Lexus ES 350

firedude

Got a call from a salesman I have been talking with at a DC area dealer. They expect cars to start arriving this week. Most are spoken for (i.e. preordered). He indicated he has two ES350s coming in that are not spoken for and they are taking offers above MSRP to be one of the first in the DC area to take delivery of a 2007 ES350. He said they have received a bid of $50k for one of the cars with an MSRP of $43950 and another bid of $45K for a car with an MSRP of $41785. Asked if I was interested in bidding, I said I wasn't going to pay over MSRP. The salesman told me the only way that would happen is if I special order the car, as they expect any available ES350s to go for similar premiums once they cars are seen on the street. He can't even send me a brochure unless I come in and put a deposit down on a special order, as the brochures are in short supply and only available to confirmed customers. What a load of BS.

nedb52

firedude;
BS is correct! I am dealing with the Annapolis MD Lexus dealer. They will sell ES350's at sticker. I'm in lower DE ans the closest dealer is 1.5 hrs away in Wilmington, therefore, I also called three additional dealers in DE, PA and NJ. Two are at sticker, one might deal, maybe, $500 on a loaded one.(BTY the Annapolis dealer will pick-up and leave a loaner up to 3 hours away.
I wouldn't buy a car from your DC dealer if he were the only one in the US!!! What a bunch of bull!!!

pojoe

All BS definitly, Im picking up mine on the 25th ,Ultra pkg.$43489 excluding tax and license. from Longo Lexus the top dealer on the west coast,El Monte Calif. near LA.They told me that was 500 below sticker because I ordered It thru AAA. I have purchased 2 other Lexus there In the past.I would send a complaint to the Lexus corporate office.Hes Lying.

bartalk3

firedude: I would definitely contact customer relations at Lexus corporate and tell them what the DC dealer is doing. This damages the Lexus reputation for customer service and hurts the Lexus image. So Lexus should get involved.

jiang

Hi folks,
I called two dealers in NJ asking about how to pre-order; basically, you choose a color, make a deposit ($1K at one dealer, $500 at another) which is refundable, they'll call you when the car arrives, in a about 2 month if you order now. All sales are at sticker price, no more no less.

skoman

I am considering an 06, if I can get a steal of a deal. Do you think they will be selling near invoice one the '07 start rolling in? What prices compared to invoice do you thing they will be going for?

bobbyshred

I special ordered a car about a month ago.
I got the Premium Plus package and Mark Levinson with Navigation, the price will be sticker.
They tell me another month or two until delivery.

They asked me for a $2500.00 deposit that they told me is non refundable. I gave it to them but what they said is not true. Not until you drive that car off the lot and is it yours.

They actually wanted a check but I gave them an AMEX card.
The reason is this. If I gave them a check, and changed my mind they could argue with me and I might have to take them to court to get my money back. But if you charge it and change your mind you can always chargeback the card which is easy to do because you can prove you got nothing from the dealer.
So if you preorder with a deposit I would do it with a credit card.

If a dealer can get that much in a bid over invoice I don't think it is unethical at all.
This is America, it's all based on supply and demand, just like our gas prices. If they can get that price more power to them.
This is the time they can get more for the car and they should take advantage of that. There is nothing wrong with making money.

If you don't want to pay that much wait. Wait like I will for 2-3 months.

I think prices will remain near sticker for quite a while. This is a highly anticipated car getting great reviews. It will be in great demand and short supply.

tds1

Possibly true about the price - no way to know. I think the price of the car will depend on lots of factors. There are a large number of high quality cars in that price range, and it is quite possible the hype will decline quickly. Even within Lexus own lineup, IS is good seller, GS will be revamped, new LS coming. They can't all sell at sticker forever. My dealer (Minneapolis), said there would be 25 to 30 ES350s arriving by this Friday. That seems like a decent starting supply!

psychdoc

...I was just calling around and I was quoted a sticker price of $43,989. For an outright purchase I was offered $1000 off and the lease prices seem to be hovering in the low to mid $600 range ($630-657).

