Hello,

I'm just curious how many of you would recommend it to a friend. If you wouldn't, can you tell me why please?

 

Absolutely yes, but I came to the ES300h with a blank slate. Never owned a Lexus, test drove a handful of models over the years. The sentiment on many threads is that the ES is inferior to previous editions in many ways..... Interestingly the marketplace shows Lexus has made great sales strides with the current model. Perhaps it was a conscious effort to broaden the appeal at the risk of alienating some of the proven base.

With just over 1K on the odo, I am very happy. There are several threads on this sub-forum dealing with individual likes, dislikes, and hopes for future improvement.

 

I've been reading a lot of the threads and posts about how the new gen ES stacks up vs. previous gens.

As a very early 2007 ES350 owner when that gen came out in April-May 2006, the exact same things were said right here on CL. Not as good as the previous gen, quality isn't there, nosier etc. That gen went on to record sales of over 200,000 cars with excellent long term reliability.

My guess is it will be the same with the new gen.

 

Half of them are ignorant and haven't even seen an ES in person. The other half are GS owners that aren't happy that the ES out sells their "supreme" vehicle. It's getting quite comical reading some of their racist posts.

 

Originally Posted by Fly4u

The sentiment on many threads is that the ES is inferior to previous editions in many ways.....

Bottom line is the 2013 ES is what it is.

If you bought it after looking/driving it, you've got what you bought.

John

 

Interesting John..... your post ends with a cry-smilie but the sig line indicates you drive a '13 ES350. Buyers remorse??

 

Oh, no. Not at all.

I was referring to the whiners that probably didn't fully explore what they were buying.

I like the ES for what it is.

Our 2011 Buick LaCrosse has far more features than our Lexus at a lower price.

We won't however be repeat Buick buyers.

The wife has already picked out her RX to replace the Buick.

John

 

I would Absolutely recommend it to a friend ! I had a 2007 ES350 and loved it also.
It's only my third Lexus out of 100 cars I have owned. My second one was a 2012 RX350 which I did not like.

 

I understand!

Test drove a Lacrosse e-assist but wasn't sufficiently impressed to pursue, also know a person who bought one a year ago and traded it in for a Volt. The Volt, however, doesn't make sense for my driving profile.

 

I would definitely recommend it. I have owned new GS, LS, RX, HS, and SC models since 1998, they were all great cars, but of all of them, I like my new ES300h UL loaded the best. I still have my wife's 2006 GS 300 AWD if and when I feel the need to put the hammer down. On the other hand the ES300h in sport mode is no slacker off the line.

 

Really it is what your looking for in a car, I own a 300h and it it great on gas and very roomy. Would I recommend it to a friend it all depends on their needs. The 300h has good things and bad like any other car you just need to test drive it for your self. I recommend if you like music loud & with base stay away from the Mark Levinson system as their is another thread on this. Also no sun glass holder, no compass on the mirror if you get GPS, and you can hear the wind noise quite a bit on the freeway and the voice commands are not the greatest. Oh yeh one more thing it is not a full heated steering wheel Good luck Boe

 

I have owned three Lexus... a 1998 GS, a 2008 ES, and now a 2013 ES 300h. I also have owned a 2003 BMW 540i.

Another family member has an Acura which I drive weekly. So I have a decent base of experience with this class of cars.

My ES300h has a little over 1500 miles on it, so it is pretty new but my reaction is that it represents a good value when compared to earlier Lexus I have bought. Feature for feature, the price has actually dropped over the years.

When comparing this ES300h to my 2008 ES, I think the 2013 has been upgraded in several important ways... it has a larger and more comfortable interior. The GPS is slightly better. The styling is contemporary. This is my first hybrid and I enjoy driving it and will get a payback for the extra cost in about 2 years, if not sooner. For me, it has adequate cruising and passing power, and getting 38-41 mpg is a real benefit in an area like mine where fuel prices are $4.25+ per gallon. The hybrid performance is well matched to my driving style and the area I live and I would unquestionably recommend it to others who have similar performance expectations.

The Acura has slightly better acceleration but the Lexus is quieter. The Acura GPS is better than Lexus' system, but the Lexus is OK... (I think Audi has the single best GPS today.)

So, to answer the question... I would recommend the 2013 ES300h to people who wanted:

-an automobile that is feature rich and affordable and has a competitive price
-better fuel mileage and who are fascinated with hybrid technology
-want a comfortable sedan that handles adequately in normally driving situations

Lexus reliability/quality and the ease of service (loaner cars etc.) and the overall value is the reason I keep coming back to this brand.

 

One thing I have to say my experience with Lexus customer has been very poor, I have an issue with my 300h and the response from Lexus has not been good at all. Lexus responded to me once in 3 weeks and they were suppose to get back to me and I am still waiting, called many times and I get the usual looking into it. For me customer service is very important and Lexus has a 1 out of 10.