American built ES 350
01-25-17, 11:12 AM
#16
Lead Lap
I remain unconvinced.
Pride in their product is an integral and fundamental part of Japanese industry.
In the US there is more concern over how many breaks do I get, how much vacation time, how do I file a grievance, and so on.
How are the guys working for Lexus in KY any different?
Do they belong to the same union(s) as the rest of the domestic industry?
Pride in their product is an integral and fundamental part of Japanese industry.
In the US there is more concern over how many breaks do I get, how much vacation time, how do I file a grievance, and so on.
How are the guys working for Lexus in KY any different?
Do they belong to the same union(s) as the rest of the domestic industry?
As I said in my earlier post, I was skeptical, too, and I'm sure that I still would be skeptical had I not had the opportunity to compare my Japanese built 2013 ES and my US built 2017 ES and had I not had a chance to see first hand how much better the fits and finishes are on the 2017 US built ES than they were on the 2013 Japanese built ES.
Not directly applicable, but for what it's worth, my '13 RX was a Japan built model and my current '16 Highlander Hybrid is a US built model. I have not noticed any discernible difference in build quality between the two. My Highlander still doesn't have a single squeak or rattle, and all panels line up appropriately.
I would not hesitate to purchase a US built ES.
I would not hesitate to purchase a US built ES.
I would perhaps be more skeptical if the US and Canada built Lexus and Toyota models had lower reliability numbers than their Japanese built counterparts but I haven't seen any data to reflect this. In fact, the Ontario, Canada plant that churns out the RX has a lower "defect per 100 cars" rating than the Japanese plants.
Last edited by lesz; 01-25-17 at 11:35 AM.
01-25-17, 12:11 PM
#17
Would you share some of the cost cutting items you have in mind (for Lexus over the years)?
I noticed that I can unlock/lock my ES using the "touch" feature at all four doors. For my 2010 RX, only the front doors have those, so I noticed that improvement. I can't open my power trunk with a button by the driver in my ES. In my RX, I can both open and close the lift-gate using that available button. But I was not sure if that was an ES vs RX thing, or if that was a cost cutting measure.
I noticed that I can unlock/lock my ES using the "touch" feature at all four doors. For my 2010 RX, only the front doors have those, so I noticed that improvement. I can't open my power trunk with a button by the driver in my ES. In my RX, I can both open and close the lift-gate using that available button. But I was not sure if that was an ES vs RX thing, or if that was a cost cutting measure.
If you have a power trunk, you should be able to open it with either the key fob, or the button on the dash.
01-25-17, 01:42 PM
#18
Pole Position
Thread Starter
01-26-17, 05:13 PM
#19
Pole Position
Thread Starter
I remain unconvinced.
Pride in their product is an integral and fundamental part of Japanese industry.
In the US there is more concern over how many breaks do I get, how much vacation time, how do I file a grievance, and so on.
How are the guys working for Lexus in KY any different?
Do they belong to the same union(s) as the rest of the domestic industry?
Pride in their product is an integral and fundamental part of Japanese industry.
In the US there is more concern over how many breaks do I get, how much vacation time, how do I file a grievance, and so on.
How are the guys working for Lexus in KY any different?
Do they belong to the same union(s) as the rest of the domestic industry?
Not directly applicable, but for what it's worth, my '13 RX was a Japan built model and my current '16 Highlander Hybrid is a US built model. I have not noticed any discernible difference in build quality between the two. My Highlander still doesn't have a single squeak or rattle, and all panels line up appropriately.
I would not hesitate to purchase a US built ES.
I would not hesitate to purchase a US built ES.
05-30-17, 08:05 AM
#20
Lexus Test Driver
Just to revive this older thread, I'm here in the Dallas area and Toyota North America opened up their headquarters here in Plano, TX about 2 weeks back. While there are a lot of Americans clearly working here, there are still a lot of Japanese "head honcho's" in senior roles across all of Toyota North America; they inspect suppliers & manufacturing facilities regularly from what I'm told. Consistency is going to be the driving force & discipline for Toyota especially in light of a slightly-declining US auto market, Toyota is going to leverage their reputation around "solid engineering" and "value" as much as they can.
So all in all, I wouldn't necessarily knock down a made-in-US/Canada badge, the RAV4's have been not made in Japan for almost a decade now but is currently pretty close to be Toyota's #1 volume unit (catching up to the Camry!)
So all in all, I wouldn't necessarily knock down a made-in-US/Canada badge, the RAV4's have been not made in Japan for almost a decade now but is currently pretty close to be Toyota's #1 volume unit (catching up to the Camry!)
05-30-17, 10:43 PM
#21
Instructor
My Avalon was built in Kentucky, my ES was built in Japan. I really can't tell any difference.. yes, the overall quality seems to be a "bit" better in the ES... but it should be better, not because it was built in Japan, but because it is a Lexus....
Poppa
Poppa
07-09-17, 04:28 PM
#22
Reviving this thread . . . .
Granted I've only had my '17 UL for a week, but so far I'm impressed with the build quality and fit and finish. The paint job is superb, the panels and interior trim pieces seem to be perfectly aligned, and there are no noticeable gaps. But most importantly, so far there are no rattles! Hopefully this will not change when the weather cools, but every new car that I've purchased before this one (Japanese, German, or U.S.-built) has developed a rattle within days -- ranging from a rattling speaker to a creak in the dash or rear deck. Maybe I've just been unlucky! This includes the '16 LX570 which developed a horrible right front passenger speaker rattle within 3 days of ownership. It was so bad that I had to stuff the housing with copious amounts of felt (the gap was bigger than the size of a quarter) to listen to the stereo. That revealed that Japan-made does not necessarily correlate with build quality. I'll note that the only other totally rattle-free Lexus that I've owned before the '17 UL, new or used, was a '06 LS430.
