Lexus ES 350

dp5

Does the Premium Plus w/ Navigation include the Mark Levinson or do you have to get the UL Package to get Mark Levinson?

dp5

Whoops! Sorry for the double post on the Mark Levinson quetion. For some reason, my computer didn't register the 1st one so I thought it didn't go through.

psychdoc

...Just got off the phone with Lexus and the price of the ES350 with Nav. is $36,359.

No residual prices have yet been announced so they don't know about exact lease prices yet but the salesman said to expect very low $500's

bartalk3

Well, is that the premium line, premium plus, or what? And is that the sticker price or your dealer's discounted price? Please clarify.

psychdoc

Not sure, I'm afraid.

I generally like pretty much every option (I wish I could get control of that, but it's like an addiction...once I see it I "have" to have it..lol) so I'm expecting the car to finish up in the low $40's.

ron123

Does not include Mark Levinson. I am buying a new ES 350, saw one a few weeks ago put a deposit down on one, they are really sharp, much better than the pictures. The pricing they had at the dealership was still preliminary but supposed to be pretty close, and they aren't dealing. Lexus.ca has more information on this car by the way but no prices.
The ultra premium plus with navigation has that panoramic rear roof window, didn't really like it, also upgraded leather seats. Don't think it is worth the extra money.

dp5

Thanks. I am buying one as well and have already put a deposit down. I expect to pay MSRP or very close to it but I've been holding off on buying a new car for the last few months while waiting for this car to be released and I really need a new car. I want to evaluate the ultraluxury package to see if it is worth it but it all depends upon price versus included features. I may end up agreeing with you that the few upgrades aren't worth the extra money. However, even if I don't get the UL, I think I'll want the Mark Levinson stereo. I'm speculating that it will probably cost in the low 40's but this is purely a guess.

carrelman2

Body side moldings will be available as an accessory for the 2007 ES 350. Way to go Lexus you just got a customer.

ron123

As my salesman explained it to me Lexus was going to begin shipping them first in those packages, premium, premium plus, premium plus w/navigation and ultra. If i wanted anything extra it would take longer to custom order it outside of that package. So if you get Mark Levinson extra it may take awhile. He said the cars were due in the end of April. What Lexus is doing is they have a few cars they are taking around to dealers to show off for a day or two to let people see but not drive and take orders. I really liked it, but will be contingent on driving it when it comes in and color. As i recall the ultra luxury was around 42-44,000 msrp.

ggesq

Good to see that BSM's solidified your decision in purchasing the ES350. I guess others considering purchasing/leasing the ES350 take into account Lexus' other fine attributes like reputation, styling, reliability, comfort, luxury....but whatever works for you

jimsmith45

Steve, how does the rear leg room and rear head room compare to the ES 330? We love the 330 but want a little more room in the back. Jim

psychdoc

Agreed, the rear seat leg room on the 300/330 was not great. From the brief time I spent in the 350, it seemed significantly improved. I guess that 2.2" wheelbase stretch did some good.

jchan2

I remember when I test drove the ES330 the backseat somehow felt more cramped than the backseat of the I35 I'm now driving even though the specs were very close to each other. (35.9 inches of legroom in the ES330 vs. 36.2 inches in the I35 I believe)

I hope the backseat's been enlarged and if it is then Lexus may have a new customer down the road in 4-5 years maybe.

psychdoc

....I called a few dealers around the NY area to get information on the '07 ES350. In the course of discussion, they asked me what I was driving. When I told them the 2002 ES300 with 50k they started salivating like Pavlov's dog. I swear, it was like a feeding frenzy of sharks. They asked if I was going to trade it in and when I said I was considering it three out of three salesmen virtually begged me to bring it in for an appraisal. They seemed more interested in getting my '02 than in selling me an '07.

I've never seen anything like it. It's like I was holding the contract for Saudi Arabian oil and was willing to deal.

Does anyone "on the inside" know what's up with this?

ron123

Your 02 ES is worth $17,000 they will sell for $23,000 certified. New 2007 ES $35-42,000 Markup on new 2007 $ 4-4500. Markup on your 2002 $6000. It's about Dealer profit, pure and simple! Ten grand is why they like you!

psychdoc

(Gulp)

You mean they really don't like me?

