Bought a 2015 ES350,wondering if I could change grille to 2016 ES350?
 

Like in title, just got a 2015 ES350 (2013-2015). Was wondering if I could retrofit the new headlights and grille from the 2016 refresh onto my 2015?

I have a 2016 ES350 on order and if I thought I could retrofit the 2015 grill I would love it but I believe the answer is yes, you could do it but at a tremendous cost not to mention the diminished value of the car with such a modification. You could probably trade up for less money.

Dave Mac

You can, but the money would be better spent on the 2016 if you really want it. Then you'd get the improvements on the interior, as well.

I don't mean to hijack this thread, but what interior improvements? My wife and I looked in one and couldn't see any real differences. I would love to trade out of the black interior and that is now an option with the Atomic Silver exterior, but a bit hard to justify that depreciation hit for a car we really like otherwise. Plus the grill looks so obviously plastic on the new model. I am not a fan of the new grill myself, but it would be tolerable if it didn't have such large shiny non-operational surrounds. It just screams plastic when you see it in person, where that isn't so obvious on the 2015 model year - even though both are undoubtedly plastic.

The shift knob was finally upgraded from the one that has been around since the 2007 ES350, the gaudy color-matched plastic window switches have finally been replaced with black ones that look significantly better, the steering wheel is much nicer, the piano black plastic where the second cupholder was is now wood, the area with the seat heater/cooler dials is now surrounded with a leather-like material, the two-tone change to the door panels and seats remove how cheap the plastic looked in the tan model(especially the door panels), the speaker grille looks better, there is a metallic trim around the "joystick" base, and the seats are a different design with leather that looks classier.

They're all fairly subtle changes, but they add up to address the issues that made the car look cheap. If they upped the sound isolation, it'd be even better.

Sounds like some nice improvements. As for the improved sound isolation, that sounds like rumor as I haven't seen any positive confirmation. Can anyone confirm that and put that question to rest?

I think that whether the changes that you list are "improvements" or whether they are just "changes" is a matter of personal preference.

When I first saw the Lexus announcement for the 2016 ES re-fresh and when I saw the pictures, I thought that I liked most of the changes. After having seen them in person, I consider some of them to be just "changes", and there are some that I think make the interior look worse. For example, I originally thought that I'd like the two-tone interior with the flaxen interior. When I actually saw it in a 2016 ES, I thought it reminded me of something that I would have seen in Dodge Darts or Chevy Cavaliers that were meant to appeal to buyers who are 19 years old. I also thought that I'd like the wood on the center console, but, when I saw it, there was something that just didn't look right. I think it is because wood trim appeals to me when it is in smaller pieces. When it is a larger slab, the wood veneer covered with heavy coats of polyurethane just doesn't look like real wood. I consider moving to the black door switch trim as being nothing more than a change that is neither better nor worse than the was it had been, and the addition of metallic trim around the joystick (or any place else) is actually something that I consider to be a negative.

About the only new elements of the 2016 interior that come across to me as improvements and not just changes are the padded area around the front of the center console and the more detailed stitching on the seats.

Again, I think that whether one likes most of the changes is merely a matter of personal preference.

Thanks for the responses! Trading in seems too pricey. Possibly I could just buy the headlights and grille somewhere online?

I'd just save my money until I could get a 2016(or '17). That kind of customization tends to hurt resale value as well. If it ain't broke...

Just wait a couple of years when your lease is up or when it's time to trade it in. You'll get newer technologies and new design without devaluing your 'mod' 2015 anymore.

To each his own, Love my 16 ES UL, traded in my 13 ES UL. Love the flaxen interior and ALL of the changes, exterior and interior! Have since tinted the windows and totally detailed in and out. Had it 2 months and put 300 miles including the 191 mile trip from the dealer, lol! Oh and its definitely not a Dodge Dart and I am 47 yoa, lol.

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Howdy Fellow Texan!

Your 2016 Es 350 looks great. Congrats.

Have you priced lexus parts?
would cost about 10k
you would need whole new front end

I think I have come across a few posts where the owners painted the bumper strip black in the area thats within the spindle grill. Not exactly the same as a 2016 but could be a way to personalize the look if thats what you want.

Yes, ours is the grey color and the center bar blends in very nicely.
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My karma just ran over your dogma
Current Hers: '13 Lexus ES350
Current Mine: '08 Jaguar S-Type 4.2 V8