got the same mailer and laughed as I chucked it in the trash, 50 bucks less a month for an ES250, what a joke.

 

I would like to chip in my experience with 2020 ES300H that I had for the weekend when my GS was in for the service. I will not lie, I was impressed by the car. The ride is plush and the interior is quiet. Ther eis not engine noise until you punch it over 4000 rpm, there is no road noise, but the car had around 500 miles and the tires were new, so the road noise might be muffled because of that. The transition between the gas and the hybrid system was amazingly smooth. I have a 2015 Prius as well, and you know when the gas engine kicks in. You can hear it, and you can feel it, but not in the ES300H. I drove the car for about 100 miles, and the gas needle went from 3/4 to a little over 1/2 of the tank, quite impressive. Also, I was impressed by the way the car moved in Sports Mode. Probably the initial push was from the electic motor, but the car had some giddy-up-and-go personality. I was not expecting that from the 2.5l engine mated with a CVT. Three features I loved in the car were the heated steering wheel, which heats the whole steering wheel, not just the 9 and the 3, the auto heated steering wheel, and the side markers turning on when you turn the wheel at more than a certain angle. Now, will I trade in my GS for the new ES, nope. I was impressed, but not THAT impressed. I think GS is at the very least 3 levels above ES in terms of quality. If I were coming from a non premium line, I would have definitely gone with the ES, but coming from the GS, its a definite step down. But its still a Lexus, so there is that.

 

Good comments, Gr8. I think the ES is a very good car and I get why it sells so well. I think it complements the GS well in the Lexus lineup, but it doesn't replace the GS in the Lexus lineup. I have no doubt that my wife would love an ES.

 

While not speaking to the brand new ES I have owned 3 (wife’s car) and currently have a ‘16 to go with my ‘16 GS 450h. While I really enjoy my 450 I’m not like a lot around here that think the GS is the best thing since sliced bread. I owned an Audi A6 prior to this 450 and in many ways I liked that car better. That’s not to say I dislike my GS, I do very much so like it, I’m just not sure it’s the best in it’s segment. And having owned real sports cars my whole life I don’t find the GS to be fast or sporty at all. With that said the difference between the GS and ES are pretty pronounced. I flat out do not like driving my wife’s car. Again there’s nothing wrong with it, they’ve been rock solid for us, but it just feels like an old lady car to me. She loves the ES is which is why we keep buying them for her but there is 0% chance I would ever own it as my car.