Dave Mac

Today I saw a, for me, first ever true base Lexus ES350 with a window sticker of $33,820 I believe. Cloth interior in black and no options. It had just been unloaded from the transport and I asked a salesman if someone had special ordered it - His response "I have no idea". Actually the cloth interior looked durable and not too bad. Also noticed a navigation package ES without parking assist for the first time - also unusual.

Dave Mac

superchan7

I've got to see myself one of these base ES350s just for the novelty factor. To imagine a 2008 Lexus without leather is just amazing.

MD350

Did you happen to notice if the steering wheel had wood on it? I have seen pics of a cloth ES (on this forum) without wood on the steering wheel.

There are people out there that just can't buy a car with leather.

Dave Mac

No, I don't believe the steering wheel had any wood trim on it.

Dave Mac

<VENOM>

I don't think there are many of these cars probably just a car that was configured so that the ES350 could be said it has a certain lower starting price.

I know at 1 time Lexus offered 5speed manual ES300, each dealer got say 1 a month or 5 a year, very small numbers but from what I heard they where sold before the dealers even got them, never seen them in person but I know they exist, this was early 90's

MD350

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/sho...d.php?t=336518

take a look at these pics.

codex57

I've seen one. I really can't imagine why someone would order it. You can get a fully loaded Camry for less than the base price of the ES350 so I gotta imagine anyone stepping up to the ES can afford the extra bucks for the leather.

The only thing I could come up with is someone who wanted a Lexus, but lives in extreme temps so they want the fabric cuz it doesn't get as cold/hot as leather.

I'm pretty sure I was offered a few cars without parking assist (but had nav) when I first started sending out e-mails to dealers. Maybe a regional thing?

Q_Lexie

Mine is a base model and it has leather interior... I think the base model for Canadian ES350 is better equipped. It even has heated/ventilated seats.

codex57

Whoah. The Canadian base model is much more well equipped then. I can see putting heated/vented seats on the option list, but Lexus really should just make leather standard on all their cars. At least in North America. If they bump up base price $500-800 because of it, I don't think consumers would notice.

radeonboy

I don't think consumers will notice if it's a markup in the 100's. When it goes to the 1000's, people will definately notice...

Yea base ES350's in Canada are better equipped, but still way overpriced compared to the States. I bought my ES before the markdown, so we almost paid just as much as a UL down in the States (I have a base model too)

Q_Lexie

Isn't ES350 $3000 cheaper now? I wonder how long this is going to last.

One of my friends' family bought an Escalade in Buffalo, N.Y. last November. It is $80k in Canada, but apparently it's only $50k down there. What a bargain. But they went through some psychologically painful paperwork...

radeonboy

Yea it is 3000 cheaper, but we bought ours like a month before the markdown...so we paid 42,900 with tax which ended up being like 50K