and material costs on this iteration because of its being the first ES to be sold in Japan, after years of it being mostly a North American product. It seems clear that Toyota-Lexus’s product development team were rising to home market expectations.

In other words, the ES feels over-engineered, particularly in the realm of chassis construction. What the hell did they put in this thing? Oh, I see: extensive laser screw-welding; twice as much structure adhesive as before; elaborate structural reinforcement at the front strut towers; a third more sound deadening insulation, covering 93% of the floor. Our test car also sported the 18-inch wheels with noise-reducing profiles. So, to recap, dead quiet, solid as a rock.

Like the Avalon, the ES can be had with one of two power sources: a 3.5-liter, 302-hp V6 combined with an eight-speed transmission, returning 26 mpg combined fuel economy. That’s quite good. Our car was fitted with the optional hybrid powertrain: a 2.5-liter, Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder, paired with a hybrid transaxle with integrated electric motors, good for a system max of 215 hp. The 300h’s mileage is outstanding. At anywhere near the rated 44 mpg combined, a user would recoup the system’s $1,000 cost in 2.3 years (assuming 15,000 odometer miles annually and $2 a gallon for gas) and then just keep saving.

On my multiday, 800-mile round trip along the East Coast’s Blue Ridge Parkway, we averaged 41 mpg, which is a real-world number that few gas-burners can match.

It wasn’t what you would call fast. The hybrid gives away 87 hp to the V6-powered version while its max torque is curiously unspecified. It feels like about 260 lb-ft on either side of 3,500 rpm, pitted against a vehicle weighing 3,704 pounds. But whatever exertions the powertrain was making the 300h didn’t complain. Only occasionally, during moments of highest load, I could hear a faint whine, like a beehive in the trunk. Zero-to-60 mph acceleration is 8.1 seconds, a flaming catapult of temperance.

The ES line is front-drive only—no provision for all-wheel drive—so that limits the model’s appeal in the Snow Belt. And despite its disguising proportions, it is also resolutely a front-drive car, with almost 60% of the weight on the front wheels. No matter what engine Toyota puts in it, the ES will never be a sports sedan, running nose-to-tail with a BMW 5. Anywhere outside a racetrack, the BMW’s premium seems harder to fathom.

2019 LEXUS ES 300H ULTRA LUXURY

The Lexus ES 300h interior. PHOTO: LEXUSBase Price: $44,960

Price, as Tested: $54,405

Powertrain: Gas-electric hybrid: Atkinson-cycle 2.5-liter DOHC direct-injection four-cylinder with variable-valve timing; dual electric motors integrated in front axle, with regenerative braking; 29.1 kW nickel-metal hydride battery; front-wheel drive

System Net Power: 215 hp (176 hp engine/39 hp electric)

Torque: 260 lb-ft at 3,600 rpm (est.)

0-60 mph: 8.1 seconds (manufacturer estimate)

Length/Width/Height/Wheelbase: 195.9/73.4/56.9/113.0 inches

Curb Weight: 3,704 pounds

EPA Fuel Economy: 43/45/44 mpg, city/highway/combined

Trunk Capacity: 16.7 cubic feet

Write to Dan Neil at Dan.Neil@wsj.com

LexFinally

Thread resurrection. Love this review, and this post is just about the only place on the web that's preserved it.

wasjr

I always enjoy Dan Neil's reviews in the Weekend Journal. Reading this review at the time is what got me to start thinking about upgrading my wife's 13 ES300h. Traded for the 19 in April 2019.

ESAsh

This is probably the best video review on the 7ES I've seen:

KMiles

In the video, when he turns on the Sport mode it shows "Sport S+". When I turn on Sport mode on our F-Sport it only shows "Sport" whether I have the transmission in auto or manual. What is the difference and how do I turn on Sport S+?

BBQapple

That’s only available if you have the adjustable dampers from the Handling Package. It makes the shocks stiffer.

KMiles

Thank you for the quick reply! I pulled out my original window sticker and under F SPORT Features it lists F SPORT Suspension Tuning and Performance Dampers (Front and Rear). Does that constitute the adjustable dampers from the Handling Package or would it have included another package? I thought the 2019 F SPORT was the only package and included everything. I know that in 2023 there are different F SPORT packages.

grp52

Performance Dampers (Front and Rear) in the window sticker listing is a different dampers feature than the 2019 Adaptive Variable Suspension (variable shock dampers) that is one of the features included in the 2019 F Sport add-on F Sport Dynamic Handling Package.

My 2019 ES 350 Ultra Luxury has Performance Dampers (Front and Rear) in the window sticker listing under the Ultra Luxury package so that feature is definitely different than the F Sort's add-on package with the Adaptive Variable Suspension feature.

