Ok, I’m in love with the ES

[spacenase]

@Steve44 - Good review and matches some of my feelings after spending a day with an ES. For me, it's even harder to justify it as a replacement for a GS.

 

[Mike246]

Quote

 

Steve,

Echoing what Keith has said, it's a good review and no mistake. Notwithstanding all else, it seems strange that the reversing camera is so naff.

I would be interested to hear from the few on this forum who have taken delivery of their ES models and have comments on your list of 'Cons'.

[nerdboy]

The camera can be switched to different modes. The fisheye view is default but selecting the one is the exact same as the IS.

For me the con is the position of the drive mode controls. 

[Steve44]

2 hours ago, nerdboy said:

The camera can be switched to different modes. The fisheye view is default but selecting the one is the exact same as the IS.

For me the con is the position of the drive mode controls. 

Ah, that’s good to know. Does it fill the screen and does the resolution look better then on the other setting? 

I didn’t have an issue with where the drive controls are. For all the times you change them. And with my other observations, there is even less need to change to Sport mode etc, as the character of the car is virtually the same. Set and forget.

[Habu]

On my NX there are 2 rear camera modes.  One with the 3 quadrants lit up (wide but slightly fish eye) and one with 1 quadrant lit up (less wide but less distorted).  You can click on either and, in the case of the NX at least, it stays with the last selected image when you restart the car.

Quality-wise, I’m more than satisfied.

[rayaans]

6 hours ago, Steve44 said:

Ah, that’s good to know. Does it fill the screen and does the resolution look better then on the other setting? 

I didn’t have an issue with where the drive controls are. For all the times you change them. And with my other observations, there is even less need to change to Sport mode etc, as the character of the car is virtually the same. Set and forget.

It never fills the screen from the ones Ive been in but yes, there are 2 options.

The wider one being useful for reversing out of car parking spots as you can effectively see around the corner somewhat. 

[st4]

It’s baffling that a company that was so far ahead of the curve when it came to hybrid engines, can be so far behind when it comes to infotainment. I spend at least four hours per working day in the car, it’s like a mobile office. The infotainment and creature comforts are probably the most important aspects for me when purchasing. 

Not for me.

I couldn’t care less. A charger is good as is Bluetooth and navigation fine. Music etc dies nothing for me so I don’t feel the need for fancy infotainment


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[MMCG]

On 2/19/2019 at 11:24 AM, nerdboy said:

Just wondering, did anyone that got a new ES get a full set of user manuals? Do they come in the leather binder? I never got any manuals when I took delivery, initially I was told that they don't do them anymore and then told there was a some print issue, anyone else experience this?

I got manuals with mine. Also Ireland spec F sport.

[nerdboy]

Yeah got mine eventually. Significantly slimmer than manuals with previous cars

[VinnyB]

Update on Takumi

now getting 53mpg doing around town and motorways 

done over 6000 miles since getting the car last week of jan 😱

the auto function on seats is awesome as mine has heated and cooled seats and it senses temp in car and puts them on for you if car hot puts cooled on and vice versa 

I am armchair driver so the comfort is great, I do i lot of miles for work and get out after loads of miles feeling great. 

The power is enough for me not a speed freak but its quick for overtaking 

the adaptive cruise works brill even slowing down and stopping at juctions then setting off on its own 

all i can say still having lexus orgasm every time i drive it 😂😱

vince 

[MMCG]

So 3,000kms in and with the sunroof rattle addressed (fingers crossed), there is a good car in there.

Likes:

Serene drive, and very smooth and quiet now.

Adaptive cruise control is superb and coupled with the speed limit reading on the dash means no stress of cop-watching.

Acres of rear legroom so the kids don't kick me anymore. 

Bluetooth works quickly for music. Far faster than wife's 2016 A6.

Memory seats. A boon when you are 9 inches taller than said wife.

Responsiveness.  It is 100kg heavier and about 5hp down on my old IS300h. But is faster and quieter off the mark in suburban sprints. Gearing matters.

Dislikes:

Infotainment screen binnacle could look nicer and be trimmed better. Basic speakers are a bit basic.

