Hi, just started looking at the 2013 ES350 - I want to get a CPO. I'm so confused about the packages. I sat and drove one that was heavenly as far as comfort of the seat, nice plush, soft leather. The salesman said it was the mid-level. Not base (premium) not ultra. HOWEVER, when I went to two other dealers and asked to see a 2013 ES350, the seats were not as plush. So not I don't know what to look for. Anyone understand? Also, I looked on the dealer's website at the one with the plush seats, and is is NOT ultra package as the passenger door does not have memory.

 

I don't know what you are referring to when you say the passenger door "does not have memory".

I have a luxury edition with leather seats. Some models have a synthetic leather called Nuluxe. Others have a more expensive leather seat cover called aniline. Maybe you saw a car with Nuluxe and it wasn't as soft as the leather. That being said, to my knowledge there is no difference in the "plushness" of the seats. Also, there are three different levels. Premium, Luxury, and Ultra Luxury.

 

still confused, because I sat in a few 2013 ES350's and one had much plusher seats and I wish I could figure out which one it was. I say it was not the ultra luxury package because it didn't have the memory for the passenger seat. They told me only Ultra package has the passenger seat memory on the passenger's door. Which package do you need to get to have the leather? thanks.

 

I have a 2013 350 UL. The memory for the passenger seat, I believe, is also available on the Lux. The biggest giveaway for the UL is the driver's cushion extender and semi-aniline leather. Up until 2016, only the UL ES350 had the pano roof, but never in the 300h.

 

As Mike728 said, "The biggest giveaway, at least for the US models, for the UL is the driver's cushion extender and semi-aniline leather". Other than that, the other 2 packages have either Leather or NuLuxe (Vinyl).

 

Which packages have leather seats - I think those are softer.

 

The premium package has the NuLuxe seats. On the 2013 ES, determining whether it is NuLuxe is simple because the 2013 NuLuxe seats are not perforated.

The Luxury package has standard leather that is perforated. You can tell that it is the Luxury package if it has perforated seats and if the passenger door does not have the seat memory buttons.

The Ultra Luxury package has perforated semi-aniline leather. UL vehicles will have the passenger seat memory buttons, and, as others have pointed out, the bottom of the driver's seat has a seat extender.

I'll also add that the NuLuxe is actually quite soft and it is, I think, a very nice quality fake leather.

If the car whose seats you liked was a 2013 and if it didn't have the memory buttons on the passenger side door, it was either a Premium package vehicle or a Luxury package vehicle. If the seats were perforated, it was a Luxury package vehicle, and, if they were not perforated, it was a Premium package vehicle.

 

I share the OP's confusion. This is the reason why I never liked how Toyota/Lexus sold their cars.

If you want Option A, you must choose option B. If you choose Option B to get A, you cannot include Option C. If you want Option A, B, and C, then you must choose Option D, but Option D will not include Option B, but you will get Option E instead.

All very confusing.

Honda makes it a lot easier. They distinguish their options with Trim Levels. You can get the Deluxe, Luxury, or Extra-Luxury. Each trim comes with additional options that are most common. On top of each trim level, you can add a few major options like Nav or Tech. Its a lot more simple.

Perhaps Toyota/Lexus does this to avoid dealer to dealer price shopping. Make it difficult for the customers so that they cannot compare the same car from one dealer to another. Reminds me a lot about the mattress industry.

 

Thank you!!! Couldn't seem to get that info from the car dealers! See you are in Illinois as well. I've looked at Rohrman and Woodfield Not ready to buy - I just bought an Acura whose seats are too hard and have to be very careful next time. Thanks again.

 

but what's most confusing is I sat in one that I loved - seats seemed perfect. The guy said "mid-level". I go to another dealer, the "mid-level" had hard seats. It's almost like the sales people don't know the package or aren't saying?
It would be nice to know which one that was, so I can know what to shop around for once I'm ready to buy. I think the seats were NOT perforated though and seemed "cushier"? hmm.

 

So the salesman said it was "mid-level" and I don't think the seats were perforated, meaning it was Premium - which is base, right? Maybe I'll go over there in the next couple of evenings, and clarify.

 

That is correct. If it was a 2013 and if the seats were not perforated, it is a base/Premium ES, and the seats are the NuLuxe/fake leather. In 2015, Lexus started to use perforated NuLuxe seats on its base model, but, for 2013 and 2014, the NuLuxe seats were not perforated.

As I said in my earlier post, the NuLuxe material is quite nice for a fake leather. It certainly is soft, but I'm not sure whether it will have the same long-term durability as real leather.

 

I just called over there and they said the seats are perforated and it's the luxury package - so much for my memory. I still will drive over and look at it again. All I know is some seats are HARD and this was not. Maybe the NuLuxe felt more firm. Does anyone know which seats feel softer?

 

One possible option is to call 800-Lexus and ask for a copy of the window sticker. I am not sure if they will give this to you or not since you are not the owner. The Dealer may also have access to this information.

With the window sticker, you will know exactly what options are on the car.

 

Toyota/Lexus have an insane way of configuring options. Maybe it depends on each country or region. My base ES300h has Nuluxe, *no* memory buttons for driver and passenger seats but it has the seat extender. New 2016 models get the full US-spec UL seats with the complete Safety Sense package. Crazy.