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Old 7th December 2017, 13:27   #76
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

I know I am too late to congrtualte you sir, but I couldn't help. I had read this review as a guest, and especially wanted to comment after becoming a member. This was a very detailed review. Wanted to rate even more than 5-stars but couldn't. The Lexus is a real beauty. I like it from all angles(except the front grille, just my personal opinion, take no offence) although I have never seen one as person. It will surely age gracefully, and from Toyota's reliability I can easily say it will outlast you. A hearty congrats again sir!


Quote:
Originally Posted by V.Narayan View Post
[center]
Safety features

5-Star NCAP safety rating (out of a maximum score possible of 5-stars)
10 SRS Airbags
ABS
Hill start assist
Vehicle Stability Control
Auto door lock at 15 kmph (not sure of exact speed)
Hazard warning indicators
Tyre pressure warning with location
Front fog lamp indicator
Anti-theft system
Child seat anchors

In IIHS testing, the car received the Top Safety Pick+ award in 2016 after it earned a Good score on all crash tests (Good is the highest possible score) and a Superior rating on the forward collision prevention and mitigation test.

NHTSA safety crash test video https://www.Youtube.com/watch?v=Nub0E2gNshA
Braking
Now coming to the most important part, she excells in safety. One can easily see in the video that how nicely she absorbed the impact energy, all on the outer side, and the passanger cell was intact as new(the doors opened without any fuss). This surely inspires a lot of confidence in the customer.

Now I would like to conclude by congratulating you again and wishing you many happy miles to come!
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Old 7th December 2017, 20:28   #77
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

Great read. Congratulations , on your Lexus ES300h buy.

Nevertheless, there are 2 things that are big turn-off's with respect to the car.

The First is the obvious one: Price.

The Second according to me is the GC (Ground Clearance) , coupled with the fact that the scales tilt in the favor of soft suspension in this car. Which actually compounds the problem. As a consequence of which , the owner would have to let go of the innumerable occasions on which the underside of the car coming in contact with the road surface!!(Dreaded speed breakers) . Which on a 70+ lakh car is a bit difficult to come to terms with, Notwithstanding the fact, that this is a super Luxury car.

Something that should be brought to the attention of Lexus Engineers: that either they fix the GC or At least bring about a functionality in the vehicle which enable the driver to stiffen up the suspension by a flick of a switch!.
Because without that, it limits the utility of the vehicle. No one would want that to be in the back of their mind, before they go about taking the vehicle out to any of the National Highways issuing out of Delhi -NCR. It would make anyone apprehensive!

OR who knows that the above is mere supposition, that its my figment of imagination. I leave it to the discretion of the owner.

I read in your review, that you took the car on NH1 , Delhi-Chandigarh, came up with 16+ kmpl avg. Prior to your posting that figure, I had imagined the following:

That if someone were to drive on NH1 , Delhi-Chandigarh , in this car , with Cruise control set to 90 kmph + ECO mode and the drive included a rare stop and minimal traffic would bring up the FE to 20+ kmpl would not be something of an exaggeration.

But then you brought me down to the ground, with a realistic 16+ kmpl.
Hope you have a wonderful experience with this vehicle.
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Old 7th December 2017, 23:27   #78
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

Quote:
Originally Posted by Simat View Post
It will surely age gracefully, and from Toyota's reliability I can easily say it will outlast you. A hearty congrats again sir!
The odds are that she can outlast me. At 58 I have 18 to 20 years to go by WHO average male life expectancy standards. Maybe some grandchild of mine will one day thank dadaji for the vintage bequeathed to him/her.

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Originally Posted by ritedhawan View Post
Nevertheless, there are 2 things that are big turn-off's with respect to the car.
The First is the obvious one: Price.
Yes. It is steep & did bother me at first.
Quote:
The Second according to me is the GC (Ground Clearance) , coupled with the fact that the scales tilt in the favor of soft suspension in this car. Which actually compounds the problem.
You are absolutely correct. The GC is as bad as a MB and the soft suspension makes it worse. Nevertheless in delhi-NCR we've managed just fine with a few scrapes.
Quote:
Notwithstanding the fact, this is a super Luxury car.
Yes. Agree. Very cushy ride and quiet. I pat her and stroke her after every drive.
Quote:
Something that should be brought to the attention of Lexus Engineers: that either they fix the GC or At least bring about a functionality in the vehicle which enable the driver to stiffen up the suspension by a flick of a switch!.
Like your idea. I have given them this feedback and to my surprise and slight consternation they were surprised and said we have received this feedback. I said, "well you are hearing it now".

Quote:
I read in your review, that you took the car on NH1 , Delhi-Chandigarh, came up with 16+ kmpl avg.
Yes that is with all the traffic, slow downs, tractors, and other interferences including about 50 kms within Delhi.

