LA_newbie

Hi All, I have a 2019 Lexus ES 350 that I drive around town for errands. When I first got the car the average mpg was 14.6, now after driving it for 6 months, it's dropped down to 13.4.

I initially brought the car back the day after I leased it to complain about the gas mileage because it's supposed to get 22mpg in the city and they told me I've be saving so much money on gas. They have since given me the following reasons for the low gas mileage and I wanted to see if anyone else has had a similar experience:

1. It's the way you drive - to which I said, "ok, then this is clearly not the right car for me."
2. It could be the wind.
3. You could be driving uphill.
4. It's getting better mileage than the display shows, it just needs time to calibrate.
5. You have to drive it on the freeway for a while before the mileage display is accurate.
6. Why don't you take the mileage off your display and just enjoy the car? You'll be much happier.

I feel like I was liked to and taken advantage of by the salespeople at the dealership (this was Jim Falk Lexus of Beverly Hills). I told them I only drive around Los Angeles, rarely ever on the freeway and that good mileage was important to me. They told me the car would get 24mpg in the city (which is not true, this is the 2018 ES number) and I would be wasting my money if I went with a Genesis G-80, which was the car I liked the most so far. They said the Genesis was a boat (and didn't mention that the ES350 IS HUGE!)

I am stuck with this car for 4 years. Who can I complain to about the mileage?

oldcajun

I too have a '19 ES350. So far (3400 mi.) my mileage is 21.3 with virtually all of it in town, so it is possible to get near the EPA rating. I drive in ECO mode most of the time and have learned not to accelerate hard from each stoplight. I'm not a rolling roadblock, but I'm no longer the jackrabbit. I have noticed that idling the car for long periods to cool it reduces the mileage quite a bit. For your all city driving, the ES300h is the right solution, but you can adapt your driving style to get better mileage. By the way, the G80 is a great car but one of its few weaknesses is poor gas mileage.

LA_newbie

That's interesting...I always drive in ECO mode but am in Los Angeles where there is quite a bit of traffic. Maybe the idling at traffic lights contributes to it?

Do you think it matters what kind of gas you use? Another thing the dealer told me was that I would save money on the car because it didn't need premium gas and I could fill it up with the lowest tier.

I can try to accelerate more slowly away from the traffic lights and stop signs, that's a good tip.

And I really wish I had gone with the Genesis, they're such cool looking cars!

1stTimeLex

The mileage and the quirks with the infotainment are the only negatives about my car thus far. I came from an Infiniti Q50 Hybrid (sports model) as my daily driver and my F-sport ES is so much better all-around car. It's not as deceptively quick as the Infiniti, but it is FAR more reliable. The recommendation of less acceleration from stoplights is a good one. I found myself 'stomping' on the accelerator when I first got the car because I was used to more power - but a quick switch to sport mode on take off and then back to "normal" when cruising has increased my mileage a good bit. I went from roughly 17 mpg in my first 6 weeks to averaging around 23.5 in mostly city driving. My road trips are hovering right around 31-32 mpgs cruising around the upper band of the tolerable speed limit.

mikemu30

You should have gotten a hybrid or Prius. With the title of your username, you'll likely not get much sympathy here.

kalel2127

I believe driving with the AC on should be part of this list.

My advice would be to follow #6 on the list and remember it's only money!

95bat

You're in one of the busiest cities in the country with extremely aggressive traffic. Your mileage is 100% because of the way you drive.

The Genesis G80 has an EPA rating even lower than the Lexus so I doubt that car will do any better. It is also nearly the exact same size as the ES350. If you think the ES350 is huge, the G80 would be huge too.

I feel like these are all things people should know BEFORE they buy a car.

LA_newbie

Well it gives me hope to hear from someone experiencing similar issues that was able to see improvements.

I'll try switching to sport mode for times when I do have to accelerate quickly.

LA_newbie

I've taken your advice and requested a name change. I went in wanting to lease the least expensive hybrid they had, and they said it was way more expensive than any of their regular cars. I just looked at the website, and it's devastating to see the ES hybrid for $399/mo + $4,000 at signing when that's less than I paid for my ES 350. And the offer is for 36 months. I'm locked in for 46.

I've only bought used cars before. I was open with them about this being my first lease and I ended up being there on a Sunday night after looking for a car for about 30 days.

LA_newbie

"You're in one of the busiest cities in the country with extremely aggressive traffic. Your mileage is 100% because of the way you drive."

Is it the way I drive or is it the traffic?

I know the Genesis is a big car and would have even worse mileage...it wasn't the only car I was considering. It was one of a number of cars and I had just come from that dealership, so they honed in on that one during the comparison.

LA_newbie

It's HOT out here, so yes, the A/C is on and I have long hair, so windows down is a disaster haha.

I know it's only money, but they pushed me to spend way more than I was planning and I'm frustrated that the car didn't live up to their promises.

JDR76

And the G80 is a lot heavier than the ES (and the GS). The new ES350 weighs around 3650 lbs, whereas the G80 is anywhere from about 4200-4700 lbs. I love the G80, but it's super heavy.

kalel2127

Sounds like they saw you coming a mile away. Salesmen only care about their commission, therefore, it's best practice to be well informed before even thinking about walking into a dealership.

Let's not forget that the mpg is an estimate mainly because of the number of variables that come into play, this rule applies to all vehicles.

Enjoy your Lexus and be happy that it's not a Hummer which has about 10 mpg so you're ahead of the curve!

LA_newbie

Yeah, I wasn't even considering the ES350 when I went in, I was set on the IS300 because that was a much better price. They said they didn't have any IS300's left (it was October 2018) and wouldn't be getting any more in. I asked about other dealers, but they said no one had IS300's. Considering it was advertised on their website, I shouldn't have fallen for that trick. I also shouldn't have accepted the 46 month term or the +$1700 security deposit that I have a feeling I'll never get back.

One other thing - is it normal for them to charge to inspect the vehicle if they send you an email saying they've detected an error and you should bring it in? They said there was something wrong with the pre-collision system, but it would cost $200.00 for them to look at it. They said it wasn't covered under my warranty, which is disappointing considering I've only had the car for a few months. They said if I didn't want to pay for the inspection I should think of it as a good thing because if there is a problem, it would cost a "pretty penny" to fix it.

oldcajun

NO! Call Lexus and report these clowns, they are absolutely ripping you off (or at least trying). What dealership is this?