Five Things I Hate About My Lexus ES300h

Here are five things that I hate about my Lexus ES300h after a year of ownership. Over all, I love the car. I think it's likely the best car that I have owned thus far.
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[@carspiv]

I love to hear how critics consider Lexus boring. I agree with them completely. “Boring” means free of drama. “Boring” means no surprises. I am bored to tears with my Lexus because it doesn’t surprise me with warning lights, dead batteries, leaks, or noisy exhaust system. It is reliable, quiet, comfortable. Oh, and it’s economical, too. YAWWWNNNNN.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

It’s definitely the most reliable car I’ve ever owned. I love it!

[@mark93cobr]

Sounds dreadful.

[@jmeitzen]

Bought my '14 ES300h 12/31/18 and have put about 128k miles on it; it had 91.5k when I purchased. I've driven it a lot and mostly in the city although I've made half a dozen road trips (150 miles each way). I'd like to address several of your points. First, fuel mileage..... yes it is odd and took some getting used to. I tend to have a heavy food so I use cruise control often. The car gets better mileage, the slower you go. Best I've gotten is 45 mpg. This was after running Techron injector cleaner (the best and most expensive one from wally world). I couldn't get above the high 30s before than and it typically got 32. I saw an average of closer to what you're seeing 37-38 after the injector cleaning process w/Techron (I recommend no more than 6 gallons of fuel with the Techron, btw). If I put it on cruise at about 30-40 mph, or less, it almost always switches to EV mode (electric motor only) which helps mileage a ton. I love the ride btw due to the hybrid battery residing under the trunk and behind the rear axle. It's got a more balanced front to weight feel than most cars that are not hybrids. It might be an issue on the "moose test" but I haven't tried that. Driving on the highway with your foot in it most of the time and running an avg. of 90 for a while resulted in 27 mpg, which is the worst I've gotten. At 55-60, it gets phenomenal mileage (closer to 40) and I think using cruise control helps but is not essential if your foot stays pretty steady and doesn't make abrupt input changes. Riding the brakes slightly when approaching a light helps charge the battery more and better. Coasting in sport mode doesn't charge the battery much if at all and commonly keeps the engine running. The difference between economy (which I mainly just use in wet weather to keep the front wheels from spinning so easily) and normal is mainly just how sensitive the gas pedal is. I've noticed the louder road noise with the sunroof cover closed. I commonly keep the sunroof in vent mode (tilted up) and then close the cover most of the way. On the highway, I'll close the cover though. My pet peeve about the sun roof is if the cover is open completely, if you have to slam on the brakes real hard, the cover closes on its own. That's a rare occurrence though. Driving the speed limit is a good idea in this car. I have had to adjust how I drive since I've gotten this chariot. Riding the brakes lightly is not something I ever used to do. On mine, the brake lights don't come on with light braking (too bad it's out of warranty, or maybe this is intentional?). The brakes last a long long time on these. BTW, the Avalon of the same year is not the same car. If you park these side by side, you'll notice the cabin is slightly farther back on the Lexus. A buddy of mine has an Avalon Hybrid the same year, and it seems to have the exact same drive train, platform, and gets very similar mileage. The door latch has a safety latch built in so you have to pull the lever completely for the door to open. This is a safety measure. My complaint is that the door don't like to stay open unless you open it all the way and hold it there a moment. I agree about people thinking you're rich because it's a Lexus. I sense this all the time. Rio Grande surfers seem to think I support stump or something. Thanks for sharing your pet peeves about this vehicle. Peace out!

[@AdamMurrayLive]

That’s a great write up, man. I’ve never had the issue with the sunroof cover slamming shut, but I rarely open it. I love having it though. I mostly like opening it at night so I don’t have the sun baking down on me.

