Hifiman1

From what information is online, the hybrid engine isn't as smooth or quiet as the v6 with 8 speed. Anyone test both cars back to back?

jimv1983

I've heard the hybrid is a little louder than the V6. I've never driven the V6 but I drove the hybrid three times before I ordered mine and it was very quiet and smooth. I didn't even bother test driving the V6 since I had no interest in a car that only gets 27mpg combined.

SW17LS

The hybrid has a very different feel. It has a CVT, the engine shuts down and kicks in, acceleration has a droning sound because theres no gear shifting going on. The 4 cyl in the hybrid isn't as nice sounding as a V6 on top of that.

The V6 car drives and feels much better, but the hybrid gets incredible gas mileage. I'd choose the V6. I don't like hybrids in general.

jimv1983

I actually prefer the CVT. None of that "shift shock" you get with other transmissions. It's just a smooth acceleration.

mikemu30

You barely feel the shifts in the ES 8 speed.

jimv1983

That does sound nice but I don't feel if in the hybrid's CVT either. I didn't even bother test driving the V6. Giving up 17mpg to get a 1.5 second faster 0-60 just wasn't worth it to me.

mikemu30

I hear you. I couldn't care less about MPG. Relatively short commute.

jimv1983

Yeah, my commute is 65 miles a day round trip. That's over 15,000 miles a year just in commute. Probably 18,000 miles a year including everything else. I also live in CA where gas is $3.60(it was like $4.00 just a few weeks ago). It's almost $1,000 more in gas over the year for the V6. It could afford it but I don't want to give the gas companies more than I have to. I also care about the environmental impact. If an electric car had been more practical and cheaper I probably would have gotten one.

I'm my opinion the acceleration of the hybrid is more than adequate. I want to avoid getting tickets anyways.

mikemu30

Yep - makes sense for sure in your case. We are down to about $2.20/gallon here in Northern NJ.

SW17LS

Different strokes for different folks, I have never driven a CVT that I liked, and would not buy any vehicle with a CVT unless I absolutely had to.

95bat

I have the V6 and got 38 mpg cruising at 80 mph on the 60 mile trip home from the dealership, not bad

mikemu30

Seems on the high side for sure. I seem to be getting roughly 25 mpg on my daily commute which includes some stop and go at times but is mainly 50 - 60 mph.

mcomer

The OP was regarding noise differences between the hybrid and non. What seems louder in our 2018 ESh
and its predecessor 2014 ESh is not actual extra dB's but rather the contrast to the extreme quiet that the hybrid
emits most of the time. What I am trying to describe is that the ESh is virtually silent when stopped and very,
very quiet when accelerating gently as well as when cruising at a steady speed. The Pedestrian Warning
sound is there to warn those walking or standing in front of a Lexus/Toyota Hybrid when it is maneuvering
at parking lot speeds that can only hear the crunch of gravel under the tires!

What I think is being blamed on the 4 cyl. vs 6 cyl. or CVT vs. conventional stepped trans is the normal roar
of a car at full throttle that is suddenly a lot louder than an engine that was not previously running at all. Yes,
a four cylinder has a less desirable or sophisticated sound than the six but I think a sound pressure meter
would have a tough time telling which was "louder". My second observation regards the CVT. If they had been
invented first no one would tolerate a stepped trans now. By keeping the engine at its torque peak rather than
swinging widely above and below the efficiency is greatly improved. What would you think if an Airline Pilot kept
changing the throttle setting up and down while flying? Set it and leave it there.

SW17LS

Sound pressure meter isn't going to show you the difference. The 4 cyl sounds much less refined, and with the CVT during acceleration its held at a high RPM roar for longer and at the same pitch than it would be with a regular transmission. Its not necessarily a volume of noise, its the pitch of the noise and the length of time its held at that pitch.

Just not my thing.

Freds430

The RX 450h is significantly quieter than the RX350 based on testing of decibels. The testing did not include the ES350 but did show the ES300H which showed decibel levels at idle and 65 mph lower than 95% of any Lexus or Mercedes which is known for their quiet cars. Both our 17 RX450H and 17 ES300H are plenty quiet for us. It was at the same level of the Mercedes S 500. The ES300H was quieter than the LS600H at 65 miles per hour but not at idle.