Tesla Model 3 vs Lexus ES 300h: True 5 Year Ownership Cost Comparison (All-Electric Car vs Hybrid) 

What a silly premise. A model 3 is nowhere near the luxury and quality of an ES. The model 3 is closer to a Fiat Punto than the ES, yet it costs just slightly less than the ES. The obvious smart pick here is the ES because you get a lot more value for your money.

Dude stop comparing different categories of cars against each other! The ES is business executive car & a mid size sedan, a model 3 is a compact non executive car!! A correct comparison would a Model S to the ES or Model 3 to the IS. Model 3s to 3 Series not 5 Series and so on! You need to be fair!

Lexus IS truly a luxury car. The details that they put into their car. No where is Tesla close. But Tesla is new and pride with high tech. They are two different animals. I drove my Lexus to the ground. All I had to do was change its engine oil, brakes , filters , wipers , tires. All DIY but tires. There won’t be anything DIY for Tesla. My brother just got a model 3 and their paint job is a joke. Lol . I will consider a model Y sometimes in the future. Great video though!!!

What about the cost to install a charging station?

So let me get this straight, you add safety features to the Lexus to make similar features but you don’t compare the model 3 long range to try to make the range closer? This may be the most bias video I’ve seen in a while

I don’t agree that the insurance cost is the same. I looked at the price to insure both in Boston and the Tesla was much higher.

I knew in the beginning that would be "honest" and "objective " compare.... when I saw his shirt ..... definitely tesla fan

Would love to see an update on these, as Tesla jacked up their prices in recent months.

Lexus hands down any time of the day period.

You’re leaving out the most important matter! Time spent at the charging station! Time is priceless! Try calculating that!

Yeah, a Lexus ES300h is WAAAY above a model 3. A better comparison would be to compare the Tesla to a Camry or possibly Corolla. A few other things not accounted for in regards to the Tesla. I've heard tires wear out quicker due to the heavy weight. So in 75K, there might have been a second set of tires required. Also, although hard to put a price on, what about the time spent twiddling your thumbs on road trips while you sit waiting for a charger, then charging the vehicle. I have a 2012 Camry Hybrid that I bought with 45K and now has 251K. As others have stated, Toyotas/Lexi just tend to wear out tires and wiper blades with minimal parts breakage. I do my own oil changes every 5K miles. I also change the plugs myself every 100K. Other than that, my Camry Hybrid just fires up and runs, all the while returning 35-37 mpg. I love that car. It will actually be replaced by an ES300h in about a year when I retire. I'm planning on keeping the Lexus 10-15 years.

lexus is a better car and tesla prices went up by a lot on 2021. I do my Lexus maintenance at the Toyota dealer for cheaper... Your depreciation on lexus is not accurate.

many states now charge an ev tax charge to makeup for the lack of fuel tax when purchasing gasoline

You need to redo this with toyota camry hybrid

It's an interesting comparison, but the Tesla Model S is more similar to the Lexus ES. I suspect the numbers would look differently if you compared those two cars together. It doesn't seem that your depreciation figures of $15,676 for the Tesla and $26,779 for the Lexus ES 300h match the 5-year actual depreciation. A 10-year-old ES 300h still brings around 22,000 with 75k miles. I haven't actually shopped for Teslas since I drove the different models. A range of ~ 600 miles for the Lexus versus ~ 230 for the Tesla model is another consideration. I don't want to spend the next 5 years with range anxiety.

I don't see how these two cars compare.. Lexus is in a different league on quality alone and never understood how Tesla was ever placed the the "Luxury" category. Tesla compares more to that of late 90's early 2000's Chevy products. You're also off on your assessment for the brake pads/ fluid on the Lexus. There are plenty of Toyota hybrids with 200+ thousand miles on the original pads.

That's a nice calculation. But I think model 3 is no longer compete with lexus es. I think best match will be for model s and it is way different pricing.

I want to start by saying I really like Tesla and Elon. With that said the maintenance cost of $1000 for the model 3 sounds to low! You can’t tell me in 5 years that the 15inch screen is still going to be functional after all everything runs thru it! Add in those cheap door handles and those fancy rims when you hit a pot hole! Nope, not buying that it will be that low for repairs, sorry!

This is truly high quality comparison!

