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Hybrid TechnologyUnique topics related to the ES300h model hybrid drivetrain and other features/options found only on the ES300h. Please use the main 6ES forum for discussion about shared components with other sixth generation ES models.
I'd suggest you consider a 4 cylinder non hybrid Camry for the type of driving you're doing if mpg and fuel costs are your main concern. Further, I'd suggest you consider a three year old Camry, just off lease. It's depreciated at least 45%, often low mileage, like new and very dependable. An XLE is quite nice. However to address your stated choice, I'd prefer the Lexus as it's a much nicer car that's lost 45% of it's value already. Good luck!!
I'd suggest you consider a 4 cylinder non hybrid Camry for the type of driving you're doing if mpg and fuel costs are your main concern. Further, I'd suggest you consider a three year old Camry, just off lease. It's depreciated at least 45%, often low mileage, like new and very dependable. An XLE is quite nice. However to address your stated choice, I'd prefer the Lexus as it's a much nicer car that's lost 45% of it's value already. Good luck!!
thanks for your input. Yes mpg is one of my concerns and also driving comfort is another one as I need to drive long distances.
I agree. Yes, 300h wins for great comfort and ride. I am not contemplating Prius as it would not be as comfortable for a long distance driving (I may be biased, though, because I never drove a Prius before).
We had two different Priuses before we purchased the ES. The Prius is great for city driving, but quite noisy for highway driving conditions. That was the main reason we decided to trade and we have been very happy with the quieter and smoother ride.
That is what I thought about the prius with road noise. That is a relatively smaller car compared to camry or es 300h. I did not test drive a non-hybrid camry but i thought camry hybrid was relatively quiet when I test drove. Thanks.
I'd like to keep it for a long time but a CPO is a way to go if I want to pursue ES 300h. Lexus' unlimited mileage warranty is a real go to me. A new one is very expensive and way over my budget. No idea how many but I notice significant # of owners here in this forum buying a cpo or even used and enjoying reliability.
Both are great choices but are very different rides and appearances. As you stated with the longer warranty with unlimited miles the certified Lexus is attractive. On my second ESh and have enjoyed them both with zero problems. I would pick the Lexus because it is a Lexus. Again the Toyota is nice but how do you beat: #1 in dependability for 8 years in a row J D Power, #1 in customer loyalty, # 1 in customer satisfaction, #1 in depreciation and third lowest in maintenance behind Scion and Toyota.
Both are great choices but are very different rides and appearances. As you stated with the longer warranty with unlimited miles the certified Lexus is attractive. On my second ESh and have enjoyed them both with zero problems. I would pick the Lexus because it is a Lexus. Again the Toyota is nice but how do you beat: #1 in dependability for 8 years in a row J D Power, #1 in customer loyalty, # 1 in customer satisfaction, #1 in depreciation and third lowest in maintenance behind Scion and Toyota.
Are those rankings are only for ES 300h or all Lexus models? By and large I also like Lexus' quality department but I can't say all Lexus models are found to be good. I may be biased but I previously owned a very low mileage 2004 LS 430 for almost 2 years but it did not last long. I know it was an old vehicle but it gradually developed many problems from the beginning (e.g., rear differential, pinion seal leak, driver side door lock malfunctioned, all 4 wheel bearing hub assembly replaced - almost costing $2k, noisy muffler rusted, all 4 tires replaced) and ended up trading in. My wife's 2012 RX 350 with 85k miles has been behaving very well for the past 7 years, though, with no major issues (except front hood struts).
Consumer Reports also listed the ES series very high for reliability. Here’s a screen shot I grabbed about 9 months ago before I pulled the trigger: I was in a similar situation as yourself...looking to replace an exceptionally reliable, 16 year old Camry that was approaching 200,000 miles with a newer Camry. I then allowed myself to consider an Avalon and got seduced by the ES comfort, ride, and appearance (I couldn’t get over the Avalon “whale shark” front end and lower placement of the nav in the dashboard).
Consumer Reports also listed the ES series very high for reliability. Here’s a screen shot I grabbed about 9 months ago before I pulled the trigger: I was in a similar situation as yourself...looking to replace an exceptionally reliable, 16 year old Camry that was approaching 200,000 miles with a newer Camry. I then allowed myself to consider an Avalon and got seduced by the ES comfort, ride, and appearance (I couldn’t get over the Avalon “whale shark” front end and lower placement of the nav in the dashboard).