Cars are available as of Friday it you're not too picky with the colors.

pojoe

(see msg. 638 and 640} thats the exact same price I am taking delivery on less 500 discount from AAA

dp5

Psychdoc,

Where are you located? I'm planning on buying a UL car and my area has multiple dealerships so there should be some competition but I haven't talked price yet. I'd love to be able to use the $1000 savings for tint, pinstriping, Sirius radio, etc. Thanks.

kumar2

A bay area dealer just quoted 43k for the UL package with ML and Nav (taking deposit that is)
Similarly loaded GS 300 and RX 350.........are all in the 42-46 range....makes the choice harder.
My feeling is that once the euphoria settles down the price gap between the newer ES and the relatively older GS and RX 350 might increase with the ES prices discounting by 2-3k.
In any case they are all different vehicles with different styles and driving char...so it depends what you are looking for.

kumar2

Just for kicks..if you configure a fully loaded ES 330 with ML and Navigation and all that....it is coming to about 31050
Not bad if yiu don't care to be seen in an older model and don't care about all the new features and increased HP on 350

morrism

Is it true that the various packages in cars are different depending on which region you are?(N,S,W)I went the dealership to preview the new Es 350.Its a great car no doubt,but price is little bit high.43980k for ultra pkg.(in ATL).Do u think this price would drop like say by 2-3k in the next 6mths or so?

psychdoc

...$630-657 for the U-L package that sells for ~$44k. Now Just for kicks I priced a similarly equiped BMW 530Xi that sells for about $56k. Guess what, it was only about $90 more. And they throw in "free" maintenance for the life of the warranty! That's worth about $30/month so the real difference is only about $60/month. For the Lexus, a car that costs about$12k less (about 80% of the price of the BMW) and probably depreciates far more slowly (that is, after all, what you're paying for with a lease, the car's depreciation)....the lease on the Lexus should be around $530-550.

To my way of thinking, the purchase price on the Lexus is emminantly fair, but the lease is a total rip off. So if you're in the market to buy, I think it's a great deal. If you're looking at a lease, this is nothing short of highway robbery!!!

lexus460l

Well actually, I just got an 06 ES 330 with only the 6 disc CD changer and with a mess of discounts, it was $32K out the door. And that doesnt include th nav. sunshade. adaptive headlights and everything else.

acctprof

morrism,

Where did you look in ATL? I was going to look at Nalley Lexus Roswell.

Len

cc3088

I've been quoted $44,084 for a fully loaded Ultra Luxury. I'm working on a deal for tomorrow, and wondered if anyone knew what the dealers are getting for equipping with satellite radio and for tinted windows. I haven't discussed this yet with my salesman, but want to be prepared as I plan to make an offer with these items included. Anyone know?

dp5

According to a local dealership, the release of the ES 350 has been postponed all across the country. He did not know why and did not have a new release date. He was hopeful that it would be next week.

donegal

Lexus has now activated their Build Your Lexus ES350 feature at www.lexus.com. Comprehensive information about prices, colors, etc. is now available.

tds1

Cool! And now the fun begins!!

psychdoc

...No one has them.

Now the word is, "middle of next week."

Bad planning.

Very disappointing.

Simply not "Lexus-like."

iycrra

Yes I agree. I went to Lexus dealer in Santa ___, CA and was told that the ES shipment was going to arrive on 17th or 18th. Now, it's going to be next week? That's insane.

If that's the case, I might have to go with TL, which I test-drove. Salesman told me he can give me an invoice price, which is around $32,200 w/ Nav. He was willing to go even lower if I decide to buy it this month. They are trying to blow out all 2006 models. Plus 2.9% financing ends this month? That's going to be hard to beat.

So, I'm not sure if I want to miss out on these deals. So, is it worth the wait? I mean, Lexus with Nav and heated/ventalated car seat would probably cost me +$10 K more OTD.

