I'm looking for a L/Certified ES 350. For model years 2014, 2015, and 2016 were there any issues? Should I avoid a specific model year? To my knowledge the main difference is the more aggressive cosmetic facelift in the 2016+ model years. Any other significant differences?

Thanks!

 

With respect to what is nicest car, I have no question that the 2016 and 2017 ES are the best of the Generation 6 ES. To me, the upgraded interior alone puts those 2 years a couple of notches above the pre-mid cycle refresh ES models. And the 2017 is, to me, nicer than the 2016 because of nice improvements in the Generation 9 navigation system that is in the 2017s and the fact that the Lexus Safety + system is standard on all 2017 ES.

With respect to what is the "best buy", my choice would be a 2013 ES or, possibly, a 2014 ES. The 2013 ES has gone past its years of biggest depreciation. At this point, you should be able to buy a very well-equipped 2013 CPO ES with the Luxury Package or a fully-loaded 2013 with the Ultra Luxury Package in excellent condition and with somewhere around 30,000 miles on the odometer for roughly half of what the original MSRP was.

As I said in your other thread, the problem with a 2016 or 2017 CPO is that demand for them is high, and the supply is still very low. Then, when the dealers tack on the premium for the CPO certification and warranty, the difference in price between a 2016 or 2017 CPO and the price of a brand new ES becomes quite minimal. So, with a 2013 or 2014, you can, for about half the price, end up with 90% of the same car that you would be getting with a 2016 or 2017 CPO ES.

 

Well I'd argue everything is relative. You can get a decent 2013 ES350 in the low-mid $20s, you can get a 2016 ES350 in the low $30s. For my money, that extra ~$8k I'd hypothetically spend would get me a much smoother suspension/ride, advanced safety features (a lot of the ES350's have the lane departure/adaptive cruise) and I don't use the navi nowhere near enough to place any value on the Gen 9 navi system.

 

This thread I started back when I was looking may be of some help to ferret out the subtle differences between the '13, '14, and '15.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es-...fferences.html

After all that, I decided to buy a new 2016 versus a used '13 '14 or '15. The price difference for me was well worth it. (your finances may vary) I got a brand new car which I have a complete history on, the new slightly better suspension, the better interior, and the LSS+ which was huge to me. I was indifferent about the different grill but the '16 grill has really grown on me. Others have strong views one way or the other.

I have historically always bought ~3 yr old cars with low mileage that somebody else has taken the depreciation hit on but the deal I got on a new '16 (about 20% off MSRP in Sept of 2016) was worth it to me. I also keep my cars a long time (8-10 yrs) so the price difference over time becomes less.

 

What suspension changes were made? Does it have different springs/struts?

 

I had a 2013 ES for 3 1/2 years, and I now have a 2017 ES. If there is any difference in the suspension, I can't see even a hint of difference in the ride quality or handling of the two cars.

 

I have a 2015. Had a loaner 2017 earlier this week. Frankly, I did not see much of a difference at all in the interior, or at least to me nothing to get excited about.

 

lol im in the exact same boat. i have 2015 esh, and currently have 2017 es350 loaner. There are just a FEW interior differences but all so seriously minor. In fact, I think I can name them all. leatherette trimming on the center console, and more subtle shifter box design. Also the interior lights are now touch buttons instead of physical buttons. and more control buttons on the steering wheel. oh, and updated center info screen inside the instrument panel.
Just by a glance, there really is no difference that one would notice. but I guess some of these things matter to some.

The updated info screen def is convenient, though it took some getting used to. ive seen some people really liking the new burgendy'ish interior color schme also.
what was interesting with my loaner was the ventilated seats that are already weak to begin with were even weaker on the 2017 than on my 2015.

Oh, and it might be a hybrid vs v6 thing, but this loaner def rides slightly better. I was told by another member that there actually was a suspension update, as in tuned for a softer ride. not like a diff suspension or anything. but again, might be more noticeable to me cuz i come from the hybrid model.

 

The 2013 ES is based on the Avalon platform, and there were tons of complaints that the 2013+ Avalon/ES rode firmer/harsher than previous vehicles. So the 2016 mid-cycle refresh softened up & tweaked the suspension to be like the Avalon/ES of the old....supple, softer rides. Almost every review I've read/watched mentions this as a notable change.

http://www.autobytel.com/lexus/es-35...review-131219/
http://www.tundraheadquarters.com/bl...-lexus-es-350/ mentions new opposite-wound coil spring new for the 2016


Other CL owners who have upgraded have also noticed some of the difference
https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es-...12-2016-a.html

So whether felt or not, Toyota/Lexus did make modifications to the suspension. I haven't been in a 16+ personally myself, but my rationale for selecting a 16+ is just the newer available safety features.