Lexus invited review on my ES after the first 1000 miles

[peniole]

Hopefully this will be helpful to others and the engineers see it for future products.

 

Lexus have a made an Excellent comfortable cruiser, albeit with some caveats.

The basics (driving, powertrain, brakes): well balanced, relaxed, quiet, supreme fuel efficiency (documented 61MPG on a 700ish mile trip). Brake feel needs improvement, the transition between regenerative and disc breaks is still abrupt (coming to a smooth stop takes extra effort).

Trip computer: good fuel efficiency information but trip meters are still a completely separate entity and not linked in any way. I'm used to the Honda trip computer which allows you to not only reset fuel efficiency at refuel but links one of the tip meters. Also included with Honda is a fuel pump calculator/fuel prices and analysis of navigation routes for efficiency/cost. Features I would have expected here. Trip metes can only be manually reset, navigation is not integrated at all with the trip computer.

Phone connectivity: only ok, feels like last generation programming. While the voice recognition function works well enough, as long as the road noise is minimal, clicking on the phone button should not default to the 12.3" screen forcing use of the mouse pad. Phone list should come up in the driver display so you don't have to take your hands off the wheel. Again comparing with two generations of Honda; 9th gen civic 2012-2016 behaved in this manner, while the 10th Gen 2016-date gives you a phone list in the driver display rather than the main infotainment screen and it reads out folder and contact names to boot, so you don't have to take your eye off the road. Hence why I described it as last generation programming. You already have an audio tab in the driver display, I would have thought a phone tab would be of higher importance. Major oversight.

Audio: Excellent, thanks to a quiet cabin and it accepts FLAC as well. Well done!

Navigation: competent enough but takes far too many clicks to get things done. Another major oversight, no audio dimming for navigation guidance! Have the audio volume higher than 25 (required sometimes for poor surfaced roads) and you will not hear navigation instructions even with the voice setting set to 7 (max). The Camry that I test drove before choosing the ES had this! Surely, mother Toyota can share this piece of code?! Sending destinations from Lexus link over the air or via USB is buggy at best and you can only send routes. I just want to send saved Addresses not routes. Another missing feature. This is decades old code. I used to send a whole trip's worth of destination addresses from HERE maps on my laptop to HERE maps on my Nokia N8 phone back in 2010. Your coders for the infotainment system are really letting down an otherwise excellent car. A few things also missing from the map that one should be able to customize, direction and elevation. I shouldn't need to open a side window just to see a compass, or use the driver display. How can you have a map without a rotating north icon?

Reversing camera: appalling resolution but usable

Fit and finish: front sensors do not sit center in their bumper holes (didn't think this thing happened with Lexus ). Rear audio grill pops up a couple of millimeters on one side, annoys me as I can see it in the rear view mirror. Otherwise, the rest of the fit and finish is excellent.

[Mike246]

Peniole,

Some most interesting observations. 

Which model ES did you get?

[peniole]

ES300h premium

[Mike246]

Mmm. I have same on order for September delivery.

Any comments about the seat facings? I remain to be convinced about the Lexus Tahara 'man-made' leather. I suppose it sounds better than PVC.

[peniole]

So far comfortable (less sticky, and less temperature swings than leather). Hopefully hard wearing, but that's yet to be seen. Seats are super comfortable though.

[Mike246]

Good to know your view on this.

I discussed the issue with my contact at Lexus UK. He told me that there is a growing culture in Japan that while many of us eat meat, it is wrong to use animal products for other purposes, such as sitting on their hide or for shoes. Interesting perspective.

[peniole]

Would have preferred cloth/wool myself, like you used to get in Toyota crowns and still get in the Century.

[Mike246]

Yes, I agree. In lesser models of the GS300 (like the one I have) they used Alcantara, a man-made suede which was lovely. Cost as much per metre as leather.