jandkw

My first Lexus, ES300h is coming in a few weeks. I wanted the Mark Levinson audio but they don't have that in their inventory and should I order one it will take another 4 months to deliver. I like to upgrade the standard audio which I was not too happy with it while I listened to it when test drive. I am not an audiophile but like high quality sound. I like classical music, soft music, music I can hear the distinct instruments and voice. Rich base but not too deep. I don't listen to hip hop or heavy metals. I am thinking of having the local car audio shop to upgrade the 8-speaker standard system. Any idea/inputs, like add a sub or amplifier (brand), etc. will be appreciated.

kesando

I was quite underwhelmed with the standard lexus audio myself. What did you personally think could use the most improvement?

Based on your musical taste it seems like the ML premium audio would be perfect for you

jandkw

Yea, ML is what I wanted except with the color combination, and all, I pretty much need to order one from the factory in Japan which takes about 4 months, was told. I am debating if it;s worth the wait.

steig

ML is very hard to get here in Pa. Al least on the es300h

jetman

I would have loved to have gotten the Mark Levinson audio system (as well as the UL package) on my ES350 but they weren't available in my area and probably won't be for a while according to my salesman. The problem is that the dealers get together regionally and put together packages that they believe will sell best in their area. Unfortunately they feel that the demand for UL and ML would be weak, so it looks like virtually every ES here only comes with the Luxury package and standard audio. I guess you have to live in a more affluent area to find UL and ML.

Unfortunately, unlike other manufacturers, Lexus dealers either can't or won't list in-stock inventory on their websites so you can't easily find exactly what you're looking for without contacting the dealer directly. I always found this annoying with Lexus...

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

You can go to autotrader.com and cars.com.I found a UL in the color combo I wanted out of state.Worth the traveling if one is not in your area to get exactly what you want,IMO.In my case the dealer was 260 miles away.
Although it's a bit early for big inventories.

jandkw

After I investigate further, I decided to go for the ML audio. My sales rep. continues to search for me and that means long wait.

jollick

I have found that not all options are available in every state. The USA appears to be broken up into sections, these sections are controlled by independent importers that deal directly with Lexus and the dealers in their territory. They actually call the shots on what options will be available in their areas! I wanted a fully loaded ES 300h, the only place you can even see all the options available was on dealers web sites in the Central US states and Northwestern states. Try it on the corporate web site lexus.com and see, put in different zip codes of major cities. I tried major cities in every state. The eastern and southern states limit what you can see and build on their sites. Therefore a special order was my only option since I am in the southeast.

rickeveru

I am picking up my ES next week and am concerned about the quality of the sound. This particularly since my previous car was the IS250 with 12 speakers including the subwoofer. Didn't think it was worth going for a Leather package (about $5000) just to get the ML system. Any comment from anyone who has modified the standard audio system would be appreciated.