Thanks for sharing evidence on reliability for each Lexus model. It is looking great for all Lexus models. I see ES is well received in the "Used-Car Verdicts" category in recent years. Hope ES 300h is included in the ES category.
The es300h isn't listed separately at Consumer Reports but some hybrids models are. I had an es300h, my preference found the fuel economy to be minimally better for a hybrid and the acceleration to be weak, not worth the tradeoff. I like my 6 cyl ES 350. Not all hybrids have great fuel economy, depends on what the designers/engineers had in mind. I also had a 4 cal Camry and that had reasonable acceleration for a 4 cylinder and decent fuel economy. The Lexus 4cyl is weaker because it's for hybrid use. I think a test drive of each model you are considering would reveal a lot to you for comfort, convenience and performance/power. Have you done this yet?
I was kinda sorta in the same boat 6 months ago, should I buy a new 2019 Camry or a used Lexus ES300h. As I started my research, it so happened that one of my wife's cousin bought a new 2019 Camry XSE v4 for $30k. That pretty much settled it for me, there is no way I am paying 30k for a Camry. After some more due diligence, I decided to go with a ES350 instead of a 300h as I was replacing my GS350 AWD and thought it might be too big of a change to go to a hybrid from a GS. Found a nice 2016 ES350 with 29,000 miles for $25k and went ahead and bought it. So yesterday was the first time I sat in his Camry and man am I glad I bought a Lexus. First the v4 just does not do it for me and then the seats were kinda hard and not very comfy. My 2016 Lexus has much better form finish then the 2019 Camry and with the gen 6 ES being on the Avalon platform, its so much more roomier than the Camry, so just my 2 cents.
Both brands are historically dependable. But hybrids in general are more likely to have pricey problems as they age. Not saying they will have problems, just more likely. It simply a matter of more parts, the fact that many parts are electronic means more money as it's hard to find used parts or non oem parts. If you want to buy and keep a car for many years with low repair costs a regular engine is the way to go. The 4 cylinder Camry is going to have total lower cost of ownership over the years. Personally, I've found that mpg in all the mentioned models is lower in actual use than advertised. Highway economy is not dramatically better in these hybrids (yes, a Prius is amazing). I've owned all the above and drive with a light foot. I now have a 2016 ES 350 CPO. It is very comfortable, gets decent mileage on a long drive, BUT I drive less than 8k miles per year. A friend in car sales told me to get the best deal, come 5 days before the end of month. If you wait to the last day and the manager knows that he needs 8 more cars that last day to make his bonus goal, he won't be likely to give you a good break. This applies to new and used cars. But with used cars, there might only be one on the lot that you like. If you wait, someone else may buy it. I'd like to know what you end up with. Hope to hear a happy reply.
I was kinda sorta in the same boat 6 months ago, should I buy a new 2019 Camry or a used Lexus ES300h. As I started my research, it so happened that one of my wife's cousin bought a new 2019 Camry XSE v4 for $30k. That pretty much settled it for me, there is no way I am paying 30k for a Camry. After some more due diligence, I decided to go with a ES350 instead of a 300h as I was replacing my GS350 AWD and thought it might be too big of a change to go to a hybrid from a GS. Found a nice 2016 ES350 with 29,000 miles for $25k and went ahead and bought it. So yesterday was the first time I sat in his Camry and man am I glad I bought a Lexus. First the v4 just does not do it for me and then the seats were kinda hard and not very comfy. My 2016 Lexus has much better form finish then the 2019 Camry and with the gen 6 ES being on the Avalon platform, its so much more roomier than the Camry, so just my 2 cents.
Thanks for sharing. I am with you about ES 350, which is much better than Camry in terms of quality and every luxury department. The issue I have, however, is that i got a long distance commute. I would have bought ES 350 if I were in your shoes.
I have not purchased yet. As suggested, I am now leaning toward a Camry, given my long distance commute. I know the best time to buy is at the end of the month. Thanks for your suggestion. Is the end of Jan. better than the end of Feb. to buy a car or no difference? The best choice would be find a job near my house so that I do not have to drive 20k miles/y and get a nice ES. Not sure how long I would do this, though. Driving 8k miles sounds great. ES 350 would be very nice to drive daily. I previously owned an old LS 430 for a while and know how it goes.
12-24-19, 12:52 PM
