lesz

I recall reading a press release from Lexus that said that, in an effort to be green, the "plastic" on the ES doors and lower dash is not, in fact, plastic. Instead, those surfaces are made from recycled plant material.

Some of the ES vehicles have the dual-paned Lamisafe glass on the front side windows. Others do not. There have been at least a couple of recent threads here about this, including this one near the top of the board now.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/es3...uble-pane.html

chromedome

*Some* people have double paned glass. As someone said on the window glass thread, there seems to be no rhyme or reason as to which cars get double paned glass. Apparently Lexus is happy to mix and match as long as the acoustic properties meet their standards.

I think some parts of the ES are disappointing, especially the thin roof liner and hard door plastics. My old TSX had nicer door materials. Then again, Toyota focused on the parts a driver most often sees and touches. The steering wheel, center console and the stitched dash all helped seal the deal for me - I loved the stylish yet not ostentatious design that made the cockpit feel snug. I've sat in similar Caddy and Toyota Crown interiors that didn't feel as special or cohesive. I like the GS interior for the sheer build quality but my favorite car interior is the CT's, feels like I'm in a road rocket in an anime

Arty101

I think they've marketed the CTS specifically to you .

TechNut

There are many factors to consider in a vehicle choice, and we all prioritize those factors differently based on incomes and our individual needs. I can't compare to previous ESs, but I think the 300H is a terrific car.

Bottom line: If you can afford it and you like it, then you did well and should enjoy it for many years. If you didn't have any buyer's remorse at all, then you may not consider this a great deal of money, or perhaps you don't think as deeply about your purchases.

I wonder if people that typically lease cars experience the same kind of remorse since they don't have the same investment? Probably an unfair generalization and I certainly mean no offense to anyone that leases with that question. Someone commented on the RX board that more people lease vehicles in this price range than purchase so it occurred to me that may impact how much buyer's remorse is felt by the average member of this board.

chromedome

Sorry, my mistake, not the Caddy CTS but the Lexus CT200h

Arty101

Actually, I was with you. I was thinking of the commercials for the CT as well, not the Caddy. Very anime.

sharmila19

I just picked my es yesterday. Tell me one thing - what specifically makes you have buyers remorse??? Are you just looking the used LS?Or are u just not liking your hybrid and wish had gone with v6?

zes

My previous car was on its last legs for several months, so I had the opportunity to think about what I would replace it with for quite a while. I spent many evenings researching options. So the 300h purchase was well thought out. When my previous car finally died, I did not even go to test drive anything else other than 300h’s.

I think the buyer’s remorse is a human condition. I really wanted a Lexus, which is a luxury good. As humans, when we want something, we tend to idealize it in our minds, and tend to look at only its positive aspects and completely discount any potential negative aspect. This also applies to when we get smitten with another person (as a potential mate) as well. The anticipation of acquiring something or somebody is always the pinnacle of pleasure of the experience, because we only see the positives.

However when we finally acquire the good then reality sets in. The car is not quite as quiet as we had fantasized. It is too noisy – so we start trolling the web for quieter cars. We can feel the bumps on the road, so we find, to our dismay that the manufacturer stiffened up the suspension for our model. We start second guessing ourselves. The plastic in the lower parts seems too hard. The GS and the LS have leather in the lower parts. That looks so soft! Misery! Reality is not lining up to our fantasy! So we start another fantasy.

Maybe for my 50K, I should have bought a slightly used LS. That would have been so quiet and smooth. Look – everybody says so on the web. However I am quite sure that is just a fantasy as well. I am positive that if I had purchased a used LS, I would have thought that the mpg is too low, the drive train is antiquated – after all V8’s and slushboxes have been around forever. The new car smell would not be there. The car would feel like a heavy monster at times.

Fantasy: Should have bought a 300h. The web says it is so smooth and so good on mpg and just like a light mini LS. I would have enjoyed the new car smell and the end to end warranty. I think this stupid used LS has a musty smell. Perhaps the previous owner carried a dog around in it. Those rich people always take their dogs with them! And what is the mysterious noise from the front. Is it the engine or the suspension? Hope it does not cost an arm & leg to fix. I already busted my budget buying this anchor around my neck!

Ah, the human condition…
Never happy because we are always comparing fantasy to reality ..

Sharmila19, congratulations on your new ES. It is a beautiful car and will be perfect for you - as long as you don't judge it against fantasies.

jollick

Wow, zes, that was very good! I purchased my ES's loaded to help assure no buyers remorse and it worked.

Arty101

You expressed the buyers remorse perfectly. Unlike your buyers remorse, I had no second thoughts or doubts about my purchase. In retrospect, the only extra I "wish" I got was the pre-collision option which was very difficult to get at the time. At least with the next gen, I heard Toyota will make all the safety technology more available and much cheaper.

markneups

The only thing that counts is your vision and likes. For you it is the best. That's the way it should be. We all have different tastes -- that's why there are so many brands and models on the road. Beauty is in the eye of the beholder. Nuf said.

zes

Thank you all. I think it is normal to have buyer's remorse, especially when one spends a lot of money for a luxury car which tends to be an emotional purchase. However like all emotions, its power disappears as soon as one recognizes it for what it is.

Our ES's are absolutely lovely cars. Just this week, I sat in a new Q50. It was noisy, jerky and the interior did not come close to that of an ES. But that person loved it, presumably because of the power and acceleration. As markneups said, the Q50 was right for him but not for me. I like the wooden wheel and the softer, more relaxed ride!

Enjoy your ESs.

TechNut

Great way of looking at it Zes. You are absolutely right.

Kijug

You shouldn't have buyers remorse--though lots do from simply pulling the trigger. It's like a Christmas. It gets all exciting waiting and anticipating but afterwards it seems the joy is subdued. It's all how you approach it.

I had no buyers remorse. I bought a 2014 ES UL/ML loaded in Jun '14. I started looking for new cars in 2012. I was eyeing the ES for cost and luxury from the beginning--plus FWD, no-paddle shifters (which you can't shift when the steering wheel is turned) I like my "pacifier" manumatic shifter on the floor to control things when I want. I had (daughter now has) a 2003 Acura TL-S and loved its handling. But it's time to move to more more luxury. I prefer Japanese cars for reliability (Subaru, Acura, now Lexus). I keep 'em for 10+ years. I didn't research "last years vehicle" for comparison. I researched all "this years" (2014) vehicles. I didn't want used so why bother comparing with 2012? I didn't care if it has a little more plastic (or whatever)...it fit my bill and I like it.

The point is, you have to pick the care YOU want. Next year there will be a "better" car out there. I could've waited for 2015...or 2016...but I didn't. Personally, I like a NEW, fully loaded ES over a USED LS. I "paid" for the comfort knowing I should not have any issues for a couple years.

Lots of ideas out there...that's my story! Feel good about the car you have, not what you COULD have had and you'll be happy.

chromedome

I had plenty of buyer's remorse when I got my base model ESh, especially as I was looking at a fully loaded long wheelbase Passat. I had to stretch my budget a bit because I fell in love with the hybrid drive train and interior styling. My car has xenons and a sunroof but not much else, not even Display Audio or memory seats, and I missed my old TSX because it had those features. I'm happier now after seeing my fuel bills drop by half and having a much quieter interior, even if the suspension is almost as firm as the TSX's.

There will always be a better car tomorrow but if you keep waiting for it, you'll never get it.