I bet Lexus' going to miss out on some perspective buyers like myself for their inefficiency. :confuse:

regis

Contrary to popular belief, the 2006 Avalon XLS is priced substantially higher than the new Lexus ES350 (at least in Canada). The base price of the 2007 ES350 here is $42,900 compared to the base XLS of $40,150 but the ES has standard features such as VSC, brake assist, seat ventilation + memory, extended warranty etc. To equip an Avalon with the same features requires the purchase of Package B that brings the Avalon's Listing up to $43,725. And, factor in the extra cost of bringing the Avalon's warranty up to the Lexus standard. So what do you get for this extra cost? Maybe a slightly larger ES350?

jimbres

Aren't you being just a touch dramatic when you describe a one-week delay as "insane"? Guys like you, who just can't wait another minute for the latest & greatest, make a car salesman's day. Any salesman not actually in a coma can smell your hunger a block away.

You won't negotiate effectively unless you can convince yourself that you'll wait until Christmas if that's what it takes to get a good price.

mcguire

For the life of me I can't understand, except for a very few instances why anyone would voluntarily pay sticker price for an automomobile. Any automobile. Wait a few months and you'll get a substantial discount. A couple years ago, a local Ford dealer had the first Mustang convertible on his lot and jacked up the price from $33K to $40K. Two months later he was selling the same model for quite a bit off sticker. What's the rush guys?

ctalk

My friend would like to buy a ES350 in May. She was actually about to buy the last generation ES330. But I suggested she shouldn't. She finally took my advice when I showed her a picture of the new ES. She lives in Canada to. I already suggested to her to look at the Avalon and new Camry. But part of the reason why she looked at the Lexus, is that she wanted a "Lexus".

Are there any other models I should suggest to her (to look at)? -also, what's the best price out there? I highly doubt there will be any incentives.

regis

I purchased my 06 Avalon last August, just as the new 06's were released with an OTD $3,000 off list. Very glad I waited since the 05's were going for full sticker + when they arrived in January 05 for several months after. So, I saved $3,000 by waiting and have a newer model year. Your friend may have to do some smart shopping to get much of a discount off the new ES or wait until the initial rush subsides.

mittie

Tell your friend to look at the Acura RL and the Infiniti M35...

obrinks

A Lexus salesman friend of mine said they had some issues with the transportation company which caused the the delay. However, they should be here (East Coast) by the middle of next week.

jiang

Open house today at many dealers in NJ, PA. $500 below sticker price, ie., $37424-$500 for the base option. Will deliever in 3 weeks.

bobbyshred

I have no problem paying sticker for getting one of the best cars in the world before everyone else. I've been waiting to buy a new car for a LONG time.

It took me a long time to find the right one for me and this new Lexus ES is for me. I just hate that my special order has already taken a month and will take another month or 2, maybe even 3 they tell me.

I'd gladly pay and extra grand to get it here earlier and even offered that to my dealer but he told me I was already on the top of the list and there was nothing more he could do to make it happen any sooner.

The car I drive now, 92 Camry was promised to my nephew on May 9th and I can't back out of that. So I'll be carless until the ES comes in.

I think those of you waiting for a real bargain will be waiting a very long time at least into the fall.
But if you manage to get a good deal more power to you:)

nedb52

This my be too long, but it might help somebody.

I am fascinated by the back and forth on this topic. There really is no best single answer. Here is a simple model I use to make decisions like this.

First of all I recognize that there are two distinct components to the decision: 1. an emotional component (i.e. "I love being the first to...."; like bobbyshread above" I... promised my nephew on May 9th and I can't back out" or "although my ????? is only three years old, I really want a new car" etc, etc...) and Second a monetary component (i.e. "I never pay sticker", " A couple of $1,000's does not mean much to me", "I always wait for the best deal" etc, etc...).

If my driver is emotional, then I will pay what the market dictates. For an ES305 at this time (from what I read in this forum) it would be MSRP or maybe $500 off.

If my driver is monetary, then I would definitely wait at least 3 months and monitor the forum to see when, how much and where dealers are coming of MSRP and then be willing to go anywhere within 3 hours to pick up my new ES350.

