2014 Lexus ES300h

March 29, 2014 — It's Day 3 with my new 2014 Lexus ES300h, my fourth Lexus, and I'm getting to know it, but I have some issues. More about that later. I traded in my 2006 Lexus ES330 after living with it almost eight years, during which time it had become as comfortable as an old shoe.

The 300h is a gasoline/electric hybrid. Its silence is a little eerie until you get used to it. It's a bit unnerving when you stop at a red light and notice the engine isn't running. But no, it hasn't stalled. When the light turns green, just step on the gas and it will go. If you've been driving for sixty years as I have, a car that moves when the engine isn't running flies in the face of everything you thought you understood about how automobiles work. It has a 4-cylinder engine as opposed to the 6-cylinder of my previous Lexus. I was a little concerned about performance before I bought it. but I really can't tell the difference. The engine is quiet, smooth and, supplemented by electric power, has more than adequate high-speed performance.

The 300h is rated by the manufacturer for 40 mpg city, 39 mpg highway. The city mileage is higher because at low speeds it spends most of the time running on electric power alone. Consumer Reports gave it a rating of 36 mpg overall in their tests. I find I'm becoming very light-footed around the city, trying to keep the gasoline engine from kicking in. Today I took it out on the interstate for the first time. It's steady, smooth and as quiet as you'd expect a Lexus to be at 65 mph. No Lexus has the sporty handling of an Audi or BMW, but my days of pushing a car to its limits are long gone, and I appreciate the serene ride and quietness of the Lexus. Power steering and brakes take almost too light a touch, but you soon learn to modulate them.

Now for the disappointments. Lexus has engaged in some obvious cost-cutting, especially in the interior. The dash is made of cheaper material than my old Lexus and lacks that elegant feel you expect in a car in the Lexus class. Even the outside paint doesn't have that expensive-looking glow that sets it apart from lower-priced cars. Storage space has been greatly reduced. The glove compartment is smaller than my previous Lexus, and center console storage is half that of the old car. I've had to leave out some things I used to carry around with me. The CD player will take only one CD at a time rather than the five I could load into my old car's player. Everything seems diminished.

It takes a 916-page owner's manual to explain all the car's intricacies. Much of it is dedicated to the frustratingly complicated audio system. Before I drove the car away from the dealer's, the sales rep sat in it with me for over an hour explaining and demonstrating many of the car's features and use of the controls. That shouldn't be necessary, and no car should need an operating manual that rivals War and Peace in length. Someone needs to explain to Lexus engineers that this is not a PC or home entertainment system you use in your living room. It's an automobile which, when used as intended, is in motion, sharing streets and highways with other vehicles, and your attention should be constantly on the road, not changing channels on a stunningly convoluted radio/CD player. I could do that with a few finger-pokes on my old Lexus without taking my eyes off the road. I almost need to pull over and stop to change stations in this car!

The 2006 Lexus was a better car, in design as well as quality of materials. Am I sorry I bought this one? No. I have a brand new car with a generous warranty, not an eight-year-old one, and if this Lexus has the same reliability and durability that have always been Lexus hallmarks, I should have quite a few years with no worries about repairs or parts replacement. Not only that, but the car is supported by the best dealer service of any brand. I'm hard to please by nature, but I'm confident I'll get comfortable with this car and be happy with it over the long haul. And I really like the prospect of 36 mpg overall. It's just unfortunate Lexus found it necessary to lower their standards in the selection of some materials, and driver and audio controls need a complete redesign.