SilvahGX

Hi,
I have tried all 4 dealers in my area to find a 2010 ES350 with Pre-Collision system for my mother. So far we have been unsuccessful in finding one. We are in the Orange County, California area.

We are concerned in a safe vehicle that will be likely to prevent accidents. We were very impressed with the 2010 E350, however the price of the ES350 is very appealing.

All we want is the Intuitive Parking assist and the Pre-Collison System. This seems like such a lifesaver item and it seems like it should be standard in all cars. However, I am surprised as to why Lexus isn't allocating any of these cars to the West Coast. Mercedes is also in a similar situation, very few of the vehicles I have seen have the Pre-Collision/PRESAFE system.

I have been told that perhaps there might be some vehicles on the east coast that would have them. If so, would it be a big hassle to have them transport it here in terms of negotiations/deal?

We are interested in leasing.

Thanks

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

You're probably going to have to special order a ES350 with the Pre-Collision System & Dynamic Radar Cruise Control option.

Richard95

[QUOTE=Joeb427;5260505]You're probably going to have to special order a ES350 with the Pre-Collision System & Dynamic Radar Cruise Control option.[/QUOTE

I wanted the radar cruise control when I bought my 2010 in December, but the dealer said it would have to be ordered from the factory. My car has everything but that. I haven't seen one with the radar cruise control.

SilvahGX

Thanks for the prompt replies.

I spoke with a dealer representative who handles inventories and he confirmed that it would have to be ordered. This would mean that the car would take about 4 months to be delivered.

I guess the saying is true, when something is too good to be true it probably is. The car would have had everything we were looking for for a $44K pricetag and a quite/comfortable ride with Lexus reliability/service.

I don''t quite understand why Lexus would not produce more cars with this lifesaving technology. Surely, a person who is willing to fork out enough for a Base ES350 could shell out a few extras for one loaded with this feature. Does this by any chance have to do with the ES "cruise control problem with Ms. Smith?

I guess I'm going to have to fork out the extra $$$ for the E350.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

I may be wrong but doesn't the ES 350 system only have pre-collision with the cruise control on?

LexBob2

My guess would be that for whatever reason(s) they haven't seen enough demand for the feature. If they had, they'd have more cars with it available. Just a guess though. It could be other reasons.

SilvahGX

[QUOTEJoeb427;5261772]I may be wrong but doesn't the ES 350 system only have pre-collision with the cruise control on?[/QUOTE]

I know for Mercedes the cruise control that automatically halts the car .6 seconds before impact must be on. However, the system that senses that there is sudden braking automatically adjusts the driver and passengers so as to minimize the risk of injury or death. This is done via automatic adjustment of seats and tensioning of seatbelts.

For Lexus/Toyota, I saw an ad for the Prius and it seems to be constitutive. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W-pTakVadH4

A big to those at Lexus for not making this car more available. Driving is quite possibly the most risky activity we take part in and this feature should be made more available.

I really hope that this feature becomes standard on all vehicles one day. I can imagine that it will cost a lot of $$$ to maintain, but if it saves lives and prevents accidents, it is surely worth it.

flowrider

iTrader: (9)

This feature is available, and Lexus (Toyota) has done enough market research to know what options most people want and what they don't. It's not in Toyota's interest to have stock sitting on the lots, because it contains features that most of us (me included) don't want.

Lou

miniz

You will have to order it. Most people are too cheap and/or uneducated to purchase a fully loaded car. Most new cars sell with a couple options and/or packages, and a good majority of the luxury cars sell with no options (base) because people try to step up from say a fully loaded IS to base ES or a loaded GS to base LS or a loaded C class to base E class.... I.E they can't really afford the car to begin with.

LexBob2

I agree. The ES350 is in its 4th model year and if there was sufficient consumer demand or competitive pressure to have this feature readily available on a car in this segment they have them on the lots.

SilvahGX

I understand everyone's logic. At the end of the day its the difference between a $40K car and a $44K car.

Around here, most people who come to even buy a Lexus have the flexibility of upgrading but choose not to. This is only a recent occurence as in the past, you would find these cars with a variety of options. I do know of the type of people who get a base E-class just because it was only a little bit more than the C-Class, however that population of buyers is very rare.

Out of curiosity, is there a deterrent to the PCS that would make you hesitant to get it? Is it the functionality/durability?

overclock

Just because I have $40k doesn't mean I can poop another $4k. When I bought my car I knew exactly what I could afford, $25.8k and not a dime more. People buying more than they could afford is what got us into this economic "crisis", ie, buying a $400k house when they could only afford a $40k house.

SilvahGX

The point I was trying to make was that if it is hard for you to be spending $44K as opposed to $40K, you probably should not even be considering a car of this caliber.

In my book, you should be able to swallow the extra $4K comfortably especially when it has to do with safety (if it were something like a sports package, then forget about it).

But that is besides the point, I would one day love to see this safety feature standard on all vehicles. Granted the greater repair costs in the event of a malfunction.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

It also comes down to not wanting to pay X amount for a certain car.
My ES listed for $41K and I paid less than $39K out the door.
I wouldn't spend over $40K out of pocket for an ES 350 but that's me.That's not because I can't afford to,it's because I set limits on certain a vehicle's value to me.

Richard95

The MSRP for the radar cruise control is $1500 not $4000 as some have mentioned.