mikemu30

The issue with the RX 4gen is hesitation but unrelated to the trans. Occasional rough downshift from high speed to abrupt stop but it doesnt happen often. Ive never experienced the jerkiness like the ES and we've owned ours since new in 17, 50k miles now.

AllinCLE

I feel pretty lucky I haven't had this issue with my car. 99% of shifts are buttery smooth, both up and down. If I'm at a cruise, and give it enough throttle to drop several gears at once, that isn't always the smoothest but I wouldn't say it's slamming into gear. That hasn't bothered me though, as I'm expecting power and a quick down shift rather than smoothness. I will say about 6 months back or so I was on a country road, braking as the car in front of me pulled into a gas station and when I got back on the gas it did harshly slam back into gear...I thought oh no, here it is, what all those folks on the forum were describing! Thankfully it hasn't happened again, and I've purposefully tried duplicating the same situation. For now I'm chalking it up to a one-off (and keeping my fingers crossed).

I completely agree that'd ruin the experience. I'd probably be looking to unload it too if it's as bad as it sounds.

A3A

My shifting issues seem to really vary. Definitely better once warmed up, but when slowing down and speeding up again around turns or with traffic I do get some clunky shifts from 3rd to 2nd. I had a really clunky shift slowing for a toll area recently off the highway and hit the gas to speed up. It shifted down into 2nd so hard my passenger was startled. The transmission is just not consistently smooth enough in common situations for a luxury car.

Ab175

If you are just looking to eliminate the transmission harshness and you like your ES, you might want to consider the ES 300h. Many say the hybrid suits the car better because of the additional smoothness and quietness that comes with a hybridized powertrain. Good luck with your search!

artbuc

Perfect description of my experience.

ionian

When shopping for ES I wanted a Hybrid. I was on the fence for many years. So glad I went with the ES300h. It is so smooth and quiet.

mikemu30

Then you have to be willing to accept the sluggishness of a hybrid. For me, I could never own one.

TechNut

If you are shopping for an ES, you really need to test drive both drivetrains. For my style of driving, the ES hybrid is not sluggish. If you tend to enjoy spirited driving, then you are unlikely to be satisfied with a hybrid, but the ES may not be the best choice for that style of driving anyway. But to the point of this thread, the hybrid transmission is silky smooth.

Ab175

I would have 100% agreed with you a few years ago but honestly, I find that my ES 350 (ultra luxury not f sport) is quite sluggish. I think it is due to the throttle mapping and not the actual drivetrain. I don't know why but it always feels like to get the car up to speed I have to rev it out to 3 or 4 thousand RPMs and for a luxury car, it feels a little weak and in no way athletic. I can only imagine how underpowered the ES 250 is. I have driven a 300h and I feel like the off the line acceleration is better (not necessarily faster, but smoother, and more luxurious) and for some reason, I don't feel like the engine is struggling as hard to pull the car along, maybe do to the assistance of the hybrid motors. The 2GR v6 that is in the ES is a very peaky motor so to really get any power out of it I always find that I have to rev it way out and for a luxury car that just doesn't feel right. It's weird because I have owned other Lexus/Toyota products with the same v6 and always found them to be plenty powerful and acceleration to be effortless. Perhaps I have been spoiled by more powerful cars. Either way, none of this bothers me as I generally do not drive the ES spiritedly or quickly. I find myself puttering around in it and the car really seems to appreciate that driving style most and I feel that the hybrid drivetrain will further enhance that experience. The hybrid drivetrain just adds this extra level of CVT/Electric smoothness that is not present in the 350. Hybrids have gotten so good lately that I don't feel like there is a huge tradeoff consequence for the improved gas mileage. I find that some hybrids are actually quite pleasant to drive. I think hybrids have their place in both luxury cars and performance cars (not saying a Prius is either of these) and the use of hybridization in modern cars is something I actually quite look forward to. Of course, I will always love the howl of a naturally aspirated V8, but times are changing and in a luxury car, a big NA engine is just not necessary when the same level of smoothness or better can be achieved by a far more efficient drivetrain setup. To get back to the point, in terms of driving spiritedly the ES 350 is undoubtedly better than the hybrid, however, I question the choice of an ES for a spirited driver. The hybrid seems to suit the car's luxurious character better. Just my thoughts, to each their own.

mikemu30

I get it - all personal preference. I'm not an aggressive driver but do like to punch it every now and then especially when accelerating onto a busy highway which I do daily. I've had hybrid loaners - both ES and RX and for me, I just prefer the conventional setup. The gas savings of a hybrid might change my mind very soon given current fuel price trends

Ab175

Perfectly understandable, it is a different experience for sure.

ionian

BMW is incorporating "mild hybrid technology" into their performance vehicles now. I am guessing it is compensate for turbo lag. Other makers will follow suit.

Ab175

Got a loaner today at the dealership, it is an RX 350 and I am honestly amazed at how much smoother the transmission is shifting in there. Makes me feel like something is actually broken on my car.

rebel7254

Test drove a Genesis 2017 G90 5.0 Ultimate today. Shifting was silky smooth...puts my ES 350 to shame. More power (obviously) and the ride quality is just a bit better. Could probably improve it further by tweaking the settings. Cabin noise is on par with my ES 350 according to my decibel measurement app. It doesn't have Apple Carplay, but that's not a big deal for me. Besides that, I'm pretty sure it has all the tech/features my ES 350 has. Although I didn't find the "remote touch" infotainment interface to be all that terrible, I do think the G90 button/rotary **** interface is easier to use. Found a 2018 G90 with 23k miles for $43k, having it delivered to my house by Carvana. Comes with a 7 day/400 mile free return policy. I'll be covered under the basic warranty until October 2022.

I know I'm gonna lose several grand on this, but I'm just not gonna force myself to live with this poor driving experience. Thankfully I'm fortunate enough financially to be able to afford the loss. I'm also gonna take a hit on fuel economy but there's just something about that V8 feel. It reminded me a lot of my 2008 Cadillac DTS I had several years ago, except even smoother. Keep in mind the transmission in the G90 is an 8-speed also. So clearly the jerkiness of the transmission in the ES 350 isn't just because it's an 8 speed.

So I guess my return to the Lexus family is going to be short lived.

Ab175

Congratulations on your new car, sad that it had to end badly with the ES. Enjoy the V8!