Agreed. I own an NX 450h+ and I might add a little flavor to this discussion. When I drive over to my mother's city, I switch it to standard HV (Lexus speak for Hybrid Vehicle) on the highway and then once I get to her city, I flip it back to EV mode. My reasoning is that the battery won't survive the entire trip and I don't plan to stay long enough at my mom's to charge it back up. My point is merely that you are able to control which mode it is in as long as you have charge on the battery. Once the battery is down to 30%, it automatically goes to HV and you no longer have any choice. So you can sort of plan your journey to decide where you want to use that 40ish miles of EV travel - it does not have to be at the beginning of your journey.

I might add that we are really enjoying this car. It is very smooth on electric and the 35 - 40 mile range handles any of our local errands. Is it worth the extra cost - hard to say. From a pure economic point of view, probably not. When that battery ultimately needs to be replaced, it will be much more expensive than a standard hybrid so the economics are still a great question. But do I like it well enough to buy another PHEV - YES.

@LexFinally, that's a sharp and well-reasoned analysis, and frankly, I think you've hit on the difficult truth behind this shift.

From a purely pragmatic, global business strategy perspective, you're almost certainly right. Lexus is likely just following the money, pivoting to where the volume and growth for this segment now reside. Your point about this reflecting a larger "seismic economic shift" is spot on.

My "squandered opportunity" comment comes from a slightly different, perhaps more product-focused and North American-centric viewpoint. It's the opportunity to continue a specific legacy of design and brand identity that served this market so well, which has now been sacrificed at the altar of that larger global play.

So, in a way, we might be two sides of the same coin. They are seizing a new economic opportunity while, from our perspective as long-time customers here, simultaneously squandering a cherished product heritage. A tough trade-off, and one that many of us are clearly feeling.

Appreciate the sharp insight, as always.

Mutual, I'm sure. Thanks for sharing it, and keep enjoying that glorious Merc.

19in is the smallest tire size. If I am looking for the most comfortable ride, will I be able to use tires with bigger sidewalls? I would like to match ride on my 17in ES350 as much as possible.

Are you saying 19" is the smallest tire size available on the 8ES? Have auto makers gone completely insane? I can barely stand the looks and ride of 18" tires. That would have been a show stopper for me.

I completely agree. Car makers have gone past the point of common sense and are catering more to perceived style rather than practicality.

One of the reviewers for preproduction ES mentioned it and I looked up official specs, in disbelief. Pretty much, I was going to buy 2026 until I found out that smallest tire listed is 19in. 20in is the other option. They have gone to extra lengths to make ride more comfortable with larger body and then ruin it with tires??

UNBELIEVABLE. That is INSANELY STUPID.

Sorry I'll stop hollering so loudly.

I'm one of the few that loves the bigger wheels. We have 21s on the RX - love the way they look and the ride is still silky smooth.

Even if I could get a brain transplant and somehow like the looks of big wheels, the engineering and physics makes no sense.

Higher unsprung weight puts more stress on the suspension, reduces ride quality and tires are more subject to pothole damage
Heavier rotational mass reduces effective power to the wheels and reduces fuel economy
They are much more costly to replace

The mfrs wouldn't be going in this direction if the market felt the same as you! Personal preference really amd ride quality just doesn't suffer. I've driven the RX with smaller wheels. It's not a better ride.

If you believe you can trust the direction of the car market, I have a bridge to sell you.
I will not attempt to argue opinion of what looks better, but physics and engineering say these oversize tires absolutely have more negatives than positives.

Been driving with them for more than ten years, in and around midtown Manhattan, FDR, Westside Highway and never an issue. I get it - you wouldn't take the risk. I prefer the look, ride quality to me doesn't suffer and I think I've had one flat in more than ten years and that was due to a nail.

yup. I bought 3 Lexus SUVs since my 2007 ES350 and none could glide over potholes like ES. Looks like I will keep that ES for a while longer. If I want to have that ride experience in a newer vehicle, what the last year model ES should I buy when my 2007 finally dies?

Some folks say probably a 2018.