The performance dampers installed are Yamaha performance dampers so if you want to know more about that feature just do a search on that term with your favorite search engine. A couple of years ago Northside Lexus's Melissa O'Connell did a TechTip Tuesday video on that feature:

KMiles

Thanks - that really helps me to understand what it is. So to sum it up, the following is included in the standard 2019 F Sport package:ES F SPORT (2019)

Includes Premium Package, plus:

• F SPORT 19-in split-five-spoke alloy wheels with Dark Graphite finish
• F SPORT suspension tuning
• Lateral performance dampers
• Rear spoiler
• F SPORT interior details including Hadori Aluminum trim, aluminum pedals and black headliner
• F SPORT bolstered heated and ventilated front seats
• Leather-trimmed shift **** and steering wheel with F SPORT logo
• F SPORT exterior styling including unique front bumper, grille and rear valance
• LFA-inspired instrumentation

The following are additional options:

• F SPORT heated and leather-trimmed steering wheel with windshield wiper de-icer and fast-response interior heater (which mine has)
• Adaptive Variable Suspension with Sport S+ and Custom drive modes (ES F SPORT) - (which mine does not have)

I wanted to understand what it is and what it does and found this marketing blurb:

What Is the Lexus Adaptive Variable Suspension System and How Does it Work? Next-generation Lexus vehicles promise peerless performance at every turn and the intelligent Lexus Adaptive Variable Suspension System will upgrade performance and handling. To deliver an elite level of performance, the variable suspension system employs an array of electronic monitors and controls that will instantaneously adjust suspension dampers at each corner of your Lexus vehicle based on vehicle input. The Adaptive Variable Suspension System monitors G-force, yaw rate, vehicle speed and driver input with Drive Mode Select technology to create a flawless ride in all conditions with fast, accurate adjustments to the suspension dampers. The Lexus Adaptive Variable Suspension monitors and collects data to make precision adjustments with 30 levels of damping to optimize control on all road surfaces and in all scenarios. When cornering at high speeds, the Adaptive Variable Suspension measures steering input, yaw rate and speed and then increases damping force to suppress body roll through the turn. When you find yourself on rough road surfaces, the variable suspension reduces damping force to absorb bumps and provide a smooth, comfortable and luxurious ride.

I hope this helps someone else who might have the same questions.

LexFinally

The short version: The Yamaha Lateral Performance Dampers are not part of the suspension. They are vibration reducers bolted to the car's frame.

RudimentarySpoon

I have a question about this line in the very helpful review above:

"a third more sound deadening insulation, covering 93% of the floor."

Are we to take it to mean that the 2019 ES model(s) have a third of more sound deadening insulation than the outgoing 2018 model?

Is there anywhere where we can actually get specifics ? Is it just the ES300h that has the extra sound deadening insulation or the 350, as well?

Is it limited by the luxury or ultra luxury trim? Or does the additional sound dampening material applied to all trims, including the base model, equally?

I am particularly interested in the amount of sound deadening material in the 2018 and 2019 300h (base) models.

LexFinally

Yes, this was documented elsewhere. It refers specifically to the percentage of the floorpan that's covered with insulating material, and it refers to all ES trims. See the introductory article on the new 2019s at Lexus Enthusiast dotcom for details and illustrations.

Note that this doesn't mean all ES variants are equally quiet. The Luxury and Ultra Luxury trims have additional sound absorbing glass at the front doors that reduces wind noise around the mirrors. These models and the F Sport also have Yamaha Performance Dampers mounted horizontally across the front and rear of the chassis to absorb low-frequency chassis vibrations. These are claimed to aid both comfort and road behavior, although their benefit is very subtle indeed.

Bottom line, all are quiet and smooth. The Luxury and Ultra Luxury are even a bit quieter and smoother. Hope that's helpful.

RudimentarySpoon

Yes, it was helpful, thank you! I wasn't able to find the article on the lexus enthusiast site, unfortunately, but I will try to look again later.

I was reading here on the forums that the acoustic glass seems to be fairly random and not limited to trim. In fact, I even made a post about it here after reading some comments from others that there was no rhyme or reason on who got the special glass and who did not. I would definitely want to get that glass if I can find it on the used market.

Any idea if the dampeners can be added after the fact? I suspect that any Lexus will be miles better than my current econobox, but I do like to upgrade little things here and there. Hopefully those Yamaha dampeners are not too expensive (assuming fitment is compatible on a non-Luxury/UL trim).

LexFinally

I don't know about that comment on the front door glass. My impression was that in every Gen 7 model year, the front door glass was standard on Luxury and Ultra Luxury and unavailable on any other trim. Some wiser head here can correct me if I'm wrong.

As for the Performance Dampers, I'd think they're a simple bolt-on, but the parts are expensive. Your best bet is probably to look for a pull from a junked ES.

And, here's a link to that Lexus Enthusiast deep dive. Look toward the bottom of the article for the floorpan insulation views.
https://lexusenthusiast.com/2018/06/...hnical-review/

E46CT

The dampers... if you're lucky... are roughly $800-$1200 on the used market from what i've seen. then you'd need the hardware to bolt it on. (they usually don't come with that) so it's better to just find a car with them.

The base model does not have double pane aka "acoustic" glass.At least not when i owned mine. only the luxury and UL. unless something changed for 23+.

in terms of hybrid having more insulation... a tad more, but it's basically to mute the 4 cylinder roar. effectively, i don't know that it makes a big diff.