[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by dark.knight

Could you elaborate on the haptics and tactility of the Lexus? Are the aspects like door shut, hinges, panel lines, center console buttons etc on par with the German rivals? Also I understand that Lexus is more for comfort based driving (which I myself prefer) but is it in the league of a Mercedes or is it inbetween like an Audi?

This is my personal view and hence entirely subjective. When selecting the ES300H I evaluated the E class as the main contender and the Volvo S.90 as a secondary contender. My conclusion was that in terms of quality of material, stitching, feel, the way pieces are put together (doors, hinges, buttons, seats, interface points) the ES300H is fully on par with the E and both are ahead of the S.90. In my case Audi was not in contention having been rejected at an earlier stage. The ES300H's interiors are more muted with the woodwork standing out. While in the E especially the new LWB the interiors are more bling and opulent. Different styles for different people. In terms of solidity of build the ES and E are the same so also in terms of smoothness and cushiness of ride. While I am biased towards the ES in all fairness the E has an equally comfortable ride and grip on the road. In terms of cabin noise ES is noticeably better. Hope this helps. I plan to post a review thread in end-August.

[AdiSinghV12]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The car completed 1500 kms yesterday. I usually don't measure fuel efficiency but did so for this car to see if a hybrid does better than a pure IC engine. The measurement was done with the full tank to full tank method. The fuel consumption came to 14.8 kms per litre in city driving over 1500 odd kms. For general use I would round that to fourteen kms per litre in city driving. For a large sedan I believe that is a decent figure - would love to hear the views and experiences of others. The primary reason for the better fuel efficiency is that the car does not use the IC engine in first and second gear from a standing start which are numerous in city driving.

What a fantastic figure that is, I fail to match that with my 20d bimmers which promotes efficient dynamics just wanted to know are you using 97 octane or regular fuel?

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by AdiSinghV12

What a fantastic figure that is, I fail to match that with my 20d bimmers which promotes efficient dynamics just wanted to know are you using 97 octane or regular fuel?

Thank you for your kind words. I use ordinary petrol. The fuel efficiency is a result of the hybrid engine. Lexus say the FE should be in the 17 range but I checked on the web it seems American owners also clock an FE in the range I measured.

[vishy76]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The car completed 1500 kms yesterday. I usually don't measure fuel efficiency but did so for this car to see if a hybrid does better than a pure IC engine. The measurement was done with the full tank to full tank method. The fuel consumption came to 14.8 kms per litre in city driving over 1500 odd kms. For general use I would round that to fourteen kms per litre in city driving. For a large sedan I believe that is a decent figure - would love to hear the views and experiences of others. The primary reason for the better fuel efficiency is that the car does not use the IC engine in first and second gear from a standing start which are numerous in city driving.

That's a very good figure IMO. Comparing it to a diesel might not be fair, but our Jetta does 12 km/l in the city. Maybe you can expect a slightly better figure on the highways as well, but that won't be a huge difference compared to a conventional petrol because the electric motor might not kick in as often as it does in the city.

Do keep us updated about the highway FE as well.

Cheers,
Vishy

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by vishy76

Do keep us updated about the highway FE as well.

This measurement was largely on 'Normal' mode. I now plan to measure it in 'Eco' mode for the next 1500 odd kms so I have real fuel consumption data for my owner's review in early-August.

[V.Narayan]

Lexus had originally provided a 3-year/100,000 kms warranty at the time of purchase. They have now offered a 5-year/150,000 kms warranty for a small fee. The warranty includes the hybrid batteries. Understandably I will take the extended warranty.

[imp!]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Lexus had originally provided a 3-year/100,000 kms warranty at the time of purchase. They have now offered a 5-year/150,000 kms warranty for a small fee. The warranty includes the hybrid batteries. Understandably I will take the extended warranty.

Congratulations. Looks like the car is working out really well for you. I'm looking forward to the long term ownership updates.

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by imp!

Looks like the car is working out really well for you. I'm looking forward to the long term ownership updates.

Thank you. The car is doing swell. I propose to submit an ownership review in August when I am a little free and have crawled out of a hole I am sitting in. And yes I will be updating the review at periodic intervals. The car will soon cross the 3000 kms mark so will have a reasonable store of miles behind the review in a few weeks.

The fuel efficiency under 'Eco Mode' is 15.7 kmpl measured over around 1300 kms in exclusively city driving.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Lexus had originally provided a 3-year/100,000 kms warranty at the time of purchase. They have now offered a 5-year/150,000 kms warranty for a small fee. The warranty includes the hybrid batteries. Understandably I will take the extended warranty.

