Formula271

I have a 2014 ES300h with basically every option....ultra luxury package, Mark Levinson, ....and absolutely love it!! I've had mine since February and have around 16,000 miles already.

I certainly didn't buy it for the gas mileage alone, but it's very clear that my cost of ownership with this car is lower than it would be with the ES350. Without trying, consistent 38+ MPG tanks are easy. There is something very satisfying about driving such a substantial feeling, pampering vehicle that rarely feels underpowered and getting such great mileage. A few cars ago, I owned the previous generation Prius and was generally very happy with that car, too. 44+ MPG was effortless in the Prius and 48 mpg was average...however, that car felt so de-contented, light, unsubstantial, etc...that while the high MPG was impressive, it was absolutely expected. The ES300h, on the other hand, is pampering, substantial, wonderfully quiet and refined while getting mileage few cars on the road can achieve. In this sense, the mileage in the ES300h feels MUCH more impressive than in the Prius....it's a uniquely satisfying feeling. Effortless 500+ mile tanks are soooo convienient, too.

Regarding the ride of the 300h vs. the 350, I have to disagree that the 300h rides "stiffer". I regularly have opportunities to drive the 300h and 350 (with the various wheel / tire combos) back-to-back. The 300h definitely feels different than the 350, but I think primarily because the weight distribution is different. The 350 has a heavier V6 up front, the 300h a heavier battery in the back. Perhaps some commenting on the 300h ride being siff have driven cars with overly inflated tires? It's possible, too, that the lighter front end feeling in the 300h, and accompanying faster responses, could be interpreted as "stiff". Regardless, with exception of perhaps the 350 with 18's, the ES in general is a very pampering ride.

Also, another uniquely satisfying benefit of the 300h is that at any given speed, with slight throttle inputs, the car actually feels MORE responsive that the 350. For example, cruising at 65 and wanting to accelerate to say 70 (kind of the normal ebb and flow of traffic), the 300h feels more powerful. Of course, if you mash the throttle in the 350 it feels MUCH more powerful. But, unless you unleash the drama of a downshift in the 350, the 300h could actually be quicker. The instant torque of the electric motor is definitely felt in this situation.

Anyway...I could go on and on about the car (and there are definitely items that could be improved), but overall, absolutely no regrets with this purchase.

mcomer

Small correction of the weight difference between the 350 and the 300h. Curb weight of the ES350
is 3549 lbs (1610 kg) and the ES300h is 3660 lbs (1660 kg)

LexBob2

I was looking at an issue of Consumer Reports where they tested both the ES350 and 300h. In all of the performance measures, the 350 was notably faster than the hybrid, which is no surprise.

0-60, 6.7 vs. 8.2 seconds. 45-60 mph, 4.3 vs. 5.2 seconds. 1/4 mile, 15.0 vs. 16.4 sec.

These are just the performance measures, in most of the others the cars are pretty close to each other.

GrumpyDave

I miss that about my Prius. It's the CVT transmission at play which never needs to downshift when applying throttle.

When I was test driving new cars recently I was dismayed by how slowly so many of them responded to slight throttle changes. Press accelerator, wait, wait, wait, downshift, wait, accelerate. Just to pick up 5MPH temporarily. It was almost dangerous at times.

I read it's a symptom of all the new throttle-by-wire systems. Fortunately, my ES350 exhibits that less than every other car I tried but it's still noticeable. I love my car so far but more and more I'm wishing I would have considered an ES300H instead.

Ellicottva

Not me! Thrilled with the 300h...
What's not to be thrilled? In sports mode, the car drives like a rocket and if I drive in normal mode, it is pretty zippy and still gives me good mileage.

fifaref2

300 all way

chromedome

Toyota's CVT equipped hybrids have a weird way of keeping revs constant while road speeds slowly go up. It took me a while to get used to that. Accelerating on the 300h, the engine roars and shoots straight to 6000 rpm although speed slowly increases. I would have preferred a quick step down to a lower gear (or a virtual ratio for the CVT) like on conventional automatics.

Arty101

I'm not really a fan of the CVT's rubber band affect. But to achieve the higher mpg, and for a non-high performance car, I'd take it.

lomein123

what is you mileage difference when you drive at Eco mode and Normal or Sport?

BIGABQ

I now have had my 300h for seven weeks. It has been a delight to drive and own. :

don1

I have owned my 2014 ES 300h for 5 months now after having been an Acura TL driver for 13 years. I owned one of each generation and drove each for 4-5 years.This time around I felt the need for a less sporty and more relaxed and comfortable car and after a long test drive made the change to Lexus. I have been very happy with it and recently test drove the 2015 TLX with the V6. It was much improved over the previous generation (except for looks) but after getting back into my 300h I knew I had made the right decision.

buzzyr

Two problems, One is lack of storage space in the car. The Second is the awful speaker for the blue tooth. It crackles and gives me a headache after a few minutes on the Bluetooth. Otherwise this car is amazing. The 300h has great safety features and would be perfect if I didn't have to use my earphones to talk when driving long distances. I didn't have this problem with my 2009 Toyota Camry Hybrid. They did something wrong on the 2014. ES the sound of the radio and the navigator is perfect. HELP Lexus, fix this problem.

IS350atWOT

iTrader: (1)

If your bluetooth connection is crackling, sounds like you need to take it in to the dealership. It could also be your phone. I have been using the Samsung Galaxy phones in my ES300h and have had no problems. Crisp and clear phone calls.