I understand what you are saying, but that's not it. The plastic strips are not to protect the doors since they are not on the door, but on the body of the car. Take a look, they are on the piece of metal between the door and the wheel well.
Also, they're not a dealer add-on. They're on every 2002 ES 300.
I can't figure out what they're for, although I guess it does not matter since you can't really see them.
I believe those are there to protect the car metal from stones or other road debris that gets kicked up by the front tires. You will see them on other cars also although I cannot think of any at the moment.
lenscap, Sorry about misunderstanding where the clear plastic strips were located, and gave you the wrong idea. My original idea is that wherever it is located, it is just for protection. fredvh and kreativ also said the same thing. By the way, did you have a chance to talk to your dealer about giving away their sales manager info for the 7/100 extended warranty for $1,200? I assume the 7/100 is a platinum plan ($0 deductible), correct?
I did get around to talking to my salesman yesterday about the extended warranty. He said I would have to consult with the business manager. The manager asked that I not give out his name along with the price I got.
You see, I got the price of $1,200 for the 7/100/$0 deductible warranty from another dealer back when the 2001s were out. When the 2002 came out, the price of the warranty went up (about $300). Then, when Lexus Corporate transferred my order to another dealer, they honored the original price I was given. So, under normal circumstances, they do not want to be selling the warranty for $1,200.
From what I can gather, the dealer cost is about $1,100, and you should be able to get one for about $1,450 without too much trouble.
Hope all this helps. I'm sorry I couldn't give you more info, but I don't want the dealer mad at me. I hope you understand.
kreativ, I picked up my 02' ES in S. CA in early February, since then I have not had a chance to contact any local dealer yet. I live in N. CA. It is also not very urgent since I can buy it before 3 year/36K, although the price may go up. Do you have good experience for the 7/100 warranty? lenscap, I appreciated the research you have done and the information you have provided. I fully understand why you don't want to release the sales manager name.
Has anyone had a black emblem kit put on their 2002 ES? It is listed as an accessory kit on the next to last sentence of the Options and Accessories list on page 47 of the 2002 ES brochure. We are getting a 2002 black ES and thought that these black pearl emblems would look nice on the car. The selling dealer has not heard of this option and Lexus cust. serv. rep. says they are looking into it. Anyone have any suggestions?
I did notice that option in the brochure. I've never seen a 2002 ES with them, although Lexus has put them on various special edition models over the years.
One thing to note: On a black car the badges will not show up much since they will be dark like the car. They are more frequently seen on lighter colors like silver or white.
sliang, Call around the dealers in Southern California and talk to the business manager. Tell them your friend in Chicago purchased the Platinum extended warranty for $1200, and you want to buy it for the same price. If not, ask for their best offer. SoCal Lexus dealers are usually pretty competitive, and as long as it's above their costs, I don't see why one of them wouldn't swing you a deal. It doesn't seem like you actually have to go to the dealer to buy the warranty (just use fax and mail), but I may be wrong.
I have not had any experience with that warranty. It would have been a waste if we had gotten it on our LS, but you never know how the '02 ES will do in 6 years. So it's good for peace of mind.
Hello, I'm about to by an es300 02'. I was told by a couple of dealers that the color Starlight Pearl was special order because the dealers told the area distributer that they didn't think it would sell. My question is to those who own the car in that color. Are you happy with it, and can you describe it? I've only seen a picture of it on the net and it looks like it's baby blue.
I have a 00 Platinum Edition and it came with the Black Pearl Emblems. Believe they also come on the Coach Editions. They are a nice change from the standard chrome, but I agree with Lenscap they wouldn't show well with black. My color is Burnished Gold. Can't believe they'd be worth $400 extra though. Complete gold kits are on Ebay for around $100. Tmart
I described Starlight Pearl about 10 messages up. Since the ES 300 is flying off the lots in Texas, I think a dealer could sell a purple one. They are around but being made in small quantities. It's a shame when the dealer decides what will and won't sell. I love the color and get many compliments on it.
tmart, thanks for the gen on the emblems. What entry do you make on ebay to check on the gold emblems?(never used that service)Is it difficult to remove stock emblems to replace with gold? Thx. micalene
Micalene, after opening Ebay at www.ebay.com, in the search window just enter lexus gold kit. There are several listed. No black pearls came up at this time. Can't help you on the removal of the originals. Sorry. Tmart
Well, I finally did it. I bought an ES300 after watching and reading these forums for months. My goal was to buy at invoice + $1000. I sent the note below to most dealers in VA,TN,NC,SC,and GA.
