Pics of your ES -- RIGHT NOW!!
05-11-15, 10:35 PM
#153
Lexus Champion
Front end is looking very clean. I see SoCal law enforcement are also lenient on front license plates, or lack thereof. With all the toll bridges and LPR up north, many cities and CHP give out tickets for not having one.
05-11-15, 11:16 PM
#154
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
The cops definitely see it but they dont pull you over as much if your car looks brand new for the most part, mainly old models get pulled over. Even though i did get pulled over just a few days after buying my Challenger because of no plates and they ended up cuffing me due to the fact that Dodge is listed under Chrysler in the systems and these numb nuts thought i stole the car even though i had the registration. I guess its only until your luck runs out 
And as you can see my front windshield does not look to dark even at night time, i think the 55% tint was just right to fly under the radar, and boy does it make a huge difference when the sun gets cooking. The Lexus windshield is like a magnifying glass, it was very uncomfortable for me, and it saves the leather as well.
And as you can see my front windshield does not look to dark even at night time, i think the 55% tint was just right to fly under the radar, and boy does it make a huge difference when the sun gets cooking. The Lexus windshield is like a magnifying glass, it was very uncomfortable for me, and it saves the leather as well.
05-12-15, 05:11 AM
#155
Lexus Test Driver
I also have very dark side window tints and a dark windshield tint and it still gets hot during the day, especially as we're getting an early summer over here. Hello climate change... I end up using those reflective foil screens on the front and rear windshields to keep the car cool while parked.
Dark gray with a blacked out grille, that's a really classy combo. Makes your car look like a mini LS
Light colors like silver or white look good in side profile but I'd say dark gray, black or that crazy ultrasonic blue like on the RC are the best overall. That said, I've never seen a light blue ES. It would be a nice color just because of its rarity.
Dark gray with a blacked out grille, that's a really classy combo. Makes your car look like a mini LS
Light colors like silver or white look good in side profile but I'd say dark gray, black or that crazy ultrasonic blue like on the RC are the best overall. That said, I've never seen a light blue ES. It would be a nice color just because of its rarity.
05-12-15, 09:36 PM
#159
Lexus Test Driver
I guess leases are pretty much a US-only thing, in most parts of the world people either buy with cash or hire purchase/loans. I'm wondering why you chose to buy the ES hybrid instead of leasing, like on your old GS.
Tesla don't offer leases but they have loan and buy back agreements which, according to them, is almost like a lease. I'd be wary about buying an EV because of battery longevity issues but Toyota hybrids seem to be bulletproof when it comes to battery life.
Anyway I'm hacking my aftermarket navigation system, it runs Windows CE 6 so it's easily unlocked and I can code my own stuff for it. I'd love to figure out how the stock audio/nav unit on the hybrid calculates energy flow and fuel consumption because aftermarket units don't show this info. If it uses CANBUS to get ECU data, hopefully I can pull it out and work on it.
Tesla don't offer leases but they have loan and buy back agreements which, according to them, is almost like a lease. I'd be wary about buying an EV because of battery longevity issues but Toyota hybrids seem to be bulletproof when it comes to battery life.
Anyway I'm hacking my aftermarket navigation system, it runs Windows CE 6 so it's easily unlocked and I can code my own stuff for it. I'd love to figure out how the stock audio/nav unit on the hybrid calculates energy flow and fuel consumption because aftermarket units don't show this info. If it uses CANBUS to get ECU data, hopefully I can pull it out and work on it.
Last edited by chromedome; 05-12-15 at 09:41 PM.
05-13-15, 10:45 AM
#160
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
leasing a hybrid make no financial sense at all, due to the MSRP difference you will need atleast 3 years to start breaking even and reaping the rewards of a hybrid. And that is if you drive 2000 miles a month like myself.
From what ive seen here, most people are hardly driving 1000-1200 miles a month, at that rate it would take you 5-6 years to break even, just does not make sense.
And whoever tells you that MPG was not the primary reason they bought a hybrid is just not being truthful. Yes i like the quiet ride and electric drive as well but if the MPG was not this good, no way i would buy this car over a regular ES or i would just keep the GS.
