Hey Lexus folks. First time poster on this forum. I'm a long time Acura guy, owned a "06 TL MT6, '07 TSX MT6 and currently a '12 FWD TL AT. Acura's treated me well but I'm not impressed by their current lineup. There's talk of a TLX Type-S and they've announced a potential new sedan based on one of their concept cars. However, I can't wait forever. And the current TLX is no bueno. Crappy transmission, vanilla styling and lackluster performance. No better than the 2012 TL I'm in now.

Anyways, I drive Uber on the weekend and sometimes early morning - probably a good 600-800 miles a week. I've put over 200K on the TL in the last two years and it's still running like a champ. But it's getting up there in miles so I'm looking to hand it down to my son in the next year or so.

I've got a permanent bad taste in my mouth for anything associated with Nissan so Infinity isn't on the list. And as much as I'd love to go German, the cost of ownership in terms of maintenance and repairs is cost prohibitive when driving Uber. I've owned a few Toyota's and needless to say, they've been champs.

My question is, what Lexus model would be ideal for driving Uber? I'm looking for a sedan, not an SUV. Acura's MDX and RDX are great so if I wanted an SUV that's the way I'd go. But I'm not. I'm wanting a sedan with a decent amount of trunk and back seat space, but would also like to keep it as small as possible. The IS seems a good choice but I've heard it's a bit small in the back. The ES is a little large but might be the best bet. I'm also looking for used here, and preferably AWD. Something in the range of $20k - $30k. I'd like some good ponies as well considering the TL is rated at 280hp and currently puts out closer to 310 at the crank after the bolt ons and tuning I've done. For what it's worth, I'm a gearhead and do all my own work, so if there are little nuances with certain models it's probably not a deal killer as long as it's not major engine or transmission failure. I've done everything on my vehicles from suspension work to valve adjustments to replacing things like the master brake cylinder, radiator, alternator, etc.

So, any suggestions? Would the IS350 fit the bill or should I move up to the ES? Are there models of the LS that would fit that realm? Preferably looking for 2014-2018 years if possible.

Also, for any that know Acura's, how's Lexus' AWD system? The SH-AWD is magic. It's really the one great thing Acura has going for it. I haven't heard much about Lexus' system other than it's simply "AWD" which isn't saying much. Hopefully it's a little fancier than a Hyundai Kona or something like that.

Any suggestions are appreciated Thank you.

 

 

If you made me sit in the back seat of an IS, I'd give you 2 stars. If you are set on a Lexus, I would not go smaller than an ES.

 

ES300h or Avalon Hybrid ought to work pretty well.

 

Exactly, Uber/Lift service is largely about having a comfortable back seat unless you and the passenger are comfortable with them in the front. Lexus IS has a very tight back seat, probably similar to a Corolla.

Crossovers are good for back seat comfort because the seats are are higher so that your knees aren't in the air like some sedans. Plus, entry is much easier. OP, are you only interested in sedans?

 

The ES is FWD, but the high mpg's and the use of regular 87 make it attractive for something like Ubering.

 

 

What he said. IS is tiny.

 

You're correct. You can do the "Select" service which is about 3X the normal rate. However, just about any Lexus model qualifies for that including the IS and ES.

Thank you. This was the info I was looking for. I looked up specs but that doesn't really mean much.

Yes, I'm largely looking for sedans. Handling is pretty important to me. I'm not yet old enough to want to drive around some full-size flagship luxury car. But I hadn't thought much about crossovers. That might be a good route to go.

Dang. I didn't realize that. Well, I'm open to FWD way more than RWD. All my Acura's have been FWD and I've never had a problem in the winter as long as I've had good snow tires. But there have definitely been times when I've wanted the AWD.

Thanks for the responses. How about the GS? It looks like the 4G isn't any larger than the TL. And it has an AWD option. The GS-F looks pretty sweet but I'm guessing it may have a price tag outside my range

 

 

Your best bet is the ES 300h since it gets good gas mileage and there's plenty of cabin space. You can also look at a used HS 250h, has decent mpg's and has a decent cabin room as well. The CT 200h is small but get great mpg's. Too bad we don't have the IS 300h in the U.S. Below are other suggestions as well.

CT 200h 43city/40hwy
HS 250h 35city/34hwy
ES 300h 40city/39hwy
GS 450h 29city/34hwy
NX 300h 34city/31hwy
RX 400h 27city/24hwy
RX 450h 32city/29hwy

 

Thanks for the list of hybrids. Are Lexus hybrids relatively reliable? I'll have to take a look at the GS 450h in particular. Or maybe the NX.

Oddly enough, gas mileage isn't super important to me. If it were, I would just buy a Prius and call it a day. I'm not full time. So I still want something that is comfortable and fun to drive but at the same time isn't a huge gas hog. I don't mind something around 25 MPG. I currently get at least that with the TL and even with having to use premium fuel, my fuel cost is only about 15% of my fares which is about the going rate for most Uber drivers.

 

The rear seats and trunk in the GS are much smaller than those in the ES. The GS450h trunk is full of batteries so has very little useful space. The pre-2019 ES300h models also lose much space to the batteries. The ES350 sounds like your best choice. It is about as fast as the V-6 TL, has a little more room, and is much smoother and quieter.

 

The GS is nice. Maintenance will be a bit more expensive due to the more performance oriented engine, premium gas, and larger brakes. The AWD on the IS/GS/LS also has a compromise where there's a bump that intrudes near the drivers foot by the accelerator. Just something to be aware of. GS would seat two rear passengers fine, but the center differential bump is pretty tall, a third passenger wouldn't be too comfortable over an extended period of time.

 

Toyota / Lexus hybrids are very reliable. Just look at the large number of Prius and Camry hybrid cars that are driven as taxis in North America. The ES 300h hybrid is essentially a larger Camry Hybrid.

If you are looking for a "decent amount of trunk and back seat space", you will want an ES 350 or 2019 model year ES 300h (hybrid). The 2013 to 2018 ES 300h has the hybrid battery in the trunk so it loses about a third of the trunk space compared to the 2013 to 2018 ES 350. In the 2019 ES 300h, that battery was moved under the rear seat so the trunk space is the same in the ES 300h and ES 350.

The ES (regardless of model, hybrid or not) has a very roomy back seat.