I will not bore you with the response from most dealers except to say many wanted MSRP.
I did get one dealer to commit to my request. At this point let me say I have no connection with this dealer in any way! I have never even met any sales person at the dealer. (face to face)
So if you want to get the car at $1000 over invoice with an almost complete color selection then you want want to use the contact below. ------------------------------------------- RESPONSE TO MY REQUEST -------------------------------------------
Thank You for you inquiry today. My name is Jay Miano and I am your personal Lexus representative here at Hendrick Lexus. Please contact me at your earliest opportunity to review the details. We have the vehicle in inventory.
Jay Miano @ 1-800-277-5398 or 1-704-568-4122
or cell @ 704-953-2684
------------------------------------------------- MY REQUEST: ------------------------------------------------- I am looking to purchase the car shown below. I am looking for the Millennium Silver/Light Charcoal vehicle.
The invoice is $34,719.00, including the $394 LDA fee that is billed to the car.
I am willing to commit to buy this car for $35,719.00.
ES 300 INVOICE RETAIL 9000 Luxury Sport Sedan 4D 27,935.00 31,505.00 Destination Charge 575.00 575.00 Total Optional Equipment 5,815.00 7,235.00 -------------- -------------- Total Price 34,325.00 39,315.00
OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT ENGINE --- V6, 183", 24V, SFI (3.0 Liter) Std. Std. TRANSMISSION --- Automatic, 5-Speed w/Overdrive Std. Std. ACCESSORY PACKAGES LA Leather Trim Pkg. (Std. w/Premium Pkg.-PM) Includes Leather Surfaced Seat Trim & Driver's Seat & O/S Mirror Memory. Incl. Incl. LI Mark Levinson Audio Pkg. (Std. w/Navigation System/Mark Levinson Audio Pkg.-NL) Includes Mark Levinson Audio System & Premium Pkg. Incl. Incl. ND Navigation System Pkg. (Std. w/Navigation System/Mark Levinson Audio Pkg.-NL) Includes Navigation System & Premium Pkg. Incl. Incl. NL Navigation System/Mark Levinson Audio Pkg. Includes Navigation System Pkg. & Mark Levinson Audio Pkg. 3,936.00 4,860.00 PM Premium Pkg. (Std. w/Mark Levinson Audio Pkg.-LI & Navigation System Pkg.-ND) Includes Leather Trim Pkg. & 6-Disc Compact Disc Changer in Dash (w/o Navigation System Pkg.-ND) or Console (w/Navigation System Pkg.-ND). Incl. Incl. POWER ACCESSORY HN Sun Shade, Power Rear (Req's Leather Trim Pkg.-LA) 168.00 210.00 OTHER OPTIONS HL Headlamps, High Intensity Discharge (Req's Leather Trim Pkg.-LA) Includes Rain-Sensing W/S Wipers. 512.00 640.00 DC Radio Equipment, 6-Disc Compact Disc Changer in Dash (Req's Leather Trim Pkg.-LA) (Std. w/Premium Pkg.-PM) Incl. Incl. HH Seats, Heated Front (Req's Leather Trim Pkg.-LA) 352.00 440.00 VV Skid Control (Req's Leather Trim Pkg.-LA) Includes Traction Control. 520.00 650.00 WU Steering Wheel, Wood (Req's Leather Trim Pkg.-LA) 264.00 330.00 LM Trunk Mat (PIO) 38.00 64.00 WL Wheel Locks (PIO) 25.00 41.00 TIRES --- (5) P215/60VR16 Std. Std.
Yes, I have closed the deal on the car with Jay Miano. I have not received the car yet, I am going to take the train and drive the car back to my location soon. In speaking with Jay, he told me he has several others in stock. I think if you use this information you will be able to get the same deal. He thought he has almost all the colors in stock.
