I’m strongly considering buying a new 2023 ES 300h, however before making the final decision I’d like to ask your thoughts and ownership experience on the ES hybrid. My primary considerations in the ES, and for that matter any luxury sedan are: smooth, quiet and comfortable. Good value, reliable and aesthetics are key, too. All the online reviews I’ve read say the ES hybrid is exactly that. My test drive was fine , but there’s really nothing like several thousand miles of ownership to really know the car. Moreover, never having owned a hybrid I’ve read there maybe some nuances associated with hybrids … such as noises associated with regenerative breaking and backing up the car. I’m fine with auto start / stop technology. And, am a fan of the Lexus brand. (My wife is on her 5th Lexus (2022 RX) and I had a 2003 ES. All with a very good experience.)
So, in addition to any nuances or other considerations to know, my other questions have to do with highway passing capability and general suburban driving. Does the hybrid have adequate off the line acceleration? Can I easily pass another car while driving 70+ mph? I’m not trying to race anyone, but hate to be a lagger holding up traffic.
Next, are there any 2023 owners who care to share their thoughts on the new infotainment system? In particular, the user interface while driving. I see Lexus has gone to a touch screen interface and eliminated the touchpad. And, is the sound / speaker system still front heavy as was the 2019 ES I test drove?
I’m currently driving a Genesis G80, 3.8 AWD V-6 … excellent highway passing and cruising capabilities. I realize the ES is available with a V-6 and enjoys an excellent reputation, but am attracted to the hybrid variant as I think it’s a great next step before going fully electric. And, I wouldn’t mind doing a little bit more towards the environment.
Thanks in advance. Your thoughts are appreciated.

 

I've had a luxury ES for about two months now and it is smooth, quiet, and comfortable. The only caveat is that the seats are firm and for me after about an hour of driving they become uncomfortable.

The hybrid system integrates flawlessly in my experience, though you do have less power compared to a V-6. However, I haven't encountered a situation yet where I really felt the need for more power. I normally drive in eco mode and when I put it in sport mode the acceleration feels brisk.

I haven't used the touch screen much while driving, relying on voice commands which seem to work pretty well. I am told the 2023 ES ML audio is front biased, but I haven't checked it out.

 

Myshkyn, thanks for your reply and input. Very glad that you’re happy with how smooth, quiet and comfortable the ES h is. Thanks, too for the input on the semi aniline leather seats. My wife’s last 3 Lexuses have had NuLux. I gotta say they’re very comfortable. Very soft and cushy. Which I like. Moreover, the NuLux on her last car looked brand new after 6 years. The consensus on this forum is that NuLux is a great product, easy to care for and for many more comfortable than the semi aniline. Unfortunately, 14 way adjustable driver’s seats require higher trim levels and semi aniline. Another thing to focus on in my next test drive. Thanks again. Be well.

 

You're right; my seats are leather. I guess that's mandatory with the luxury trim. The 14-way adjustable seat is nice, but that reminds me that I did not like the memory seat. Either it didn't work properly or I didn't understand the process. Either way, I didn't feel like I needed the memory so I turned that feature off. I have no problem leaving the seat in one position and getting in and out. But, if that were important to me, I would have to spend some time figuring out what is wrong with the settings.

 

the seats are terrible after an hour, I didn’t expect this from a Lexus. I had to get padded seats and now I can sit for hours without issues. Other than that an es300h is like butter with 40mpg

 

What kind of padding did you get? I got a gel cushion which works well on longer drives. However, it has been proposed that a cushion compromises safety in a collision, but I don't know how accurate that is.

 

I remember when I first got the car, my back use to hurt but I was fine in my Yaris. I"m sure the Lexus seat cushioning material is not soft. Not sure why seat cushions would affect collision.

 

Thanks! I'll give that one a try. The cushion I have does slip around when getting in and out. I think that was part of the alleged problem with collisions, sliding and the seat belt might not secure properly.

 

From a Genesis g80 you are downgrading to a Lexus es300h

BUT gas mileage increases to 39 mpg

Also you lose alot of power

BTW The Lexus engine can easily go to 500k miles however