[@markperalta2995]

Learn to drive efficiently and it will also improve your efficiency on non hybrid cars. I have a RAV4 hybrid and I am getting 45 mpg per tank. When I fist got the RAV4 it only got 36--37 mpg. Do not mind the power meter. The trick is to accelerate as quickly and as normally as possible to the desired speed and then maintain speed with your cruise control. You have to shorten the time of your acceleration (that's where you waste fuel the most) and spend the most time on steady speed or cruise (that's where the hybrid does its' magic on the highway). Another trick is whenever you have a downhill, use it to gather speed (gravity is free!). Do not speed up on the uphill, instead, use cruise control before you approach the uphill and you can dec speed 1 mph at a time by tapping the cruise button (also works with non hybrid). After learning to improve my fuel economy to my RAV4 hybrid I also improved my fuel economy on my non hybrid cars (beating the EPA rating).

[@haythamog4513]

Thanks for the tip to save gas, I usually take a while to accelerate so should I accelerate pretty quickly to reach my desired speed then stay at that speed with the same rpm?

[@bengal-desi6526]

@@haythamog4513 not to quickly to the point where u hear ur engine working too hard, but just fast and smooth enough.

[@girl600podcast]

@@bengal-desi6526 interesting speed up info. Thanks

[@pauly5502]

300h is an awesome car .. best I’ve owned

[@AdamMurrayLive]

It really is! It’s by far the best car I’ve ever owned. So reliable! I love it.

[@naveedahmed7352]

Nice video, quick solution for that sunroof noise, all you have to do is replace the weather strip around the sunroof glass. I had the same issue for past couple of years and after some research replaced the weather strip and it’s super quite. No rocket science and you can replace it by yourself. Strip costed me around 65$ Canadian.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

It’s been replaced. It’s not loud. It’s silent with the blind closed.

[@samsonn25]

Thats a common issue on almost all Lexus, after 8-10 years the sunroof gasket seal gets old, this causes sounds of cracking and clunking inside the car that sound like it is coming front the right door, and it s more obvious in cold weather

[@hustle100]

I have the same car and i dont have any of the issues your having.

[@edvink1983]

yeah because you are not a karen lol i love the car

[@OsvaldoPaese]

I have the same car. I had a Benz c class before and although it was a faster car, i was spending almost double on fuel even if I am only averaging 36 mpg. The Lexus also has a lot of rear legroom which is a big plus. Your complaints were pretty minor honestly.

[@ashleybarrett5959]

Just got this car a little less than a year ago. I have a 1998 GS400 as well and I love them both! The only issue I’m having is an issue with the tire pressure system but I don’t think it will be that bad. Ans I never hear the sun roof bc my music is going and I love how good it is on gas. I went to an event where I had to wait in my car in a long line. When I got there I was out of gas and I couldn’t get out of line. I waited 4 hours in my car and the car switched over to the electric motor and did its thing. This being my first hybrid I was amazed. I love this car.

[@samsonn25]

If you run out of gas the electric motor is only good for 1 or 2 blocks to dtive.

[@ashleybarrett5959]

@@samsonn25 I’ve gone further than 1 or 2 blocks without gas.

[@samsonn25]

@@ashleybarrett5959 If you barely touch the throttle or let in ride in drive by itself

[@ashleybarrett5959]

@@samsonn25 🥴🥴🥴

[@samsonn25]

Brake regen is programmed for first 2 inches of brake travel if you brake early it add to mileage to mpg. and Battery recharge, yes you have to get used to it.

[@SydneyDrums]

The sunroof noise is sound waves passing through two panels with a pocket of air in between 👍🏼

[@AdamMurrayLive]

It’s silent with the shade closed.

[@thefront5871]

If he's got a pocket of air in his roof, then taking a water hose and spraying it over the top with the sunroof closed, it would leak. If there is a leak, then that's his problem! If not, then most likely no air leaks!

[@alpharomeo3141]

I have the same "problems" but it related to manners of driving hybrid vs sport car. More important for me is that ergonomics of car is not the best (actually it is average between bad and very bad): using the mouse de-focusing your attention from the road, voice recognition is not recognizing, to change your home address is a real problem!!! Instead of having just one click (something like "Save current coordinates as home address" you should go through hell of settings... In general - things like mechanical buttons and rotary selectors do much better job than any other "pointer" devices (like mouse or sensitive screens). The difference is that position of buttons or rotary switches you fill by fingers - you don't need to search them by eyes. Another problem - second small display in front panel with 11(!!!) "circular" selections is just very dangerous "toy" for accident. It's better by pressing just one button to bring all 11 parameters simultaneously on right big screen for 10 seconds- in time your eyes will "know" in which part of screen you need to check the value you are interested. Sometimes I'm thinking that luxury cars ergonomic (not only Lexus!) designed by someone who never learned technical ergonomics in university. Probably that subject doesn't exist any more....

