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-   -   Driven: Lexus ES 300h (https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/test-drives-initial-ownership-reports/205507-driven-lexus-es-300h-3.html)

My car featured on Autocar as well! lol:

Congrats on the Lexus! I believe that location is familiar as we have a villa there too. :D

I think its one underrated choice in the segment and it would be my pick too in the segment.

Thank you for your wishes!:)
Being a media drive car i know that it has seen fair share of abuse mechanically. But as of today, the odo stands at 17,500 km with road trips to Nainital, Lucknow and it ferried us in utmost comfort.
Attaching some pictures from the trip. It tackled snowy roads with ease due to FWD and traction control, whereas seasoned mountain cars like Innova and Scorpio were struggling to climb.

Congrats!! It does take guts to buy a media car, I hope you bold step breaks a lot of mental barriers which several of us have. 57L OTR is a great price and worth the risk to some extent I guess. Moreover, you did a smart thing by including the extended warranty.

I am curious about the PPF. I was always told not to get any PPF on my white cars due to yellowing. Do let us know how the the Xpel holds us.
What was the per sq ft rate of Xpel? I believe it is more expensive than 3m

Xpel Ultimate was priced at 1000/sq ft. I opted for this variant after doing a lot of research on forums. Yes, PPF do get yellow but that depends on the exposure of car to sunlight and heat, it'll be more pronounced on white shade. Compared to others, Xpel Ultimate will get yellow at a slower rate. Just to be safe i even got it ceramic coated as well. I'll get to know clear difference after some time because the roof is not covered by PPF.

Congrats! I'd never buy an ex-presser, but if I had to, it would surely be a Toyota :thumbs up. Not only is the durability top notch, but even their after-sales service is (especially Lexus).

The hybrid engine + tranny combination have much improved in the new ES (compared to the old generation). It is more alive & peppy now.

Let me correct you,it was not a press fleet car, it was the dealer demo car on loan during the press drives in Noida over 4 days. It was used to zipping up the highway towards Mathura and back. There was always a member of the PR staff in the car hence chances of total misuse over 4 days is limited! It was detailed twice a day during that period.

I was not informed about previous use of the car in detail, except that it was used as a demo car. That’s good to hear actually!

Can you tell more about this X-pel. Is it a sheet that iss tuck on like 3M's PPF?
This is a new one for me. How thick is this ceramic coating - is it a fraction of a millimeter or more. What about the ceramic getting scratched.
From my experience over the first two years I have no doubt you will be well looked after. With the exit of Grace from the Lexus orbit I have built bridges with the dealer in New Delhi. If you need inputs drop me a private message.

X-pel is same as the PPF you have on your car only thing XPEL are more popular than 3M in USA.

XPel also have self healing tech like the new 3M venture shield (check my review thread).

Ceramic on film is not of much use cause the film is not as hard as paint.

Yes, it’s exactly like 3M PPF but of higher quality. 3M film had orange peel effect depending upon the variant of their line up. With Pro series having least amount of orange peel. They have come out with 3 new variants.
1. Basic
2. Ventureshield (comes in 5 foot roll so it can cover whole bonnet without any cuts)
3. Pro series (most expensive on par with Xpel Ultimate and with self healing properties)

The advantage of PPF with self healing properties is that the swirl marks will disappear whenever heat is applied to the film or if the car is parked under direct sunlight.
I had a look at 3M and Xpel, but in the end went with the Xpel because of the reviews and very less orange peel effect compared to 3M.
Ceramic coating is just a few Nanometers nothing more than that. It really doesn’t provide much protection to the paint in case of scratches or in my case the film. It works as a sealant but much more durable. So i got it applied.

Thanks! I’ll definitely PM you in case of any inputs. Appreciate it.:)

If for a brand new car you had a choice - 3M vs ceramic what would be your choice from point of view of - (i)looks and (ii) resistance to scratches.

https://www.team-bhp.com/forum/modif...-film-ppf.html

Answers your question :)

I would go for a mix of both. The panels like bumper, sides, doors are accident prone so opt for PPF. Other panels treat with ceramic. Treat the whole car with ceramic then wrap the accident prone areas.

Best of both worlds.

NCR roads took a toll on ES. I knew it was bound to happen someday.
While waiting on a red light to take a U-turn, a biker tried to squeeze through the space between my car and the divider only to loose his balance and hit my car.
I just stared at him rather than escalating the situation which is the best thing to do in these kind of situations.:Frustrati
Seriously, they think they are living in a video game where they get infinite lives.:deadhorse
Damage on the quarter panel, thank god it didn't made a mark.


I was sure that the dent can be pulled out with PDR because usually there is space behind the quarter panel. Visited FNG Heera Motors for it.


Damage Rs.300 clap:

20,000 Km update:
Gave my car for 3rd Service at MGF Toyota, Peeragarhi. Final cost came out to be Approximately Rs. 25,000. I will update the post with detailed cost breakup later.
The main point to be noted is that Lexus has reacted to low ground clearance issue in the ES and upgraded bump stops which are installed in struts and limits suspension travel. Now, the ES can easily cross speed bumps as the the rebound of the suspension is a bit stiffer.
The after sales experience is miles better than Mercedes. A senior technical personnel is always helping out to get the car ready in time and explained each and every step in detail.
After sales experience matters a lot and Lexus has earned top marks in that department. All the work, which includes service, suspension removal and installation, wheel alignment and balancing was completed in 4 hours. I opted for dry cleaning which increased delivery time a bit. Whereas Mercedes, would’ve probably kept the car for 2 days.

Car properly covered to protect it from scratches

Interiors covered in protective cloth.

Each wheel is stacked properly. And no one stands on the wheel to open parts.



Upgraded bump stops which are stiffer and a longer.

Front bump stops. Notice the change in length and thickness.

Rear bump stops. The upgraded part is stiffer.

Installation in progress.


Driving impressions:
The car feels more planted as the suspension is a bit stiffer than before. Easily travels across speed bumps with more speed. Previously i used to creep on speed bumps but now can cross them without turning the car diagonally.