Looking for a new car.
02-06-18, 07:14 PM
#61
Instructor
Thread Starter
Haven't read through all of your thread yet. I found this when I was researching if it helps.
Attachment 474035
Ooops. I'm guessing you don't need that brochure anymore..
That sounds like a long time for a U.S. built ES.
Attachment 474035
Ooops. I'm guessing you don't need that brochure anymore..
That sounds like a long time for a U.S. built ES.
02-06-18, 07:15 PM
#62
Lexus Fanatic
Some are, but most are built in the US at this point.
02-06-18, 07:17 PM
#63
Instructor
Thread Starter
Haven't read through all of your thread yet. I found this when I was researching if it helps.
Attachment 474035
Ooops. I'm guessing you don't need that brochure anymore..
That sounds like a long time for a U.S. built ES.
Attachment 474035
Ooops. I'm guessing you don't need that brochure anymore..
That sounds like a long time for a U.S. built ES.
Thanks.
02-06-18, 07:21 PM
#64
02-07-18, 06:39 AM
#65
Lead Lap
Out of curiosity, I just checked the ES 350 inventories at 3 Lexus dealers. At one of them, 40% of the ES 350 inventory was Japanese-built. At another, 20% was Japanese-built, and, at the third, 16% of the inventory was Japanese-built.
I don't know what to make of the wide range of Japanese-built vs. US built, but one thing that I did notice across the 3 dealerships was that UL ES 350 cars seem to have been Japanese-built, and Luxury and below ES 350 had US-built VIN. So, my guess would be that, at this point in the 2018 production run, the Kentucky factory is set up to produce non-UL ES 350s, and that dealers are getting their UL cars from the plant in Japan, where they likely are set up, right now, to produce the UL cars. I suspect that, for production runs later in the model year, that could and likely will change.
I don't know what to make of the wide range of Japanese-built vs. US built, but one thing that I did notice across the 3 dealerships was that UL ES 350 cars seem to have been Japanese-built, and Luxury and below ES 350 had US-built VIN. So, my guess would be that, at this point in the 2018 production run, the Kentucky factory is set up to produce non-UL ES 350s, and that dealers are getting their UL cars from the plant in Japan, where they likely are set up, right now, to produce the UL cars. I suspect that, for production runs later in the model year, that could and likely will change.
02-07-18, 07:45 AM
#67
Lead Lap
In the monthly Toyota sales chart, linked here, you can see how many sold were built in Japan vs the US.
In January 2018, they sold 2,640 ES models. Of those, 2,335 were built in the US. Unfortunately, they do not break out ES350 vs ES300h.
In January 2018, they sold 2,640 ES models. Of those, 2,335 were built in the US. Unfortunately, they do not break out ES350 vs ES300h.
It does make sense to me that, especially early in the model year, they would try to build as many as possible of their high volume selling configurations here in the US.
02-07-18, 07:54 AM
#68
Lexus Fanatic
That sounds totally logical and plausible to me
02-07-18, 08:01 AM
#69
Going along with what I posted above, I suspect that Lexus would prefer to sell US-built cars in the US and that, early in the model year, they set up their Kentucky production lines to build cars with the configurations that they think they are likely to sell the most of. Then, they fill out their inventories for lower volume configurations that they are currently not set up to build in the US, like the UL ES 350, with cars built in Japan.
It does make sense to me that, especially early in the model year, they would try to build as many as possible of their high volume selling configurations here in the US.
It does make sense to me that, especially early in the model year, they would try to build as many as possible of their high volume selling configurations here in the US.
02-07-18, 08:26 AM
#70
Lead Lap
Curiously, what I've also noticed, for the last few years, is that there have been a fair number of UL ES added to dealer inventories at the very beginning of the model year. After that, new UL ES don't seem to be added to inventories through much of the model year, and the only UL ES that dealers have are ones that remain from those early shipments. Then, toward the very end of the model year, there have been new UL cars added to dealer inventories. Thus, it seems like the production lines have been set up for the UL, which is a much lower volume seller, only for short periods of time during the beginning and the end of the model year, and those short production runs seem to produce enough UL cars to meet the demand for them.
Last edited by lesz; 02-07-18 at 08:39 AM.
02-09-18, 07:12 PM
#71
Instructor
Thread Starter
The sales manager who did my deal is out of the country now to attend to family matters.
Another manager was handed over my order. When speaking with him today, he told me that it could take longer than 4 months.
He said for one of his recent clients, it took 7 months, and the factory had forgotten some door panel illuminated thing (I think that's what he said). He warned that it might not come out 100% exactly as I wanted.
To me, as long as it has the major packages that I wanted, and the color combinations, that's fine.
I hope though that it doesn't take 7 months. I had prepared myself for about 4 months.
Another manager was handed over my order. When speaking with him today, he told me that it could take longer than 4 months.
He said for one of his recent clients, it took 7 months, and the factory had forgotten some door panel illuminated thing (I think that's what he said). He warned that it might not come out 100% exactly as I wanted.
To me, as long as it has the major packages that I wanted, and the color combinations, that's fine.
I hope though that it doesn't take 7 months. I had prepared myself for about 4 months.
As stated above, the sales manager who did my deal had to leave the country.
Another manager took over my order 2 weeks ago.
I called today, and the dealership told me that the manager that was now handling my order quit this week.
So ANOTHER manager is now handling things. And that he would call me back about my order.
I haven't heard any real update since January 16th, when the original sales manager told me that he had placed the order the prior week, and it was accepted by Lexus this time.
02-09-18, 07:17 PM
#72
Instructor
Thread Starter
02-09-18, 08:17 PM
#73
The US doesn’t build very many base ES’s not very many at all. We also don’t build any Hybrid ES’s. The US does produce UL’s as well as other trims though, but it is ultimately up to market demands as for what is produced.
02-10-18, 03:49 PM
#74
Instructor
Thread Starter
Ok, I spoke with the new sales manager today who is handling my order (my 3rd one due to turnover at the dealership).
They were able to find my order in their system. It hasn't received a temporary VIN yet. But that should be soon, since the order was modified January 10th.
When it comes in, they can confirm everything (exterior and interior). He said it takes 90 - 120 days for it to be built and delivered. (Which is the same timeline they told me originally).
They can confirm the exterior color and the seat color. But not the trim, until the temporary VIN comes in.
He said he's not sure where it's being built, but that most ES 350's are being built in the US.
They were able to find my order in their system. It hasn't received a temporary VIN yet. But that should be soon, since the order was modified January 10th.
When it comes in, they can confirm everything (exterior and interior). He said it takes 90 - 120 days for it to be built and delivered. (Which is the same timeline they told me originally).
They can confirm the exterior color and the seat color. But not the trim, until the temporary VIN comes in.
He said he's not sure where it's being built, but that most ES 350's are being built in the US.