Your videos are not actually a comparison between the two vehicles It's rather a statement as how good your favourite car which eventually is a T***a is period . Not all of us need the facilities in a Tesla how about comparing it to a basic Volkswagen golf or Honda City or a basic Toyota etc

a few flaws in this analysis. 1) insurance costs are higher for teslas than hybrid/IC due to limitations on repair centers 2) the life and replacement cost for tesla batteries is much higher than the hybrid battery pack, especially for the model 3. even if not occurring in the first 5years, the backend life depreciation on teslas is going to accelerate as knowledge of the ev battery replacement cost on older vehicles is better understood. 4) Tesla is still aiming to drive costs down for the ev which means there will come a day in the next few years when a new model 3 cost $30k or even $25k. That could mean a new tesla will be better value, but that value innovation is going to drive down the resale price of 5yr+ used teslas. Bottom line: if you want ev now, go get one. but it is too early to expect to “save” money vs a hybrid. also, some would say the model 3 comparator is a camry or avalon hybrid xle, not a lexus.

How can you compare a car that has not been on sale for 5 yrs, using a five year period ??

4 years later.....Tesla 3 is the fastest depreciating car in the marketplace

Tesla model 3 should be compared with a Corolla hybrid. Lexus ES300h is much more luxurious inside and outside.

M3 may be cost effective, but it's not in the same class as a lexus. Lexus are luxury cars, and M3 is more of a sports/tech car.

With the Lexus you have no choice but to pay the going price for gasoline. An EV owner on the other hand can sign up to charge at night using the off peak energy which is almost always half the price. This is not reflected in your data. So the Tesla can have a much cheaper fuel price. Nearly all EV owners have the option of charging at home. My off-peak energy charge is 6 cents per kWh. Gasoline can't even come close. This comparison also avoids the cost of the hours wasted for ICE ownership. Since I charge at home I waste no time refueling my EV. Only one second to plug it in before going to bed and one second to unplug it in the morning, full tank every morning before leaving my driveway. No need to schedule appointments or waste time driving to and from those frequent dealer appointments. No hours wasted sitting in customer lounges waiting for oil changes or any of that other routine maintenance that ICE vehicles require. Never needing to choose between old dog eared copies of Field & Stream and Ladies Home Journal. Never forced to watch reruns of Maury Povich or Jerry Springer on a uuuuuge 25" flat screen TV while enjoying that high quality 5-hour old 'reduced" coffee found only in better dealership lounges.

There is no comparison any toilet hybrid Lexus hybrid is a vast the superior car to any electric vehicle in terms of trouble there is no comparison. Also you don't have to run around looking for a plug in every night and a tank of gas if you drive it properly and watch your speed and last for a long long time

I thought this would be a great video, but was already thoroughly disappointed after 3 minutes. First of all, it seems like you are very focused on tech over actual build quality. You're dead set on adding the package with BSM and RCTA, because the Tesla has that. At the same time there is no mention of the ES' interior being much nicer, there being a lot more legroom in the rear, every interior panel having nicer materials on them, there not being massive panel gaps on the outside, and so on. There is definitely a point to be made for a Tesla, but that doesn't necessitate a dishonest comparison. As others have said, you could have at least compared it to either a Camry or a Corolla (side note: my mom's Corolla has BSM, RCTA, heated steering wheel / seat heating / wireless phone charger etc, so in your theory that's the same car.

With super off peak fees per kW of 1 cent only you can own and drive a Tesla a FULL year for LESS than $50.00 in "fuel" : )))) So insane savings.

Oh how time has changed. in 2024 Tesla depreciates 50% in 1 year.

With California’s $5 per gallon gasoline cost. Driving an EV here is cheaper then any gasoline cars these days.

You can not compare the Tesla with the Lexus 300h , the materials and build quality on the Lexus IS way superior, Tesla feels cheap inside and the finished are terrible, you should compare with a base Corolla hybrid. Why you don’t compare with a model Y wait I know because Lexus will have 10k dollars on his favor . Oh and Lexus hold its value a lot ! Tesla lover lol , you need to do better review compared than this .

I doubt that Lexus loses value faster than Tesla.

Tesla is just a fancy golf cart

Sweet

In addition, the tesla has a better 0-60, better performance, and has a much smaller carbon footprint.

What a joke of a comparison. Not surprising from the look of his t-shirt. Good luck taking the Model 3 on a long cross-country road trip.

Comparar a Lexus y Tesla es comparar la marca que año tras año es la más fiable del mundo, con la que es la que más fallos tiene junto al servicio postventa lamentable. Un Lexus es un sueño, un Tesla puede ser una pesadilla.

My two cars....interesting

After the warranty is over, good luck with your Tesla, repair are ludicrously high, because they break.

