The Toyota Prius has long been considered a solid entry-level hybrid, essentially the semi-electric answer to small and mid-size budget-friendly family cars like the Toyota Corolla and the Hyundai Elantra. The Prius model is still selling brand-new for less than $30,000, and that’s definitely appreciated in an era of $50,000 cars.
But you can’t help but think, “If only I could afford a Lexus,” when sitting behind the wheel of this car. Well, we’ve got some good news. If you can afford a Prius, you can afford a hybrid Lexus ES. Here’s how…
The 2019 Lexus ES 300h Is The Best-Value Sweet Spot
2019-2021 Lexus ES interior detail shot of the steering wheel and dashLexus
According to iSeeCars, a 2019 Lexus ES 300h starts at around $21,728 at the entry level, down from a $41,560 MSRP, which makes for a savings of $6,822 compared to a $28,550 Toyota Prius LE. Browsing the web to see what’s available, including our own marketplace, here’s what we turn up.
- A 45,600-mile 2019 Luxury model is selling for $30,886 in Florida.
- A 13,134-mile 2020 Base model is selling for $35,590 in Arizona.
- A 41,723-mile 2022 Base model is selling for $36,986 in California.
- A 59,764-mile 2022 Base model is selling for $33,990 in Texas.
- A 42,108-mile 2021 Base model is selling for $22,950 in Texas.
- A 41,397-mile 2019 Base model is selling for $22,995 in Washington.
- A 98,570-mile 2019 Base model is selling for $23,998 in Florida.
Note that these listings are only provided to give you an example of what’s out there, and what the typical mileage looks like in an older ES 300h. There’s no telling what will be available in your area by the time you read this, but, we can see that it’s more than possible to find a 300h with fairly low miles selling for far less than you’d spend on a brand-new Toyota Prius.
Budget $25,000 For The Purchase And You Can Take Your Pick
For the best possible value, you’re going to be looking for something in the $20,000 to $25,000 range with fewer than 50,000 miles on the odometer. The challenge is going to be finding one for sale with just the right mileage, at just the right price. Lexus was selling around 40,000 to 50,000 ES models a year in the late 2010s and early 2010s, maybe one in five of those were hybrids, and there’s no telling how many are still in good condition.
That is to say that the car’s not exactly rare, but it’s rarer than the gas-powered ES. Even so, it’s still more or less a buyer’s market out there, because drivers aren’t beating a path to the dealer to buy a nearly 10-year-old hybrid luxury car. But, it may be a bit of a drive to pick up a low-mileage model at a fair price.
We Can Recommend A Hybrid Lexus ES At Just About Any Price
2019 Lexus ES finished in silver with tan interiorLexus
We’re not just recommending a used Lexus ES 300h because it’s a cheap path to Lexus ownership. We were big fans of this car when it hit the market seven years ago, and we’re big fans of this car today.
Looking back on our initial review for the 2019 300h, we noted the car is a simply wonderful grand tourer, with a smooth, silent-running electrified powertrain and absorbant suspension. But, it’s not a sports car, and you’ll be reminded of that fact every time you go a little too hard on the accelerator and hear decidedly unrefined sounds coming from under the hood. Although, the 113-inch wheelbase offers a nice balance of comfort and responsiveness.
We loved the feeling of the battery on the rear axle, helping to even out a 215-horsepower front-wheel driver that can be a little too heavy on the front-end, and the word we used when covering the overall feeling of driving and riding in this car was “serenity”. It’s a Lexus, after all. Standard leather seats and steering wheel, power-everything, and premium sound all complete a package that’s still as cushy today as it was almost a decade ago.
Expect A Lexus, And You Won’t Be Disappointed
The trick is simply to know what you’re in for. It’s a luxury car, but it’s not a luxury sport sedan, and you won’t be disappointed unless you’re looking for something that the ES 300h never promised in the first place. A Lexus never comes with as many bells and whistles as you’ll find in a BMW, but that only means that a 2019 model isn’t packed with dated apps and gadgets.
Ultimately, what you’re getting is more than you expect for $25,000. You’ll have a hard time finding any review on CarBuzz where we come out of a Lexus ES griping about the driving experience, but the 300h is not going head-to-head with European models with 400-horse twin-turbo engines. It’s simply one of the best daily drivers of its era.
A Lexus Is Relatively Low-Maintenance, But Hybrid Batteries Don’t Last Forever
2019-2021 Lexus ES Front 3/4 Rolling in blueLexus
If we check in with RepairPal, they’ll tell us that that Lexus ES 300h should only cost around $524 a year to maintain. That’s a nice low number for any make and model, but especially for a luxury car. A Lexus is just a fancy Toyota, after all, meaning that it’s one of the most reliable cars on the road.
But, a new hybrid battery for an ES 300h can cost up to $5,000 in parts and labor, from the dealership, and a Lexus battery is expected to last up to 15 years, or 200,000 miles, at the extreme end. At the low end, the battery might give up the ghost at just 10 years, or 150,000 miles.
No matter what you’re driving, there’s a built-in expiration date. Transmissions and engines don’t last forever, and neither do traction batteries. But, these numbers should make you feel cautious about buying anything with 100,000 miles or more on the odometer.
Lexus Traction Batteries May Last Longer Than You Expect, But…
Now that hybrids and EVs have been around for a while, we’re finding that traction batteries tend to last longer than we once expected, and we reported last year on a 2014 Lexus CT 200h that managed to clear a million miles with only one battery replacement in over a decade of use. But there aren’t many stories of million-mile or half-million-mile hybrids out there at the moment, and there’s no guarantee that any amount of maintenance will get you there.
We say this not to scare you off buying a used hybrid, only to suggest that you need to do a bit of math in your head before you buy one. Are you saving enough money on the purchase for it to be worth a $5,000 battery swap a few years down the line? Or, are you getting a good enough deal that it won’t break your heart to scrap the car when the battery gives out?
Anyway, when you add $524 in annual maintenance costs to $3,033 for full coverage, according to CarEdge (for a 40-year-old driver with good credit and a clean record), and $1,400 in fuel expenses according to FuelEconomy.gov (assuming 15,000 miles a year, split 45/55 between highway and city driving), you’re spending around $4,957 a year in ownership costs. But who buys full coverage on a seven-year-old sedan? Chances are you’ll be spending considerably less than this.
A Used Lexus ES 300h Is A Good Deal, But So Is A New Toyota Prius
2023 – 2026 Toyota Prius exteriorToyota
At the end of the day, we’re not going to tell you that a used Lexus ES 300h is definitely the smarter buy over a Toyota Prius. A Prius gets up to 57 miles to the gallon combined, and it’s one of the more affordable cars on the road today in any segment.
But, the point is, if you’ve got $30,000 to spend, you’ve got options.
Sources: Toyota, Lexus, CarEdge, RepairPal, FuelEconomy.gov, iSeeCars.
