4lex

I am purchasing the ES 350 with the premier package. The memory package is very nice if you'll have more than one driver. I also believe that the heated/ventilated seats are worth it. Indeed, with the comments on the forum about how the ventilated seats barely work, I was amazed that I felt anything at all. But I did feel some air on my back and seat; at least in Tucson, I think that the feature is a must. Although the brochure states that you can order those seats as a separate option, it does not appear that way on the online configurator (which has its own issues) -- I would check with the dealer.

Note that you cannot get the power trunk option on the ES 350 -- even if you special order the car -- without purchasing the luxury package. I just had to make that decision last week, and opted to stick with the premier package. Note also that the memory package in the premier package is only for the driver's seat. Again, you'll need to purchase the luxury package to include the passenger's seat. (This from the salesman when writing up my special order -- I didn't notice any reference to it in brochures, online, etc.).

lesz

How well the ventilated seats work depends, I think, on which year of the Generation 6 ES you have. With the 2013 ES that I previously owned, the airflow from the ventilated seats was minimal. With the 2017 ES that I currently own, there is significantly more air flow, especially from the seat back.

I believe that the passenger side memory seat is actually only available with the Ultra Luxury Package.

debtfree1

FatherTo1

Definitely ask if you can test the ventilated seats. The air flow really is a blessing in hot climates. The ventilated seats on my wife's 2006 ES 330 blow very strong and cold, much much better than the anemic ventilated seats in the LS 430 and LS 460 despite those being Lexus "flagships". Don't pay for the ventilated seats until you're sure they work as expected, or at least don't get a package until you're sure every option works to your satisfaction.

Dave Mac

I have always had the luxury package or whatever was necessary to get leather seats but the leather in my 2016 ES just wasn't wearing well at all and I had decided to try nuluxe even before seeing all the premium package cars available and almost no luxury package cars. My driver's seat was showing a lot of wear right near where the seat belt rubbed across it after just two years and 20K miles. At my last service I had my service advisor note that I had complained about the wear and he had said it was normal wear and tear - it was a lease and I didn't want to hear about excess wear and tear at the end of the lease.

Be aware of this though - the design of the leather seats with the luxury package is different and I think better looking than the nuluxe design and with the luxury package you get wood trim rather than piano black on the console. I priced changing it and they wanted like $500 for the two trim pieces. I'm going to get used to the piano black but I'm sure it will show fine scratches pretty soon. With a lease you can accept things like than better than on a car you plan to own for a longer period of time.

And you do realize that it is only the seating surfaces that are leather - everything else is I guess nuluxe. And I had more than one salesman, some with many years of experience, tell me that "nuluxe is leather" and everything inside the car is leather.

The semi-aniline leather on the Ultra Luxury package is at another level - really nice.

Dave Mac

debtfree1

Mr. Mac, thanks for the insight. I need to go to my dealer this weekend to look at both packages in person i think. What type of wear did ypu encounter in your luxury package seats? Cracks? I have heard the semi analine leather in the uL package is super soft. I bet its not that durable tho...

lesz

I agree with all of the above.

Starting with the 2016 ES model year, the Luxury package and Ultra Luxury package cars got seats with more elaborate and more luxurious looking stitching. Also, instead of the piano black on the center console, there is wood. Putting aside whether one might have a preference for the look of the piano black or the wood, the piano black is very susceptible to scratching. When I had my 2013 ES with piano black, I quickly learned that I had to be very careful to avoid even dragging/brushing anything, including clothing, across the piano black. With my 2017 ES with wood trim on the console, that is not an issue.

Also, I agree that the semi-aniline leather is especially nice. I don't really care about most of the added features in the Ultra Luxury package, but I bought my 2017 with the Ultra Luxury package primarily for two features, the semi-aniline leather and the driver's seat thigh extender.

I had the standard leather on my Luxury package 2013 ES, and I have the semi-aniline leather on my 2017 Ultra Luxury package ES. If anything, I'd say that the semi-aniline leather shows less wear than the standard leather. Because it is so soft and supple, it seems to be less prone to developing creases in it.

Dave Mac

I was seeing excessive cracking and just plain wear near the seat belt on my 2016 - never saw that before on a luxury package car.

I have not heard anyone complain about the semi-aniline leather in the UL - it is just plain nice but usually requires things like a pano roof (which I ended up getting anyway on a premium package car) and 18" wheels which would probably be a deal breaker. Dealers are more inclined to swap wheels for the same size but don't like to do 18" to 17". The only UL I saw was the wrong color and several thousand dollars more as I recall. But it did have the power opening trunk which I would have liked.

Good luck this weekend.

Dave Mac

SW17LS

Correct, having had both types on several cars the semi-aniline leather holds up much better.

debtfree1

Dave Mac

As you look this weekend you might inquire about order cutoff dates. I don't know if it is the same for all regions or is even current information with the U.S. built cars but in the past when I was special ordering all of my cars the cutoff date was always the 19th of the month. And then there was always a second option, if an inventory car was close to what I wanted but something off like maybe color they could make that change and get my car sooner. That didn't often work for me because of my desire for the power opening trunk.

Dave Mac

4lex

I was given the same information by my Tucson dealer two weeks ago, but the date I was quoted was the 20th. I was also informed that April is the last month during which such special orders are accepted for the model year.

debtfree1

Dave, thanks for heads up! You folks have been a big help. Salesman is off today go figure. Might not be able to make the trip anyway. I have to get this car ordered soon.