And here I was, thinking I was fostering a new and life long friendship.

Things just aren't what they seem!

(Sigh)

lbesser

The ES350 has the same dimensions as the new Camry. The rear legroom is 38.3 in, better than before but still much less than the Avalon's.

psychdoc

...In my experience the major car mags will be soon to follow.

I can't wait!

:P

jchan2

These are supposed to be hitting dealer lots any day now right?

motownusa

Next month

jchan2

So if the auto show I'm going to is in April, will the ES350 be there or will it be the (now) outdated ES330?

psychdoc

I'm figuring about four more weeks.

I expect to have one in my garage within two weeks after they hit the dealers.

Can't wait.

csp928

I leased a 2003 es300 for my wife and was loaded with every option that model year and I beleive the sticker was about 40k. The nego price was about 34/35k. Per month is $450 on 15k per year. Her lease it up in a couple of months and she would like another, but if Lexus hits that $500 price point for a half loaded vehicle, we will look else where.

motownusa

More than likely it will be the new ES 350. I don't see any point of showcasing a five year old car. :P

dp5

For all in or near Houston, there is an invitation-only preview of the Lexus ES 350 and GS 450h at the Corinthian Hotel downtown on April 5th. We were probably invited because I've already put a deposit down on a new ES 350. However, my wife and I can't go because we'll be on vacation in Aruba that week. If anyone lives near and wants to go, I'd suggest calling a dealer and requesting an invitation. It says they will have food, chocolate tasting, wine tasting, etc. Looks like a fun time. The dealership that invited me is on the West side of town and is affiliated with the dealership on the North side of town.

navigator89

http://www.edmunds.com/insideline/do/Drives/FullTests/articleId=109687#6

jchan2

I think essentially only has 2 competitors- the Mercedes Benz C-Class and the Acura TL.

All the other entry level luxury cars are tuned for performance. Sometimes some of us just want a nice quiet ride with plush leather and a nice sound system.

Lexus, Acura, and Mercedes seem to provide those items

bartalk3

Fabulous review from Edmunds. Sounds like the handling's been improved (a previous weak spot). It will be no sports car, but, as Lexus said at its introduction, it does really seem equal--or even superior-- to the original Lexus LS400. At a bargain price, even at sticker (which it will sell for for quite a while, if the demand for it is what I expect).

BTW, the Acura TL is a completely different car, not at all comparable to the ES350.

jaxs1

Most of the C-Class is sporter other than a 240 and the TL is also sportier.
The ES350 competition is Avalon Limited Audi A6 and Buick Lucern.
Maybe a Jaguar X/S-Type or a loaded up Passat.

pimp_dog_179

Hopefully, the mods wont boot me or something, I found another video on the Lexus ES 350. This isn't as good as the Edmunds one since this video is not a test. It still gives a pretty nice idea of what the car looks like and how it performs on the road.
I wont post the link but if you go on http://www.cartv.com/ you are sure to find the video I am talking about ... enjoy

jchan2

I've heard that the TL automatics aren't terribly sporty though.

Given the choice between an ES, Avalon, or Lucerne, I'd definitely lean towards the ES for its cachet and smaller size.

tds1

Wow, I agree that's quite an impressive review. Unfortunately, my unwritten rule on cars is that there is no way I will pay sticker when the car is initially released. This (and I am sure other reviews) will only prolong the time that it is true. My main question is I wonder if by the time December to Remember rolls around it will be possible to get a discount on this car. My sense is that with all the new recent introductions by Lexus, that by December some of the enthusiasm will have cooled. Or at least I hope so!

jaxs1

Of course. December is many months away. They will likely be discounted even before that. There are lots of other nice cars to choose from in the $35K+ price range.

midrider

My wife wants to lease a new car how does the chrysler compare to the new es 350 lexus which would you go with?

jaxs1

Your wife must really have some preference on the car she prefers since they are not really that similar.
The ES350 should have higher residual value that would normally mean cheaper to lease, but since it is so new and sells at sticker and there is no lease special on it yet, you might be able to get a better lease on the 300C.

bartalk3

Since none of us has yet driven the ES350 we can't yet advise check back with us at end of april when the car will be out we will have driven it by then and be able to advise you meanwhile hold on has your wife driven the Chrysler what does she think of it what is she driving now how do you feel about reliability of that car good luck

midrider

She is going to try out the 300 c on Saturday, Thanks for the feedback

jimbres

You can be sure that by the end of the year, all of the dummies - er, shoppers - who will pay MSRP to be the 1st on the block with the latest & greatest will have moved on to other cars. I understand that Infiniti is scheduled to release a redone G35 this fall. That should steal some of the thunder from the new ES & bring dealers down to earth.

jchan2

I didn't know Infiniti was doing a new G35 this fall.

