SW17LS

Yeah, like I said without the ES and RX Lexus as we know it would not exist. Lexus will not, nor should they cancel the ES IMHO. Let them keep selling a ton of ES's and put R&D money into the IS, GS and LS.

RNM GS3

Well how about this business proposition:

Lexus keeps selling the ES, and the GS will be killed off! bec thats what will happen eventually. Do you want your brand to be known as selling nothing but Camry based ES and RXs???

OR

Do you want to build a brand around a great platform like the GS has???

In the short term, sure sales would dip for Lexus without the ES but thats why u add more models deriving off the GS chassis. Lexus cant do that now!

Kira X

iTrader: (24)

What I'm going to say will probably make ES fans hate me but I'd love it if they canceled the ES. I can't stand those cars, especially the fourth through sixth generation. However I do like the looks of the second and third generation ES.

I think cheaper variations of the GS would a better idea. Before the IS300 came out the ES was the entry level Lexus. It was in a much better position back then in my opinion. Now that the IS is the entry level sedan, the ES is in a weird position where it's too big to be an entry level car and not nice enough to compete with the E Class and 5 Series.

Plus it just eats up the GS' sales. I also think the fourth and fifth generation ES' were uglier than the Camrys of the same years. The problem is that the ES brings in a ton of sales for Lexus.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

qft. .........

es not going to be dropped!

SW17LS

If they can't make money on the GS...it'll be killed off. Its business, they're going to make what sells. I'm telling you, if the GS had to fill the void of the ES you wouldn't be happy, it would need to grow. Thats why BMW made the changes to the 5 series that they made.

We all may want a brand to be something or another, but in the end its a for profit enterprise, and they are going to do what makes them the most profit. I never had a problem with my ES, had they not made some of the cost cutting decisions they did on the 2013, I'd probably have a 2013.

I mean...Lexus is the #1 selling luxury brand in the US. I'm not so sure they need to "build a brand" around anything. I think where they risk loosing focus is by cost cutting, the new ES IMHO is more similar in quality to a Hyundai Azera than it even is a Hyundai Genesis which I think is a far nicer car, let alone anything else in the Lexus lineup. That is a travesty IMHO for a brand that was once so over-engineered.

See, thats where you are wrong. The ES absolutely competes with the E class and 5 series. I see it in my own office (I'm in the real estate business). Just last year two coworkers of mine traded their BMW 5s in on ES's, to them it was a lateral move. When I asked them if they missed the RWD and the driving dynamics they had no idea whatI was talking about. Both early 60s...can easily afford the 5 but the performance had no value for them over an ES.

Guy in the ES forum traded his 2011 528 in on a 2013 ES. He thinks the ES is a huge upgrade.

Thats a pretty good problem for Lexus to have LOL

spwolf

lol... but you cant force buyers. So if you cancel ES, they will buy Avalon. Then you cancel Avalon, and realize now the wheelbase of 2014 IS is similar to GS... so who needs GS? Lets cancel IS. Then people will buy RX... but RX is fwd omg, lets cancel RX. And you are left with GS, at 3k sales per year and you lost 20k in other sales :-)

UDel

It would be like Ford eliminating the F150, the ES is the best selling most successful Lexus sedan, agree it makes no sense to get rid of it. It would be outright dumb to get rid of such a successful car that has such a following and loyal customer base. Whoever is saying Lexus is going to cancel the ES does not know what they are talking about and what a stupid move that would be. The ES sells more then all Lexus sedans combined most years.

spwolf

p.s. no worries about GS being cancelled... GS sells OK and its platform is base for many different RWD cars that overall sell plenty.

UDel

The ES has always been in the lineup and is the best selling most successful Lexus sedan. How is it the oddball?

The oddball was really the LFA. IS-F was much more of an oddball then the ES. CT is the oddball of the current lineup to me.

ES buyers would not just get a GS if it was priced a little lower with a 4cylinder. Many ES buyers can afford a GS but prefer the ES's more room, better fuel economy, styling, plush ride, fwd for slush/snow, trunk space, etc. Over half of Lexus sedan sales are from the ES, it makes up over 30% of Lexus sales, it makes no sense whatsoever to just cancel such a successful car with such a following, it made much more sense to cancel the slow selling GS and that is what they were planning to do.

Marzabella

Lexus dropping the ES and RX would make about as much sense as Porsche dropping the Cayenne. As much as the purists shout about how it dilutes the brand and doesn't make sense, without that money maker the other models couldn't exist or continue to be developed to a level of excellent. With both the ES and RX being Camrys in disguise they are cheap to badge engineer and popular, allow for larger budgets on more niche higher quality products.

TangoRed

I get your point, but this was a bad example. The C-class will be moving up in price and size shortly, letting the CLA take full grip on the low price bracket.


In any event, I agree that the ES is a good vehicle with its purpose. All I was really asking is if someone knew where this rumor came from.

tex2670

I think that many on this forum forget this basic fact. Every night when I drive home at dusk (or even pitch dark), I pass at least a half dozen cars without headlights on--they have no idea. I don't think that these people care (or even know) about the difference between fwd/rwd.

TRDFantasy

I'm puzzled, why is this topic still open? This is absolute sensationalism and totally false.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Yes, most likely false but the discussion is interesting. If it's not of interest to you, respectfully you don't have to participate or read.

Chocolate

All good points, but none of that matters. A former Scion executive thinks the Avalon is "good enough."