However, like most cases my driver is a mixture of both. As such, I will do a time/value analysis for my ES350... If I did not have a trade-in, I would most likely wait 3-6 months or until I could save $1500. (I am slightly emotional about the new ES!) Since I have a trade-in, I proceeded as follows; I answered the question as to whether or not I am willing to sell it myself? - No, I do not want any of the associated hassle, even if it means more money to me. My next step is to Calculate what my trade in is worth today vs. Sept. when it will be one year older. (I looked up the trade-in value in NADA, Edmunds, and Kelly for my car and my car + 1 year. I then take the average of all three). I also factored in a likely price increase on May 6th ($400 for each 1% on my $40,136 chosen model).

My result.... Pay sticker now. Why?... My 2003 will drop $2700 when the rest of the 2007's come out (that is the average reduced value of an identically equipped 2002). I also believe that Lexus will raise the prices 1.5%, or $600 on May 6th. Therefor, If I wait until Sept. I have to get about $3300 off MSRP to break even. :confuse:

rbram

That’s a pretty good analysis of what most of us go through. Although, when a redesigned new model such as the ES350 is introduced, I suspect most people are driven by emotion rather than pure financial considerations.
I for one, am looking forward to purchasing my CPO 2007 ES350 24 months from now!

slider71

Rougly the same deal in PA...$500 off sticker, or more specifically, free XM unit / installation (-$486). I concur with the trade in assessment...but we may conversely be dinged for getting an '07 so early in the model year.

cleblanc

I don't understand how Lexus could announce pricing and then raise the price a couple weeks later. I think that would piss off a lot of people. I don't know why KBB has a pricing change on May 6 but I'd be very surprised if prices for the ES350 went up on that date. I plan on buying the ES350 in September because that is when my current lease runs out. So hopefully my timing will be good and prices will be better at that time.

bartalk3

The biggest car hauler in the country is either in bankruptcy or close to it, the details of which may have delayed shipment of cars. That may explain the delay in shipment of the new ES.

tds1

I agree. A 1.5% pricing change a few weeks into the introduction would be very strange. I would think the dealers would have gotten warning of that if it were the case. Doesn't make sense (to me) that KBB would know something that nobody else does. The debate on buy versus wait is interesting, but it's the same decision that happens for everything. Once Lexus runs out of people willing to pay MSRP or slightly below, the price will start to drop. The only questions we don't know is how many cars there will be and how high the demand at MSRP is. I am quite sure there is not unlimited demand at MSRP. How many production cars have sustained list price for very long? Seems like the Acura TL did for quite some time, but there can't be too many examples.

doctorw

I was just looking at the specs of the ES350 on the Lexus website. They state that rear leg room is 35.9". This seems incongruous to me, as the Toyota Camry, with identical exterior dimensions, has 38.3" of rear leg room. Is this a mistake on the Lexus web site or is their some other reason, incomprehensible to me, why they would make the leg room so much less than in the Camry? Wheelbase is the same, the trunk is the same size and front leg room is only 0.5" longer. What is going on in the back seat, its not like we're talking about 0.5", the difference is almost 2.5" which is fairly significant.

tds1

I doubt it is a mistake as it is listed that way in their brochure as well.

dp5

Maybe something to do with extra layers of material for sound dampening? This is just a guess.

sorter

Host?

navchief

Have owned 2001 'C' Class, traded for 2003 'E' Class. Too many problems w/Mercedes so traded for 2006 GS430. Nice problem-free car but have come to conclusion that an easier ride and steering is probably better to my liking. I hope the ES350 will drive closer to the 'E' Class, as I really liked the ride and handling in that car. So much for my background. My question: Does anyone have any experience with the Pre-collision/Dynamic Radar Cruise Control offered on Lexus models? Lexus Website indicates this option is not included in any package and will cost $2250. I also notice the Lexus site also lists a lip-spoiler as dealer installed item. Anyone seen pictures of ES350 w/this option?

carrelman2

The Lexus website had different prices and packages on their website until today when it changed. What is going on? Can't they get their act together.

jiang

Just for the record: the introduction price on the openning day (April 21) is: $37424 for the base option, in PA and NJ. Let's come back to it two month later to see if it is the same, more or less! Everyone please follow up this topic and post the MSRP or quoted price.

