Photios

I'm in the market for a new car and I want to purchase an ES 300h. I've been looking at the cars at my local Lexus Dealer, and all of vehicles I'm interested have nuluxe interiors. I've been trying to identify just what nuluxe is, however, what I'm finding out is that it is a new form of vinyl.

When I think of vinyl, I think "cheap, cheap, cheap". I remember my younger days when I had a '69 mustang with vinyl interior... My back was always sweating and then sticking to the back of the seat! Yuck! When I think of Lexus, I think "luxury, luxury, luxury". It seems extremely odd to me that Lexus is putting vinyl in their cars. There must be something that I'm missing here. Can someone ease my mind about this, or am I just going to have to hold out and insist on a leather interior car?

Thank you!

Photios

LexBob2

This is becoming more and more common with leather as an extra cost option.

BMW and Mercedes have "leatherette" on quite a few of their models. The product in MB vehicles is not bad at all IMO - We almost bought one and I was originally turned off by the idea.

LexRuger

All entry level luxury cars and some mid-level luxury cars come standard with "leather trimmed" seats. Different brands just use different terms. Even the Mercedes E350 at $50k comes standard with "MB-Tex" which is their interpretation of vinyl, and the leather option is $1,200.

Today's vinyl isn't like 20 or 30 years ago where it looked and felt like plastic. I can't even tell the difference.

Photios

Thank you for your reply!

This is somewhat comforting to me that you cannot tell a difference between leather and nuluxe. The thing that is bothering me is that I'm comparing the Lexus ES 300h to the Toyota Avalon hybrid, which comes standard with leather on all trims. Nuluxe is not even an option on the 2013 Avalon Hybrid. I'm totally befuddled over this!

Photios

LexBob2

It could be that the ES is Lexus entry level luxury car and the Avalon is Toyota's flagship.

eFish

Nuluxe is nice looking and soft. Did you test drive the car? Did you like how it drives?

Fly4u

I experienced Nuluxe in the ES300 and it felt much like leather. Whether it feels comfortable in hot/humid weather is another issue. Lexus seems to tout the product as environmentally more friendly and synergistic to the hybrid theme. For those who abhor animal products, it is a beneficial option.

SW17LS

The non-UL leather in the ES is not very nice quality IMHO, I actually think the NuLuxe feels nicer.

As others have said, a synthetic leather is very common. Its actually hard to find an MB with leather, actually, below the $65k pricepoint.

As others have also said, the Avalon is the flagship Toyota, and the ES is the entry level Lexus. Cost cutting is everywhere on the ES, and its gotten worse with each generation unfortunately.

a310pilot

You get what you pay for seems right when you compare the basic $ price on it.

It leaves a bad taste in my mouth to even see nuluxe on Lexus. They should have just priced the basic model a $1000 dollars more and add the damn leather as basic.

Luxury brands used to be for the rich but look at it now they price these products for everyone to go get one.

Armani has products made in china (cheaper) and also onces from Italy (expensive) . Mercedes has a car for each segment now. Any one can buy a bottle of Dom Perignon. Last year BMW sold more 3 series in Canada than Honda Accords. Klipsch is made in china and ask a audiophile and he'll tell you it dont sound the same... made in usa costs 3 times the price. So obviously quality of products is coming down.

Before Japan started making cars half the world couldn't afford to buy a car.

flipside909

NuLuxe is basically a lightweight, durable synthetic leather. It's a material that first made it's appearance on the CT 200h. The material is not cheap feeling at all and is a lot more durable and less prone to wear and wrinkling than normal leather. It's a really nice material and feels very substantial.

NuLuxe in black:




NuLuxe in Parchment:





This shouldn't bother you as the Avalon is the Toyota flagship and the ES being Lexus' entry level model. A fully loaded Avalon Limited is priced where a moderately priced ES would start. Softex is Toyota's version of NuLuxe. True all Avalon grades come with leather but again it's preference in what you're exactly looking for and what your budget is. For reference, the Avalon's warranty is 3yr/36k basic and 5yr/60k powertrain and 2 years free Toyota Care maintenance. Lexus on the other hand offers 4yr/50k basic 6yr/70k powertrain, first 2 scheduled service visits are free, but you do get the option of driving a Lexus loaner and the other Lexus dealer amenities Toyota doesn't offer. The Avalon is a lot more engaging to drive than the ES. It's about what you value.

SW17LS

LOL, why? Plenty of other manufacturers have synthetic leather as standard on cars a lot more than the ES. Remember that until 2010 I believe, cloth was standard on the ES with leather as an option. Cloth was standard on the GS until not all that long ago. Is NuLuxe better than cloth? At least they reduced the price and offered NuLuxe instead of charging the same for it and just deleting the leather...like they did for the auto leveling HIDs, AFS, on and on.

LOL, come on. You don't have to be "rich" to buy one of these cars, especially an ES. If you want an exclusive car for the "rich" buy a Rolls Royce. Its a $40,000 entry level luxury sedan, $40k isn't a whole lot for a car nowadays.

I'd buy an ES with nuluxe over the base leather without hesitation if they also had cooled seats.

bigblack06

iTrader: (20)

It actually doesn't look that bad and if you don't care about leather it is a good option, I can def. tell the difference between the real leather and the NuLuxe up close. We debated the same thing and it only made since to go for the Lexus ES as its really only $1500 difference really isn't that much. I would go with Lexus any day, the buying process the attention to the customer is a whole lot better than Toyota from my own experience.Good luck on whatever you purchase.

Aron9000

Looks like the same material they use on the side bolsters/headrests on a Camry SE. In a Camry SE you can get the seats trimmed in optional suede inserts/"leather" bolsters like pictured or a cheaper no cost option polyester type fabric with the "leather" bolsters. Anyways, I shopped for a Camry a couple years ago when the new body style came out, I can tell you its synthetic leather on the bolsters, but I don't really care. I'm thinking the vinyl material looks nice and will hold up A LOT better on the driver's seat back/bottom where you get in/out.

LexFather

Another thing about nuluxe is Lexus states its better for the environment to produce than leather. I thought I would hate it but its really pretty good, doesn't feel as fake as the pleather in a German car.

And Acura is doing it too in their FLAGSHIP, the $48k RLX has fake leather as standard.

a310pilot

Steve that's exactly the point I'm trying to convey... You dont have to be rich. This car is priced to sell and it will sell.

If the only car Lexus offered was LS and above. A lot less people could afford it.