LXS4EVER

Hi all,

My beloved 2007 ES 350 had a close encounter with a deer (I did not run into it... the deer jumped out from the side and hit me!!) and it is now considered a total loss. I am very saddened because it was a joy to ride: full optional, UL package, pano view, ML stereo... had everything! and never had a *real* problem in almost ~15 years of ownership (sure, the infamous cracked dashboard and peeling buttons pissed me off royally, but these are not critical, essential issues). Bought it with 46K miles on and still going strong at 140K miles. Couldn't convince the insurance to get it fixed. I am now debating between a 2019 ES 350 with better package, and low miles vs a 2020 ES300h less accessorized but with higher than average mileage for the year. I want to go with a 7th Gen - so narrowed to these more recent years). The first one is the closest I can find to what I had (even though I loved my black on black trim), the second is a hybrid - which kind of make sense to me for a "new-to-me" car) for fuel efficiency and because I read here in the forum that it gives even a smoother ride. Price is not a discriminator. I'll test drive both and see which one I like best, but I am interested in knowing what do y'all value most (possibly through direct experience):

lower mileage + better trim but one year older car
vs
1-yr younger car + hybrid but higher than avg mileage and lower package

LS500Fan

There were some bugs with the first year 2019, I would avoid that year personally, if I was you. I *think* in 2020 they changed to a lithium battery in the hybrid in the US?? Not sure where you are from. Generally the newer the better with this gen but there aren't crazy huge issues that I'm aware of. I got a '22 ES hybrid and there's no chance I would not get the hybrid version given the choice.

UltraLux22

I can attest to a few bugs with the 19’ 350 Lux. Don’t get me wrong I really liked the car. Now I have a 22’ UL. Biggest issue was the pano. roof. They had to replace it, under warranty, and it took about seven days. They had to bring someone special in due to the complexity?? At least that’s what I was told. I kept getting odd squeaks and noises. They initially thought the seals were the issue. Elsewhere, like the armrest and center console area, there were quite a few creaks, squeaks, and rattles but they dealt with each one even if it took a few tries. There was of course the recall of the fuel pump. That’s all I can think of at the moment. My 22’ UL has none of those is issues. Full disclosure, It was a special order and therefore I did not get the pano roof just a standard sunroof. Mine is not a “standard” build combination. Also not having the pano. roof allowed me to sneak out a little more side headroom.

dezymond

I have a 2022 300h F Sport. I chose it because I will wanted a more fuel efficient vehicle with more luxury. There was nothing wrong with my former daily driver but I just wanted something new after owning and driving that car for almost 7 years and over 100,000 miles. I chose the 300h because it pretty much offered everything I was looking for; sedan, good looks, great fuel economy, comfort, reliability, and easy maintenance.

In over the 5000 miles I put on it so far, I do not miss my old TLX. This car has checked all the boxes for me and some. I'm still surprised a vehicle of this size can get 45 mpg and on regular fuel too. And the 3 months I've owned it I've already driven over 5,000 miles, so I'm definitely getting all the benefits of owning a hybrid. I'm also surprised at how well it handles and how quick it is around City driving. I was never one to drive fast so no longer owning a V6 is something I haven't missed.

Overall I am very happy with my purchase. It feels like a luxurious ride, handles very surprisingly well on twisty roads, gets me excellent mileage, and did I mention that I really love how it looks especially in the F Sport blue. Looking forward to many more miles in this car.

LXS4EVER

Thank you all for the feedback.
@LS500Fan I am in the US.

Bugs in the 2019 model is surely a concern. No bugs is one of the big reasons why I stick with Lexus. @UltraLux22 Thanks for the reminder of the fuel pump recall. I checked the VIN on the NHTSA website and nothing looks pending or missing.

