I found a 2014 ES 300h that is advertised as well-cared for and it is loaded with options (ultra luxury, radar cruise, etc.). It does have high mileage at around 100K, reportedly highway miles.

Are highway miles easier on the hybrid battery, or does it matter? I was wondering if less stop and go/city driving might preserve the integrity of the battery more.

Would $18K be a good price from a private owner?

 

That ES new was about $50,000. No one really knows how long the hybrid battery will last and the computer that charges it knows best regarding charging cycles so the type of driving should not matter, IMHO. But, be aware that the battery is out of warranty, to replace it costs $4,000 or so at a Lexus dealer and there are cheaper alternatives. I have a 2013 ES UL and love it. Check it over well or have a good mechanic look it over first.

 

What I would do is ask the seller to fully charge the battery, ask him if you can try the car out for a couple of days and drive the car as much as possible (either hiway or local, not both), to get where the battery is close to needing recharge. Record the length of time and mileage Compare with what a Lexus dealership service mngr would say is good. That should give you a true ideal of the condition of the battery I would think.

 

First of all, I think that price is a bit high for a vehicle with 100k miles. I personally would pass unless they are willing to go lower. I would gladly pay a few grand more for one with half the miles.

But I would agree that highway miles are easier on the battery as it is going through less cycles. Stop and go is where the battery gets used, on the highway is when the ICE takes over.

Still, everyone claims "highway" miles for their car, I wouldn't just accept that at face value. If the car has been used in heavy stop and go traffic for work (happens a lot), you could have an expensive new battery replacement right around the corner that will easily wipe out any fuel economy savings from owning a hybrid.