Quote:
That if someone were to drive on NH1 , Delhi-Chandigarh , in this car , with Cruise control set to 90 kmph + ECO mode and the drive included a rare stop and minimal traffic would bring up the FE to 20+ kmpl would not be something of an exaggeration.
I do not know. Cruise control is tough in our country on most highways because you can barely drive steady for more than a few minutes on an average - sometimes for 10 to 12 minutes before needing to slow down or overtake. But theoretically at cruise speed of 90kmph it is all ICE power so they fuel saving of the 'hybrid' component doesn't really come into play. The Hybrid side really saves fuel in traffic with its stop-start pattern.
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Old 8th December 2017, 04:37   #79
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

Quote:
bring about a functionality in the vehicle which enable the driver to stiffen up the suspension by a flick of a switch
Like your idea.
If I am not mistaken, this is possible in cars having variable dampers, it's showing up on some models of Lexus and may become standard or optional on all variants in future.

http://newsroom.lexus.eu/lexus-upgra...le-suspension/

Increase in ride height is possible on models equipped with Air Suspension. New BMW 7 has this feature and also standard on both Prado & LC. Maybe the upcoming LS500h feature air suspension.

Quote:
if someone were to drive on NH1 , Delhi-Chandigarh , in this car , with Cruise control set to 90 kmph + ECO mode and the drive included a rare stop and minimal traffic would bring up the FE to 20+ kmpl would not be something of an exaggeration.
This is possible on a 6 Cylinder Diesel beemer also You need to keep RPM's around 1500 which translates to about 100 kmph due to wonderful 8 speed ZF gearbox.

Quote:
The Hybrid side really saves fuel in traffic with its stop-start pattern.
Very correct, in addition to mileage, nothing beats the pin-drop silence in such cars. Wish Government had changed the classification of Hybrids (to keep fake one's away) instead of increasing GST.

Last edited by Turbanator : 8th December 2017 at 04:39.
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Old 22nd December 2017, 10:30   #80
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

Dear Readers, this hybrid car will, in a few weeks, be going for its first scheduled service at the 10,000 kms mark. If there are any specific questions you may have please post them. I will try and get the answers/observations and put them up with the 10k review update. Thanks, Narayan
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Old 22nd December 2017, 11:39   #81
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

Well, one of the questions will obviously be how it compares against a regular non hybrid car (a Lexus if possible to keep the vehicle class and category same) in terms of costs.

The Mahindra E2O advertises savings on costs such as oil changes and lubricants. It would be interesting to see how a hybrid fares vis a vis a traditional oil burner and a pure electric vehicle.

This might also reveal if the hybrids have any peculiar habits to be serviced.

Last edited by honeybee : 22nd December 2017 at 11:41.
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Old 30th December 2017, 14:32   #82
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

Just booked the ES300h, the current offer is pretty good and makes it cheaper than the E and 5 series. They are covering the RTO tax. Hence the ex-showroom of 59 lakhs is pretty much the onroad price plus insurance.

Buying it to replace our F10 520d that is being used by my uncle. His priority is comfort, safety and FE(yes even at this price level). At nearly 65 years of age he prefer a relaxed and refined drive.

Thank you for this amazing review Narayan, it helped me in deciding after I saw the car on display at my gym/club.

I have opted for the extended warranty that gives a total of 5 years cover for around 89k. Which I have squeezed them to include free.
Anything else from the accessories you think I should get or any other advice on the car do let me know.
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Old 30th December 2017, 15:36   #83
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

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Originally Posted by Sahil View Post
Just booked the ES300h, the current offer is pretty good and makes it cheaper than the E and 5 series. They are covering the RTO tax. Hence the ex-showroom of 59 lakhs is pretty much the onroad price plus insurance.
Congratulations Sahil. The price looks attractive. Let me know what the all-in on road price comes to. Mine was Rs 70L and change. I assume you are taking insurance that covers full replacement cost, water logging, tyres and like. They usually give a full tank on delivery. Lexus ought to be flattered given that you could easily buy any car in this price range and two price brackets higher.
Quote:
At nearly 65 years of age he prefer a relaxed and refined drive.
Sounds like me. I hope he enjoys the driving/being driven experience as much as I have.
Quote:
I have opted for the extended warranty that gives a total of 5 years cover for around 89k. Which I have squeezed them to include free.
5 years is the maximum warranty. I paid Rs 1L. You are a sharp negotiator.
Quote:
Anything else from the accessories you think I should get or any other advice on the car do let me know.
The car effectively comes with full accessories. There are items such as the cover, a basket for the dickey, pillow and other secondary items that he may want to check on. I had the 3M PPC done on the whole car body from nose to tail. It has been a very worthwhile investment and protected the paint work from many a brush in NCR's unruly traffic. The salesman who sold it to you is the person responsible for the relationship going forward including all your interactions on A.S.S.
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Originally Posted by honeybee View Post
Well, one of the questions will obviously be how it compares against a regular non hybrid car (a Lexus if possible to keep the vehicle class and category same) in terms of costs.
This might also reveal if the hybrids have any peculiar habits to be serviced.
Thank you honeybee. I will try and cover these points in my report next month.
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Old 30th December 2017, 16:56   #84
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

Narayan- The sales guy claims they don’t even give mats. Which seems bizarre. Can you confirm what all they gave you included with the car.

What is the 3M PPC? I have put the 3m PPF in some of my other cars and it’s good at protecting but once you get a scratch you need to get patch work done that looks shabby.

