comfyride

Hi everyone,

I am debating to buy a new 2016 Lexus ES350 or used 2015 Lexus ES350.

So far I've only test drove the 2016 model. Car soaked up bumps very well and felt solid and planted.

I could not find any articles about comparing the ride quality (chasis, suspension, added rigidity to materials) of the 2016 and 2015 models.

Can someone share some information?

Thank you!

Dave Mac

There is a post on this same page (picked-up-2016-lexus-es-350-ultra-luxury-edition) that gives an excellent review/compare for the 2016 ES and I agree with everything said.

Go with the 2016

Dave Mac

chromedome

Anyone know what changes were made to the suspension components for the 2016 cars? I remember Lexus saying something about new welding processes to make a slightly stiffer body but nothing's been said about new arms, shocks and springs. I'd love to retrofit the new parts if it's possible.

Mike728

My only concern with a 2016, would be it's place of manufacture. I wouldn't want to be the first on my block with a KY built Lexus!

Dave Mac

I special ordered my new ES and that was a real concern of mine and one which I could do nothing about other than pick another car as they were starting to build KY cars right at the time mine was to be built but I lucked out and mine was built in Japan. And that was one of the reasons I placed my order when I did in September. Twenty years or so I got one of the early KY build Camry's and it was not up to Camry quality standards. I have noticed that KY cars are in almost every dealers inventory - I thought and hoped maybe west coast cars all would continue to come from Japan.

I have heard nothing about the quality of the initial KY cars and we probably won't for a few more months. While asking "what if my car comes from KY" I was trying to convince myself that there would be a great effort put into not having any early build problems at the new plant. And I assume it is just an assembly plant using the same sourced parts.

Dave Mac

Eolafan

Realizing that my response will possibly result in some real backlash...I must admit that I deliberately chose a 2015 model ES350 over the 2016's specifically because the 2015's were built in a Lexus plant in Japan and NOT in the U.S. expecting an overall higher level of qualify coming from Japan. Sorry folks.

LexBob2

Will this be your last ES350?

comfyride

Wow, you just made my decision that much harder!

Do you know of any quality issues from ES being made in USA?

Dave Mac

I have not heard anything and I believe it is too early to have much feedback on any issues with the early build US cars. At this point if you look at the dealer inventories you will see that most of the cars they have are from Japan and as I said earlier this is one thing you cannot specify on your order. Japan made cars have VIN's that begin with a J and the US built car have VIN's starting with a 5. The issue isn't just Japan vs. US - I wouldn't be too excited about getting an early production car from any plant.

And I think all ES300H's are going to continue to be assembled in Japan at this point

Dave Mac

bc6152

Before production started in Kentucky, Toyota bought, from a local dealer, 20 some new Lexus ES 350 cars. Cars that were built in Japan. They then had the team leaders take the cars apart and reassemble them numerous times. This event was to prepare the workers who would be on the assembly line. Although this is an admirable way to start out, I wouldn't want to buy one of the first cars from Kentucky. Many changes occur in a startup assembly line over time affecting assembly procedures, quality control, and ultimately, the finished car. Not to say that eventually Toyota wouldn't produce an excellent product right here in America. I'm thinking 2017 MY.

irishbrahm

My 2016 ES UL was built in Japan.

Ken7

Funny story. When I first leased my 2016 ES350 last month, there were two identical cars sitting next to each other, same exterior and interior colors and exactly the same equipment. Both were exactly as I wanted it. So I picked one without any awareness of the ES being built in KY.

So I got home with my invoice for the car I was to pick up in 2 days. I began looking at the VIN# and saw the 5. I said to my wife that I never saw a Japanese car with a VIN# beginning with 5. So I googled this up and I find the story of the Lexus plant in KY beginning production. I panicked!

The next morning I went down to my dealer and expressed my fears. Of course I was told not to worry, there would be no difference in the cars even though the other car was made in Japan. I went back to the lot, examined the paint, the seams and the interior. The only thing I did notice was a slightly better door alignment on one side of the Japanese car. The other thing my wife noticed was the seat stitching in the KY car was slightly darker. Weird.

I told the salesman I wanted to switch the cars and that's what we did. Of course my Japanese ES has a slight rattle and I've always wondered if that would have been the case with the KY ES or might it have been worse?

Eolafan

Bob, it will not be my last ES350 but only if the prevailing reviews at the time are as positive as they have been through the 2015 model year...OR I may elect to upgrade to a GS model for a bit more room and AWD capability.

Eolafan

No comfyride I am not aware of any problems to date reported about the Kentucky built ES units.

lesz

Considering that the GS is a considerably smaller vehicle than the ES, both inside and outside, I'm not sure how "electing to upgrade to the GS model" is going to give you "a bit more room".