LS430inDE.

Here is a poll question ONLY to ES350 owners who have NuLuxe seat covering. All others, PLEASE REFRAIN from posting/commenting. This means DO NOT comment if you have genuine leather seats. (I know there will be someone who doesn't follow directions, so I'm trying to make it difficult for them to claim ignorance.)

Please DO NOT participate and DO NOT COMMENT on this entire thread if you have genuine leather seats!The question is: WHEN did you realize the ES350 you purchased did not have genuine leather seats? BEFORE you went shopping/spoke with salesperson, WHILE you were making the deal/negotiating, or AFTER you purchased/paid? (I'm interested to also know HOW you found out also.)

Thank you.

TechNut

I don't know what your motivation is here, but I do have NuLuxe so I qualify for your polling subset. I decline to participate. You must think the members here are real rubes, particularly if they don't insist on genuine cowhide in their cars.

dchar

What is the point of this poll? Customers should inform themselves of packages and options before going in to the dealer. If not, then they should ask salesmen to explain it to them rather than expect the salesman to explain every single option and configuration to every customer.

The Lexus website and ES catalog clearly states that Nuluxe is standard on ES350 and ES300h, while Luxury or Ultra Luxury packages are needed for leather.

LS430inDE.

Please don't place words in my mouth. What you are speculating is not accurate. I will deduce though, by your refusal to honestly answer my poll question, that you didn't know your $40k+ car had vinyl seating surfaces. It's OK though---I had no idea Lexus was upholstering with vinyl either, until I started shopping for an ES.

Gekko

the correct term is "Artico". Artificial Cow!

AUDEMARS PIGUET HORROR STORY - the free travel case is vinyl - ARCHIELUXURY

TechNut

The fact that you assume I wouldn't know the seating material on my new car speaks volumes about what you think of me. What you are speculating isn't accurate either. I am not willing to respond to your poll because I find the poll demeaning and don't care to engage in your attempt to denigrate the members of this forum.

LS430inDE.

That was 1 of the funniest videos I've seen in a while!!!!!! It take a lot to get me to LOL, and that had me rolling! What a post, Gekko! It's a shame only the first 5 mins of the video poked fun at Artico! I wanted the whole 7 minutes!!!

LS430inDE.

I don't know you from Adam. I guess you didn't understand the purpose of the poll and it's 100% anonymous to hide any embarrassment an owner might have. The poll, for those of you who insist on WHY I created the poll, for me to observe if ANY/ALL the members here knew when the seats were Artico! As if any members will actually vote now, that they know "the purpose" of my poll!? DOUBT IT.

You could have saved yourself the aggravation, and my time, by simply clicking on the appropriate answer. Oh well.

roninlexus

While shopping at the Lexus dealer we looked at a couple different cars. One was Leather and one was NuLuxe among other variances and the salesman pointed this out. Call it Artico or what have you, It fits my tastes and functionality just fine. I guess some may feel that "a 40k car should have leather" but that was way down my list on what concerned me in a car. The stuff (vinyl, plastic, Artico, fake, "man made leather" (lol I love that one) suits me just fine.

Gekko

perhaps you already know this but the leather in most cars including Lexus has a thick topcoat of polyurethane.

SW17LS

I'm not entirely sure what's going on here, clearly there is some animosity at play here.

Anyways, anybody who thinks the ES "should have standard leather", my response is it really never has. It's just that the standard upholstery was actually cloth.

mrBillFL

I voted, and I have a es300h, hope that doesn't upset your poll.
Does anyone actually buy a car without reading the window sticker?

I preferred the 'Pleather' seat cover to the perforated 'air cooled' leather seats. Those little holes will not hold up over time. I had a gf with an infinity with similar seats and they cracked badly. replacement covers were over 2k... (* it is a 2003).

I'm guessing the OP didn't read the window sticker....

-of course if you lease or turn the car in in 4-5 years, probably not your problem...

LS430inDE.

No worries. Hybrid owners won't upset the polling data.

Bad guess about me not reading the sticker. We don't own an ES (yet, probably) and I never knew they had fake leather until searching what NuLuxe was (while shopping.) We are shopping pre-owned, 2014's and newer.

er34

Most people can't tell between NuLuxe and real leather if it wasn't indicated as such. In fact, NuLuxe is said to wear better as it doesn't stretch/crease with lower maintenance.

Lower trim MB C-class also comes with Artico, it's not just an "ES" thing.

gmanusmc

Don't understand all the fuss about nuluxe - we had it in our 13 ES350 and my wife loved it. Very soft, comfy and easy to clean. Many posters on this site have also voiced their approval of it. My recommendation - if adamantly opposed to nuluxe, move up to a different trim or model. Issue solved. No need for a poll.