spacenase

Whilst I don't agree with you about the drive because we have different priorities, I couldn't agree more about the interior quality. It definitely has the feel of a higher end Toyota rather than what I'd expect from a Lexus, especially as a replacement for the GS. Very disappointing.

@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.

Hi, Confused.com suggests up to £3.700 in a private sale or £2,800 as a trade-in. Try here: https://carvaluation.confused.com

Hi, I can help with the second two: - It does have stop start, but because it is a hybrid, it pulls away on the electric motor then restarts the engine when it needs to once you are underway, In my experience, this is one area that hybrids beat petrol and diesel engines because there is no delay in starting from standstill. - Yes, the parking brake is automatic.

That's generally true, I think both the Japanese and Korean brands tend to push you to the next trim level for more features rather than having a huge list of options. I've noticed that Mercedes tend to package options more now, whilst BMW and VAG cars have a lot more individual options. I have wondered whether a lot more car manufacturers will shift to packs rather than individual options with the stricter emissions tests on new cars.

I'm with you on this. It would be nice to see a Premium Nav upgrade option on all trim levels with the 12 inch screen, again BMW and Mercedes have similar upgrade options.

Wow, mid-size executive car without auto wipers, even BMW and Mercedes are not that mean. There are similar "choices" across the industry, metallic paint is the obvious one - everyone will want it so make it a chargeable option. There are also the option packs that include a bunch of stuff that you don't necessarily want to get the couple of options you do want. The website does not list auto wipers in either the Premium Pack or the Tech and Safety Pack, but the one I drove had the heated steering wheel and wireless charger so I guess it had the tech and safety pack. If I was buying one, I'd raise it with Lexus because it is misleading customers.

Yes, I had one fall apart on me when taking it out, they're not the sturdiest. I posted the picture to give an idea of the clearance you do have more than as a suggestion for an alternative, although I use a USB key as I figured they are cheaper to replace than an iPod if it gets nicked or heat damaged in the summer. The auto wiper function is turned on by the position of the wiper stalk rather than a button on the end. I think it's one down from off as below. According to the Lexus website, auto wipers are standard on all trim levels.

I was given an ES F-Sport as a courtesy car today whilst my GS was in for a service.The Azure Blue is an awesome colour and even looks great on a wet, miserable day like today. I found that it is noticeably quicker than the GS when accelerating and a bit quieter at full throttle. Whilst I do agree with Linas.P about the coarse sounding engine when it is at full throttle, I don't need full throttle very often on my GS so it doesn't bother me that much. I suspect with the ES being quieter and accelerating quicker, I'd notice it even less. It would really benefit the car if Lexus could develop a smoother engine for it, maybe it is just not possible with a 4 cylinder Atkinson Cycle engine. The ride was definitely more jiggly than my GS, presumably because it is an F-Sport, but I think it is better on the big bumps. I'm not convinced that the road noise is much quieter than the GS though. Also, the suspension felt looser to me, not as controlled as the GS is. Whilst I think I could get used to driving it, my biggest problems are with the interior and equipment levels. If I went with the F-Sport, I'd lose the 12 inch screen and the internet connected functions and, surprisingly, the soft-close boot lid. The smaller display limits the options of what can be displayed on the same screen, including not showing cover art unless you make the media screen the main one. My GS shows it on the side screen too. I know these are small things, but it would make the ES feel like a step backwards unless I got the Takumi pack or model at £6k to £10k more than my GS and another £300 per year in car tax. The main thing though is the reduction in trim quality. The "wood style" trim on the F-Sport looks like cheap textured plastic to me, the window controls look no better than my Skoda Yeti and the volume control looks like it's off a cheap home radio. The hard plastic in front of the infotainment screen feels really cheap, as does the plastic on the door bins. All of these are much better to look at and feel on the GS. There is hard plastic on the centre console too, but this is covered by my leg, so it doesn't bother me too much. They've also changed the stalks so that they stay in position when you move them, I prefer the GS stalks that move back to the centre position when you let go as it feels more premium to me. Overall, I agree with most of what has been said in the reviews and I've been put off buying one. It is what I feared, a lower spec, lower quality model than the GS for a very similar price. I hoped that Lexus would tweak the quality a bit compared to the US version given that it is a new model here, but apparently not. The overall quality feels more higher-end Toyota than Lexus and the loss of some of the equipment I have on my (cheapest model) GS, means I'm very unlikely to change to it. It will be interesting to see how the Camry compares when it's released.

