I did notice that on the test drive coming off an exit from the highway. It's weird that it works that way. Is slamming on the brakes the only way to do that when that situation arises?

 

You have to press harder than on a non-hybrid if you want hard braking. It's the transition between regen braking and friction braking that gets a bit scary during panic stops - the car slows down, the pedal lightens up at lower speeds and you have to stomp on it more to get the friction brakes to bite hard. It's hard to judge at first and you're better off trying on a closed road to get used to it. Braking at normal speeds and in the city is fine though.

 

sounds like this is a safety concern. Once you learn how it works, has anyone had close calls?

 

Once, for me, and that was slowing down from 80 mph to walking pace on the highway. You'll be OK if you keep pressing down on the pedal and not minding the pedal feel. It's a common complaint with hybrids, I had a previous car with 6-pot Brembos up front and it took some mental recalibrating to get used to the hybrid braking system.

 

Before I bought the ES 350 I test drove the 300. Mostly the same car but I didn't care for the brake action, the drivability, and replacement of the batteries was a major concern. I'm aware that Toyota gives a long warranty on the batteries but what after that? Loads of money... I haven't been disappointed with the 350.

 

> I haven't been disappointed with the 350.

Ya, that's the way I think. With regular gas ~$2/gal why burden yourself with all the associated technical complexity of a hybrid.

With the ES350 everything works so well that I don't really see the reasons to up the ante with 300h
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My karma just ran over your dogma
Current Hers: '13 Lexus ES350
Current Mine: '08 Jaguar S-Type 4.2 "Satin Edition" (250.06 whp / 259.67 torque)

 

Before buying my ES, I wasn't sure whether I wanted an ES350 or an ES300h. I did extended test drives with both.

For me, a major factor in choosing the ES350 was the silky smooth power delivery with the ES350. By comparison, the 4 cylinder ICE on the ES300h seemed quite harsh. If I did a good portion of my driving in stop-and-go situations, I might well have chosen the hybrid, but, since I do very little of that kind of driving, I chose the ES350, and I've been quite happy with my choice.

 

Thank you. About 65 70 percent of my driving is in the city and that is leaning me towards hybrid.

I have two options to go with, first a silver with black interior with 31k miles or a matador red mica with tan interior with 48k for a little less money. Is 48k too high to buy? Anyone have experience with the colors?

 

Both exterior colors should be easy to care for. I've got a black interior and it can be a pain to keep clean. It looks stunning after being detailed but it shows scuffs and scrapes easily, so I wouldn't get it if you have kids or lots of passengers. The tan interior is a lot more forgiving.

The hybrid is a different driving experience. If you've never driven a hybrid, it takes a while to get used to. There are no gears so acceleration is smooth and uninterrupted, although the engine isn't as turbine smooth as the V6. We're paying $4 a gallon here so it made sense to get the hybrid

 

I have the Matador Red NX with Parchment interior, and an Atomic Silver ES with black interior. The Red is the more difficult exterior color to care for, and the black is the more difficult interior, in my opinion. The NX is new so I can't say I have extensive experience with it though. I agree with Chromedome, the black looks great when detailed, it is just harder to keep it there.

As for 48,000 miles, that sounds just a bit over average but not terrible. It probably wouldn't be my preference but if the deal is good, I guess it would be OK. I wouldn't be worried about the car though. I guess it really depends on just how much prior use you are comfortable with.

 

Thanks. My e350 actually has the black interior and it's held up quite well. Just curious about the silver lining metallic and how that holds up.

 

Does anyone have experience with getting this car at 48k miles? Is that too many to buy certified?

 

I bought my RX400h with 58K miles certified... Knock on wood but after over 82K miles that I put on it there are no problems whatsoever. Getting ready to celebrate 150K worry-free miles soon