That Lexus gon run a 5-600k miles with no problem

I leased a 2020 Lexus ES 300h after test driving all Tesla’s models. I really wanted to go with a EV this time. However after my extensive research it was not to be. I live in South Florida. My closest Tesla dealer is 60 miles away. My local Lexus dealer is only 6 miles away. Lexus incentive was 0% interest on my 3 yr lease or purchase. I also got the $1000 military rebate which Tesla didn’t offer plus a another $1000 rebate as a repeat customer. And to top all this off I negotiated where my Lexus dealer paid for my fuel use for 30K miles which my lease was for. There’s no incentive for buying a Tesla in Florida. My Lexus dealership offers free car washes and the best complementary snack bar for their customers on the East Coast of S. Florida. In my personal opinion, the model 3 drives no where as luxurious as the Lexus ES 300h. The model 3 is very fast however rather noisy. It’s interior material (called vegan leather) is nothing more than vinyl. Tesla’s quality, finishes at the bottom for reliability. Don’t get to where you ever need body work on a Tesla, it could take months for those parts here in the US. I do appreciate Tesla’s attempts at technology though. Perhaps in another 2 years I’ll take another look at Tesla again.

Come on this is on paper, but in reality lexus have more advantages like its luxury and reliable, one tank will give 600 mile journey and you only need 3 minutes to full a pay comparing to 250 mile in 15 minutes and don't forget the beautiful design of lexus, keep in mind driving lexus is an experience it self any way it worth it

That was a decent analysis. Not all the items are apples to apples though. The ES is a nicer car than the Tesla. Fit and finish, overall build quality, ride comfort and road noise are all considerably better in the ES. The two are really different classes of cars. Tires wear out faster on Tesla's due to weight. Parts and repairs are MUCH more expensive on a Tesla. Not to mention that even a decent intermediate DIY mechanic generally can't work on them. I like Tesla. Eventually I think I'll own one. But a hybrid, especially a Toyota brand hybrid, has significant advantages over a Tesla as it currently stands. I suspect that may change in the future.

You should buy a 5 year old ES300h for 15k. Keep it for 5 years. That’s the way to save money. Spending less much less.

There is no way you would need to replace the brakes on a ES Hybrid in 75000 miles. $1200 in repairs for one of the most reliable cars is a stretch to say the least. No where did he talk about the cost of installing a level two charge at home either. The model three can’t compare with the IS let alone a ES.

This video did not point out the main differences: Tesla - blazing fast. Lexus - very comfortable ride. And probably the most important - in a hybrid you don't have to go along with the hassle of finding working charging stations and wasting hundreds of hours of your life waiting. You may have to pay a few more $ in running cost, but you don't waste your most valuable asset in life - time! And reliability is another thing - Tesla still have to prove themselves, Lexus have build their reputation for over 30 years and are synonymous for Reliability.

But the Lexus ES is SO MUCH BETTER than a Tesla!!! The seats are WAY MORE comfortable and you have a MUCH MUCH BETTER LOOKING interior with the Lexus!!! I Do Not like how Tesla Model 3 has a big screen in the middle but not provide a driver dashboard to show common things like speed! I would DEFINITELY feel cheated in a Tesla!!! No thanks!!!

Buy used cars, will save most money.

The typicall purchase price of a tesla is not 39k. Your model 3 will not be deliverd if you do not spec it up to more than 55k.

I work at the lexus dealership. Our cars last more than 20 years. We have a tesla dealership next to us and their service is preety busy. As you said you pay a little more on the car but how all of our cars are delivered out of dealership Tesla just can imagine. Those are 2 different kinds of cars a luxury car and a electric car. But in 2021 we will introduce a electric UX . ( jou can watch how our cars are manufactured vs teslas)

Thanks for the info. Great video ! Let me know when production quality gets close to Toyota and ill buy that Model 3 or a Model Y . But it is not and waiting 3-5 weeks to get problems taken care from the factory unacceptable. Their infrastructure is just not there yet. I am hoping it will be because i would love to own.

Some of this data is way off.... $100/month for insurance on a Tesla. Lol. Also doesn’t take into account the nuisance of Tesla reliability.

wait for at least 4 years to see the build quality of the Tesla is or whats left of it

The Lexus ES it's Versailles and Tesla it's Ikea!

The reality is , no one will spend 10k replacing faulty batteries on a used tesla worth 10k . I believe this will destroy the used car market that will be flooded with pre owned teslas , that no one will buy. People have to acept the biggest expense to cars is depreciation , not fuel costs.

