Used 2020 Lexus ES 300h Consumer Reviews
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2019 ES 300h Hybrid Luxury
This is a luxury, teriffic milage, car that is very quiet. The layout of tha interior is similar to the LS. The operation of the instrumentation leaves something to be desired-way too complicated to operate. Lexus seemed to go out of their way making everything instrumental way too hard to easily operate. My 2013 Lexus ES300h was much easier insofar as operation of the instrumental package. Otherwise, it is a great car. Smooth, quiet, firm easy driving. I would strongly suggest paying extra for the Luxury package in order to get the noise reducing wheels and window glass. They come standard as part of the Luxury package.
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BEST Hybrid 'Prius' made
This is my second ES300h. I now have 3,200 miles on this car. SUPERB Automobile.. SO safety conscious. Far superior to the 6th generation. I am a bit of an enomoly... I get 49 - 52.5 mpg about town, 46 on the highway. SO comfortable.. seats are wonderful to drive from.. This 'Mark Levinson' is infinitely better than previous versions. Driving, on the road, is surgical as to placement and position. I got the UL package with every option they offered... not inexpensive, but for what you get.. WELL worth waiting for a special Order. "Get your hands on a Toyota, you'll never let Go".. and the Lexus label is even better..
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- Base Hybrid SedanMSRP: $30,998In-stock online
- Luxury Hybrid SedanMSRP: $35,590In-stock online
- Base Hybrid SedanMSRP: $32,990In-stock online
Very impressed and pleased with this car!
This is my first Lexus. My last four cars were (1) 2012 Prius 5, (2) 2013 Avalon Limited Hybrid, (3) 2014 Mercedes E250, and (4) 2017 Mercedes E300 so I’m not unfamiliar with luxury cars or hybrids. This car is truly awesome. I drive about 35,000 miles per year and appreciate comfort and technology. This car has loads of both. The interior is not as stunning as my Mercedes E300, but I also don’t expect to make as many trips to the dealer for repairs as I did with both Mercedes cars. I love them, but they wore me out with their maintenance needs. I, also, don’t like the mouse pad as well as the control on my Mercedes, but it’s usable and learnable. I love the quiet cabin, silky smooth ride and the surprisingly responsive handling. Among my favorite features are the head-up display and ventilated seat, which is truly great in Texas as are the blinds for the rear seat passengers. The mouse pad is the only chink in an otherwise wonderful car, but it's certainly not enough for me to dislike the entire car. It would be nice if Lexus or some aftermarket entity could retrofit a knob of some sort to replace the mouse pad, but I imagine that would be far too problematic. Update February 2020: I'm still loving the Lexus after five months behind the wheel. I have over 14,000 miles on the car now and can report it's had two trips to the dealership; one for tire rotation at 5k miles and a second at 10k for oil change and checkup. Neither visit cost me anything. I've learned how to use the car's technology package and take full advantage of the advanced features like Apply CarPlay, adaptive cruise, auto-dim headlamps, lane departure, and its various emergency/safety functions which have come in handy more than once in Dallas and Houston traffic. The lights on this car are incredible. For one thing, they're incredibly bright. Yes, I've been flashed more than once by an oncoming car who thought I had brights on. I imagine that's just a matter of perception. Plus, the headlamps track when turning and there are curb/corner lights just like on my Dad's 1967 Buick Electra. Cool! MPG is still going strong at 40+ and gas prices are low. What could be better?
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ES300h Ultra Luxury
This model has all of the bells and whistles that I wanted. Plus some new features I didn't know it had. For example, a forward camera that also provides a visual image when pulling up to a curb so you don't hit the front grille area. After driving the car for six months I still love it but with two noticeable issues. 1) I received a Recall Notice that certain engine blocks were defective so the entire engine must be replaced to avoid a possible fire. A defective engine will be replaced free of charge. 2) The steering column and seat height requires constant adjustment to avoid having my knee hit the steering column when braking. Evidently the steering column is slightly lower than previous models. Being tall I didn’t have this issue with my 2005 Lexus ES 330.