[@SS-ug1qy]

I agree with making up prices based on what they see u driving. I am car guy I always buy 5 year old luxury cars where I save 60% on them then whenever I go to independent shops to do some simple work they see what u driving and always make up the prices thinking u are rich and I hate that, forget about dealerships.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Yeah, man. The price instantly goes up when they see those luxury badges.

[@leohernandez8889]

I agree ☝️

[@girl600podcast]

I like your chill relaxed presentation

[@bayjustin3885]

Didn’t expect capt. caveman reviewing his Lexus. Bravo. My man

[@kevinbenson9866]

I would get the sunroof check. I have a 2014 ES 300H and my sunroof is completely quite.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

It’s completely quiet unless I have the shade pulled open and I’m going highway speeds. Otherwise it’s completely quiet.

[@wannaflyme]

I completely agree woth everything you said. I own the same car too. Thanks for thr video!

[@liljoe2144]

I’ve had my 2015 Lexus ES300h for a over a year and I love it. But for sure get that Sunroof checked. Bought my a Lexus Dealership by the way.. if you bought a used one with no Warranty, it’s going to cost you.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

It was the same thing on every ES300h I test drove. If the shade was open and you were going highway speeds you could hear the outside noise a bit. It just has some sound dampening aspects of it.

[@gunnblaze]

@@AdamMurrayLive I have the same issue with the sunroof

[@AdamMurrayLive]

@@gunnblaze Yeah, it’s silent unless you open that shade.

[@commitmenttoexcellence]

this is very useful video

[@zachc6461]

The only thing I don’t like about mine is that with the stock hybrid tires it handles like a mini van... other than that it’s the best car ive ever had

[@emanuelm1096]

What tires do people usually recommend for these cars?

[@samsonn25]

@@emanuelm1096 Pirelli P7 Persist

[@dj78productions]

To be honest this video is a reason to buy the Lexus. Thanks for your video.

[@Limitbreakur]

The problem with your lexus is that you're driving it. I've driven the es300h for over 120k miles and I've had none of your issues.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Haha! I’m typically the problem with most of my issues.

[@Matthew-lr8ej]

I’ve had my 300h over 2 years for 40k miles and I’ve had none of the issues you mentioned either.

[@B2stunt1]

Hilarious 😂

[@bigal3248]

Totally agree with all of the criticisms. I bought my 2018 ES 300H about 3 weeks ago. But I love this car nonetheless!

[@tjaekeys7926]

Bro your issues are petty

[@AdamMurrayLive]

I know. I address that in the video.

[@losiglowful]

That's the best part of it. The biggest problem with cars like Dodge for example, is that the head gasket blows or the transmission fails. with Lexus, very little ever goes wrong so you have to work real hard to find something that's not quite perfect. 😆

[@nicholasgraham2470]

These are still things I want to know.

[@hustle100]

Super Petty

[@hustle100]

@@losiglowful Lol, right!

[@syedzaidi9037]

just wondering, 2014 es300h model does comes with factory installed remote start? takes regular gas or premium gas ?

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Mine is a 2013 and does not have a remote start. It also takes regular gas.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Also, I really love the car. It functions beautifully.

[@paulrodger3115]

Looking for a hybrid used. What make model year would you buy? The pricing on the 2021 Elantra hybrid is not out, but looks good.

[@losiglowful]

A little bit older es300h would be great. Maybe like a 2013 to 2015. According to my dealer, they've had very few come in with any issues at all. My dealer hasn't replaced the battery in a single one. Even the older models. I have a 2017 but couldn't find any at less than about $27,000. Some of the older ones that were pushing 100K miles were as low as $15k.

[@girl600podcast]

@@losiglowful still own the ES in 2022 ⛽️ crisis days?