Turning circle on 19" rims is worse than wife's 20" rims. And I thought that was bad. The IS was like a black cab.

Touchpad. 

So what is the ES and who is it for?  

The BMW 5 is nicer inside. The new A6 has too many touch screens. I hate Audi's DSG box in traffic almost as much as I hate filling the damn thing with Ad Blue. Mercedes look too bling inside. I like the S90 but their hybrid is extortionate, as is BMW 530e here in Ireland. Lexus are much cheaper to PCP. Like 200 € a month less. BMW was worse.

And it is a big car. The Superb and Camry are Taxis. I hate the Passat.

So if you hate diesel,  want a premium-ish big car that is very easy to live with and stress free to drive, and don't want to be accused of having no imagination (5 series) and don't want to be fleeced for a hybrid elsewhere, then there is a compelling case for the ES.

Final comment on performance.  Wife's A6 190bhp quattro is faster once it wakes up at the lights, remembers how to change gears, lurches through the first 3 cogs and then regains its composure.  The Lexus just glides away and is as quick up to suburban speed limits. So unless you are drag racing on the motorway, decorum wins.

[Ala Larj]

I was waiting for the es to arrive as a possible replacement for my gs but have decided to keep the gs. It's been interesting reading all the objective views above but it just didn't feel special in the way that the gs does. There are subjective things I don't like about the es such as the dashboard and information screen but more importantly to me are the quality of the materials in the es and lesser feeling of luxury compared to the gs that put me off. Looks like I'm stuck with the gs for quite a while longer as I cannot think of another car I would rather have on the market at the moment until used latest ls's come into my price range!

 

[MMCG]

11 hours ago, Ala Larj said:

I was waiting for the es to arrive as a possible replacement for my gs but have decided to keep the gs. It's been interesting reading all the objective views above but it just didn't feel special in the way that the gs does. There are subjective things I don't like about the es such as the dashboard and information screen but more importantly to me are the quality of the materials in the es and lesser feeling of luxury compared to the gs that put me off. Looks like I'm stuck with the gs for quite a while longer as I cannot think of another car I would rather have on the market at the moment until used latest ls's come into my price range!

 

The IS is a lot more compact.  So it depends on how big you are and whether the rear seats get used. Also, the hybrid drive train in the IS is not a patch on the ES in terms of responsiveness.  So you are in a bind there. I expect the mid lifecycle refresh of the ES will clean up the interior feel and infotainment back up with the germans.

As for "special".? Well, before the ES, I had the IS, before that, BMW E90, I had a E60 as well. Only the E90 felt special to drive. But you had to be in the mood. Beautiful on winding roads. Annoying in traffic. And nowhere near as comfortable. And sketchy in the wet.

[rayaans]

6 minutes ago, MMCG said:

The IS is a lot more compact.  So it depends on how big you are and whether the rear seats get used. Also, the hybrid drive train in the IS is not a patch on the ES in terms of responsiveness.  So you are in a bind there. I expect the mid lifecycle refresh of the ES will clean up the interior feel and infotainment back up with the germans.

As for "special".? Well, before the ES, I had the IS, before that, BMW E90, I had a E60 as well. Only the E90 felt special to drive. But you had to be in the mood. Beautiful on winding roads. Annoying in traffic. And nowhere near as comfortable. And sketchy in the wet.

I suspect the new IS will be coming out very soon - i.e. 2020

[Ala Larj]

13 minutes ago, MMCG said:

The IS is a lot more compact.  So it depends on how big you are and whether the rear seats get used. Also, the hybrid drive train in the IS is not a patch on the ES in terms of responsiveness.  So you are in a bind there. I expect the mid lifecycle refresh of the ES will clean up the interior feel and infotainment back up with the germans.

As for "special".? Well, before the ES, I had the IS, before that, BMW E90, I had a E60 as well. Only the E90 felt special to drive. But you had to be in the mood. Beautiful on winding roads. Annoying in traffic. And nowhere near as comfortable. And sketchy in the wet.