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We love our 2019 ES 300h
This has to be the most enjoyable car we have ever owned. It is a dream to drive. My wife and I fight over who gets to drive the car. The ride is smooth, the cabin is bank vault quiet , and the milage is outstanding. With mostly city driving, we have averaged 42 mpg since we bought the car. I would recommend paying extra and getting the luxury package. With that package you get the noise reducing wheels and noise reducing side windows. Our previous car was a 2013 Lexus ES 300h. We liked the car, but the cabin noise was loud, especially on the highway. That was the main reason we traded for the 2019 model.
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Didn't buy it because....
As a Lexus owner for the past 30 years, I was ready and willing to buy my 3rd, a 2020 ES350h sedan. While I liked the car's styling, ride quality and pricing two big flaws in its interior design kept me from buying it: (1) The interior navigation screen is just stuck onto the top of the dash, rather than integrated into it (as is the case with every other car in this class). Worse than its appearance was that the screen is not hooded or shaded in any way so that the outside light coming through the windshield directly behind the screen makes the screen difficult to see. (2) The touch pad controller, which is the only way to interface manually with the car's electronics was terrible -- worse than every reviewer says it is. Although the input sensitivity of the touch pad has 2 customizable settings other than standard, the interface experience remained very "twitchy" and difficult to use even at the least sensitive setting and even after I spent 1/2 hour in the parked car working with it. I would hate to have to use this while driving. I'm was unhappily surprised -- Lexus has been building luxury cars long enough to know better.
Luxurious, fuel efficient and reliable!
Had this car for about a year and have been impressed with its fuel efficiency. I can consistently get up to 54 mpg on non-highway roads. For highways it falls to about 45 mpg. The ride is very comfortable. Audio is phenomenal (Mark Levinson). Infotainment system requires practice but does not bother me as it does other reviewers (kinda like not touching a screen). Extraordinarily reliable, have had no minor or major issues. My teenage kids even love my sedan! Equally as mom’s SUV. Go figure!
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So this is what luxury feels like
For a base model, my car is extremely plush. It's super quiet and is pillowy soft on the road, taking most bumps/potholes with ease and grace. The finishes are largely superb and it's very comfortable to sit in. There are a few things that irk me (unintuitive infotainment system, difficult menu navigation to turn the AC on/off, bright but limited headlight range, abysmal amount of interior storage space), but compared the comfort, fuel efficiency, and final price, I can certainly deal with them. Hands-down the nicest car I've ever had, it's actually nice to get into it during the evening commute because it's my comfy, quiet space.
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2019 Lexus 300h UL
I have experienced 42 to 46 mpg in a 1200 mile trip. The UL package has every option available, as far as I know. As far as the engine power, I was pleasantly surprised. I was recently passing a big truck in the desert and I went from 65 mph to 90 mph in a matter of seconds. Don't be afraid to put your foot in it when you need to. The lane assist keeps the car in the lane, even on curves in the road(tested with my hands slightly away from the steering wheel). Great car, so far.
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All I expected and more!
The car is comfortable, QUIET, a pleasure to drive. I Found the sound system to be great, and once I had set the “electronics” set to my wishes, I did not have to continue to reset them. this helped me not to get overwhelmed by all the options.
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Still impressed!!
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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2019 LEXUS ES 300h luxury edition
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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Great highway cruiser
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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Great car
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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Amazing Quiet Sedan With Exceptional Fuel Economy
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 with a fatal flaw
I went to the Lexus dealership a few miles from my house to test drive a 2019 ES 300h this afternoon. They had the exact car I wanted and I was fully prepared to buy it today. I ended up skipping a test drive and leaving after spending 10 minutes in the car. Fit and finish are nice and the car (ultra luxury trim line) was well-appointed and comfortable. I found the touch pad a little strange but was able to use it to adjust the audio settings after getting used to it for a couple of minutes. It's probably not the best implementation but I think I could live with it. What I can't live with is the Mark Levinson audio. The sound is muddy and uninspired and there is absolutely no sparkle to be had. I found what others are saying about a lack of volume and quality from the rear speakers to be 100% accurate. I listened to a few songs that I know well and they didn't sound good. The salesperson agreed the sound wasn't great. Very disappointing especially considering ML is a $3k upgrade. When I left, I got into my 7-year-old Camry XLE and realized the audio sounds better in my car than a 2019 Lexus with a $3k upgraded sound system. I'm kind of stunned that Lexus would drop the ball so significantly here. My salesperson and I spoke to a sales manager and he said Lexus is definitely aware there's a problem and the dealer expects the audio in the 2020 models will be "significantly improved." I don't know if that's accurate or not but I hope it is. A few weeks ago, I drove a 2019 Cadillac CTS with the Bose sound system while my car was in the shop. I was blown away by the audio in the CTS and expected the ML system in the Lexus to put Cadillac to shame. It's quite the other way around. The dealer expects the 2020's to be arriving late fall and I'll hold off until then but I'm not optimistic given Lexus thought is was okay to release a car with with the sound system that's currently in the ES 350/300h. I probably don't understand how these things work, but it seems Mark Levinson would have stepped in before this happened and their brand took a hit because of their association with a really mediocre sound system.
