I don't know of any manufacturer or dealership who consistantly lists actual NEW car inventory. If it worked, everyone would be doing it already. Here are some reasons why it's frowned upon within the industry...

One, if you are searching a dealer's site and do not find the exact match or color, you will go elsewhere, leaving this dealer behind. What dealer would like such a thing where they can't even get the chance to wow the customer to buy Car B instead?

Two, it keeps foot traffic out of the dealership, which is a big no-no in the car-shopping and retail industry. A dealer cannot sell you a car if he cannot get you to walk in and fall in love over something (sight, feel, smell, test drive, etc). That's a huge way cars are sold- on emotion. This scenario happens over 50% of the time, "...I hadn't planned on buying a car today, but this is nice...." The majority of car sales involved selling a model that was not exactly what the customer had in mind. Dealers need people to walk in in order for this convincing to happen!

Three, the small dealer with lower allocation would continue reduced sales if they had less combinations listed online. On the flip side, the high volume dealer would continue to draw people in due to having all model combinations. Unfair advantage.

So, you will not see Lexus change their ways because it will hurt dealers, giving some an unfair advantage, or reduce sales altogether. Regardless of the size of the dealer, he wants you physically there so he can put his talkers to work and make you fall in love with a model you may or may not had planned on buying.

I found both my Wife's IS-250,and my RX-350 on Cars.com .I purchased both vehicles in different states.My negotiations was strictly with Internet Sales.

Actually, most dealerships and auto manufacturers do list new-car inventories publically, on-line. Lexus is one of the very few holdouts for new cars....though they do (sometimes) list the used models they have in stock.

I know, because I often (but not always) use on-line dealer-inventory searches to help find the new cars I review for CL. For obvious reasons, it helps save time, gasoline, and phone-calls.

Some manufacturer websites will actually display not only the vehicles currently on a dealer's lot, but also those in transit to the dealership. Ford does this.

as others have said, most ALL dealers (non-lexus) show new car inventory on their site. also, manufacturer sites, when you enter zip will then show you inventory at the local dealer.

as for lexus not doing it, i think that's dumb. as for it hurting dealers if they did, i disagree as lexus has so few dealers, most don't really compete that much.