anaab

Hello everyone, newb here although been on a number of other forums in the past.
Looking at picking up a certified used ES in a week or so and having a tough time deciding. 2018 with about 10k and the premium package or a 2019 base model with 6k.
Liking the changes to the 2019 (interior and rear body changes) but sure would like those extra toys on the premium.

Any thoughts from some insiders?

lesz

It is tough to find what I would consider to be a good deal on a Lexus that is between 0 and 2 years old. There are lots of buyers who would like to buy an almost new car at what they think will be a highly discounted price. At the same time, not many 0-2 year old cars have yet come back to dealers as lease returns or trade-ins. The combination of high demand and low supply only leads to highly inflated prices. And, if the car is a CPO vehicle, when you add in the $2500 or so that you will pay for the CPO certification, the prices of those cars start to come very close to what you could buy a brand new car for. Further, dealers are not motivated to allow much room for negotiations because they know that, eventually, someone will come along who doesn't realize how much discounting is available on new cars, and that person will pay the inflated price for the used car.

My suggestion would be to look for, say, a 2016 ES. If you are interested in the "toys", you are likely to find a used 2016 that would have the Luxury package or Ultra Luxury package and with low miles for a much lower price than what you would be paying for that 2018 Premium package car or the 2019 base car. And, that 2016 should still have some of the factory bumper-to-bumper warranty and a good portion of the power train warranty left.

anaab

Thank you less

anaab

Sorry, answered that from the phone and it auto corrected. Thank you Lesz.
These are both Service Dept loaners.

My question is not so much about pricing strategies but about the differences between Gen 6 and Gen 7.

lesz

To me, the most important differences between the 2019 ES and Generation 6 ES cars are the ones related to changes/improvements to technology. Some of those changes have to do with a newer generation of the safety systems, including the all-speed cruise control, lane centering, etc. The navigation system is a Generation 10 system with a larger screen, compared to the Generation 7, 8, or 9 systems on the 2013-2018 ES. The 2019 ES has other features including the available head's up display and available triple beam headlights. Of course, if you buy a base 2019 ES, you won't get many of those tech improvements.

The appearance differences are more subjective, and opinions will vary. I am one who prefers the cleaner and more understated look of the Generation 6 ES to the look of the 2019 ES, and I especially dislike the grille on the 2019 ES. I also prefer the cleaner and more understated look of the interior of the Generation 6 ES. Others will not have the same opinion.

The 2019 ES engine puts out marginally more hp, and it has an 8 speed transmission, but the 3.5 liter V6 and 6 speed transmission in the Generation 6 ES also form an outstanding power train.

The bottom line is that, if you want the most and newest technology and if you have a higher budget, you will get what you want with a loaded 2019 Luxury or or Ultra Luxury ES. However, if your budget limits you to a 2019 base ES, you will get more technology, albeit technology that is a generation older, in a more well-equipped 2016-2019 ES.

nuraman00

Since you said you would like the premium features, I'd go with a CPO premium car. As @lesz said, maybe you can find a good 2016 premium one.

If budget isn't as much of an issue, then see if you can get a good deal on a 2019 premium one.

lesz

Over on the CL Generation 7 board, people are reporting already being able to buy a new 2019 ES with discounts as high as 16% off of MSRP.

I'll bet that the OP could buy a new 2019 ES for very close the price of the used 2019 that he/she is looking at. And, as I said earlier, I'm also sure that a very well-equipped 2016 or 2017 ES could be bought for a much lower price than that of the used base 2019 ES.

anaab

So the end result is that I chose the 2018 premium with 10k. Picked it up last night, extremely happy with the car in this short time.

It'll take a few more miles before I can make any educated comments but so far it looks great in the driveway.

jollick

Congratulations!

nuraman00

Great, good to hear.

anaab

So it's been about a month now and zero regrets. This is just the right car for me at this point in life (45 days to retirement). A great combination of comfort and cool (at least my grandson thinks so and his opinion matters to me).

Starting to figure out some of the less obvious "little things" and just enjoying the ride.

Thanks to all for your insights.

Al

Luxure

I just picked up a 2016 Obsidian ES 350 last month and I love it, got a great deal on it without the CPO. After having sport cars all my life I was ready for comfort and class, at 55 I was ready to treat myself for a comfy ride back and forth to work .

STLLEXUS

I think you made the right choice in the 2018 over the 2019. You have to remember with every new generation come some growing pains even if it's a Lexus and you own one of the best Generations of ES that had most of all the bugs worked out if not all.