prosgal73

So as you all you I've been on this thread asking about the ES, but recently all my Prius owner friends are telling me to take a look at that car before making a final decision since I'll be keeping this one for awhile and making a purchase. They said they understand the Lexus reliability but that said mpg and minimal maintenance costs is hard to beat if you're going for practicality? Any last thoughts on this before I decide. Thanks to everyone on this board for chiming in with your thoughts with your long term experience with ownership and driving many different cars, thanks!

1HipNip

As a current owner of a 2011 Toyota Prius with 127k miles and a 2015 ES350 Crafted Line, I say go with whatever would be practical for YOU. The Prius is a commuter car, very practical, reliable, low-cost to own. It's not comfortable for long drives, it doesn't give you the "oomph" that you need to pass, and there are people out there that are Prius haters that will cut you off just because you drive a Prius. I get about 42mpg on my Prius that I use for my business. I had a 2002 IS300 SportCross that I traded in for this Prius, and that saved me a lot of money on gas, tires, and brake replacement costs.

The ES350 is a longer wheelbase sedan that is very comfortable to drive, specially for long drives to Vegas or the SF Bay Area for me. I also used to own a 2007 ES350.

Buy the car that suits your needs.

prosgal73

Tough call, I almost need something in between but yes the IS like my current car has pricey gas, tire and replacement costs so need to make a change. My only reservation is the size of the Es as a daily commuter but the current styling of Prius is strange, liked the look of your Prius better thus the dilemma. How is the gas mileage of the ES as a daily commuter? Selling pt for me on that was that it uses regular gas thanks

1HipNip

I get about 22 mpg on the ES. If you don't like the look of the current Prius, have you considered the CT200h? Maintenance costs would be almost the same as the Prius (except for tires since the CT200h has performance tires); I take my Lexus' to a Toyota dealer for service.

prosgal73

The CT is a bit low and small for me so gotta decide between these two thanks for the tip. I just wish the ES were a bit more compact but it is a nice car. The safety of the Prius does concern me because I've never driven a hybrid and hate tailgaters.....

1HipNip

Test drive them all; the new Prius, the CT, the ES, even the IS. Just from experience, the Prius feels really light. The doors feel like a tin can; the doors on the CT 200h feels just a tad heavier. Buy the car that fits your needs and what you're going to be comfortable driving.

Take the hybrids on the freeway; see how it accelerates for you. Will you be comfortable driving it on freeways? Will you be okay merging it while driving in CA traffic? Will you be one of those hybrid drivers that is too focused on fuel economy that you forget that traffic is backing up behind you?

How many times will you have passengers in the back seat? How often will you take your vehicle out of town? Will you be comfortable sitting in the seat of that vehicle for a long time? Once you answer those questions, you'll know which car you will want to buy.

prosgal73

Thanks! Great points, I think I have to ask to take the hybrids on the freeway. Typically on these test drives they drive people on local streets on its hard so gauge the hybrid experience thanks will do!

1HipNip

If you live in the LA area, visit Longo Lexus in El Monte; that way you can take the CT200h on the 605 and the 10 Fwys. You can then go to Longo Toyota next door and test drive the Prius from them.

chromedome

You want Prius mpg in an ES body? Get the ES300h hybrid. With careful driving you can get 40-45 mpg on an urban commute and 50 mpg isn't impossible.

Then again, the ES is a big car, so it could be overkill if you don't carry passengers or do long trips. The latest Prius is a much better car than before, quieter and nicer to drive. I'd probably stay away from the CT200h because it's noisy and has a hard ride. It's also an old model that's due for a replacement soon.

prosgal73

Ok wish Longo was closer but maybe on my day off. I actually want a smaller ES body but mpg on IS is worse. I only drive 30 miles a day so not sure if hybrid is worth it though but low maintenance costs is what I'm looking for

zes

ESh will give you all the luxury and reliability of a Lexus and the benefits of e Prius. In normal or sport mode it has more than enough power to keep up with California freeway traffic. It is solid and very comfortable on long trips. Can't go wrong with it.

chromedome

I guess an IS300h would what you're looking for but Lexus doesn't sell that in the US. How about an RAV4 hybrid? That's got decent mpg, it's smaller than an ES hybrid but bigger than a Prius.

prosgal73

I actually thought about the RAV4 but thinking sedan...might be sticking to the ES, time will tell. Thanks everyone for sharing on the great insight! Wish I could excited about car purchasing but I always feel like it ends up being a stressful experience. Gotta face the fact no car is perfect and I just need to find the best fit overall. As you can tell I don't trade much and drive cars into the ground so that's why it's always such a big decision, thanks all

chromedome

If you're gonna drive it into the ground, like me, I'd go for the ES The only potential issue is the hybrid battery pack failing in 8-10 years' time. If you're in California, I think the hybrid system warranty is 10 years. Replacing failing cells should also be much cheaper a decade from now.

I'd test drive both the ES300h and the Prius. The ES is a good car but it can be a bit big in city driving, although it's perfect on long cross country trips. The 1000 km tank range also makes it great for long drives.

TechNut

We had two Priuses before making the move to an ES hybrid (300h). The Prius is a great commuter car and we really enjoyed ours, but the new look has really turned it into an ugly duckling, and the interior design has become very strange, with fewer cubbyholes than previous generations. Anyway, the Prius is an extreme hybrid, with all the differences that brings to the table. There is very little sound deadening and the ride is a bit bouncy. It was really the lack of sound deadening that finally had us looking for alternatives. We just got tired of listening to the road noise in the Prius.

We originally looked at the CT but it was just way too compact. It is closer in size to the Prius C. My wife said you "wear" the CT. The CT has very limited rear seat room so unless you plan for anything more than young grandchildren, you probably won't like the rear seat.

Compared to the Prius (last generation), the ES has a much better ride and is MUCH quieter. In the Toyota line, the CT is probably the closest to a Prius. The Camry Hybrid or Avalon Hybrid will be closer in terms of size to the ES than a Prius.

We have owned an Avalon, two Priuses and now this ES. All good cars with very different focus so it really depends on your priorities and of course your budget. You mentioned you plan to keep it for a long time. You will likely find the Toyotas less expensive when repairs are required so you may want to factor that in as well.

If you considered the RAV4, you might even want to look at the Lexus NX. It has the same basic drivetrain as the ES, but in a CUV package. The size is virtually identical to the RAV though. Many people find the look polarizing so it definitely isn't for everyone.