markwill12

I have narrowed my search down to an ES 300h or a Lincoln MKZ. I am not really interested in a "which one is best" thread because a) a lot of it is subjective around an individual's priorities and b) they quickly degrade into almost religious statements However, I am desperately trying to find a way to compare like-with-with like, for particular features.

And I gotta say, it seems to me that Lincoln make it a lot easier to understand and price. Here's an example...

On the Lexus site itself, I walk through the "Build a Lexus" wizard and get to the packages page. Instead of seeing easy-to-understand packages like Premium, Luxury and Ultra Luxury, I get more complicated groupings of packages AND individual options. For example, as far as I can tell, I can't discover what is in the Premium Package because Lexus only lists "Premium Package with Options". That makes it more complicated isolate what's in the package and what is an individual option.

Anyway, I'm hoping I'm missing something obvious here. Where can I find a list of packages, individual options and their prices in a nice, comparative list (side-by-side, with a list of features)?

Thanks.

Mark

wasjr

Not comparative with other vehicles, but go to the ES page and click on Features, then Options & Packages.

Fly4u

You are absolutely correct in assessing the Lexus site as arcane and not particularly transparent. My choice was between the ES300h and Fusion Hybrid; the FoMoCo sites are far more intuitive.

Unless you are contemplating a special order from the factory, it might be helpful to visit both dealerships to view the vehicles as they are configured for your locale. My experience with the ES was that there were a few clusters of "builds" that were composed of particular packages and stand-alone options. This will help determine the real-word differentiation of both vehicles.

jim256

[QUOTE=markwill12;8029440 Instead of seeing easy-to-understand packages like Premium, Luxury and Ultra Luxury, I get more complicated groupings of packages AND individual options. For example, as far as I can tell, I can't discover what is in the Premium Package because Lexus only lists "Premium Package with Options". That makes it more complicated isolate what's in the package and what is an individual option.[/QUOTE]

Typical options on the cars can also differ by dealer or location because of import standardization for stock models. If the dealer(s) you are working with have an Inventory listing, you may well see how they are equipping the cars that are available. I found here (NC) earlier this year that all the Luxury package ES300h models also had a couple options that the Luxury package ES350's did not include. The Build Your Own option included a "package with options" that all of the 300h's had, and also listed a lower cost "package with options" but none of those were in stock.

mrBillFL

edmunds best site for pricing IMHO>

http://www.edmunds.com/lexus/es-300h...tyle=101426944

jrlxr7

Your best bet is to go on Edmunds or a similar site and request quotes,within a few minutes several dealers had responded to my inquiry. Ultimately I was able to e-mail back and forth and find the right car on the lot with the color and options I wanted. Negotiating was all done over the phone or by e-mail using invoice as the basis. i preferred not going to the dealer until a price had been agreed to, preferably by e-mail. By that point it was easy to eliminate the dealers whose price was too high and pick the lowest one. It is a tough choice between the Lincoln MKZ and the ES300h. I already have a 2011 MKZ and find it to be a nice car....the 2013 is far improved. My primary reason with going with Lexus was that the former local Lincoln dealer now sells only Hyundai and Suburu and the local Ford dealer offers poor technicians for the Lincoln. True Lincoln service was not nearby or convenient. If there was a good nearby Lincoln dealer my choice may have been different.

Neoxagon

This is something Lexus needs to revamp.

BMW makes it so simple. Every single option offered in any package is also available to add on individually a la carte.

I hate being forced to buy options I don't need or want.

jollick

Would BMW have one on the lot with just what you want? I special ordered my ES300h with just what I wanted on it. I got options that were not available in my area of the country. Your dealer may not want to offer it to you but I have proven it can be done. You can special order but there is usually a 4 month wait to get It since the assembly line just builds the packages to expedite production and of course savings. I admit having the individual choices available on the web site would be a good thing for the buyer.

Neoxagon

How do you know all of the options that are available? I could only find packages on their website.

jollick

I will have to find the sheet I had with all of the item codes. It seems it is no longer on the internet. Perhaps they have changed and will no longer custom build. I will get back to you.

jollick

Here is a list I found. I had used the NADA web site last year but it no longer has individual options listed, just the packages. I hope this helps, check off the items you want and give it to your dealer to see what he can do. I did have an option list with all the letter codes but cannot find it.

Lexus Memory System
Power tilt-and-telescopic steering column
Espresso bird's-eye maple wood interior trim
Remote Linked Memory
Navigation System
Voice command and color LCD display
Enhanced Bluetooth® technology
NavTraffic™
Lexus Enform®
Lexus Enform® Application Suite
Integrated wide-view backup camera
Eight-speaker Lexus Premium Sound System with HD Radio with iTunes tagging
High-resolution 8-inch color LCD display
In-dash DVD/CD auto-changer
Blind Spot Monitor System
Power rear sunshade
Heated front seats
Wood- and leather-trimmed shift **** and heated steering wheel
Intuitive Parking Assist
Rain-sensing wipers
Heated and ventilated front seats
Perforated leather-trimmed interior
High-Intensity Discharge (HID) headlamps
Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning
Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Driver Attention Monitor, closed-eye detection and Dynamic Radar Cruise Control
Power trunk open/close
Semi-aniline perforated leather-trimmed interior
Driver's seat power cushion extender
Power rear sunshade
Ambient interior lighting
Manual rear-door-window sunshades
Integrated backup camera
NavWeather™
Sports and Stocks
Mark Levinson® Premium Surround Sound Audio System

Neoxagon

Thanks Jollick, appreciate the list.

This should be stickied since the information is not longer on their website.

mcomer

The Lexus site displays cars as built and available at dealers near you. I concur with MrBillFL that Edmunds is the best site for sorting through the options. You can have nearly anything you want and it will come in with minimal miles and won't have lot rot/test drive damage if you and the dealer are willing to wait for the order.

Oldsmobile once ran ads to the effect that everyone in America could have a different configuration of options and colors on a New Olds. I'm sure they hoped everyone would buy one! From a logistical point of view it is impossible to expect the supply chain to have every combo on hand. Apple stores couldn't get me an iPad mini as I wanted it and it only comes in two colors and 6 configs.

Neoxagon

Well, duh.

That's because Apple is the type of company that tells you what you want, not gives you what you want.

Apples 'n oranges, no pun intended.

I bought a 5 series in 2008 and getting everything exactly the way you want is the status quo at BMW. Yes, there is a 3-4 month wait but that's because they build YOUR car after you order it and you are guaranteed a vehicle with 0 miles. You can also get "European Delivery" and fly to Germany and bring the car back yourself and save a nice chunk of change which subsidizes the cost of your trip...AND, you get to watch the final stages of the assembly of your car...AND, you can break it in on their track.

http://www.bmwusa.com/Standard/Conte...y/Default.aspx

Yes, BMW does this everyday for their customers. And, a BMW is a far far more complex product than an ipad. There is nothing special about Apple, other than its arrogance and adamantly amoral avoidance of paying US taxes on billions in profit.