Used 2020 Lexus ES 300h Consumer Reviews
Used ES 300h for sale
We have a limited number of reviews for the 2020 ES 300h, so we've included reviews for other years of the ES 300h since its last redesign.
Great highway cruiser
A former Honda & Acura driver, 09/20/2024
2019 Lexus ES 300h Luxury 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Just upgraded to a 2019 Lexus ES300h from a 2010 Acura TSX. My must-haves for a new car were: very reliable (e.g. only Toyota or Honda, not USA/German/Korean made), 40+ MPG, Apple Carplay, comfortable leather seats, roomy backseat for baby seat, quiet cabin, regular gas or plug-in, no vibration up to 85mph, physical a/c controls, good SiriusXM reception. I was considering a few other cars with good MPG: the Toyota Prius Prime (too cramped), Toyota RAV4 Prime (I didn't want the pano roof, big wheels, and giant screen in order to get leather seats & backseat was just as cramped as the TSX). I didn't like the feel of the Honda CR-V hybrid and the Accord Hybrid. I would have liked to go for an Acura but none of them seem to have good MPG. ---The good:-- - Huge improvement in ride comfort: significantly more comfortable and adjustable seats, more leg room, big reduction in road / wind noise, zero vibration at high speeds (the other day I didn't even notice I was doing 90mph on the freeway until I looked down at the speedometer!), lots of extra leg room in the back seat. I am able to adjust the seat to perfection resulting in good posture for my back and neck, my daily commute now takes on a zen meditation quality thanks to this. Note: I got a Luxury package that has upgraded seats that come with the from ultra lux, with an extra control for thigh support. I also got the noise reducing wheels that normally come with the Ultra lux. Smooth comfortable suspension, cruising on the highway reminds me a little bit of riding on train or a bus, it's very relaxing and gentle. - Quiet cabin - much quieter/isolated than the TSX. The only time I hear the gas motor is during acceleration, then once up to highway speeds the engine cannot be heard when cruising. After reading other reviews ("quiet like a tomb" ... yea right), I was expecting the car would be super silent but it's not. Yes, it's a quiet cabin that gives a good feeling of isolation from the world but you still hear road, tire, and wind noise, it's just very subdued and quickly fades into the background once you put the radio on. - Huge improvement in MPG: the Lexus hybrid is averaging 47mpg vs 27mpg in the Acura TSX. Since the TSX takes premium gas, the ES will be cutting my fuel costs by about half at today's prices. For reference, my commute is 60mi: with 47mpg it's $3.90 per day on regular @ $3.05/gal vs 60mi with 27mpg it's $8.30 per day on premium @ $3.75/gal. - Good improvement in infotainment/navigation. The nav experience is better with the Lexus mainly due to Apple Carplay. Huge improvement in SiriusXM radio reception. Nice size screen for Apple car play (vs having my cell phone propped up there and blocking the screen). Lexus stereo / speakers sound about as the same as the Acura (though both sound worse than the '92 and '06 Honda Accords I drove in the past). ES still has a CD player, it was a major selling point with the wife. I was worried I would hate the touchpad interface but I actually like it. I can click around the screen with my thumb without lifting my arm up at all. I do have to take my eyes off the road to look at what I'm clicking, but I'm sure muscle memory will eventually build up for the most common actions and it will be a non-issue. It was easy to set up my radio presets and and it's easy to turn on apple car play as needed. - Luxury features: ventilated seats are nice for me, though my wife doesn't like how they feel; memory presets for the driver seat, wheel, and mirror positions are great. Rear shade.. meh. Wish I got the built-in rear passenger side shades for the baby, but I guess I'll pick up some aftermarket ones. - Slightly more trunk space (16.7cf) than the Acura (12.6cf). Baby's giant stroller slides into the ES trunk much easier than the TSX. The extra 4cf will come in handy for our beach trips. - Basically the same horepower (215hp) as the Acura TSX (201hp). Very similar experience accelerating up to highway speeds, just a different noise. Quickly accelerating once on the highway, say from 50-85mph, feels faster in the Lexus than in the Acura. I was worried I'd lose power by going to a hybrid but it's pretty much the same, which is perfect for my daily commuting needs. I'm not racing, just taking baby to daycare. ---The bad/"could be better"--- - Slight downgrade in handling/turning. The Lexus ES feels more "boat-like" when making turns, definitely a little less sporty than the TSX. I quickly got used it, I don't mind it. - Engine doesn't have a great sound when accelerating hard, but it's not as bad as other reviews made it out to be. The sound has its own character. The TSX 4cyl engine didn't sound spectacular either so it's not really a downgrade. - Lane centering feature is good in theory but it's kind of annoying, constantly making tiny adjustments and vibrating the wheel. It seems like it's always doing the opposite of what I intend, as if the cameras are only looking 10 feet ahead while I am aiming steering with a 50 feet view. Maybe I just need to turn off the steering wheel vibration feedback to make this feature fade into the background and not announce itself every 5 seconds. The lane assist feature is fine to keep the car from crossing over into other lanes, but gets confused when a lane is ending / merging. - Can't do a split screen with Apple Airplay + Stereo. It does do a nice split screen between the map and the stereo, but can't do that with Airplay, which takes over the whole screen. At least the small info area next to the speedometer shows what