And yes it would pay significantly to wait until the Lexus December to Remember Sales Event to get an ES350.

skoman

Tell me more about the December to Remember Sales event. I was planning on waiting until next April but maybe I should consider December. Why is is such a great time to buy a Lexus? Are there any other good sales events or promotional times?

skoman

I received a preview brochure on the Black Diamond edition with the disclaimer as follows "Tires fitted with 17inch wheels are expected to experience greater tire wear than conventional tires." I thought all 2007 will come with 17" tires standard, but maybe the wheels are only 16 or 15 inch. Can some of you experts help out this rookie?

jaxs1

December to Remember may be forgettable for the ES350. Normally, they are clearing out "last years" cars, but since the new ES350 is an '07, there may not be any really great deals.
Of course, you will still get a much better price than now anyway because they novelty would have died and the new G35 would be out and would ne the new, hot thing at that time.

bartalk3

17" wheels. Lexus is putting that disclaimer on all their cars with 17" or larger wheels. No big deal. Just don't count on getting 50,000 on a set of tires. Check the wear factor on the tires. Truth is, the tires on the ES350 will last a lot longer than the high performance tires on the GS and IS.

BTW. ES buyers will not be cross-shopping the new Infiniti GS35. Different kind of car.

tds1

Hopefully pricing will be announced soon. To me, even worse than people paying MSRP is the attitude of all car dealers (regardless of brand), when a new model is introduced. As if it is the greatest creation ever - buy now as it will never drop in price! I remember trying to buy our Subaru wagon a couple years ago when their new lineup came out. As it was only 1 month after release, I was supposed to think $100 off MSRP was a bargain. Dealer would absolutey not budge below that. For a Subaru??? This was going to be a 3rd car bought for AWD/cargo capacity. Found a dealer outside of town the next day, offered invoice (which was accepted), had the car a few minutes later - still may have overpaid.
My personal experience with Lexus dealers is that they are among the hardest to deal with, similar to Mercedes. Which is why we have never owned one. I imagine it depends on what part of the country you live in and how competitive the market is. Here in Minneapolis, I think there is only 1 or 2 Lexus dealers - not good for competition. But, I am perfectly happy to pick up a car in Chicago for a decent deal, which I am sure will be necessary once discounting begins.

skoman

I also live in the twin-cities and own an outback, what a coincidence! I agree the two lexus dealers here have a lock on the market, but my job allows me to cover the whole midwest from OH (my hometown) to here and as far south as WV, KY and Iowa and all in between. I will shop via fax and internet every lexus dealer in-between to get the price I want NEXT spring. If anyone has any suggestions on the best way to do this feel free to give advice.

tds1

Will be interesting to see what happens next month. Was told by the local dealer (so it may very well have no truth) that this will be volume wise Lexus's highest launch ever. If so, prices may fall sooner rather than later.

jchan2

It's a time of the year when Lexus puts some attractive lease deals and, on the slow sellers, some dealer cash on their models to move the metal.

The ES350 may have a special lease rate or two, but I doubt it'll have dealer cash.

dp5

A salesman from a local dealer told me over the telephone that you can go to the Lexus website and preview the colors for the new ES 350. He said that you can click on each color and see a full page picture of the ES 350 in that color to determine what color you like best. I've looked all over lexus.com and can't find it anywhere. Has anyone seen this on the Lexus website or did he make just make a mistake?

andy82471

No mention of the ES350 on the Lexus website yet. I am guessing they are trying to sell off the remaining 06 ES330 to make room for the 07 ES. If the 07 ES350 gets all the publicity, Lexus would have a difficult time selling the remaining 06 model.

jaxs1

Usually they push sales of the '06s very hard in anticipation of the '07s so there is very little overlap of leftover '06s when the '07s are at the dealers.