TechNut

Your size may also factor in. The IS has a tighter interior. Those of us that are a few years older often need a bit more room We also transport my in-laws quite often and while the Prius was surprisingly roomy, it was a bit loud and not so easy to visit. The ES has more room and is very quiet.

lexusplz

stupid question, if I use regular 87 on the ES350 all the time, does that damage the engine?

Yeah, I think more interior space is important and more value-wise too. I just noticed the IS and ES are about the same price. I'm thinking right now, for the same price why would I pay so much for a smaller interior car.

dchar

No, using 87 will not damage the engine because it was designed to use it. Using any higher octane would be a waste of money.

That's the question many perspective Lexus buyers ask when looking into the IS or ES.

TechNut

I suspect if you asked this question in the IS forum, they would argue the IS is sportier. Rear wheel drive with an AWD option. Allegedly better handling, etc. Didn't test drive one as it didn't fit our requirements so I really can't compare the two. That's part of the fun of selecting that new ride. You can get really caught up analyzing a new car decision, but as JDR76 implied, only one of them is likely to speak to the heart.

Of course, cost is always a factor. I would want the IS 350 AWD if performance is a priority (original poster did state no hybrids because they didn't meet performance expectations) and that version of the IS will exceed the quoted budget.

lexusplz

Yeah the IS350 is out of my budget . I keep reading people say 350 is the way to go for the IS not the 250. I would rather get a GS350 than an IS350 for the price lol. I just find the looks on the IS pretty attractive. The 3rd generation 2013+ ES350 exterior improved a lot. If it was the ES350 2012 and lower, I would have not considered the ES. That's why I'm comparing IS250 2015 and ES350 2015 right now

dChar did mention the ES350 might get an engine upgrade on the 2016 model (300 hp)? I might wait for that. I hope they keep the regular 87 gas engine, too. I read the 2016 ES is getting a new exterior?!?!? OMG this looks like an IS style

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es3...-released.html

tkbalt

We have always had good luck buying an ES after they came off a 3 year lease. You are getting an "as new" vehicle that has 25 to 30K miles with a 3 year certified warranty. I think we have had 4 of them. We would drive them for 3 years and do it all over again. We also bought our LS and LX used. Let someone else take that first 3 years of depreciation.

PirelliRC

wow that is so true. When i drive the ES i feel like i am meditating. The smoothness and quietness along with the electric drive really has brought my stress factor way down during rush hour and just all around driving. I feel much more relaxed and patient. And when you are getting 500 + miles on a 14 - 15 gal fill up , you cant help but smile

dxerg3770

I had IS350 AWD as a loaner while my ES was in for scheduled maintenance. It was super fun to drive but I would not buy it as my daily driver. I think IS and ES is geared toward two entirely different market. Surely, younger crowd (I'm only 31) would enjoy IS more but people like me who care about comfortable and quiet ride as opposed to a car that feels like a video game will definitely prefer ES over IS.

kamauxx

Lexus builds the IS for the younger crowd and the ES for the older crowd.

For less than 40k you could get into a CPO 2013+ GS350 F Sport AWD. There's currently 402 CP0 2013, 2014, 2015 GS350s on Autotrader for 40k and less. I'm sure you can get into one in the 37k range.

Get the size and refinement of the the ES with the excitement and cool factor of the IS.

Lex2015

Between the 300h and 350 ES, do the numbers and make sure you drive enough to make it worthwhile. For example, when I was comparing, a similarly equipped hybrid was about $2700 more.
Assuming 39 mpg for the 300h and 21 mpg for the 350 ES, a best case/ worst case scenario.
At $3.00/gal, it would take a little over 40,000 miles to break even.
At $2.50/gal, it would take just under 50,000 miles.
Since I average less than 9,000 miles per year, it wasn't worth it for me because I don't plan on keeping this car more than 5 years.

zes

If you can afford an es you can never justify the better mileage of the hybrid by the gas savings. I do not think it is worth it for people in that income level. Also the gas savings will potentially be negated by the cost of a traction battery if it has to be replaced.