song is currently playing on SiriusXM so it's not the end of the world. - I don't LOVE the styling of the front grill and rear trunk/lights. The relatively conservative Acura TSX styling aged very gracefully and still looks good to me at 14 years, I am not sure how the ES styling will fit in on the roads in 10 years when it's mostly electric cars our there. We'll see. - The doors can be locked while open. I don't like the idea that I (or kids) can open the doors, press the door close button, we all jump out of the car and shut the door, and then realize the key is still inside. ---The little things:--- - I am pleased that I can turn off some of the beeps, bloops, and voice nags: infotainment menu selection sounds, nav voice directions, reduce mouse vibration levels. The less the car is making noises and vibrating to demand my attention, the better. - If I'm using Apple airplay and need to make a stop, unplug my phone, turn off the car, and then come back and plug my phone back in, the airplay navigation comes right back up without having to mess around with any menus. - The car seems to be good at remembering all my previous settings, e.g. the selected radio station, hvac settings, which display option I have left up on the screen. The Acura TSX had a shortcomings in this area where I always had to spend a few extra seconds to get it to display the song title, show MPG, tire pressure, etc. - The clock shows correct time in the ES. This may sound silly but this is a big deal coming from the Acura TSX, which a few years ago developed an error in its GPS time calculation that will never get fixed. The Acura clock is off by exactly an hour and 20 minutes during the non-DST season, and (I think) off by 20 minutes during DST, and cannot be manually adjusted. I am *so* glad to getting off "Acura standard time" and back into a regular time zone with the rest of society.
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Still impressed!!
Joseph M., 01/23/2021
2019 Lexus ES 300h Luxury 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
It will be difficult to learn all the tech, including attempting cell phone communications with various functions. Otherwise, this is a fine car, with more than expected power. Excellent acceleration and handling.
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2020 Lexus ES 300h for sale near you
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Amazing Quiet Sedan With Exceptional Fuel Economy
George, 03/06/2022
2020 Lexus ES 300h Ultra Luxury 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
My car is a 2020 Ultra Luxery. Been driving this car for month getting 46.4 MPG. This car is so quiet the ride so smooth that I go looking for places to drive to. Love the Mark Levinson sound system. Apple CarPlay on the 12 inch screen. The triple beam headlamps are amazing at night. A few things I would change to make it perfect. Redesign the front console by removing the touch pad, make it a touch screen (which they have done now) put better cupholders, and move the USB for CarPlay to the center console out of sight. Make it a plug in hybrid. The only thing that would make it even better is a 40-50 mile capacity battery with plug in hybrid. That’s it, this car is very close to perfect.
Great car
Pary Morgan , 08/24/2021
2020 Lexus ES 300h Ultra Luxury 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
I agree with all the typical pros about this car. Comfortable, quiet, reliable, great gas mileage... I even disagree with the most common cons. The infotainment system function is not an issue for me. The acceleration is very good unless your looking to drag race. The one real negative is the SatNav. The 12" display is great but the technology of the information is pathetic. It is slow to pull up your destination. It often says it can't find your destination. It often gives bad directions. The ETA estimate is always way off to start the trip. I end having to use Google maps off my phone instead because it is so bad. The rest of the car is great.
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2019 LEXUS ES 300h luxury edition
P. Clock, 08/17/2021
updated 01/04/2024
2019 Lexus ES 300h Luxury 4dr Sedan (2.5L 4cyl gas/electric hybrid CVT)
3 of 3 people found this review helpful
Leased 2017 Lexus ES 350 totaled after colliding with feral pig (!) on freeway, yikes! Liked the car VERY much, 30K miles, very smooth & comfortable, fabulous cruiser. Cons: not great on curves, bit of a loose road grip and ride, accelerator lag. Stretched for new platform 2019 ES 300h, GREAT CAR! Leased October 2019, 13,000 miles, mix city + freeway. 2017 ES: luxurious Camry. 2019 ES: Lexus home run! MUCH IMPROVED over 2017 ES: solid and firm ride, firmer road grip & cornering, quick acceleration (no lag!), dynamic cruise control (down to zero MPH!), gas tank (pump doesn’t stop 2 gallons short of full), shifter solid and smooth feel, same with door handles. MANY UNSOLICITED COMPLIMENTS from passengers, “Nice car!” Includes my picky son, who has my old 2016 Toyota Camry (also nice car). Great 2020 ES 300h review and its “buttery” ride from Exhaust Sports Auto: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=h9qYGoc2I5A Best car owned, includes 1997 Lexus LS400 and 2004 Jaguar XJ sedan (comfy!) UPDATE JAN 2024: 36,000 miles, excellent throughout, comfortable and low maintenance! High 30"s MPG city driving (don't use Eco drive, want the better acceleration); up to 44 MPG on highway. Relaxed driving with adaptive cruise control and lane adjust. Tires good for another 10,000-15,000 miles. Appreciate infrequent gas station visits, max. 5 minute fill ups. Plenty of trunk space for shopping, trips. Car a definite keeper, will buy after lease expires in April.
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- Technology
- Performance
- Interior
- Comfort
- Reliability
- Value