Was looking to explore ceramic coating this time but have read mixed review.
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Old 30th December 2017, 16:59   #85
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Originally Posted by Sahil View Post
Just booked the ES300h, the current offer is pretty good and makes it cheaper than the E and 5 series. They are covering the RTO tax. Hence the ex-showroom of 59 lakhs is pretty much the onroad price plus insurance.

I am also looking at the ES but was quoted 63.would appreciate any help on this. Thanks in advance
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Old 30th December 2017, 17:58   #86
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I test drove the NX 300 h today and sat in the ES. Beautiful car the ES but was very surprised to note the back seat is VERY ordinary on under thigh support and doesn't recline either. The Camry totally owns the ES on back seat comfort. For everything else the ES rules. They're currently bearing road tax so that's almost a 10.5 - 11 lakh discount to normal on road price.
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Old 30th December 2017, 19:19   #87
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

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I test drove the NX 300 h today and sat in the ES. Beautiful car the ES but was very surprised to note the back seat is VERY ordinary on under thigh support and doesn't recline either. The Camry totally owns the ES on back seat comfort. For everything else the ES rules. They're currently bearing road tax so that's almost a 10.5 - 11 lakh discount to normal on road price.
Was this at Otters Club?
I test drove both today too just a few hours ago.

The sales guy told me that most people make a comparison of Camry and ES but they actually are not even built on the same platform. Hence comparisons aren’t fair as they cater to different customers. But for the sake of comparison, The Camry has reclining seats and a bit more legroom while the ES has a higher seating height at the rear so you don’t feel sunk in low like the Camry and has more than adequate legroom room. Where the ES shines is in interior design, top quality leather materials and NVH. It cuts out the world with its sound insulation and super comfy suspension setup.
Driving dynamics are not fun at all since it’s a FWD CVT, it’s for an older age group. Anyone below 60 who even moderately enjoys driving should look elsewhere.

Last edited by Sahil : 30th December 2017 at 19:21.
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Old 30th December 2017, 22:34   #88
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Sahil View Post
Was this at Otters Club?
I test drove both today too just a few hours ago.

The sales guy told me that most people make a comparison of Camry and ES but they actually are not even built on the same platform. Hence comparisons aren't fair as they cater to different customers. But for the sake of comparison, The Camry has reclining seats and a bit more legroom while the ES has a higher seating height at the rear so you don't feel sunk in low like the Camry and has more than adequate legroom room. Where the ES shines is in interior design, top quality leather materials and NVH. It cuts out the world with its sound insulation and super comfy suspension setup.
Driving dynamics are not fun at all since it's a FWD CVT, it's for an older age group. Anyone below 60 who even moderately enjoys driving should look elsewhere.

Hi. No I actually TD it around the showroom with a trip to international airport. You are right on the drive - it was fairly boring but honestly in a couple of years, all I will want from my car is extreme comfort, luxury and ease of ownership. And hopefully crossover / SUV format so I can do those occasional adventurous drive outings without sedan limitations.

You're right - the leather and seat quality is another league altogether. My grouse was essentially with underthigh support and lack of recline. Underthigh support was VERY inadequate and I found that positively disappointing in an otherwise excellent product.

I really hope we get a lot more hybrids across price ranges - just the way ATs have permeated heavily in the last 5-6 years, I'd love to see the same happening with hybrids now.
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Old 30th December 2017, 23:02   #89
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

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Narayan- The sales guy claims they don’t even give mats. Which seems bizarre. Can you confirm what all they gave you included with the car.
The mats do come and are of the same/similar carpet material as the floor carpet. I'll send you a photo tomorrow. On my list of accessories - I'll write that out on Monday - need to fish out the old invoice.

Quote:
What is the 3M PPC? I have put the 3m PPF in some of my other cars and it’s good at protecting but once you get a scratch you need to get patch work done that looks shabby.
Sorry I meant PPF. Did so, full body, on both the Lexus ES300 and the Volvo XC60 on the day after purchase. On the few occasions we've had scratches (body paint protected each time) I've had that section removed and a fresh film pasted. Seems to have worked well even though it costs a bit.
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Old 31st December 2017, 01:16   #90
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

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Originally Posted by V.Narayan View Post
.

Sorry I meant PPF. Did so, full body, on both the Lexus ES300 and the Volvo XC60 on the day after purchase. On the few occasions we've had scratches (body paint protected each time) I've had that section removed and a fresh film pasted. Seems to have worked well even though it costs a bit.
You mean when you scratch a small section of the bumper you change the entire bumper one piece?
That’s expensive almost as much as repainting the bumper(nearly 10k)

Also regarding the mats the dealership claims after GST they don’t include it in the car price and has to be paid 15k extra. I have refused to pay this, it’s ridiculous after paying 60 lakhs+ they can’t give basic carpet mats. Have pretty much squeezed them to ensure it’s nearly free.

How much did you pay for insurance? Policy bazaar doesn’t even have Lexus listed they usually give great rates on new cars.

Last edited by Sahil : 31st December 2017 at 01:21.
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