I copied his response exactly as he sent it. The rest I did by phone. I just wanted to give everyone this contact information. I went to my local dealer several times and they would not even consider this offer.
There is one thing that I don't like. The processing fee is $489.00. This is very high, compared to the norm of Lexus dealers of $175-$250. But even adding this, no other dealer beat this price. Plus, most dealers don't have this car in stock.
They have a great inventory now, but I bet as the inventory goes down the price will go up.
Sounds like the best deal I have heard. I am interested in a blue onyx loaded car but as I am in St. Louis, where is this dealer (city/state)? Thanks so much for your input and I know you will enjoy the car.
The Lexus dealer is in Charlotte, North Carolia. Nice little trip across the state of Tennessee and on the way you can stop in and say hello to my UT Vols who are getting ready for next years run on the NCAA football championship.
Hi All, Last Week we paid downpayment to buy ES300 '02 which includes
ACCESSORY PACKAGES LA Leather Trim Pkg. HL Headlamps, High Intensity Discharge DC Radio Equipment, 6-Disc Compact Disc Changer in Dash HH Seats, Heated Front WU Steering Wheel, Wood LM Trunk Mat WL Wheel Locks HN Sun Shade, Power Rear HH Seats, Heated Front
We Paid $35,000 out the door....pls advice if the price is reasonable...we bought this car in NC
What is the tax rate in NC? and what about license and registration fees? 35K for out of door seems to be not a bad deal, the invoice for your car is about $31,558. I am wondering why you select LA+DC options instead of the premium package which also includes the moonroof with the same total price. I guess it is your preference.
hi sliang,..tax rate in NC is 3%, my price includes licence + registration fee + document handling fee ...I did pick the premium package ..in my last post I missed moonroof in my detail breakdown...I will pick up car next week after passover...
fredvh...No I didn't order special..experience was very nice, I have been looking into this car & other new 2003 cars e.g. G35 & GLX/4Motion Passat ..I needed more reliable car for my daily commute..my wife loves this cars..Next week after passover I will pick up my car...good luck to all who are looking
Has anyone recently actually custom ordered the ES300 and, if so, how long does it take? Can you get it exactly how you want it? Can the owners give me the miles-per-gallon that you are experiencing? Highway mpg should be better than the previous generation due to the 5-speed auto; but is it?
dnbhatia, I hope we can have the same tax rate here in CA as in NC, 3% vs. 8.25%. If my guess about your license, registration, & doc fees are correct, around $230, then the dealer added about $2,200 profit over the invoice which in turns that you had a $2,150 discount from MSRP, not the best I have heard, but reasonable. jimervin, The so-called Lexus processing fee was VERY high vs. mine. My Lexus dealer charged only $45 plus $5 tire tax, that's it.
I custom ordered an ES 300 in early November. The reason was because I wanted the adjustable suspension and they were not making any cars for my region with that feature.
I specified exactly the way I wanted the car, from color to options.
They told me it would take 3-4 months. Sure enough, the car arrived in February and I couldn't be happier. I love this car.
Someone just told me there is a law in which if asked dealers must show buyers their invoice on a new vehicle. Not sure if it's a state VA or Fed law. Can anyone confirm this?
Had my car two weeks today and took it to a car wash. They scratched the wood console near the shifter. Not very bad, but bad enough for a car with 900 miles on it. I took it to a Lexus dealer and they say there is nothing they can do. I can't believe this is the first time this has happened and wondered if anyone else has had an experience so I can get it fixed. I'm meeting with the carwash manager on Monday, but I'm not expecting much.
You can custom order the car from Japan and can have it congigured with any options you want. For example, I got mine with the Mark Levinson Stereo but did not get the Navigation system. I ordered mine in September and got it in early January. I am averaging 25MPG with a mix of highway and local driving and have been using 89 Octane.
Time to finally delurk. I took the plunge and ordered the 2002 ES 300 the other day (loaded for ~$1,850 above invoice -- I am happy). Based on its looks and the posts in here, I decided to forget about silver and ordered it in Starlight Pearl.
When I ordered the car, however, I asked for a charcoal interior. I noticed in the ES 300 brochure that Pearl is only supposed to come with the black or ivory interior.
