nothing? Sells pretty well so it seems...

 

Yeah it's too bad, just in terms of appearance, it's the most appealing in it's class inside & out, & a nice driving sedan too.
I think their initial goal before the current model was launched was 8000 units per year in the US, which is about 650 per month . . .

 

well it's down 28%, and the old model was $100k +.

the board members seem to love it, at least the one's not in the market for a premium flagship sedan.

 

Remember there used to be a S430 that was about $10K less than the S500. The new one is selling like hot cakes considering it starts at a higher price and only goes up from there. Alas, none of these cars hold their huge initial monthly sales for very long. Just like everything car related, they are hot and then start to move down to a more consistent level.

 

you cant just look at the y/y pctg and say whether or not a car is doing well. there may be other factors involved, even if you assume the data is seasonally and availability-adjusted (and in many cases its not). instead you have to look at all of the other factors along with it to try to form a composite picture.

for instance, if a selling month is shorter, or holidays change, or the car has an unusually strong/weak month prior, the current month may be unusually high/low. some of these factors may or may not be cross market. hence, the need to look at the big picture.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but the S550 starts at $85,000...

 

Base MSRP $86,525.

 

Lexus only confirmed that the next-gen ES would no longer be based off of the Camry. They did not say anything else, or anything about the next-gen RX.

 

Somehow I don't think the GS460 will have a huge impact. The GS300 to GS350 change hasn't really improved sales. Between the E, 5, A6 and M, this is just an extremely competitive segment.

 

I read rumors about that, that will be good news if true. I did a few searches, but found no substantial link. But still it sounds good, although if made RWD (which I would prefer), it might encroach even more on the GS.

 

If they make the next ES a Lexus only RWD platform, then I think it's a MUST that they make the next generation GS very sporty oriented to make enough distinction between the 2 models.
Even right now, I think there is already some cross shopping between the 2 because of their similar size even though one is FWD. Yes the 3GS is sportier, but the difference may not be enough, especially during normal driving, the difference may not be too significant to many.

 

Actually I think the ES/GS cross-shopping is a HUGE reason why the GS sales are the weak link in the Lexus sedan lineup. The closest analogy is the E-class. There is the 'midpriced' luxury sedan between the entry level (IS series/C-class) and flagship (LS series/S-class)...

But in the entry segment, Lexus does a good job of servicing the luxury-focused and sport-luxury markets with the IS/ES. While this is good for the entry-level buyer, and is very successful...

...when it comes to midsize luxury, that gives Lexus 2 models, the ES and GS. The GS is supposed to be more luxurious, more sporty, more special, and more expensive. In fact, it is supposed to take the price spot abandoned by the LS in its move upmarket ($50,000 range).

However, the GS largely succeeds in being more sporty and expensive than the ES, but is fairly even on other attributes. The GS errs more on the side of 5-series BMW; the E-class Mercedes splits the difference, with ample luxury and sufficient performance. The GS is not, IMO, marketedly more luxurious than the ES. In fact, one could argue that the ES is made more special (hybrids aside) by having the UL package with 14-speaker ML, panorama glass roof, etc. And the ES has more room and costs less! Despite FWD, the ES is the relative bargain that makes the GS a harder sell.

 

Great post.

 

Thanks! At present, I have come to the conclusion that GS sales will remain as they are, which is good but not great (so far), until Lexus works out an answer to the ES/GS conundrum.

While there are others on this board who advocate the elimination of the ES from the lineup entirely, I think this is more of the pure car enthusiast position. As an average car buyer, I have enjoyed the ES cars I've had the pleasure to drive in. It is the purest statement of the traditional sense of Lexus luxury at that price range.

One thing that has occurred, which may set the stage for the GS revival is the way the ES 350 has hewn closely to the entry-level line. IMO a definite reason why the ES 350's interior was not added in opulence over the ES 330 was a desire to clearly delineate its position below the GS in the lineup. However, the UL packaging on the ES contradicts this (but is probably dictated by market reality; Lexus knows the ES will sell more for the foreseeable future).

But the GS needs to become a more well-rounded car to attact more buyers. I would suggest the Infiniti M as an example, although I wonder if the GS' svelte styling can accomodate the larger backseat. and trunk.

 

To be honest, it could be a dedicated FWD platform. No longer being based off the Camry doesn't automatically mean that it will be RWD. Either way, we will see what Lexus brings.