My insurance agent told me that windshield is automatically covered also.

 

Agreed, as long as you use the right vendor. If you need a windshield replaced, you should ask your local insurance agent for the best glass company who knows how to do luxury cars like Lexus. Here's some additional info about OEM vs aftermarket windshields - https://www.carwindshields.info/oem-vs-aftermarket

 

yes glass coverage from your ins provider. For me its an extra $3.79 for a 6 month policy.

i would refuse that option all day from a dealer

 

My Can. dealer added a tire and key protection package ($778), I told them I was not interested, I let him explain what it was and confirmed I did not want it, I was surprised when they immediately removed it.

 

My full glass coverage covers OEM replacement the first year of ownership.

 

My local dealer tried to push $2900 worth BS, a paint shield on the hood and stain protection on the seats. They refused to remove these so I bought the car at another dealer 100 miles away. They delivered it via flat bed free of charge. (it was a factory allocated vehicle so I just had to wait 6 weeks till it came in) This is a dealer being greedy, not a Lexus requirement.

 

I don’t like that demand is greater than supply and I don’t love car dealers. But that’s the way the world works. I’d probably try to maximize each sale, too, if I owned a Lexus dealership. The customer has two choices: Take the deal offered or don’t and perhaps jump through hoops to get the car from a more distant dealer. Econ 101.

 

yeah, you just have to push back. I visited a Lexus dealer in Florida early in the year when supply was short. They were adding several thousand to the sticker as a "market adjustment." I asked if I was reading that correctly, they said yes. I said I won't pay it, they said OK, you don't have to pay it. (I still bought the car I wanted elsewhere).
Where we DID ultimately buy the car, the total cost of ALL extra stuff they tried to sell us (extended warranties, free towing from the moon, scratch and dent hand holding on and on) was $17,000; ten years ago it was $10,000...bought none of this stuff either time, but they love to push it because the margins are humongous on this stuff.

 

Toyota was smart 34 years ago when they set up the Lexus network. They learned from Ford and Chevy (that had a dealer in every small town or every part of a major city) not to have too many dealers. So shopping is harder because it often requires out of town purchases. The internet does help offset that dealer advantage. It’s a new world complicated by this temporary post-Covid era that’s still not quite a normal market. Buyer beware.

 

yeah, how about out of state purchases? (Vermont doesn't have a Lexus dealer anywhere). I do note that when I cross the Canada border 40 miles away, Toyota allows combined Lexus/Toyota dealerships....

 

Started my "search" for a 2023 RX350h back in February. Got my RX350h at the end of March. Home is in Southeastern PA. No inventory at any dealer from here to Pittsburgh. Got on the waiting list at my local dealer, they made no promises and predicted no luck with my request until early 2024. Kept looking (online), every time I thought I found one it ended up to be already sold before delivery. By sheer luck, found one at Lexus of Manhattan but not yet in inventory and no firm scheduled mfg date. They promised the car to me, worked with me on my trade and 6 weeks later (end of March) when the car was delivered to the dealer they called me and we completed the deal all remotely, never left my house. No market adjustment, just a few minor dealer installed options like the lighted tailgate logo plate and puddle lights. No deposit, no haggling, no funny stuff. All this said, I can't believe I am happy I paid full price for my new Lexus but hey, in this market that is a win in my book. Good luck out here everyone, This deal would not have happened if any market adjustment was attached. It is tough for the dealers with no inventory and only getting Lexus allocations but there are dealers out there that will think longer term instead of short term gains. Over 8,000 trouble free amazing miles (except for the useless digital key).

 

Reply to just above: to be fair to the dealers, there is no long term. The days of a “relationship” and buying 20 years of cars from “my guy, at a great price” are over. It’s all about the here and now only.

 

I agree with daryll40. I bought 7-8 Lexus from my dealer in Jacksonville but they were recently bought out by the owners of all the Audi and Mercedes dealers here. More of the sales people have changed and I only recognize one or two employees. Other than the Lexus all weather cargo mat, there was no dealing when i got my 350h. I wanted it so I bought it anyway and have no regrets.

Until the dealers lots are crammed with unsold units, deals will be far a few behind! Last year there was a 1-2 year wait for a Ford Lightning. Today the dealers are discounting them to get them off their lot. I doubt the auto makers will ever allow overstocking again, just to keep the prices up there!

 

Thanks for the agreement! I also agree that managing inventories has probably changed forever. But I do think we will SOMEWHAT return to the days when you could pretty much find what you want on a local dealer lot without ordering or going too far. It's not just about the dealers but about manufacturing capacity. The makers do need to pump out a certain minimum amount of cars to be profitable. That equation is changing, but as competition seeps back into the auto industry the current "sellers market" will morph into somewhat of a better balance of "buyers market vs sellers market".

 

Managing inventories on this complicated a supply chain will be exceedingly difficult. The companies would risk missing sales opportunities if they do it wrong. Not to mention it can actually increase per unit costs and maybe worse for profitability in the long run. As daryl40 said, each plant has a number produced that anything above that is a much more profitable unit as all sunk costs are covered. It's a hugely complicated idea to actually accomplish and something that takes 4 years of planning as a new model/significant redesign comes into production. It will really be interesting to see what does happen.