Any thoughts or suggestions? Am I making a huge mistake with the charcoal? What interior color did or would you select and why?
I haven't seen the Starlight Pearl in person, but I would imagine it would be beautiful--and best--with the light charcoal. Much better than black, and that ivory would look very dull in comparison to the exterior. I saw an SC w/ Millenium Silver/ivory. The ivory really stood out and did not look good w/ the silver. So, imo, I think you made a very good choice. btw, I got Mill. Silver/Light Charcoal.
Well I've had the car for 3 months now and am really impressed with it.The HID headlights really do a great job on lighting up the road. No blind spots at all. I got the loaded Lexus. I really wasn't in the market for the Nav, but now that I got it I'm glad I did. The ML stereo system is the best I've heard. Crank it up and it's still clear as bell. The color is Allibaster with grey interior. To me it's hard to tell the diff. between this and the silver. If you look real close you can tell, but the allibaster has a little tint of something in it. It actually changes color with diff. lighting, but most colors do. I'm getting about 23 mpg in mixed driving. I find the stereo is just as easy as a regular stereo. Most of the important dials have nothing to do with the nav. The more I look at the exterior the more I like it. At first I wasn't sure if I would like it, but now it's absolutly beautiful!!! Enjoy !!!!
Congratulations! Its so frekin awesome to read about people who love their cars. Once I graduate, invest a bit, and am financially sound, a Lexus is going to be mine. I am looking forward to the next gen GS. alpha
A couple of years ago BMW ran a series of ads that stated that the Toyota Camry shared 60%-70% of it parts with the ES300. Also shared were the powertrain (identical) and suspension. I wonder how Lexus can still charge mid to upper $30k for this car? Is it not still a Camry?
Don't get me wrong, the Camry is a very dependable car albeit vanilla and not much fun to drive. But would I feel or notice any difference(aside from the badging) between the Camry and the ES to justify plunking down an additional $15,000 for the latter? Lexus's profit on these cars must enormous.
Fair question but silly place to ask it. We're mostly all in love with our cars. (there are some annoyances) Why don't you go to a toy dealer, look over the camry then go to a Lexus dealer and check out the ES.
Interiors are very unique to the ES and was a very big seller for the wife. Styling, to me at least, is also unique. The ES motor has 18 more horsepower and a 5 speed auto vs a 4 speed for the Camry. Maxed out I think the Camry is more like 5-7K less not 15K. I believe a Camry can be in the 30's with V6 NAV etc.
Believe it or not, the platform is also shared with the Avalon which is even closer in price to the ES. Great value? Maybe not. But is anything a great value after basic transportation?
Yes, the two certainly do share much of the same internal workings. From what I know, the V6 engine is the same except for a few tweaks to give it 18 more horses, at the expense of having to use Premium vs. regular to achieve that power gain. So there's no issues with using regular in an ES...you just lose a little power (which the stereotypical ES driver won't even notice).
The driving experience, in my opinion, is vastly different. It's quieter, the leather quality is superior (in line with the LS430), most all internal materials are superior, the audio system (in both standard and upgraded) is superior, and there are numerous performance and luxury features on the ES (both standard and optional) that aren't found on the Camry line. Does this justify the price premium? On a strictly features for price scale, I doubt it. But it's like that with any luxury car.
I think most people who repeat the same, old "ES is a Camry with an L badge" comment that they heard years ago have not taken a test drive in both an '02 Camry and an '02 ES. This new-generation ES was able to move further upscale in luxury thanks to the intro of the IS a couple years ago.
The only reason I question is that my wife is in the market for sport luxury sedan. I also considered Acura TL but if I buy the TL I'll always be thinking "glorified Accord".
It seems that the only option might 3 series. Couple of good things going for it. 1. rear wheel drive 2. 5-speed manual gearbox(she likes to row) 3. no twin to bring resale down 4.50/50 weight dist. for better handling
We will drive the ES 300, but after driving the 3 I don't know if their's any looking back!
I don't know why you're even considering an ES if you're looking for a SPORT luxury sedan. If you loved the 3 series and didn't think "too noisy" and "too rough of a ride", then the ES most likely isn't for you. Unless the Lexus interior, quietness, and numb ride somehow wins your wife over.
