Does the engine in the hybrid have enough power and acceleration for a feeling of security when in traffic situations and highway speeds?

 

According to Car and Driver the ES350 is noticeably faster than the 300h but the hybrid does fine. You'd need to drive each and see what the seat of the pants feel is for you.

0-60 5.8 sec vs. 7.7
30-50 3.5 sec vs. 4.2
50-70 3.8 sec vs. 5.0

 

Absolutely...

 

I have one. It is a dog in Eco mode, perfectly adequate for highway driving in normal mode and a blast in sport mode.

 

Thanks. I'm having a hard time making a decision between the two. My intention is to keep the car for a long time - 10 years or more. Thus I have to figure in the cost of a battery replacement at least once. Wonder if the fuel savings will overcome the cost of the battery replacement. I read that it is unlikely that oil will return to $100 a barrel any time soon but soon probably isn't in 10 years. Probably will be the last car I buy given my age.

 

I wouldn't automatically assume that you will have to replace the battery. Toyota hybrids have been around a long time, and yes there are some battery replacements happening out there, its hardly something every owner has to deal with.

Think about it this way too, one of the big savings with Toyota's hybrid system is brakes. The system uses regenerative braking which dramatically extends the lifespan of the service brakes. You could potentially go 100k miles or more on the original brakes. Factor that savings in.

With that said, certainly the hybrid is more complex and more expensive to repair should issues occur. Have you driven them both? The drive is different, I'm not a hybrid guy so I don't care for it. The CVT, engine cutting in and out isn't for everybody. I would choose the 350 every time personally.

 

Depending on how many miles you drive per year, you might need to factor in the price premium of the hybrid and where the break even point will be. For me driving feel and enjoyment would be important too.

 

Very good point. I usually drive less than 7000 miles a year. My current '15 Cadillac SRX bought in August of '14 has 11000 miles on it. The extra cost of the hybrid probably wouldn't be worth it.

 

We own two Lexus hybrid models and enjoy many aspects of the hybrid drivetrain, but I would not buy a long-term hybrid with the intention of saving money. A hybrid is more expensive to purchase and it uses batteries. Batteries do not last forever. My sister-in-law recently had to have the battery replaced in her Camry hybrid at 9 years and I believe she said 110K miles. The dealer charged her $4600 for the new battery and she was incensed as she felt that erased all gas savings over her ownership of the car. There may be cheaper sources for batteries and we can debate their lifespan, but they are still batteries and will ultimately require replacement.

My wife and I enjoy how much smoother and quieter the hybrid models are compared to their gas versions. They don't have as much power so definitely not everyone's taste, and the smooth CVT transmission that we enjoy, others loathe.

So to answer your original question, they are fine in highway situations, but don't expect as much passing power on two lane highways. With the number of miles it sounds like you drive, you will not recoup the cost in gas savings in my opinion (assuming that is your goal) plus there is a possible battery replacement after the 8 year warranty (or 10 years if you live in one of several states that apply CARB regulations).

 

Thanks. Your information helped me decide. For me, the hybrid is not a wise choice.