OAKPLANK

I'm trying to make some sense with the difference in pricing between Canada and the U.S.A.

The Canadian base models has items that are optional down south.
I've included a list of what comes standard with the base model in Canada for $42,900.

What I would like is for someone the price the US model with similar items.

Please don't beat me up for listing things that might be obvious as standard issue down south. I don't know what is and what isn't included in your base price.

The list is as follows;

ES 350
Anti lock Braking System
Electronic Brake Force Distribution
Brake Assist
Full size Alloy spare tire
Power Telescopic Steering Wheel
Power Tilt Steering
Automated Air Recirculation Control System
Auto Air Condition with Dual Zone Control
Dust, Pollen, Deodorizing Air Filter
Lexus Premium Audio, AM/FM CD with MP3/WPA Player
Satellite Radio Ready
In Dash 6-Disk CD Changer
Audio Auxiliary Input Jack
Automatic Sound Leveler System
Title Display
Radio Data System
8 Speakers
Steering Wheel Audio Controls
Leather Seats
10-way Power Adjustable Driver and Passenger Seats
Heated Driver and Passenger seat with Ventilation Fan
Lexus Driver Memory Seat System with Two Driver Memory Settings
Power Windows with Auto Up / Down for all Windows
Power Door Locks
Outside Temperature Gage
Electro-chromic Rear View Mirror with Digital Compass
Dual Illuminated Vanity Mirrors
Leather Wrapped Steering Wheel, Shift ****
Woodgrain Trim
Door Courtesy Lamps, Driver’s Foot-well Lamp, Led Illumination
Carpet Floor Mats
Wheel Locks
Electric Rear Window Defroster with Timer
Tinted Glass
Water Repellent Front Door Glass
High Solar Energy Absorbing Window Glass
Power Remote Heated Mirrors
Elecrochromic Side View Mirrors
Variable Intermittent Wipers with Mist Feature
Light Control System
Fog Lamps
Driver & Passenger Knee Airbags
Driver & Passenger Airbag Supplemental Restraint System (SRS)
Front Seat Mounted Side Airbags
Front and Rear Head / Side Curtain Airbags
Front and rear Seatbelt Pre-Tensioner and Force Limiters
Anti-theft System
Engine Immobilizer
Tire Pressure Monitoring System
Cruise Control
Home-link Universal Transceiver
Illuminated Entry w/Fadeout

Thanks for any information you can provide
oakplank (Toronto, Canada)

NGG

This pricing data is available (with a little effort) on the Lexus USA website.
You might not get exactly the same features as some are packaged differently. The only way to compare an exact build car is to add all options in both the USA and Canada. Don't forget to include the comparison on the delivery cost (Cdn cost is 2.5 times what it is in the US despite that Canada is closer to Japan!).Overall you will find the US prices 20- to 30% less than the eqivalent car in Canada...especially now that the Cdn$ is worth close to $1.05 US.

The reasons for this is simple....corporate greed! In fact over the past 2-3 years when the Canadian $ was steadilly appreciating against the US$, Lexus, instead or reducing prices in lock step, actually increased them in each of the last 26 months thus drastically widening the differential in Cdn/US pricing.

Lexus Canada now has a public relations nightmare on their hands. Their current customers feel that they have been treated unfairly, their future customers are reluctant to buy at widely inflated prices, and if they harmonize their pricing with the US, they will anger their current customers as the used value of their current models will plummet. Also their dealers are very unhappy with this situation.

Lexus Canada only have themselves to blame for this predicament. It will be very interesting to see how, of if, they can successfully extract themselves from this untenable situation, and still keep their customers and dealers satisfied.

amf1932

This is what you get for $34,485.00 MSRP US Dollars. Base Model.

Performance Features

- 3.5-liter V6, four cam, four valves per cylinder, with dual Variable Valve Timing with intelligence (VVT-i)

- 272 hp [1] @ 6,200 rpm, 254 lb-ft torque [1] @ 4,700 rpm

- Six-speed sequential-shift automatic Electronically Controlled Transmission with intelligence (ECT-i)

- Front Suspension: Independent, MacPherson struts with coil springs, gas-pressurized shock absorbers and stabilizer bar

- Rear Suspension: Independent, dual-link MacPherson struts with coil springs, gas-pressurized shock absorbers and stabilizer bar

- Front-wheel drive

- Engine-speed-sensing, progressive power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering

- Four-wheel power-assisted disc brakes

- 17-in seven-spoke alloy wheels with 215/55R17 all-season tires [2]

- Estimated fuel consumption: 19/27 mpg city/highway [3]


Luxury and Convenience Features

- Medium brown walnut interior trim

- Steering-wheel-mounted audio and display controls

- Power tilt-and-telescopic steering column

- Multi-information display

- Lexus eight-speaker Premium Sound System with Automatic Sound Levelizer (ASL) and in-dash, single-feed, six-disc CD auto-changer

- Auxiliary iPod® [4] /MP3/Windows Media® Audio (WMA) port

- In-glass antenna with FM-diversity system

- 10-way driver's and front passenger's (including lumbar) power seats

- Height-adjustable headrests for all seats

- Dual-zone automatic climate control with interior air filter, smog sensor and automatic recirculation mode

- Power tilt-and-slide moonroof with one-touch open/close and sliding sunshade

- Power windows with one-touch auto open/close feature

- Exterior glass with UV reduction

- Remote-linked window and moonroof opening

- Retained accessory power for moonroof and windows

- Electrochromic (auto-dimming) inside rearview mirror with compass

- Power door locks

- Cruise Control

- SmartAccess [5] with push-button Start/Stop

- Center console with storage bin and accessory power outlet

- HomeLink® universal transceiver to operate compatible garage, gate, home lighting and home security systems

- Adjustable illuminated entry system

- Electroluminescent instrumentation

- Illuminated interior electronic trunk-lid and fuel-filler door releases

- Lexus Personalized Settings (LPS) to customize certain electronic functions [6]

- Automatic on/off projector-beam headlamps with 30-second auto-off delay

- Outside temperature gauge

- Dual cupholders, front and rear

- Carpeted floor mats


Safety and Security Features

- Driver's and front passenger's advanced airbag system (SRS) [7] with front passenger's twin-chamber airbag [7]

- Front seat-mounted side airbags (SRS) [7]

- Driver's and front passenger's knee airbags (SRS) [7]

- Front and side curtain airbags (SRS) [7]

- Three-point seatbelts for all seating positions, pre-tensioners with force limiters for front and outboard rear seats

- Automatic Locking Retractor/Emergency Locking Retractor (ALR/ELR) seatbelts for all passenger seating positions. Emergency Locking Retractor (ELR) only for driver's seat

- Height-adjustable front shoulder belt anchors

- Child Restraint Seat (CRS) tether anchor brackets for all rear seating positions

- Four-wheel power-assisted disc brakes with front ventilated discs

- Four-sensor, four-channel Anti-lock Braking System (ABS)

- Vehicle Stability Control (VSC) [8]

- Traction Control (TRAC)

- Brake Assist [9]

- Electronic Brakeforce Distribution (EBD)

- Direct Tire Pressure Monitor System [10]

- Highly rigid body structure with front and rear crumple zones

- Side-impact door beams

- Reinforcements in pillars and doorsills

- Impact-dissipating upper interior trim

- Collapsible steering column

- Daytime running lights

- Integrated foglamps

- Water-repellent front-door glass

- Variable intermittent windshield wipers with mist cycle

- Rear-window defogger with auto-off timer

- Power-adjustable outside mirrors with defoggers and puddle lamps

- Vehicle theft-deterrent and engine-immobilizer system

- Emergency interior trunk release

- First aid kit

- Tool kit

justbass

The mention of ventilated seats, tells me that you may have the 2007 specs. The seats although they may be ventilated are not stated on the 2008 ES350 list of goodies the last time I checked.

You could go to lexus.com and compare the pricing dressed the same as the base model you are checking.

Comparing pricing south of the border may not help you; I believe that we have (Canadian, eh?) 8kph bumpers and the centre rear light that our friends down south do not require on their vehicles.
Buying down south, if you can, the price difference may be around $14K cheaper for an UL (that’s a lot of warranty work!) if the dealer does not want to do it.

OAKPLANK

Thanks guys.
However, I noticed that amf1932's price is $34,485 (without mention of leather) and jusbass mentions $14,000 less in the US. ($42,900 Canadian less $14,000 = $28,400). I'm finding $28,400 hard to believe.
Lexus.com shows a base price of $33,720 + $2,480 (Premium Plus) for a total of $36,200. With a Canadian price of $42,900 less $36,900 US the difference is $6,700. I estimate the free four year service to represent approximately $1,800. The difference now is $4,900. To import the car into Canada you need to pay the excise tax and the car needs to be converted to kilometers before they will allow you to drive it. That, to me, makes the US car about $1,000 cheaper. Not worth the trouble when you extend the saving over 3 to 4 years of ownership.
What do you guys think of the way I'm looking at this?