Obviously that would be her decision, but in that price range we want to consider all options. BTW thanks for your honest appraisal of the ES I'll pass it along to my wife.
You also might want to look at the Infiniti G-35 if you are looking for a sport sedan. Many good reviews. Go to the Edmunds Townhall and chime in. Many compare it to the BMW 3 series except the manual apparently will not be available for 6 months or so.
Sorry for being redundant, It's been covered very well by kreativ. The ES is an anti-BMW. There is no sporty pretentsions to the ES. It coddles you, relaxes you and never pretends to be a street racer.
The wife came out of a '97 Cobra in to her '02 ES and loves the ES. This may or may not change but it is always nice to have a car that isolates you like the Lexus. Up until a few days ago we had the Cobra for nostalgic tail happy fun every now and then. I'll let you know how not having a hot rod to fall back on affects her love for the ES!!!
I have been using 89 Octane in my 2002 ES and have been getting about 23-25mpg city and about 27mpg on the highway. Are any of you using 93 octane continually and if so, what has your miles per gallon been with the higher grade of gas. Thanks
Comments
Also, they're not a dealer add-on. They're on every 2002 ES 300.
I can't figure out what they're for, although I guess it does not matter since you can't really see them.
Thanks for your response.
Sorry about misunderstanding where the clear plastic strips were located, and gave you the wrong idea. My original idea is that wherever it is located, it is just for protection. fredvh and kreativ also said the same thing.
By the way, did you have a chance to talk to your dealer about giving away their sales manager info for the 7/100 extended warranty for $1,200? I assume the 7/100 is a platinum plan ($0 deductible), correct?
You see, I got the price of $1,200 for the 7/100/$0 deductible warranty from another dealer back when the 2001s were out. When the 2002 came out, the price of the warranty went up (about $300). Then, when Lexus Corporate transferred my order to another dealer, they honored the original price I was given. So, under normal circumstances, they do not want to be selling the warranty for $1,200.
From what I can gather, the dealer cost is about $1,100, and you should be able to get one for about $1,450 without too much trouble.
Hope all this helps. I'm sorry I couldn't give you more info, but I don't want the dealer mad at me. I hope you understand.
I picked up my 02' ES in S. CA in early February, since then I have not had a chance to contact any local dealer yet. I live in N. CA. It is also not very urgent since I can buy it before 3 year/36K, although the price may go up.
Do you have good experience for the 7/100 warranty?
lenscap,
I appreciated the research you have done and the information you have provided. I fully understand why you don't want to release the sales manager name.
One thing to note: On a black car the badges will not show up much since they will be dark like the car. They are more frequently seen on lighter colors like silver or white.
Call around the dealers in Southern California and talk to the business manager. Tell them your friend in Chicago purchased the Platinum extended warranty for $1200, and you want to buy it for the same price. If not, ask for their best offer. SoCal Lexus dealers are usually pretty competitive, and as long as it's above their costs, I don't see why one of them wouldn't swing you a deal. It doesn't seem like you actually have to go to the dealer to buy the warranty (just use fax and mail), but I may be wrong.
I have not had any experience with that warranty. It would have been a waste if we had gotten it on our LS, but you never know how the '02 ES will do in 6 years. So it's good for peace of mind.
Yes, it is an option. hgani bought them for his silver '02 ES. I believe it was $400-some dollars.
Thx. micalene
watching and reading these forums for months. My
goal was to buy at invoice + $1000. I sent the
note below to most dealers in VA,TN,NC,SC,and GA.
I will not bore you with the response from most
dealers except to say many wanted MSRP.
I did get one dealer to commit to my request. At
this point let me say I have no connection with
this dealer in any way! I have never even met any
sales person at the dealer. (face to face)
So if you want to get the car at $1000 over invoice with an almost complete color selection
then you want want to use the contact below.
-------------------------------------------
RESPONSE TO MY REQUEST
-------------------------------------------
Thank You for you inquiry today. My name is Jay Miano and I am your
personal Lexus representative here at Hendrick Lexus. Please contact
me at
your earliest opportunity to review the details. We have the vehicle
in
inventory.
