Has anybody installed a trailer hitch on their ES350? I would like to tow my mootorcycle to Boston this summer and with the cost of gas would like to have a hitch installed on the ES350 rather than use our Sequoia with it's 17 mpg. Anybody have any ideas?

 

Is there anything in the owners manual under "Towing"? Also, you might ask the Service Manager at your dealership.

 

I agree. I know that Mercedes Benz sedans have not recommended any towing for quite a few years now. If it's not in the owner's manual, I'd telephone the Lexus toll-free number and ask them.

 

Sorry dude, but I gotta chuckle... Seriously what's the diff in cost? 17MPG with the Sequoia vs 23MPG in ES (if luck to get that towing w/ES)????

Assuming 2,000 miles thats a diff between about 117 and 86 gallons of gas @ $3/gallon that's about $100 or $200 if you go 4,000 miles... How much for an ugly *** hitch on your ES?

 

Not to mention the trannys on these cars do have issues. Towing could put yours over the edge.

Also, the money you save on gas you would lose in value on the car. Having a hitch on an ES would cause its resale value to decrease.

 

Well, had to dig this thread up. YEP!! I saw a white ES350 today with one of those U-Haul tow hitches added just under the bumper.

 

its doable... i've seen an ES tow a pretty long trailer before it wasnt a 350... 330 perhaps.. but yea if a 330 can do it.. a 350 can definately do it.

 

I put one on my first ES 300 and it worked out ok, only towed small ski boat down to lake access in my neighborhood and up for tune up at Marine shop within 4 miles. For a couple of motorcycles it might be ok if you do not have tranny slipping ever and maybe also if you lack engine knock.

My friends did say though I used the ES 300 like a Lexamino

Like the name of this company...Gethitched
http://cgi.ebay.com/ebaymotors/NEW-C...QQcmdZViewItem

 

Lexamino!!! Ha Ha ES350Bob! But, I dont know about a tow hitch on a Lexus. I am not criticizing here and I cant argue with your logic on why. However, I can't bring myself to put even a bumper sticker on my "nice" car, let alone a tow hitch!!! And a Lexus at that. But I wish you luck!

 

Oh, not an ES350 an ES300, I'd like to think that at the time I bought the 350 I'd have been more reserved than how I ended up with a hitch on the 300.

I had never owned a boat before in my life, got talked into going to the Disney boat show with 4 boat hound friends, brunch first of course at the Buena Vista Club and a glass of champagne, lunch at Captain Jacks and a Strawberry Margarita and I was the only one who goes home with a ski boat and nothing to tow it with. The boat hounds knew I was a shoe in for a purchase as I liked skiing, trolling for Blue fish, crabbing for Blue Crab, not necc in that order and by gosh according to the boat sales guy could do it ALL with that boat.

With the pwr steering of the 300, I got so good at maneuvering that boat/trailer, I could parallel park it and the boat trailer on a dime

So an ES350 with more horsepower than the 300 could easily handle a small trailer with small boat or a couple of motorcycles, though techs might roll their eyes at the thought of it but would likely say, if you must, go ahead it should be ok.

 

Hidden Hitch makes one for the ES 350.

http://www.hitchmart.com/commerce/product.jsp?prodId=966&catId=1

~ Cap

 

I've had a trailer hitch on my 1995 ES300 for about 4 years now and I've towed a tent trailer from Saskatchewan to San Diego and back three years ago and Palms Springs and back last year and have had no problems at all. I have recently bought an 07 RX350 and I'm doing the research on getting a trailer hitch put on. The tent trailer was 1300 lbs dry and I made sure I weighed it loaded so I wouldn't go over the towing limit of 2000 lbs. I had some custom springs fabricated for the rear end to compensate for the 200 lb tongue weight but it wasn't absolutely necessary. Just make sure you take it out of overdrive when your towing.

 

The added weight/drag from towing with the ES would decrease gas mileage, probably equalling your mileage on the SUV. As Onsknht said, add in the cost of the hitch and you're going to pay more. Take the truck, man.