Hi, I drove an ES today and found I could fit one of these in the usb socket with the lid closed: The room is limited though, there's a rubber cover on the usb sockets that has to be left open and it catches as the lid closes. It doesn't stop it closing though. For me it would have been better if they just put them on a panel in the open, I'd find it messier to have to leave the lid open.

Hi, I've been waiting to hear from someone who is moving from a GS to an ES. I look forward to hearing your experiences when you get it, especially how you find the difference between a 450h and the 300h. I don't think the new tax rules are a disgrace, the hike is too high and the threshold is too low, but it's no more unfair than other tax methods. At least it will get rid of the >£500 a year tax on a car over 10 years old worth a couple of grand that we have now.

You can buy a second-hand ES already! https://www.autotrader.co.uk/classified/advert/201901043639753 I doubt it's good value though...

Thanks, I'll try that.

The Hold button engages the parking brake every time you come to a halt and means you don't need to keep your foot on the brake. It works well, especially in a long traffic jam, but you do get a bit of a jerk when you pull away again.

@Shahpor Glad you managed to sort it and happy to help!

Do you see the track name, artist name and a picture of the album cover when a track plays? If so, that's the tag information. You can use something like MP3Tag to change or delete them. I don't know when it was introduced, but mine will play AAC files.

Hi, Yes I've seen this and not just in a Lexus. There are a number of things to try: 1. Check the maximums (total no. files on the drive, total no. files in a folder, total no. folders etc.) in the manual and see if you have too many of anything. 2. Try recopying the files that don't work. 3. Try copying files to a different memory stick and see if that works, 4. If you have album art on the tracks, check the size of it. I think there is a limit to the size it can cope with. 5. Try the files without any album art. 6. Some people suggest that removing all of the tags sometimes helps. 7. If none of these work, try recreating/re-downloading the affected files. Most head units are well behind current technology even when they are new and are notoriously fussy about what they'll play. You might find that there is a slight problem with some of the files that a PC can cope with, but the head unit can't. Hope this helps.

Hi, It's a bit of a perfect storm. The current GS seems to be holding it's value well, probably because there are not many about, Lexus dealers charge a lot for their used cars and it's a very low mileage example. According to the confused.com valuation, the forecourt price is around £31,800, so it's a little high, but not much. Good colour combination by the way, it's nearly the same a mine!

I don't have any experience of this, but it sounds like the common theme is that they are all on the boot lid. It might be worth checking the wiring loom for breaks where it goes from the boot lid to the main body.

From the main menu, rather than choosing Navi, choose Setup then Voice. You should see the volume options across the top.

Yes you can turn off the instructions by going into the settings from the main menu and setting the volume to off in the voice options. I run mine like this when I know where I’m going too. I’m not sure whether you can disable instructions during a phone call or not. I have had mine announce some roundabout instructions during a works conference call. Slightly embarrassing!!

Just a small point, my GS Exec Edition does not have either of these, so it is not standard across the GS range. In fact, it looks like the only trim level that has lost them on the ES is the F-Sport. Also, it's not unheard of for a brand new model to have a lower specification than the model it replaces as manufacturers will often spec up the last versions of old models to help them sell.

If that's true then you are correct, but I find it difficult to believe that one solid colour costs more to apply than another and the same applies to different metallic and pearlescent colours. I'd be very surprised if there they are not taking advantage of a marketing opportunity to charge more for colours they think will be popular and make a bigger profit out of them.

The 8 inch displays on the base ES and the F-Sport is a bit rubbish, but the F-Sport with the Takumi pack might be worth a look at £3k cheaper than the Takumi model. I'm disappointed that Lexus are jumping on the higher price premium paint bandwagon. I think it's a complete rip-off from all of the manufacturers that do it.

"Pure petrol versions will also be available in ES 200 and ES 250 forms, but these are expected to make up a tiny proportion of sales in Britain, where Lexus customers tend to opt for its electrified models." This is from a new Autocar article. Does this change anyone's opinion of the ES?