Jay Miano @ 1-800-277-5398
or 1-704-568-4122
or cell @ 704-953-2684
-------------------------------------------------
MY REQUEST:
-------------------------------------------------
I am looking to purchase the car shown below. I am looking for the Millennium Silver/Light Charcoal vehicle.
The invoice is $34,719.00, including the $394 LDA fee that is billed to the car.
I am willing to commit to buy this car for $35,719.00.
ES 300 INVOICE RETAIL
9000 Luxury Sport Sedan 4D 27,935.00 31,505.00
Destination Charge 575.00 575.00
Total Optional Equipment 5,815.00 7,235.00
-------------- --------------
Total Price 34,325.00 39,315.00
OPTIONAL EQUIPMENT
ENGINE
--- V6, 183", 24V, SFI (3.0 Liter) Std. Std.
TRANSMISSION
--- Automatic, 5-Speed w/Overdrive Std. Std.
ACCESSORY PACKAGES
LA Leather Trim Pkg.
(Std. w/Premium Pkg.-PM) Includes Leather Surfaced Seat Trim & Driver's Seat & O/S Mirror Memory. Incl. Incl.
LI Mark Levinson Audio Pkg.
(Std. w/Navigation System/Mark Levinson Audio Pkg.-NL) Includes Mark Levinson Audio System & Premium Pkg. Incl. Incl.
ND Navigation System Pkg.
(Std. w/Navigation System/Mark Levinson Audio Pkg.-NL) Includes Navigation System & Premium Pkg. Incl. Incl.
NL Navigation System/Mark Levinson Audio Pkg.
Includes Navigation System Pkg. & Mark Levinson Audio Pkg. 3,936.00 4,860.00
PM Premium Pkg.
(Std. w/Mark Levinson Audio Pkg.-LI & Navigation System Pkg.-ND) Includes Leather Trim Pkg. & 6-Disc Compact Disc Changer in Dash (w/o Navigation System Pkg.-ND) or Console (w/Navigation System Pkg.-ND). Incl. Incl.
POWER ACCESSORY
HN Sun Shade, Power Rear
(Req's Leather Trim Pkg.-LA) 168.00 210.00
OTHER OPTIONS
HL Headlamps, High Intensity Discharge
(Req's Leather Trim Pkg.-LA) Includes Rain-Sensing W/S Wipers. 512.00 640.00
DC Radio Equipment, 6-Disc Compact Disc Changer in Dash
(Req's Leather Trim Pkg.-LA) (Std. w/Premium Pkg.-PM) Incl. Incl.
HH Seats, Heated Front
(Req's Leather Trim Pkg.-LA) 352.00 440.00
VV Skid Control
(Req's Leather Trim Pkg.-LA) Includes Traction Control. 520.00 650.00
WU Steering Wheel, Wood
(Req's Leather Trim Pkg.-LA) 264.00 330.00
LM Trunk Mat (PIO) 38.00 64.00
WL Wheel Locks (PIO) 25.00 41.00
TIRES
--- (5) P215/60VR16 Std. Std.
I copied his response exactly as he sent it. The rest I did by phone. I just wanted to give everyone this contact information. I went to my local dealer several times and they would not even consider this offer.
There is one thing that I don't like. The processing fee is $489.00. This is very high, compared to the norm of Lexus dealers of $175-$250. But even adding this, no other dealer beat this price. Plus, most dealers don't have this car in stock.
They have a great inventory now, but I bet as the inventory goes down the price will go up.
Good luck to all.....
Last Week we paid downpayment to buy ES300 '02 which includes
ACCESSORY PACKAGES
LA Leather Trim Pkg.
HL Headlamps, High Intensity Discharge
DC Radio Equipment, 6-Disc Compact Disc Changer in Dash
HH Seats, Heated Front
WU Steering Wheel, Wood
LM Trunk Mat
WL Wheel Locks
HN Sun Shade, Power Rear
HH Seats, Heated Front
We Paid $35,000 out the door....pls advice if the price is reasonable...we bought this car in NC
35K for out of door seems to be not a bad deal, the invoice for your car is about $31,558.
