2013 Lexus ES 300h consumer reviews

Mileage on dash same as calculated by actual mileage and gallons. At least for first 5000 miles. As for MPG, exceeds in most cases. I am averaging 41.6. Now I have traveled a lot of highway, and if I keep the speed reasonable, meaning 60-65 I get 45 mpg. This is the speed allowed in my area, not 70. I did go for quite some distance at 75 mph in SC and NC. My mpg was only 37. At 60-70 I get about 40 mpg, so the key to getting great gas mileage is to keep the speed down. Either way, the mpg is still great, compared to my SUV which gets 22 on highway, 18 combined. Oh, the Lexus is my wife's car, which we now use all the time for trips and around town. I only use the SUV if I need to haul something or have more than four adults.

The ES 300h is a very comfortable car that is also supposed to be a hybrid. The luxury part is the comfort. The hybrid does not translate into the 39/40 miles per gallon advertised for this long everyday commuter. First, the mileage calculated by the on board computer is consistently 2 to 3 miles higher than actual mileage achieved when calculated manually (number of miles traveled on tank divided by gallons to fill up tank). Have calculated this on every tank and now have over 18,000 miles on the car. The mpg on most tankfuls is between 32.0 to 34.0. By the way, synthetic oil is required. The oil changes are pricey.

I love this car for it's luxury ride and comfort. I have had it for three week now. I bought the hybrid and I have averaged a little over 40 mpg. I like the placement of the navigation monitor . It is high enough that I don't have to take my eyes totally off the road. However it is not without it's flaws. It has fewer refinements than the 2000 Toyota Avalon XLE that I owned, except for the hybrid system and the navigation system. Things they have cheapened: sun visors, no sun glass compartment, fewer storage compartments, front seats not totally finished in leather (sides next to center console have felt attached about one inch below the leather edge--cheap, cheap, cheap!), no small storage compartment in trunk, no tray with the center back seat cup holders. Knowing all these things before I bought the car, I decided I could live with them because of the reliability of the Lexus brand and the luxury ride it has. I drive my cars for 13-15 years and to have the security of knowing I will have few maintained problems in that time means a lot to me.

It's a great car unless you want take windy mountain roads at high speed which I do not. It's a crusier which is exactly what I wanted. No problem handling on regular roads or freeways. It has plenty of acceleration power though which is nice. Lots of interior room which I also like. You could get the less expensive non hybrid ES 350 version which has even more power but only 2/3 the gas mileage. Or you could get the GS 350 which has still more power that you will hardly ever use and pay thousands more with half the mpg. I've been getting an average of 36 mpg with fairly agressive driving and several hills getting to my home. I think I got a lot of car for the money. My drive to work is definetly more enjoyable than it was. I didn't think I needed nav which they force you to buy with the hybrid but now that I have it I have used it. I especially like the voice activated "find the nearest......." feature which I used recently to find an auto parts store in Cerritos, CA. It's actually really cool. I do wish it had a ski door in the trunk which I had to give up for the battery.

I was specifically looking for a hybrid as I have had two in the past. I was suprised to find a full-size Lexus hybrid - the ES 300h. The car is well engineered to tight tolerances, oozes luxury, drives smoothly and quietly, and the rear seating has more than normal leg-room. A good balance has been achieved between the size of the electric engine vs the gas engine - plenty of acceleration if wanted and capable of very good mpg. While I have less than 500 mixed miles on the car, it has averaged 39 miles per gallon, which is the EPA rating. In short, I am most pleased with the car and highly recommend it.

This is my first Lexus and first hybrid vehicle and I couldn?t be more delighted. The car is well-equipped with many of the features you find in a similarly priced luxury vehicle. The ride is noticeably smooth, relaxing and quiet; perhaps the best in the price range. After 4 hours of interstate driving my wife and I felt energetic, alert and completely without auto fatigue. I find acceleration more than acceptable and surprisingly good considering the engine size and mileage numbers. On the interstate I am getting 39 miles per gallon, and, with practice 40+ is a distinct possibility. The front seats are amazingly lovely with enough adjustments to comfort even the most distasteful backache. The back seats are roomy and not confined with ample head and leg room.

Here is what I think you should know: The car is very comfortable and luxurious on the inside and out. Realistically, you should expect gas mileage around 29-31 mpg with a mix of city and highway driving. The claims of 40 mpg are unrealistic given my experience. I have gone to great lengths to use the Eco option and conserve fuel and have not gotten anything close to 40 mpg. The handling is good enough. After driving a BMW 528 for 14 years, the ES does not corner as well, not a tight turning radius. The tires tend to squeal. I have had it fishtail twice when accelerating at traffic lights. You trade comfort and average of 30mpg for handling. Contacted 3 dealers and could only get a price of $1700 below invoice as they did not have much inventory on hand.

My wife's car got totaled and living in a snow state she wanted to replace it with another 4x4 SUV. We were looking at the RX, but the Dealership had a 2013 ES300 to show off. She fell in love with it, as did I. We ordered a ES300h, we wanted the better gas mileage. This is the perfect car. It does perform in "Sport" mode when you dial it up. The ride and handling are superior to anything else I have ever driven. Yes, it is not a tiny bumpy sports car, but I am past the age for that stuff. I love to drive this car, it is fun, comfortable and roomy to boot. My kids always want to borrow it so they can drive it around in "Sport" mode with their friends. The controls are easy to use. Driving this car is a blast!

I usually never comment on here, but I had an experience that I couldn't help but sharing in my new ES 300h. This comment is for those in the north or mountains who are considering the ES. Bought the ES in November 2012 and absolutely love it. I took a trip over the holidays to Snowshoe Ski Resort in Showshoe, WV. 4 hours of driving through 2-3" of snow on a thick layer of ice on the backroads of WV up mountains my wife would be scared to drive on during the summer. The ES handled like a dream, only spinning occasionally, while I couldn't even count how many 2x4's & 4x4's we passed in the ditch or pulled off to the side of the road. Growing up in WV, I understood the significance of what I had just been through. We contacted the dealership to let them know just how well this car handles in the snow. Honestly, I was almost speechless. I have much experience driving in the snow and they say the driver is 30%, wheels 30% and car 40%, but when it comes to the car...I without a doubt would say this car handles better in snow than any vehicle I have ever been in or have driven in my life. On another note, as my wife is the main driver, she absolutely loves the BSM, bamboo trim, parking sensors and mouse guided audio/nav. Now go out and buy an ES...you won't regret it! Hope this story helps!

Replaced 09 Camry Hybrid with 13 300h Lexus. The cars could not be more different in comfort quietness and features. The Lexus makes our 09 Porsche 911 seem really old with all the added safety features. My wife really appreciated the back uo camera, forward , side and rear parking assist devices. The complicated joystick control is nice, but really not necessary. Voice recognition software is much improved, but far from perfect. Overall a 4.5 star car in all respects.