Had the 2014 for 2 years and purchased a used 2015 es, it seems the 2014 had a different drive that i liked more.. both are very smooth but the 2014 was more of a lighter drive and handeled better , where as the 2015 feels more of a "heavyish"drive. Also the 14 had heated steering wheel but the 15 didn't have it, I'm assuming just this particular one doesn't but some do. Wondering if anyone else feels the same?

 

Maybe the two vehicles had different wheels and tires?

 

that's a good point. Do they ? How would i know

 

They come with 17 and 18" wheels. You would have to probably look at them.

 

I believe they were both 17, but there were no changes to the powertrain , suspension between 15 and 14 models?

 

Both are the same, as in ES350's, or ES300h's? If yes, then maybe tire pressure related.

 

I haven't had either a 2014 or 2015 ES, but I did own a 2013 ES, and I now have a 2017 ES. I'm not sure that I understand what the OP means by a "heavyish drive", but I see absolutely no difference between ride quality or drive quality between the 2013 and the 2017. My only guess about what the OP is seeing is that it might have to do with different tire pressures being used in the 2 vehicles.

 

It could be the tire size. I have a 2014 and changed the tires from 17 inch to 16 inch and the feel of the car was dramatically different. Despite the 16 inch tires being snow tires the feel was much lighter and the ride seemed smoother with the smaller tires.

 

Look at them?

 

I checked they are both 17, I definitely feel a different drive between 14 & 15, was used more to the 14 drive , it is possible they made some changes to the handling, for example sometimes the green "echo" light goes on to the left of the dashboard on the 2015 when even driving in regular mode where economy and sport are turned off , I didn't have this echo light on the 14.

Also the sound sound quality seems better on the 14 , they both had the standard premium 8 speaker sound...were there any differences in sound systems?

 

Did you check your cold tire pressure? The only suspension difference, that I'm aware of, is between the 350 and the 300h.

 

The "ECO" light is not to be confused with "ECO Mode". The light just comes on when the car thinks your driving economically. Basically, not pressing down on the gas pedal much. Both years should have it but you can turn it off. So maybe it was turned off in your 2014.

 

Never know if a slight change in suspension part specs from different subcontractors, but 99% chance was tires, or your mood at the time. They say same wine tastes different depending on the company you're enjoying it with, more than the wine itself. I'm often nearly convinced my cars run better when they're clean.

The 2016 got some changes, but on my tests seemed subtle softening, and very tire/wheel size dependent. 17" gave smoother ride, Michelin added to that.

 

My 14 didnt have eco light only eco mode..

 

That is correct.

That is not correct. For all model years of the Generation 6 ES, the ECO light has been there, but it can either be enabled or disabled. The setting to enable or disable it is in the settings for the information display between the speedometer and tachometer. The default setting for the ECO light for the 2013 and 2014 ES was to have the ECO light disabled, which is probably why you didn't know that it was there on your 2014. In more recent years, the default setting is to have the ECO light enabled, which is probably why you are noticing it now. This is explained on page 105 of the 2013 ES manual. The page number for other model years might be slightly different, but it should be close.

The following is copied from the 2013 and 2014 ES manual.

"Eco Driving Indicator Light
Eco Driving Indicator Light availability can
be customized. The default setting is off."


I'm with the others in saying that, if you are noticing a difference in drive quality, it is likely the result of using different tire pressures or even of the cars having different brands of tires.