I am wondering why you select LA+DC options instead of the premium package which also includes the moonroof with the same total price. I guess it is your preference.
sliang,..tax rate in NC is 3%, my price includes licence + registration fee + document handling fee ...I did pick the premium package ..in my last post I missed moonroof in my detail breakdown...I will pick up car next week after passover...
fredvh...No I didn't order special..experience was very nice, I have been looking into this car & other new 2003 cars e.g. G35 & GLX/4Motion Passat ..I needed more reliable car for my daily commute..my wife loves this cars..Next week after passover I will pick up my car...good luck to all who are looking
Can the owners give me the miles-per-gallon that you are experiencing? Highway mpg should be better than the previous generation due to the 5-speed auto; but is it?
I hope we can have the same tax rate here in CA as in NC, 3% vs. 8.25%.
If my guess about your license, registration, & doc fees are correct, around $230, then the dealer added about $2,200 profit over the invoice which in turns that you had a $2,150 discount from MSRP, not the best I have heard, but reasonable.
jimervin,
The so-called Lexus processing fee was VERY high vs. mine. My Lexus dealer charged only $45 plus $5 tire tax, that's it.
I specified exactly the way I wanted the car, from color to options.
They told me it would take 3-4 months. Sure enough, the car arrived in February and I couldn't be happier. I love this car.
MSRP ............ 39,343.00
Selling Price ... 35,719.00
NC Tax .......... 1,071.57
Tag/Title........ 56.00
Documentary fee.. 489.00
____________________________
Total 37,335.57
When I ordered the car, however, I asked for a charcoal interior. I noticed in the ES 300 brochure that Pearl is only supposed to come with the black or ivory interior.
Any thoughts or suggestions? Am I making a huge mistake with the charcoal? What interior color did or would you select and why?
alpha
Also shared were the powertrain (identical) and suspension.
I wonder how Lexus can still charge mid to upper $30k for this car? Is it not still a Camry?
Easy. It sells.
And being just a Camry is no bad thing.
~alpha
justify plunking down an additional $15,000 for the latter?
Lexus's profit on these cars must enormous.
Interiors are very unique to the ES and was a very big seller for the wife. Styling, to me at least, is also unique. The ES motor has 18 more horsepower and a 5 speed auto vs a 4 speed for the Camry. Maxed out I think the Camry is more like 5-7K less not 15K. I believe a Camry can be in the 30's with V6 NAV etc.
Believe it or not, the platform is also shared with the Avalon which is even closer in price to the ES. Great value? Maybe not. But is anything a great value after basic transportation?
Whether or not it's a good value, you owe yourself a test drive and find out yourself. Let us know what you think.
The driving experience, in my opinion, is vastly different. It's quieter, the leather quality is superior (in line with the LS430), most all internal materials are superior, the audio system (in both standard and upgraded) is superior, and there are numerous performance and luxury features on the ES (both standard and optional) that aren't found on the Camry line.
Does this justify the price premium? On a strictly features for price scale, I doubt it. But it's like that with any luxury car.
I think most people who repeat the same, old "ES is a Camry with an L badge" comment that they heard years ago have not taken a test drive in both an '02 Camry and an '02 ES. This new-generation ES was able to move further upscale in luxury thanks to the intro of the IS a couple years ago.
I also considered Acura TL but if I buy the TL
I'll always be thinking "glorified Accord".
It seems that the only option might 3 series.
Couple of good things going for it.
1. rear wheel drive
2. 5-speed manual gearbox(she likes to row)
3. no twin to bring resale down
4.50/50 weight dist. for better handling
We will drive the ES 300, but after driving the 3
I don't know if their's any looking back!
Am I wrong?
Invoice pricing is easy to get over the Internet for virtually any car now. There's no need to go to the dealer for such information.
in that price range we want to consider all options.
BTW thanks for your honest appraisal of the ES
I'll pass it along to my wife.
The wife came out of a '97 Cobra in to her '02 ES and loves the ES. This may or may not change but it is always nice to have a car that isolates you like the Lexus. Up until a few days ago we had the Cobra for nostalgic tail happy fun every now and then. I'll let you know how not having a hot rod to fall back on affects her love for the ES!!!