2019 ES 300H
I love my new 2019 Lexus Hybrid! Mt. Kisco Lexus was great to negotiate with for the purchase, too! 2023-Four years later and still love the car!
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2019 Lexus Es300H
This is one of the most comfortable, QUIET cars I’ve ever owned! I quickly adapted to all the features and really enjoy driving it
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Great, except for this one item
Outstanding for touring & short trips. Lots of features for creature comforts & safety. Cool looking. One problem: The car's WiFi connection was dysfunctional for about the 1st year. My passenger was unable, for the most part, to access streaming movies & other on-line features. Problem was eventually solved, but only after lots of back & forth with Lexus.
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Snazzy hybrid
Elegant, nice-looking hybrid; reasonably priced with 0.0% financing.
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Mixed emotions
The mouse pad is hidious and utterly dangerous if trying to use it while driving. Driver does not have enough controls on the wheel. No touch controls. Overall, not as technical as I would like.
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Can't believe plaudits
1 month & 1000 miles in. Genuinely can't believe claims re comfort. "Pillowy ride"? On admittedly poor roads this has the worst ride of any car I've owned. Unsettled jostling backache inducing. Ride OK on smooth roads but so what? I considered selling on/exchanging after 2 weeks but would have lost too much. Base model on 17" rims so supposed to have better ride than sport on 18". This is such a monumental failing it overshadows every other aspect of the car. If you are unlucky enough to live where roads are poor absolutely essential you test drive it in those conditions- if you do you'll give it a wide berth as I wish I had. I've posted elsewhere to the same effect & I promise my VX220 has a better ride. Incredible a company like Lexus can produce a car this flawed & in a area which is likely to be of highest priority for owners. Terribly disappointed.
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Amazing MPG
Think about getting Ultra luxury model, a lot more accessories for less than $2000
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We are driving New Car ES300H 2020
Super new and my wife love to drive everyday. Have nothing more to say me and my wife very satisfied the overall performance of this car incl. quality, price and safety features.
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Overall snazzy car
Stylish sedan with smooth, quick and quiet acceleration and nice interior.
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30k miles now, running great, good genes never age
Stylish, exceptionally refined in and out, very good mileage, smooth acceleration, will retain its value over time.
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2020 Lexus ES 300h
Really enjoying my new car after first month of driving. It has very nice features and is a pleasure to drive.
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GoGo
A few unnecessary gadgets.
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Great car
Best car I’ve ever owned. So smooth and luxurious. This Lexus is so well made and you can feel it in the drive. I never had a mechanical issue so its so dependable. This car gets 50 mpg city and highway and also gets me on the HOV lane driving alone. Trust me buy this Lexus or any Lexus and you will be happy with your decision.
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Impressive Luxery Sedan
I find it amazing this car is able to provide 45 MPG at the same time it rides so well and the interior is so quiet. The Mark Levinson Speakers are a worthy upgrade. The Triple Beam Headlights are awesome as well. My only negative is I wish the CarPlay cables were in center armrest out of sight.
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Pick up and go
Great handling , ride comfortable and great MPG
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Uber driver from Dubai
2020 Lexus ES 300h. All the uber drivers have white late model es300h. Guy from Pakistan and he told me he drives 12 hours and his dad the other 12. Gets rid of it at 1 million km. Could tell the shocks were blown and the steering wheel leather was replaced and the seats were taped but other than that the motor will run forever.
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