I've got a chance to purchase a standard 2020 ES with lots of extras, premium package, navigation package, blind spot, 10 spoke wheels, power trunk, heated wheel, wood trim, wireless charger for a good price. My question is, does the 2020/2021 Luxury model come with any basic..... structural?.... upgrades that aren't part of the base package. Such as better windows, more sound deadening, things like that, in addition to the listed upgrades.

I'd rather go the Limited route if it does.

Thanks for any info !!

 

No, I don't believe there are any "structural" differences in the UL. They do have higher quality leather seating though.

Dave Mac

 

On Lexus US's web site you can find a spread sheet style web page show all the standard, package, and options features available on all the 12 ES model offerings. The below are the directions to find this web page that I posted in the "A Closer Look at the 2020 Lexus ES 350 F Sport" thread back in September [2020].

In looking over the data for the 12 model offerings and specifically the ES 350 [base] and ES 350 Luxury models one can see a lot of the differences can be made up with add-on packages and options on one model which are either standard inclusions on the other model with a small set of add-on packages and options.

That said, there are, however, some features that are standard on the Luxury model that can NOT be gotten with a base model even with add-on packages and options. Some of those differences respectively between the base and Luxury models are:

10-way power-adjustable front seats versus 14-way power-adjustable driver's seat

Perforated NuLuxe® interior trim versus Perforated leather–trimmed interior

Not available versus Driver's-seat power cushion extender

Not available versus [Option] 18-inch split-five-spoke alloy noise-reduction wheels

[Package]Blind Spot Monitor* with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert* and Intuitive Parking Assist* with Auto Braking versus [Standard with Option] Blind Spot Monitor* with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert* and Intuitive Parking Assist* with Auto Braking,* Rear Pedestrian Detection* and Panoramic View Monitor (NOTE: the Rear Pedestrian Detection*and Panoramic View Monitor is not available at all on the base model.)

Although it isn't on Lexus's feature listing, I've seen mentioned on this forum that the base model only has standard auto glass for the front door windows while the Luxury model has acoustic glass for the front door windows. Others have mentioned there is a noticeable lessening of wind and road noise with the acoustic glass front windows; however, I can't attest to that since I've never driven an ES model that didn't have acoustic glass front windows.

Note: I avoided getting into Luxury model standard features versus base model available add-on packages and options since you mentioned the base model you're looking at has a lot of extras which do cover many but not all of the Luxury model's standard features.

Again, add-on packages and options can made up quite a few but not all the differences between specific vehicle builds. To really know for sure what features the vehicles you're considering buying actually has, you need to examine the window sticker of each vehicle to see what standard, package, and option features each vehicle has. As you've mentioned a base model can have a lot of add-on packages and options installed that can bring it up to close to but not completely all what you could get in a Luxury model.

I haven't looked into the differences, if any, in costs between optional add-on packages and options versus the cost of the same features included as part of a model's standard feature set. I don't know if it is true anymore but it used to be the case where a feature installed as an option added more to the vehicle's total cost than the same feature included as standard equipment.

 

The ES 350 Ultra Luxury model has "Lateral performance dampers" that isn't available with the base and Luxury models. I could be wrong but it seems to me that "Lateral performance dampers" would go in the "structural" differences bin.

 

Thanks for the reply, just the acoustic glass inclusion alone will probably make the decision for me, ditto the seat extender. Appreciate all the information for sure.

 

UL model also has standard noise-reducing wheels. I've never made a direct head-to-head comparison so cannot speak to the magnitude of the effect on actual perceived road noise. But I was taken in by the video out there of a noise comparison of someone hammering on a tire mounted on a standard lexus wheel versus the noise reduction wheel. Seemed pretty neat.

 

The 2020 Lexus ES Ultra has dampers on the body/frame that decreases vibration. These dampers are not on any other trim. Also the windshield and passenger and driver side windows are laminated for sound deadening, not sure that the other trims have that.

 

As a minimum I know the front windows at least are double pained glass on the Ultra Lux

 

My Luxury model has the laminated glass. It does not have the dampers however.

 

Hmm... Maybe your Ultra Lux has double "affected with pain" glass in the front windows but mine doesn't. Mine has laminated (double paned) glass.

Pedantic spelling **** observation aside, there's a fortune to be made for a spell checker that can use the surrounding context to verify that the correct homophone word spelling has been used.

 

Obvious mistake, thank you spelling ****. I'm pretty sure everyone knew what I was talking about! Why don't you worry about your own spell checker and spelling and not mine!