From what ive seen here, most people are hardly driving 1000-1200 miles a month, at that rate it would take you 5-6 years to break even, just does not make sense.
And whoever tells you that MPG was not the primary reason they bought a hybrid is just not being truthful. Yes i like the quiet ride and electric drive as well but if the MPG was not this good, no way i would buy this car over a regular ES or i would just keep the GS.
05-13-15, 06:01 PM
#161
Pole Position
Interesting observation regarding the tendency of people to buy hybrids rather than lease. The type of drivetrain didn't enter into our decision but I can see how it might be a factor (we are buying too). I do agree that the MPG is the "primary" reason people might favor a hybrid. In our case it just wasn't the only reason, but certainly the biggest one. We will just never drive enough miles to justify the math on mpg alone at about 750 miles a month.
05-13-15, 07:37 PM
#162
Lexus Test Driver
There's an interesting piece at hybridcars.com on which hybrids take the least time to pay back the price premium over their normal cousins. The Honda Accord hybrid does well with almost double the mpg over a V6 Accord whereas Lincoln hybrids cost the same as non-hybrids.
I gotta admit, the price difference between an ES300h and ES250 would pay for years of gas here, so the hybrid would never pencil in for the kind of driving I do. I got it for the electric drive and also for the huge tank range - 1000 km per tank means I fill up every two weeks instead of once every few days. In a way, I paid up front for all the gas I wasn't going to use...
I gotta admit, the price difference between an ES300h and ES250 would pay for years of gas here, so the hybrid would never pencil in for the kind of driving I do. I got it for the electric drive and also for the huge tank range - 1000 km per tank means I fill up every two weeks instead of once every few days. In a way, I paid up front for all the gas I wasn't going to use...
05-14-15, 12:27 AM
#163
Lexus Champion
I agree with Dave. Not only is the hybrid a different feel and drive, the higher mpg is also a big motivator. In fact I see the hybrid as insurance against higher gas prices. The difference in cost between a 300h and 350 of $2800 is minimal, and we in NorCal are already approaching $4 per gallon. I'm happy to pay the upfront cost for the hybrid.
05-14-15, 01:59 AM
#164
Lead Lap
Thread Starter
its $4.20 for 87 where i am.
Wanting to save money on fuel doesn't mean you are broke or something to be ashamed of, just why pay more for something than you have to, especially when nowadays we have comfortable luxury cars with exceptional fuel efficiency.
Some people hesitate to get a hybrid because they think other people will think they are cheap, but i see it as hybrid owners are wise.. Or dare i say ES and GS hybrid owners are wise
Wanting to save money on fuel doesn't mean you are broke or something to be ashamed of, just why pay more for something than you have to, especially when nowadays we have comfortable luxury cars with exceptional fuel efficiency.
Some people hesitate to get a hybrid because they think other people will think they are cheap, but i see it as hybrid owners are wise.. Or dare i say ES and GS hybrid owners are wise
05-14-15, 02:22 AM
#165
Lexus Test Driver
$4.30 equivalent for RON93 in my neck of the woods and prices are expected to keep increasing. I guess these hybrids are a kind of insurance against higher gas prices, especially when you can get much higher mileage by driving slower
The huge tank range means I can keep driving for ages before refueling and fillups don't cost much. I know diesels have similar range but the cost of a full tank is higher and I hate the clatter of a diesel engine.
What I don't understand is that 2015 hybrid car sales in the US dropped YoY compared to 2014 but SUV and crossover sales went up, basically down to cheaper gas last year. Now with gas prices going back up, are those SUV drivers going to switch over to hybrids? Who the heck buys a car expecting cheap gas forever?
The huge tank range means I can keep driving for ages before refueling and fillups don't cost much. I know diesels have similar range but the cost of a full tank is higher and I hate the clatter of a diesel engine.
What I don't understand is that 2015 hybrid car sales in the US dropped YoY compared to 2014 but SUV and crossover sales went up, basically down to cheaper gas last year. Now with gas prices going back up, are those SUV drivers going to switch over to hybrids? Who the heck buys a car expecting cheap gas forever?
Last edited by chromedome; 05-14-15 at 02:30 AM.