That's great news. How much does the 5-yr warranty cost?

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by androdev

How much does the 5-yr warranty cost?

Rs 101,480 /=. It includes the hybrid batteries.

[M00M]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

Rs 101,480 /=. It includes the hybrid batteries.

Do you have to change the batteries after 5 years ? I'm sorry but I'm just wondering.

[Sparks]

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The fuel efficiency under 'Eco Mode' is 15.7 kmpl measured over around 1300 kms in exclusively city driving.

Congratulations Mr V.Narayan on your latest acquisition.

The hybrid power train for the Lexus es300 and Camry hybrid is the same.

Iam intrigued as you have mentioned electric to ice logic depending on gear ratio rather than speed, that's not the case with Camry.

The efficiency figures seem to be a tab bit lower for the Lexus. In the Camry system logic which depends on vehical speed to switch from ICE to electric.
The official quoted figure for Camry to make the switch is at 65 kpmh.
This again depends on lots of factors e.g. Gradient which plays a major role.

On a slight downslope the systems coasts in all electric to about 85 kmph, that's my personal observation on my Camry which weighs appropriately 1650 kgs.

In city driving the system is designed to take advantage of electric system hence the ICE comes on either to warm up, or to charge the battery, or to charge and power the wheels depending on the situation and speed, below 70 odd kmph the system in heavily biased towards electric, it helps a lot in city.

One interesting thing to note is their isn't significant difference in economy figures in normal mode and eco mode.

I have found the normal mode better. This may be due to subdued throttle response in eco mode which might cause the driver to abruptly increase throttle causing the ICE to turn on and off more frequently.

In normal mode very light to zero throttle is required in stop and go traffic which caused the system to be in electric longer than in eco mode, OR maybe it's just my driving style.

9000 Kms on my Camry now and FE figures of 16.5 in city and around 18 on longer drives is normal. I have done a Mumbai Goa run in half tank of fuel ��.
After taking the turn from nipani towards sawantwadi the down hill gradient lasts for about 30 odd kms. The ice hardly came on the battery kept charging continuously due regenerative brakes and even in B MODE to assist braking the ICE hardly woke up and cuts off as soon as the brakes were applied.

The regenerative motors provid significant resistance in B MODE.

On a full tank practical average range is about 830 kms for the Camry. Would like to know how the Lexus fairs.

Toyota has offered extended warranty upto 5 years on the whole car, it means the total package including the entire hybrid system for 43000 rs.

Enjoy the hybrid system it sure changes the driver style to gain the maximum that the system has to offer.

Originally Posted by M00M

Do you have to change the batteries after 5 years ? I'm sorry but I'm just wondering.

Nope the batteries need not be changed. They are designed for the life of the car. But as with any battery, efficiency drop is normal with age, but for the Lexus power train 5 yrs in not that old at all ��

[V.Narayan]

Originally Posted by M00M

Do you have to change the batteries after 5 years ?

Like the engine the hybrid battery pack is for life. A senior Lexus manager from Japan I spoke to mentioned they have tens of thousands of hybrids in Japan that are beyond the 200,000 kms mark. That suits me just fine.

Originally Posted by Sparks

Congratulations Mr V.Narayan on your latest acquisition.

The hybrid power train for the Lexus es300 and Camry hybrid is the same.
On a full tank practical average range is about 830 kms for the Camry. Would like to know how the Lexus fairs.

Thank you. I am delighted with my purchase. I couldn't have taken a better decision. The full tank meter indicates a range between 850 to 875 kms. I once did a Gurgaon-Chandigarh-Gurgaon run with a little more than half the tank - about 580 kms. Thank you for measurements and statistics of your Camry which you have monitored painstakingly. The fact that the Lexus has the same/similar power train as the Camry was a plus factor in my mind. I like engineering products that have been continuously improved upon instead of going for newness.

[androdev]

Originally Posted by Sparks

On a full tank practical average range is about 830 kms for the Camry.

Originally Posted by V.Narayan

The full tank meter indicates a range between 850 to 875 kms.

What is the fuel tank capacity? 800KM+ is a good range for long distance trips in India. You are most likely to reach a big city by then to have access to quality fuel. This is a big requirement when your driving involves remote places.

[Durango Dude]

From the above conversations, Hybrid would be the way to go; I don't know why the Govt has taken a retrograde step of taxing the hybrids heavily in the GST regime....