Forgot to mention that EV tires are generally much more expensive than standard car tires and wear put much faster. So not only are you paying more per replacement tire, you do it more often. This can also drive up costs. Lexus engines will never die while the EV battery will most likely lose capacity over the course of 5 years, costing you precious range and more in charging. Not to mention that eventually you will have to replace the battery, which can cost anywhere from 12,000 to 20,000 dollars (If you replace all packs)

you forgot the opportunity cost of charging time (40 minutes per full charge?). fit and finish of tesla not anywhere close a real luxury car let alone a lexus. i think you should do a ownership cost of tesla vs chevy malibu which would be a fair comparison i also don't see the point of wasting time to get two cars priced very close to each other since u are doing cost per mile comparison

Dude can bite my wiener if he thinks a 5 year old Lexus IS going to be only $15,000. Maybe trashed, wrecked, rebuilt or with a branded title. A retail ready, clean titled Lexus might lose 40% off MSRP after five years.

The Lexus will last 20+ years the Tesla has problems with built quality since day one 😂😂😂

The 300h coolant is 100k coolant. Not changed at 50k

I'll be all in on electric vehicles when Toyota comes out with one. Sorry I trust Toyotas more than Teslas. From what I read Teslas has a lot quality issues.

@Cleanerwatt: you should check the prices of ACU or door handles. Stuff that breaks in Tesla and costs an arm and leg. Check the price of breaks in Tesla. It's a senseless comparison that does not include hefty bills you're going to get with Tesla.

A very bias review. Why compare a compare a model 3 to an ES. The model 3 would be better off being compare to an IS. A model S would better off compared to the ES. The model 3 is a good car, it’s build quality is questionable at times and Tesla has seemed to address this recently. The built quality of a Lexus well, is probably the best out there. What about the potential repairs, a replacement battery in a Tesla is silly money.

Compare Tesla with KIA. That is the only brand poor enough to be near Tesla.

Ohio has a Dis-incentive by adding a $100/year fee to register hybrid cars and $200 year fee for full electric.

First of all, a utilitarian Tesla CANNOT be compared to a Lexus of that size and luxury. And what about the expense of changing the complete battery set on an electric car that nobody talks about and after 8/10 years will cost you easily $15,000 to $20,000? And what about the bills to pay every malfunction/failure that all electric cars are much more prone to suffer vs thermal (e.g. petrol/diesel) engines? And what about the REAL residual value of an electric car after 10 years, especially if you haven't spent ($15,000 to $20,000) on replacing the exhausted complete battery set? Thermal engines are MUCH LONGER long-lived than any electric motor (if you look after them they can last a lifetime!) and, without a doubt, MUCH MORE economical to buy AND maintain, as well as MUCH LESS prone to breakage. Electric cars are NOT interesting (especially this prone-to-break UTILITARIAN Tesla). Not only because of all the mentioned above, but also because of many other reasons (lack of charging points, recharge time, autonomy, general reliability especially in very cold or hot weather, repair costs, repair technology and software specific to each brand and not for any independent workshop, etc.) Please, don't sell us smoke. Thank you!

Thank you, interesting comparison. It seems the conclusion is in favor of Tesla, but there are many things that were not said. I agree with most of the audients. Lexus is a well established company that delivers high quality to their products. Tesla is still far away to reach such a quality. Furthermore, Lexus wins the autonomy race over Tesla. Gas stations outnumber electric stations, and also gasoline is charged much faster than electric charge is. The future will be electric cars, no doubt. However, today 2021, hybrid cars seem to be the kings. Greetings from Mexico.

Doesnt make sense at all !! Es300 way luxuries and bigger car then model 3. Everyone thinks that Tesla engine and battery will last a million mile but what about body and other parts ? How much will cost battery replacement ? Lexus will be on the road next 20 years for sure but Tesla is ? Hybrid Toyota or Lexus is much smarter decision then Tesla

This is such a bad comparison. The ES is is a luxury car the the Model 3 is not. Seriously do your research to see which cars should be compared with each other.

Does the Tesla have no Brakes??? 🤔🤑🤑🤑 And maybe it should be mentioned that the batteries after 5 Years will do not have that range anymore and the possible range drops extreme in cold conditions what does not have that big influence on the Lex 😉But anyway 👉 Thx 4 u'r work

Nice video. Hopefully in a year or two you'll be comparing Teslas against Corollas. Then we will know that the electric car age has arrived.

U forgot Lexus only take 5 mins to fill up gas Tesla take 30 mins minimum to charge time consuming to charge battery times by 5 years do u match is it worth it

Yeah, but how often You need to charge a tesla? and how many available well spaced charging stations are there ready to be used? and Are you the only one charging your tesla? NOOOO !!! Time is valuable... for me!!! Waiting 2 hours to charge my car? means a loss of earnings and and, twice I know people who owns teslas had to call a charger truck to charge their cars so in the mean time,,, they got stuck who knows where without power to run... but Ok, I am not all that hard headed... Electric vehicles are the future and if there is a car with long enough range power? then, that is totally the best choice... !