[@samsonn25]

I have a 2013 model i bught used at 166k now i have 236k on it, Battery still good, only changed 2 tire pressure sensors and rebuild the suspension

[@paulrodger3115]

2013 is in YYZ Toronto?

[@emaguigad]

I have the exact same car, but to be quite honest, those are not an issue with me and so minor. I really thought you were going to include that it doesn't have power side mirrors or no sun glasses holder or no place for your iPhone.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Yeah, I think the only features I’d really wish it had were the power folding mirrors and adaptive cruise control. I really do like the car, so finding things to speak poorly of it are truly difficult and they’re clearly minor because it really is just that good of a car.

[@azizulhuq2983]

You are so right about your number one complaint.

[@Iraqveteran-ke6qu]

Thinking of buying. 13 330h with 84k miles. They want 20k for it as of this date. Is the hybrid battery super expensive to replace?

[@AdamMurrayLive]

I’ve never had to replace mine. Mine had just a few less miles on it when I bought it than that one.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

It’s been the most reliable vehicle I’ve ever owned by far. The mechanics at the cab company I worked at just said be sure not to ever overheat them because you don’t want to blow a head gasket. It’s apparently a nightmare to replace on that motor. But individual cells in the battery can be replaced.

[@iraAlbucher]

I also own a ES300H. Getting similar mileage. I understand if you pulse the gas pedal. If you get to your MPH let off the gas and the electric motor will come on.

[@lasers33]

My 2017 Prius did the same thing with the door

[@girl600podcast]

Does it have the Prius hybrid system like the CT200h?

[@AdamMurrayLive]

It has the same 2.0 hybrid out of the Camry hybrids but it’s rated with slightly more HP. But it’s such a negligible rating difference that I think it’s just marketing. It’s like maybe 5 hp more or something silly like that.

[@mathiasgomez3923]

You're right about the tint prices being made up.. Here in san diego I got a quote for 188, then a year later they shot up to 245. Both were 3m color stable on 5 windows.. and were done on a 05 Hyundai Elantra, and 13 toyota corolla, respectively.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Yeah, it’s ridiculous. I’ve never been to a tint shop that had prices listed. It’s all made up on the fly.

[@jug2262]

Adam Murray I got a quote for $500 where i’m from in cali🤦‍♂️

[@samsonn25]

I got mine done from an honest guy for 200. He charge the same for bmw benz

[@girl600podcast]

Funny that u called and got Avalon quotes 😂

[@bobbysousa2389]

There’s a known issue with the gasket around the sunroof I had to replace mine

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Mine doesn’t leak in any way. The sunroof was recently taken out and put back in because I had my roof repainted. Seems fine now. Just a little noisy if the visor is open over 70. Silent with it closed.

[@bobbysousa2389]

I have a 14 with 60k rattled like a sob.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Mine doesn’t rattle, you can just hear the road noise a little when you open the visor.

[@RonghuiMrYe]

Your issues does not seem like any issues to me. Bad fuel economy? Just press light on the gas pedal.

[@nellatl]

Foh. That's the sign of a bad hybrid battery.

[@samsonn25]

@@nellatl He dont have any check engine lights, also these batteries last a long time I have 236k on my car and still runs fine.

[@samsonn25]

Its impossible to get long term 42 mpg. Best way is to see overall between oil changes.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

I’ve found it depends on the type of traffic and the speed you drive. The best I’ve ever done on a tank was like 57mpg driving from Orlando to Atlanta doing 55 mph the whole way as an experiment. I don’t recommend it because it’s dangerous. I found that even if all other lanes are empty people will still tailgate you because they can’t seem to figure out going around you for some reason. The happy medium in the highway seems to be 70mph which nets me around 41 mpg on long trips. 75 drops it to about 38. 80 down to 36ish. I haven’t done extensive testing at 65, but there may be an improvement. Perhaps I should test it.