NGG

From all I have read, Canada requires the speedometer to read in kilometers. US cars, kike Canadian cars, have speedos that have both K and miles so I don't see this as an issue. To be sure, contact the Registrar of Imported Vehicles. Its web site is www.riv.ca and explains in detail what has to be done to bring a vehicle into Canada from the US. Hope this helps.

justbass

Here is what I have considered.

The UL package (not the basic) is listed around $55 Cdn.

The UL package in the US is around the $41 mark.
“needs to be converted to kilometers before they will allow you to drive it. That, to me, makes the US car about $1,000”

I haven’t checked this out, but I do find it hard to believe. How ‘bout the older vehicles before the metric system became in effect, and how about the cars brought in from the US still belonging to their American owners and being driven on Canadian soil?

OAKPLANK

Justbass
What I mean by "car needs to be converted to kilometers before they will allow you to drive it" was that you can't register, in Canada, a new car purchased in the US that has not been fully converted to Canadian standards.
Of course, Americans can drive their cars in Canada!!!
oakplank

justbass

Oakplank,

For pricing, I am considering Carcostcanada.com (based in Ontario, I believe). My time frame is April next year after the car show arrives in Vancouver.

Although my wife will be driving it, I am still debating whether or not I can live with this vehicle, something significant has to happen to convince me that the issues with this model has been overcome, and Toyota is standing behind their products.

2 for 1

Anyone know if this is the same with BMW, Nissan, Honda, etc?

Perhaps there is something else in play here beside Toyota policy.

larrynimmo

if you doubt higher prices in Canada, take a look at the Acura RL...big price difference.

2 for 1

OK, just thought international trade policy might be in the mix.

wanderer99

As mentioned above, RIV.CA is the place to go for details on importing into Canada. Any US manufactured vehicle that displays vehicle speed in Miles\Kilometres is already halfway there to being usable in Canada.

Case in point: Many car dealers in BC are now sourcing vehicles directly from the US, then doing what is required to have the vehicles registered here. Usually the 'major' part of this involves having the speed display in Kms and daytime running lights enabled.

There are plenty of imported US vehicles now being sold here by name brand dealers. 2007 Infiniti M35s and Lexus ES350 are amongst them. If you click on the link below you can search their used inventory. They even have pictures of the M35 and ES350 dash clusters showing the US miles\KMs speedo. I'm sure their prices are very negotiable too. http://www.eagleridgegm.com/preowned.php

OAKPLANK

wonderer99
You say "if you click on the link below you can search their used inventory".
I don't think the issue is with purchasing "used" cars, it's with purchasing brand new cars. Manufacturers are blocking dealers in the states from selling to Canadians. Some have even said that they may not honor the service warranties. Even car brokers are having problems with importing new US cars into Canada. There seems to be a real battle over this since the CDN dollar has gone up in value. There's talk about a class action law suit against the manufacturers.
oakplank

wanderer99

Oakplank - you are indeed correct that some dealers just across the border are reluctant to deal with Canadians for fear of reprisals from their Corporate HQ's. The've told me as such previously.... specifically Lexus.

In Washington state you'll find that Lexus and Toyota won't want to sell you a new car if you state you are from Canada. Other manufacturers will - GM and Subaru will for sure. Go further south to Oregon and Toyota starts to loosen up and they will possibly sell you a new car, depending on the dealer.

Head down to California, Nevada or Arizona and all bets are off. They don't care where you are from, they'll sell you anything you want. At a huge discount as well as that is where most of the "price action" is.

I go to the US regularly - probably twice per month. At the border crossing I would occasionally see vehicles being imported. Last week I saw 3 new vehicles being imported while I was waiting to get into the US - a Subaru Outback, Ford Explorer, then a Subaru Forrester.

Lexus Canada is stuck here. They can't really reduce the prices as it will kill their historically wonderful residual values. They'd then have to take a massive hit on their lease return losses, due to lower used vehicle prices.

IMO - If we go to 1.20US then effectively our car market is going to undergo a major, major correction.