Paying close to $40k for a minimalist model 3 with 260 miles? Haha I'd rather pay $5k more to get Lexus, build and quality not on the same level.

How much does it cost to tow Tesla from Canada to California few times a year? Asking for a friend.

You have a clear speaking voice which makes listening that much easier!!

A poorly built electric toy designed to be obsolete as quickly as possible vs a true luxury car designed to last a long, long time. This is a true no-brainer.

Thought it gonna be a clear win for Tesla since you are wearing Cybertrunk t- shirt. But it turns out a pretty reasonable comparison. For the insurance part, I believe M3 will be more expensive than ES300h on average.

You do not count the cost of worrisome about driving in the far distance and wasting time to wait for your battery fully charged during the transitional time from fuel to full electric has just beginned, battery if is dead means Tesla is dead too, not worry much in the ES 300h and still save the fuel is the best choice, at the end Tesla must feed their batteries by the small engine on the go, I think it is comparable.

Find me 2015 Lexus es 300h with less than 75k miles for $15k....you wont even find one for less than $25k..

Also add the charging installation at home and the fact that you have to be a home owner and have to purchase a home before you fully take advantage of an electric car because we do not have sufficient access to fast charging stations. It should be a case by case situation. You may offer a revised version of your comparison because if there is no convenient way to recharge the automobile then it will only be use for as far as the first charge goes.

Still would buy Lexus any day of the week before Tesla.

I don't believe the insurance on a Tesla is that cheap. Also, the Lexus is a much larger and more comfortable car.

Tesla fanboy!! Promoter.

04:21 can not see brake fluid and brake pads cost of tesla. Did they invent new tech for braking ? if yes Good for tesla.

If you consider overall ownership experience with any similar models Lexus will always be miles ahead of Tesla

insurance $100 yeah right in your dreams

Your analysis is not accurate , model 3 after 50k mile warranty breaks and costs a lot for repairs, also hybrid break pads lasts over 100k miles, Tesla model3 insurance is as high as 400 per month, I also think depreciation on a Lexus is not as high as 61%.also you did not mention that any individual shops or diy maintenance can be done on Lexus, not the same can be said for model3, for long trips lexus can go anywhere no problems, but for long trips without long breaks tesla won’t work, some people use a second car for long drives, when you consider these factors model3 costs more than a Lexus, don’t forget the crap build quality of Tesla’s.

I can repair the battery in the lexus, not the tesla.

Why don't u show Tesla model price variant? Tesla fanboys, anyway model 3 performance $54990

Tesla is from china so i want Japan products they last

It is not apple to apple comparison. Lexus ES is luxury mid size sedan. Its reliability is top ranked. Tesla model 3 is a compact car. You will spend more time at the dealership service department than on the road. You have to decide if it worth to spend $12,777 in 5 years to have the "exceptional" ownership of Tesla.

you are comparing Lexus (luxury, reliability and durability) vs Tesla (high tech). Lexus live more than 20 years. Tesla cant even fix their pain, horrible panels, non existent self driving, glitchy screen that you have to shutdown the car when the screen goes dark.

This aged like milk.

Where Lexus wins are comfort, style, luxury and long term (10+ years not miles driven) reliability. I test drove a model 3 demo and even though I really appreciated the newer feel, it just couldn't compare to a much older ES I test drove as well.

How about all the "cost value: for all the time wasted in charging the Model 3...hmmm.Time is Money kid. Lastly, calculate the the cost for replacing the batter of the Model 3. Better get ready to take out another loan for that....

Really?! You got toyota best brand lexus .. vs tesla 😂😂😂 and es vs model 3 😅😅 i just think is stupid model 3 is with is and es compare it with model s

Lexus front pads would be around 90k miles and rear would be around 110k to 120k for first time, coolant flush on mine, well it's still that strong colour pink and 257000miles later is still unchanged at dealership, my brothers garage had a guy come in with a model s, he had bought it a month or 2 previous and car was all good, 38000 euro and then the battery crapped itself and tesla wanted 18000euro to replace it, remember when you buy an electric car you are buying from the manufacturer through the dealership, when you come back to trade you are trading with the dealer not the manufacturer, sales don't want time bombs which put them on the hook for reviving g a car that now is scrap value, that's the bones of it, on the other hand companies mostly can and will take the hit and move on

Lexus beats tesla any day. 3 years ago, I bought a used 2018 lexus 300h with 21k miles for $20k. Killer deal. Its now 62k miles. In 3 years it was about $900 in maintenance. Lexus ride is better, more luxury with better quality interior. It's still worth more than $20k. I dont have to wait by the charger when im traveling far.