[@johnbassam8831]

dude. find me a single gas or hybrid where you don’t get abysmal fuel economy while accelerating. your issues with this car are just some of the same things you’d have with a toyota camry 4 cylinder. therefore, your gripes are with cars in general

[@9Crow]

i bought a used one today it's a 2013 ES 300H Hybrid with 229 thousand miles looks and runs like new i hope it lasts a while if it only gets 35 MPG i won't complain about that but if it gets 40 even better. i can't deal with 19 to 24 MPG gas is too expensive.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

The fuel mileage and awesome creature comforts along with its insane reliability is exactly why I bought mine. Still runs great.

[@etegrity3972]

How much did you pay for it im getting mines tmr let me know if you got a good deal

[@AdamMurrayLive]

@@etegrity3972 I bought mine at the end of 2018 with 80k miles for about $15,500 plus tax tag and title. I really wanted a blue one, but they were difficult to find unless I went to a 2016 or newer and those were much more expensive and I couldn’t swing one at the time.

[@MontyGumby]

@@AdamMurrayLive $15K is an awesome deal. Is it from LEXUS dealer ?

[@MyBuddyMobile]

This video thw re-assured me that mt 300h is perfect lol I wouldnt complain about any of the things that bother you except the price gouging. I mean evwn the parts arent too expensive lol😁

[@thomasf.7940]

How tall are you man? Feels cramped?

[@AdamMurrayLive]

I’m 6’3”. It’s honestly a very comfortable car.

[@thomasf.7940]

@@AdamMurrayLive Thanks! Last question would be what is your inseam? I am 6'4" but only 32 inseam, makes car purchases a nightmare lol.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

I have a 30 inseam and the chair can go back quite a lot. Honestly, with the chair in a comfortable position I can still fit someone comfortably behind me. It’s part of the reason I bought the car.

[@paul8340]

I think the only problem is in the driver's seat 🤣

[@AdamMurrayLive]

That’s hilarious.

[@commitmenttoexcellence]

all the inconsistencies mean she doesn't feel the same about you as she felt in the beginning

[@NeutralOne23]

I have the same car. 2015 ES300H.. the only crappy thing about this model is NO APPLEPLAY!! Common’ Lexus!

[@michaelpelczar2207]

City miles are thirstier. It takes longer to travel the same distance you would on the highway, because of the stop and go.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Yeah, the acceleration and deceleration are the biggest culprit. I did an experiment where I drove from Orlando to Atlanta going 55mph and I got something like 58mpg. It was hella dangerous due to the other drivers on the road, though. I wouldn’t recommend it. The amount of drivers who would pull up behind me and tailgate and begin honking when there was no other car in sight was alarming. Some people just couldn’t figure out going around even though I was I. The right lane.

[@Jr-eb8in]

My bmw 750 li was the same way with the sun roof

[@dboucher26]

I had a BMW 750Li, now I have a Lexus ES300h.

[@samsonn25]

Whit it raining and the sunroof interior is open, its loud a HeLL

[@haykkirakosyan2506]

You not getting 40 mpg because of a/c is always on in Florida.

[@dboucher26]

I’ve had BMWs for the past 13 years. I’ve had a BMW 328i, 330xi, 335i, M3, X5, and a 750Li. They’re all fast and fun to drive, but for some reason I love my current Lexus ES300h. I had a blast driving my M3 today though.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

If I didn’t think the maintenance on a BMW would be a nightmare I’d totally get one. Love their look.

[@samsonn25]

@@AdamMurrayLive My friend had a m5 and problem with transmission, found out it was switch box for smg pump and it cost $4000 out of warranty.

[@kari9856]

Bought it last august or last december or something like that i dont know.. 😁 man this dude needs some trimming...😁😁 first look must be daily diet, I am serious.

[@matthewchang5281]

Is it normal if the car is always in eco-mode? In the video, you're in normal guess It could help.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

I don’t like driving in Eco mode as I feel like I’m holding up traffic. I typically only use normal or sport.

[@samsonn25]

Eco mode is same as other modes but you have press on the gas peddle more to get the same amount of acceleration

[@jwillwork3683]

look at that watch, what A crime!

