Hello! Just purchased a 2013 ES 300H with only about 20K miles on it. Ride is fine, tires and 12V battery were shot and had to be replaced. Couldn't even get up my driveway when brought it home

I noticed that the engine kicks on almost immediately after I shift from Park to Reverse or Drive and start to move. This is also true after a long drive and starting the car after a few seconds of the vehicle being off. I would have expected that the vehicle would run on battery for at least a mile. Not sure where I got that impression. But concerned that the battery is not in good shape. I have 18 months left on the warranty, I think. So would be good to know if it is shot or if that is just how it is.

MPG is lower than 40, closer to 36 on the highway at 70mph. But it is winter, so expecting that it will improve in the summer. Would love to hear from others in the north if that is true.

My wife drives it and so far she is quite happy with it. Quite a step up from a 2012 Subaru Outback.

 

My 2020’s engine kicks on within 5-10 seconds after I hit the start button when the car/systems are cold. When car is warmed up, engine kicks on depending on how much I push the accelerator. If I’m very careful with the accelerator I can go 1-2 miles on battery only...usually at 40mph and below. Sounds like your car is working normally.

 

It sounds like the mileage you are getting is pretty typical for a hybrid ES in the winter. Remember, the hybrid system is designed to heat up the engine when you first start the car, so there is warm water to generate heat based on your climate setting, and so the engine is warm when you need more power than the electrical motor can provide - like pulling away from a stop. You have to be very gentle on the accelerator to keep it on electric for a mile or two - but again, only with a warm engine. Even if you shut the car off for just a moment to run an errand, the car will still need a few moments running the Internal Combustion Engine (ICE) before it will go to electric only. Bottom line is nothing you have described seems particularly unusual but I understand your caution given the age of the car, low mileage and upcoming expiration of the warranty. Don't hesitate to ask if you have any specific questions. As this is your first hybrid, you will notice a few unusual behaviors but enjoy the incredible gas mileage for such a large car. Glad to hear the boss is enjoying the car.

 

I always hit the gas pedal a couple of times upon startup to get the engine going. It only runs in all electric on low speeds under very load. I used to use the EV button but it always kicked me off of electric mode with the associated beep.

 

Thanks everyone for the encouraging answers! Maybe in the summer it will be quite different.

Yes, this is my first hybrid and TB (The Boss) is enjoying it quite a bit. It does not have any of the fancy features like the lane departure warning, not even navigation, but that is not a big deal. She does like having the blind spot warning on the mirrors since she has an hour commute on the highway each way. The quieter car with comfy ride makes for a much less fatiguing day. She is still pretty fried by the end of the day since she teaches 8 hours a day and is pretty much on her feet the entire time.

Dumb questions:

1) Is there a way to check the hybrid battery? Do dealers have a tool they can check it out with quickly with?

On cars like the Nissan Leaf, there is a battery health indicator, I don't see anything like that on this one. I've heard that the Dr. Prius App can do it, but there are quite a few steps and frankly they sound a bit complicated/scary to me.

2) Is there a way to upgrade the audio system? The stereo does leave something to be desired, probably the most disappointing thing in the car, so really quite happy with the car. If anyone knows of a way to upgrade it that would be much appreciated. Googling around didn't turn up anything interesting.

Thanks a bunch!

 

Look at page 108 (or thereabouts) in the Owner's Manual...it discusses how to see the Energy screen/report and shows a battery health meter.

 

I believe the dealer has more advanced tools to dig deeper into battery health though. I never needed such a diagnostic inspection so I am only speaking based on comments from a family member that had a Camry with a virtually identical hybrid drivetrain - and required a battery replacement at 120K miles. In fact, we now own our fifth Toyota/Lexus hybrid and we have never required such testing, however we have never kept one beyond 5 years and about 50 thousand miles. There are members that have utilized tools to examine their batteries in greater detail so I'm sure they will also offer their guidance.

We have enjoyed the quiet smooth drivetrain and the excellent fuel economy of the hybrids. The hybrid drivetrain is not for those that enjoy spirited driving, but it has plenty of power for our needs. As far as upgrading the audio system, there are several threads about that. If you just click on the "Search this forum" at the top of the threads in this " ES - 6th Gen" subforum, you can search for those discussions. One of the most popular upgrade seems to be speaker upgrades. Anyway, I have never attempted any audio upgrades (even though our Lexus vehicles have always had the standard audio rather than the Mark Levinson) so I don't have any specific advice for you there.

 

For the hybrid battery health, go to Prius chat forms. Prius folks seem to look into that stuff a lot more than any Lexus folks. Is from those forms that I found how to use my torque pro app to download Toyota Prius pre-programmed settings and can see the individual voltages within the hybrid battery like in the screenshot above. It's not connected to the car so all the readings are blank but you get the idea. If one or two cells are much different voltage than the others then The battery might need some TLC