2019 ES vs UX hybrid MPG... what am I missing?
 

So the 2019 UX hybrid has 176 hp with 38 combined MPG. The 2019 ES hybrid has 215 hp with 44 MPG.

So the ES has about 20% more HP, 15% better MPG, and is over all roomier car??

All this while Lexus claims the UX will have the latest hybrid technology...

Whats going on?

I haven't seen numbers for either, but it wouldn't surprise me to see the UX hybrid to be heavier, plus it has AWD (rear electric motor), and probably not as aerodynamic.

Less power despite the aerodynamics and extra weight will mean the engine and electric motors will have to work harder. An extra motor in the rear will be more draw on the batteries, meaning the gas engine may have to step in more.

Just guesses on my part.

Ic. I know they are different class of cars with different price points but it just seem weird how one sort of blows away the other in terms of Mpg/power.

I am pretty sure its because of the higher capacity battery and probably due to lithium battery.

The pervious 300h had terrible acceleration - not sure if they fixed it in the 2019 model - hopefully they have.

LOL. I have driven my 14 es300h for 62000 miles. I have never felt it was slow. Sure, it does not have acceleration of a V6, But it gives me 36 MPG average and it has tremendous amount of passing power on the highway. If you want acceleration, more than usual sport mode is your friend. As an owner I love my es300h. I hate it when I get an es350 as a rental during oil changes, mainly due to the transmission behavior during stop and go traffic.

Could not agree any more!!!

After driving my 2015 ESh almost religiously in ECO mode, I am trying Normal mode now as my commute involves highway driving. I can feel the difference in acceleration. Off-the-line acceleration is quite strong, pushing me back into my seat, and it is more than quick enough to pass on the highway. That is really all that is needed; anything much more powerful would be wasted on our busy streets and highways.

Interesting find!

Consider this take:

The UX gets 38 mpg. The CT200h also gets 38 mpg. The CT is lower, lighter, and smaller (last one thrown in for fun) the UX is taller, heavier (about 3700-3800 lbs by my estimation), makes more power and gets the SAME mpg as the CT200h. More drive wheels and more interior space.

To me that's an absolute win. Not sure how Lexus eeked out 38 mpg out of essentially an SUV.

As far as the ES, consider the Camry hybrid (same powertrain) gets about 50-52 mpg combined. The ES is heavier, likely has more rubber on the road, so gets 44 combined.

All excellent figures for ALL cars above.

Price plays the biggest part in hybrid setup so that's why you see the difference in efficiency.

But there is something weird about UX, it seems like it's made after ES and somehow got a debut before ES. Next gen trackpad is the give away. ES still has the current one.

To be fair, the new Camry Hybrid XLE and SE with the same NiMH batteries as the ES only gets 46 combined. The one that gets 52 combined is the Camry Hybrid LE, that has Lithium-ion batteries. (and yes, admittedly the LE weighs less too)

If most of my driving is on city streets, would I still notice good gas mpg performance?

I can go several weeks without going on the highway.

I can just confirm what was said above. The automobile industry really had a breakthrough as they went from this :
https://cimg0.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...5bee84b765.jpg
to this :
https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.clu...55bc9694cf.jpg

SUV are, basically, a step back into 1928 automobile technique. Even the best of them are nothing other than clunky cabinets with wheels.


In my eyes, those cars are absolutely irrationnal in our actual society and they tend to underline why our governments are incompetent when it comes to ecologic measures and population safety. I really hope that SUV will be banned in the future.