[@michaelbrocosthevolvoguy]

I have a 2013 LS 300h, which I bought in 2017 it now has 140,000+ miles and it has been to Texas and to NJ in marathon trips. your 5 things are dumbest complaints I’ve have ever heard, have you owned any vehicles ever aside from this one? seems if you had read a magazine article before you bought the car you would’ve known what to expect.

[@TheTriplelman]

Well if the producer is looking to write a show about a mechanical idiot, you'll be a success!

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Haha! I mean, I’ve done cam swaps, replaced the clutch in my trans am, among other things, but sure. I’ll happily play that role.

[@Jt-dw4bn]

Sound like a big baby to me find another car at that price point that gives you what the Lexus does u might appreciate it more

[@gavinmorrison4652]

Its a great car.....Wow...5 things I hate about your watch

[@AdamMurrayLive]

It’s a great conversation starter, that’s for sure. 🤣

[@talonleevon7929]

The fuel--it's a Toyota thing...I have a Prius and it's all over the place too...I've switched gas companies, I write down the miles...and I do Uber..lol.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Yeah, it’s hard to get it squared down completely because it’s almost impossible to get identical driving conditions.

[@benjmiester]

@@AdamMurrayLive Maybe the temperature. Ditto on the Prius ownership and it varies quite a bit in different temps. I'm in Dallas, so we're probably pretty similar in climate variations... which is not much heh.

[@suhailahmed4449]

Buy a bmw next time it will teach you a lesson😃😃

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Hahaha!!! I can’t afford that repair bill. How rich do you think I am?!

[@dj78productions]

@@AdamMurrayLive Come on Adam, we've seen you in Stranger Things👀 You must be a billiomaire right now!

[@mikegreen3613]

All of your issues are user error. First it seems like you bought a vehicle that you did no research on. The Hybrid is all computerized so yea when you let the computer do its job ( cruze control is computer operated) your going to get the MPG. Your foot is a uneven weight so yea your MPH will fluctuate. The door your going to break that handle if you keep doing that. Pull the handle to you hear a click.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

You’re*

[@beerreviews761]

So basically nothing wrong with the car

[@darrenmelnayk2246]

Holy fuck I wasted 2 minutes

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Thanks for wasting it with me. 👍🏻

[@robertomedina2534]

I watched a lot of KZbin videos this guy must be the most confused person I have watched it’s worst 2 mins I have wasted in my life.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

🤣 Yeah, this guy is the worst.

[@8corymix8]

Some people don't belong in a Lexus & should just stick with a Kia or Hyundai with the other mutant vagrants that drive them

[@phatista]

Video has more dislikes than likes.

[@AdamMurrayLive]

Yeah, people love to hate this video for some reason. I said I liked the car, but those were my little nit picky issues with it. Oh well. 🤷🏻‍♂️

[@oceans2533]

PICKY

[@AdamMurrayLive]

I actually really like the car, but not every car is perfect. So I figured I’d show the things that prevent it from reaching perfection.

[@chasingexcellence9336]

What's your problem 🤦🏻‍♂️

[@MH-fb5kr]

I don’t know… sounds a lot like whining over some petty crapola… just saying.

[@yirserrahotep7526]

This review makes no sense

[@BatangNineties9]

Classic non-sense panorama of combined boredom and ungrateful piece of bleep!!!

[@ronezha]

Buy a Tesla

[@AdamMurrayLive]

I haven’t gotten a Tesla mostly because they aren’t convenient for long road trips which I do a ton as a comedian. Today I drove 600 miles which took roughly 9 hours, plus a stop for gas and food. Doing so in a Tesla would add at least an hour or more to an already long drive to charge. Maybe I’d get lucky and find a place with food and a charger, but there aren’t many that convenient that I’ve seen personally.

[@jimhamilton3544]

I think you need to change your diaper 🙄

[@Sergio-gm4gv]

For the life of me I cannot understand how you have so many complaints about Lexus. Every single thing you mentioned is so not a big deal. I have driven Lexus for the last 20 years and cannot see myself driving anything less, nor any Mercedes, BMW . Dude, seriously what is wrong with you. You know your full of shit when you have more thumbs down than thumbs up. Please don’t review anything else in your life. Critic your beard that needs a shave and your appearance by how you look like out in public.