Sorry misunderstanding. I've had an IS before. I would on replace my GS with an LS. Small case confusion!

My current GS is a mk 4 premier which feels special inside and is a joy to drive on motorways, windy roads and in traffic. Have driven mercedes, jaguars and volvos and none compare. Don't like bmws or audis so cannot think of a suitable replacement for my gs.

[st4]

Sorry misunderstanding. I've had an IS before. I would on replace my GS with an LS. Small case confusion!
My current GS is a mk 4 premier which feels special inside and is a joy to drive on motorways, windy roads and in traffic. Have driven mercedes, jaguars and volvos and none compare. Don't like bmws or audis so cannot think of a suitable replacement for my gs.

I’m struggling too. The LS seems the logical upgrade in 500h form in the new shape or 460 form in the prior shape.

I looked an the IS300h - nice looking little saloon but fear it’ll

A) be a bit small inside
B) won’t be as comfortable on long journeys.

The plus is my money will get a much newer example and it’ll be peanuts to run it.

Finding a GS450h is another option (I drive a 250) and I don’t want a GS300h - it’ll be slower than my GS250 - so will an IS300h but not as slow as a GS300h.

I wonder if the new IS, when it comes, will be a rear driver again or move to the transverse platform the ES and Camry are spun off - or it might disappear altogether


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[rayaans]

16 minutes ago, st4 said:

 

I’m struggling too. The LS seems the logical upgrade in 500h form in the new shape or 460 form in the prior shape.

I looked an the IS300h - nice looking little saloon but fear it’ll

A) be a bit small inside
B) won’t be as comfortable on long journeys.

The plus is my money will get a much newer example and it’ll be peanuts to run it.

Finding a GS450h is another option (I drive a 250) and I don’t want a GS300h - it’ll be slower than my GS250 - so will an IS300h but not as slow as a GS300h.

I wonder if the new IS, when it comes, will be a rear driver again or move to the transverse platform the ES and Camry are spun off - or it might disappear altogether


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The IS is a huge seller in America so unlikely it'll get removed from the lineup. It should stay RWD too

[spacenase]

18 hours ago, st4 said:

Finding a GS450h is another option (I drive a 250) and I don’t want a GS300h - it’ll be slower than my GS250 - so will an IS300h but not as slow as a GS300h.

 

 

 

Try the GS300h, it may not feel as slow as you think. I can't fully compare because I've never driven a GS250, but to me the hybrid system feels like it acts like a (very) small turbocharger which gives you some extra mid-range pull so feels like it accelerates quicker than the figures suggest and you might expect it too. I'm not saying it's fast, but it may not be as slow as you imagine.

I drove an IS300h as a courtesy car and it didn't feel noticeably quicker to me. The main things I noticed were a harsher ride, more noise and the low roofline above the doors.

Having said all this, I would have had a GS450h in a heartbeat if I could have afforded it.

 

[MMCG]

On 7/10/2019 at 2:32 PM, st4 said:

 

I’m struggling too. The LS seems the logical upgrade in 500h form in the new shape or 460 form in the prior shape.

I looked an the IS300h - nice looking little saloon but fear it’ll

A) be a bit small inside
B) won’t be as comfortable on long journeys.

The plus is my money will get a much newer example and it’ll be peanuts to run it.

Finding a GS450h is another option (I drive a 250) and I don’t want a GS300h - it’ll be slower than my GS250 - so will an IS300h but not as slow as a GS300h.

I wonder if the new IS, when it comes, will be a rear driver again or move to the transverse platform the ES and Camry are spun off - or it might disappear altogether


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To be fair to the IS, and comfort.  I regularly did 7 hrs Dublin to Cork and back in a day and the luxury spec seats are far better than their diminutive size might suggest. I'm 5"11 so space was more of a concern for rear passengers.  IS is more economical on the motorway than ES. (5.7 L/100K vs 6.2, similar temperature days), but ES is better in city/suburbs.  Weird considering 100kg more . But there you are.  Very different cars. Not like BMW or Audi where you are just getting a bigger version of the same package.