Thanks! I appreciate the insight.

 

The aftermarket batteries aren’t new, they are rebuilt and reconditioned but use old cells. I put one in a family hybrid Camry when it failed about a year after the hybrid warranty expired. Then I sold the car because I didn’t trust the rebuilt hybrid battery after reading multiple people having them fail in a year or two after installation.

 

I bought mine from Northside Lexus in Houston, they were very straightforward, MSRP no markups no dealer add ons. I did ask them to tint the windows for $500 which was high, but it was my ask not pushed by them at all. I had similar offers from other dealers here, though in the are there are a number of different dealers. This dealer happened to have exactly what I wanted coming in so that's what I went with.

Regarding the aftermarket batteries, my brother had a different experience with his Prius a number of years ago, it's still running now close to 8 years later. Hopefully I won't need to replace the battery though. Honestly I just like the long time between gas stations. If they made a 20MPG car with a 50 gallon tank I'd buy it .

 

In 2012 when we were looking for a new car for my wife and strongly considering the redesign 2013 ES300h, I was concerned about battery durability and reliability. Happened to be in NYC on business and saw the large number of Toyota Camry Hybrid taxis. Given that the engine setup was the same in the 300h, I became very comfortable with the hybrid. Bought a 2013 300h, and subsequently a 2019 300h.

 

Supposedly it’s time and heat that are bad for the batteries and the actual miles don’t matter as much

 

Heat 70%, time 20%, miles 10%.

 

I was looking into the hybrid performance Mercedes models and wow they’re having a lot of problems with the 48v system. Other than the battery which will go bad somewhere in 8-15 years the Toyota system seems pretty bulletproof even the transmission and inverter and motors and actual engine. I had zero reservations buying a 2023 ES300h.

 

All these mild hybrid systems are crap (48V) and pointless. Every single one of them. They don't work well and even if they work, the outcome would be zero.

 

Have read Prius NYC taxis with over 300,000 miles with original hybrid battery with no problems.

 

I wasn't even considering a hybrid at first, I liked the simplicity of a naturally aspirated V6. But from what I've read the hybrids are more reliable. Some moving parts (link) aren't even needed or used. It has enough acceleration for me without the front wheels spinning out all the time like my last V6 FWD sedan (there's an uphill exit in my neighborhood and when the pavement was wet it would just crawl out into the main road with the wheels spinning). Somewhat like a car lurches forward when you brake, it lurches back when you step on the accelerator so lots of HP are kind of useless on a FWD. I might have given the 350 more consideration if it was AWD.

I don't drive enough to need hybrid MPG so the decision was based mainly on reliability, but I really do enjoy the super-quiet in town. It's just a pleasant ride.

 

The smoothness and quietness of the 300h is wonderful. Coming onto a freeway entrance ramp my wife said it felt like a jet airplane compared to her IS350 which is already pretty smooth and refined.

It drives a lot like a luxury v12 from the 90s.

Occasionally I’ll be bored with my car and go test drive more sporty cars but when I get back in my 300h it’s like a Rolls Royce in comparison. I just wish it was a little smaller overall, better handling and a more premium interior.

 

2022 es300h ultra luxury
got her last year with the color and interior I wanted fully loaded beside the door led sill.

I drive 100 miles a day 99% stop and go
I need fill up every 5 days with still alittle above the last line on the fuel picture thing.

I got this car for the mpg only !!!

I thought it was gonna be a slow car but this car when it needs power from a stoplight it goes.. ( I got that understanding from reading forums like this before buying the car)
don’t understand where everyone is saying that the 300h is slow cause I be cutting ppl off when needed on the streets and highway

highways are beautiful and just as fast and super quiet ( I live in nyc Brooklyn and the roads are like crap but once I close my windows with the acoustic glass I don’t hear nothing)
don’t ask about mark leversion cause I actually listen on my AirPods since I work Thur my phones

my little bro has the same car but f sport and he is complaining about gas and more visits at the pump and he drives %80 less


I wouldn’t know the difference btw the two cars with speed and pickup but I do realize his f sport is much louder than mine at a red light
( I prefer quiet and this car is like is super quiet)

the battery I’m not concerned cause it’s a Lexus Toyota and it’s there been doing it for decades so if it goes wrong after oem warranty hey it’s better then the previous Germans cars I owned for repair bills out of pocket

I wan to keep this car at least 10 plus years

and always gonna buy a hybrid in the future not into that plug in thingy.
fill up and go

with my brother and me he wished he got my car instead but it’s to late for that

also when at a light it’s all hybrid press the gas lighty it’s all battery and with the air conditioner on

so bottom line to me there no difference in performance just mine is more quiet better mpg but it’s alittle more for the hybrid
plus I got 18 he got 19 wheels


i can get more mpg but my heavy footed !!

any more questions please let me know
cause drive both cars since I live with my little bro..

 

Thank you - love the perspective vs the F-Sport. It's funny how different people have different perspectives on the performance of the hybrid. This is the toughest thing to know unless you live with it for a week - which is damn difficult. I don't know what else to ask - I wish I drove more miles so it would be a no-brainer.

 

Why even consider the hybrid if you don't drive many miles. Rhetorical question.

 

Perfectly valid question - with about 8k miles per year driven minimum, there will be some savings, but I guess the main reason is the extra quietness of the hybrid vs the V6 while being faster, is not really a great handling vehicle, perhaps negating the need for all that power?

I don't know - I change my mind by the hour. Maybe it's an indication that I'm not really ready to buy yet.