@dezymond yes, 45 mpg is highly appealing and what I am looking for is - duh! - quiet, comfort and smoothness (after the basic safety and reliability, obviously). .However, I was reading through the ES300h subforum earlier and it looks like there are quite a lot of people with battery issues, even in recent years. I did not expect to see that, considering that Toyota is the leader in hybrid technology (or at least, the first with truly successful models) and I'd expect that only the most reliable and proven components and setups are then installed on Lexus. I haven't seen that kind of problems (i.e., that brick your car) shared in other parts of the forum... and for sure my previous car hasn't skipped a beat in 15 years of almost daily use. And people complain about noises or uneven responses to acceleration, etc. Perhaps is just the different experience of driving a hybrid (maybe it is so quiet that you just hear more different mechanical components? Or getting used to regeneration, etc.) Got me really puzzled.

dezymond

Have you ever driven a hybrid before? My 300h is my first hybrid and yes it took some getting used to, but through the years I have had the chance to drive Toyota hybrids (and other makes), in different generations. Sure there are some more noises, but honestly, if you know what they are and know that's how they work, it'll quickly be forgotten.

As for issues, if you're reading them on forums and even facebook groups, these are a very small number of people. In total sales, members here don't even make 1% of the buyers probably. We join forums because we are enthusiasts and the community is absolutely tiny in comparison to the general public. I NEVER noticed so many 300h out on the road until almost 4 months ago when I took ownership. Honestly, they're EVERYWHERE. So any issue you see in a dedicated space, is most likely blown a bit out of proportion. When things are good, we stay quiet and praise Lexus. When things go bad, all hell breaks loose from the upset owner, and in most cases, rightfully so.

Driving a hybrid versus a conventional car is a huge difference, in my opinion. The smoothness the 300h is basically that of an EV, at least when it comes to the transmission. No lag, no stutters, no gears to shift, and throttle response is basically immediate. Driving conventional cars definitely isn't as smooth anymore and I'm able to feel shifts no matter how good the transmission is in a traditional car. I think the biggest adjustment I had to make were the brakes. Braking in the 300h feels different than conventional brakes. Even now, at lower speeds sometimes braking smoothly is difficult for me because once the pads contact the rotor it just gets really grabby and hard to modulate in lowers speeds.

LXS4EVER

dezymond, thanks for the reply. I drove a hybrid only once, for a day while in Europe (a Toyota Auris, which is the replacement of the compact Corolla, I believe). It was fun and I found it very smooth and incredibly quiet - the driving feeling was indeed different - we joked it was like a bumper car - but, jokes aside, it was very pleasant. Even drove it up and down a mountain and it had an engine brake setting that was outright impressive. Will test drive it hopefully tomorrow.

CJS57

2019 UL here with 50,000 miles and no issues ever. No squeaks no rattles no problems. Fuel pump is replaced under warranty so no problem. You will however have to learn to drive around the "jerk shift" if you have a heavy foot like me. Stunningly smooth quiet car for the price point.

ionian

Besides the fuel pump replacement no issues whatsoever here with mine.

E46CT

I'm a two-time 7ES driver. I'm on my second hybrid. Love the engine not being on, up to 75mph. (or 78 for some folks) Adds to the quietness. Also 40+ mpg easily.

E46CT

ok some more points on this...

Yeah i find the hybrid powertrain to be quite powerful and responsive. there's no delay/thinking/shifting of a normal stepped automatic transmission after you press on the pedal. the hybrid drivetrain/electric motor(s) just spins and you just move. So the response is very good. also you can turn your normal braking into free fuel basically.

also maintenance cheaper. no belts, no auto trans/10 qts of fluid/filter, no pulleys. much less moving parts. also you'll likely never need to do a brake job... ever.

johnny1423

I recently changed from a 2020 ES350 F sport with 14k miles to a new 2022 ES 300H F sport. Being an old school enthusiast driver (and Porsche owner) i was skeptical, having never owned or even driven a hybrid vehicle. I was stunned when i did. The combination of off the bat torque combined with the smooth 4cyl to me is a better "overall daliy driving experience". SMOOOOOOOOOOOOTH is the word. When you add in the double mpg its a no brainer. Sure it does not have that high rpm pull that the 350 has. But in the end it feels ALMOST as strong sitting in the drivers seat. Again when you add it all up....to me the choice was easy.

ionian

Yeah, the ES300h is more than the sum of its part.

iossarian

300h all the way. The powertrain is so buttery smooth. You're getting the smoothness and response of an electric car, with none of the range anxiety. In terms of reliability, all the taxis around me are Camry hybrids (same powertrain as the ES300h), and those routinely go 300k to 500k before having battery issues, which are easily fixed with a $3,000 warrantied refurbished battery.

ionian

Another important thing to note is all the money you are saving from less required maintenance will help toward offset the cost of battery replacement.