Driving a hybrid is an entirely different experience relative to driving a regular car. The absolute silence and absence of vibrations at a light is amazing as the engine is off. Kicking the car into EV mode and trying to keep it there becomes a sport. Since the hybrid computer has a mind of its own it almost becomes like a game of golf. Infuriating at times but really satisfying at other times. Also it is fun to try to reach or beat the EPA spec of 40mpg. Driving on EV mode is fun too. The 300h is not as quick as the 350 so one has to appreciate these finer pleasures, rather than brute acceleration. If one wants brute acceleration, nothing beats the sweet winding up of a bmw straight 6. But then, playing with a 300h will not get you a ticket like playing with a 535i will:-)

The HSD also does not step through gears like a conventional tranny. Some people miss that and hate the cvt for that. Other people think that stepping through gears is so last century. CVTs and hybrid drives are the future. It is really a personal preference.

Like Jay Leno said. Driving a hybrid is a different kind of fun.

I agree with the point made above. Driving a hybrid is very calming and I arrive home much less stressed then I did before. The 300h goes well with Mozart on the satallite radio.

PirelliRC

You know if you go back just 3 months and find my posts, i too was a hybrid hater. However,i traded in 2014 GS 350 i had and got a ES 300H, and i couldnt be happier. I drive around 2000 miles a month, and im saving about $200 a month on fuel, so it made sense for me. And its a buy not a lease like the GS. I can honestly say i am hooked on the electric / hybrid powertrain. Next up for me is a Tesla.

Ill have you know the ES 350 is 0-60 7.1 secs and the hybrid is 7.7 secs. If 0.6 seconds makes that much difference for you then get the 350, but i guarantee once you reach highway speeds, the 300 H in Sport mode overtakes cars much quicker and much more effortlessly than the ES 350 and even the GS 350 i had. The GS is obviously much faster off the line. But the boost and instant torque shoots you out like a canon once you are at highway speeds. Anyone that has a ES Hybrid can back me up on that.

Also having no gears is awesome, just smooth quiet instant acceleration when you need it and incredible MPG when you are more conservative. Oh and i love cruising around town in EV mode. I love this car and wouldnt trade it for anything but a GS 450h or a Tesla. Yes its that good.

lexusplz

great to hear you enjoy your hybrid ES 300. I would have to test drive it myself. The thing I'm afraid is the cost of replacing the battery.

lexusplz

I keep getting drawn by the IS 250 exterior looks. I live in LA. There's traffic 80% of the time when I drive to work, so I probably won't benefit the full driving experience on the IS 250. I feel like the ES would fit me more. I really love the interior on the ES 350. The 2016 ES 350 interior looks amazing. More wood and the leather trims attracts me. That is the point of me getting a Lexus in the first place, for the luxury feel lol. The 2016 ES 350 exterior is on and off for me. The sporty front grill needs time to get used to. I was thinking about getting a pearl white color, but if I want to get the 2016 model, I don't know if pearl white would look good on the front end with those chrome borders. Maybe dark gray exterior would look better. That chrome bar on the rear looks like a Camry lol.

PirelliRC

Lexus gives you a 100,000 mile factory warranty on the hybrid system. So you are covered. The battery will probably need to be replaced around the 120,000-150,000 mile mark, but if you take into consideration that you probably will spend about the same amount of money to change your transmission or other mechanical aspects that the hybrid does not have, so it really not that big of a deal.

Also with regenerative braking, i have heard people going 100,000 miles and not need a brake change, factor that in your costs as well.


- ES 300h compared to a ES 350 based on my miles driven which is 2000 miles a month. And ES 350 with 21 MPG and ES 300 h with 35 MPG, which are real world figures.

2000 / 21 = 95.2 gals - 95.2 gal x $2.99 = $284

2000 / 35 = 57.1 gals - 57.1 gal x $2.99 = $170

284 - 170 = $114 savings a month from a regular ES 350

ES 300 H costs $2700 more than ES 350 - $2700 / $114 = 23.6 months

So i will break even in 2 years, and after that i will save $1,368 a year. Im planning on keeping this car for a long long time, so you can do the math and see how much you will save in the long run. If you are leasing for 2 or 3 years than maybe the hybrid is not for you, but if you are buying it like i am it absolutely make sense. Not to mention the satisfying feeling instant torque, smooth acceleration and no clunky gear changes. With all the factors combined, it was a no brainer to buy the hybrid.

Just giving you options