The reason I'm saying "yes" now is that the "marketing strategy" that anticipates buyers will inch up on the bargaining chips, ie., instead of asking for $500 off the sticker's, they will ask for $750 or even $1000 off, never realiazed the price has gone up ~$300 more. They may actually get less a deal by waiting for 2 month later.

Usually, in the "launch" month, dealers get some sort of insentives for kicking-[non-permissible content removed] actions, including better trade-in deals, or $500-$600 off the MSRP.

tds1

I have always had a love/hate relationship with Lexus. Love the cars, hate their pricing/packages. Looks like the new packages posted reflects equipped options in certain parts of the country. My area, Minneapolis, the only way to get Nav is with Preferred Plus and Park assist (among other things). Can live with Preferred Plus, but who needs park assist??? Plugging in another random zip (Rhode Island), I see that PA is not required to get Navi. Guess I will either need to order the car or buy in another area of the country to get exactly what I want with no extras.

bobbyshred

A PIC of the spoiler can be seen here, and then you can blown it up if you click on it.
http://www.lexus.com/models/es/accessories.html
I wonder if you can get it put on after you get the car.
I'd have to see one on the car to know if I would want one.

My Dealer told me the Pre-Collision System required the Ultra Lux package and that I could not get it because I only got the Premium Plus Package.

I've been having a question of the colors. I ordered Aquamarine Blue. Today I got the actual color chart in the mail and it is what I thought it was, thank goodness. You can see the Aquamarine color on the pictures page of the Lexus ES site. It's the last one to the right on the top row, and the middle PIC on the bottom row.

I really like the color. Don't go by the color chart on the Lexus site as it is WAY off. Aquamarine looks like a seafoam green there, and while there is a hint of green it, it is mostly blue. On the site Blue Onyx looks like a nice bright blue, it is not is a VERY deep blue almost black. It's a great color but I'm not into keeping the car spotless clean all the time.

I wish we could share PICS on this site as it would be more fun here. You can on Club Lexus but they banned me from there, for talking about prices before they were announced!
I didn't actually state any prices, I just wrote a post of support for someone who did.
I'm a baaaad man!

One note about prices if you notice on the Lexus site, at the bottom of the price page it says "Actual dealer prices may vary". Lexus can do anything they want with the prices. If they want to play with prices that's up to them. I doubt raising a price a few weeks in is going to keep anyone from buying. My thought is if you MUST haggle over $500 or a $1000, you can't afford it.
Actually I'd rather talk about ANYTHING other than prices here, I just think it's boring, but you guys go have your fun with it!

I was a little put off by labeling me as an "Emotional Buyer" but I thought about it and I realized I am. But I really do need a car ASAP, and I've put off buying a car for a very long time, almost 5 years. Now that I really found the car I want I want it NOW!

The wait is driving me insane, I can't wait for it to get here.

I'm never sitting in the back seat so I don't care how big it is.

Now please excuse me so that I can go look up "incongruous"!

bobbyshred

I've debated about informing you guys of this because I certainly don't want to start a massive scare. But some new 2007 V6 Camry owners seem to be having transmision problems already. I personally think it must just be a minor computer problem.
I'm not too concerned about it.
One thing the guy did was let his car get REALLY empty on gas and we all know you should NEVER do that.
Heres the forum;
http://www.toyotanation.com/forum/showthread.php?t=128303

cleblanc

I just checked out the accessories page and see you can order body side molding too. It says it is available in Summer 2006. I think this may be a good thing to do to prevent the doors from dings and scratches. But I wish the car came with it. Seems like some of these options should be standard. I wonder what it will cost.
Shred - I didn't know they banned you from Club Lexus. I've been reading all the posts over there ever since I decided to purchase an ES350. Hope you get your car soon.

tony39

I agree about the accessories! Does anyone know if color matched mud guards will be available?