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One of the differences you aren't getting with why your ES scrapes and your LS didn't as an example is the ES is FWD and has a larger front overhang. I scraped my ES cars a couple times, hardly ever scraped my LS cars or my GS. Its not ride height, its the shorter front overhang.
In offload speak, the ES has a much smaller approach angle.
It is more than just approach angle (which is a PIA), but in search of lower drag for fuel economy, many sedans have an air deflector below the front of the car which is lower than the height of the parking chocks. It is most apparent on FWD cars with long front overhang that puts this deflector over the chocks before the tires hit it. My wife's Accord coupe hit so many times I had it removed. I never had the issue with my LS460 so I think Steve is right about the overhang on the FWD cars that makes the difference.
Steve