Granted I've only had my '17 UL for a week, but so far I'm impressed with the build quality and fit and finish. The paint job is superb, the panels and interior trim pieces seem to be perfectly aligned, and there are no noticeable gaps. But most importantly, so far there are no rattles! Hopefully this will not change when the weather cools, but every new car that I've purchased before this one (Japanese, German, or U.S.-built) has developed a rattle within days -- ranging from a rattling speaker to a creak in the dash or rear deck. Maybe I've just been unlucky! This includes the '16 LX570 which developed a horrible right front passenger speaker rattle within 3 days of ownership. It was so bad that I had to stuff the housing with copious amounts of felt (the gap was bigger than the size of a quarter) to listen to the stereo. That revealed that Japan-made does not necessarily correlate with build quality. I'll note that the only other totally rattle-free Lexus that I've owned before the '17 UL, new or used, was a '06 LS430.
07-09-17, 07:28 PM
#23
Lead Lap
I've now had my US-built 2017 ES for about 9 months. That means that it has gone through temperatures from -15 in the winter through to 95 in the summer, and I have not yet heard a hint of a rattle, squeak, or other extraneous sound. I'd guess that your experience will be similar. My previously owned Japanese-built 2013 ES was mostly okay except for a bit of chatter from the assist handles above the front doors that occurred in hot, humid weather, and I was able to remove that annoyance by packing foam around the hinges of those assist handles.
02-04-18, 06:50 PM
#24
Pole Position
Thread Starter
I did have a choice to get one of the MY 2017 ES 350 that was built in Japan, but due to interior color choice, I purchased an ES that was built in Kentucky. I was a bit worry at first, but so far, even with only 600 miles on the odometer, the ES has cruised like a dream. No rattles anywhere. Very little wind noise. Zero functional issue. The engine was smooth and powerful. Gas consumption was in the 23->25 MPG range. I did get the 18" wheels, so I felt the road more than in my 2010 RX, but the car is solidly built. I am happy so far. I wonder if other owners with American built ES have had the same positive experience.
I am very happy with my wife ES.
On a different note, I can't say I am happy with my new RX which is only a few days old, but that is another thread.
02-04-18, 08:30 PM
#25
I could never buy a Lexus Built in the U.S i get ok if its partially assembled in the U.S but same as buying a Lexus Built in Canada i wouldn't do that either.
If im dishing out that kind of money im buying one that came from and was build in Japan.
its the simple fact that i understand wantign to keep money in the u.S and perhaps that could be a good selling point to buy a car that was built in america
however for me buying a lexus built in the u.s is like buying a Glock Pistol that was made in GA and not Austria i have sold and bough several guns and when eve ri have owned a Glock that was made in USA GA it has always been so much harder to sell because no one wants a Glock built here
i would use that as a point to bring the price down a little bit if i saw a sticker on the car somewhere saying it was built in the U.S
If im dishing out that kind of money im buying one that came from and was build in Japan.
its the simple fact that i understand wantign to keep money in the u.S and perhaps that could be a good selling point to buy a car that was built in america
however for me buying a lexus built in the u.s is like buying a Glock Pistol that was made in GA and not Austria i have sold and bough several guns and when eve ri have owned a Glock that was made in USA GA it has always been so much harder to sell because no one wants a Glock built here
i would use that as a point to bring the price down a little bit if i saw a sticker on the car somewhere saying it was built in the U.S
02-05-18, 06:14 AM
#27
Lexus Test Driver
It's a good thing Toyota started producing the ES in Kentucky midway through the product life cycle. If they had started with a new model, any faults would have been attributed to US assembly, instead of it being a common thing on first-run cars. My 2014 Japanese-built ES has pretty good quality but it still has rattles above the grab handles. I'd think the 2016+ cars have had most of the quality and assembly issues ironed out no matter where they're built.
On a long highway drive recently on a cold, blustery winter day, I found out that this car is the perfect mile-munching machine. There's little wind noise and the soft suspension soaked up the road without wallowing, while the cruise control and excellent audio system made it a relaxing journey. The ES is a car built for big countries with lots of good road - you Americans and Canadians sure are lucky
On a long highway drive recently on a cold, blustery winter day, I found out that this car is the perfect mile-munching machine. There's little wind noise and the soft suspension soaked up the road without wallowing, while the cruise control and excellent audio system made it a relaxing journey. The ES is a car built for big countries with lots of good road - you Americans and Canadians sure are lucky
02-05-18, 06:24 AM
#28
> it still has rattles above the grab handles
You probably have the sunroof defect!!!!!!
Check "Clunking/rattling sound" thread on this forum. This is a well known problem with our version of the car.
If you have that problem get it fixed while your car is still under warranty.
=================================
My karma just ran over your dogma
Current Hers: '13 Lexus ES350
Current Mine: '15 Jaguar XF
You probably have the sunroof defect!!!!!!
Check "Clunking/rattling sound" thread on this forum. This is a well known problem with our version of the car.
If you have that problem get it fixed while your car is still under warranty.
=================================
My karma just ran over your dogma
Current Hers: '13 Lexus ES350
Current Mine: '15 Jaguar XF
02-05-18, 06:31 AM
#29
[QUOTEMaikerusan;10103756]Come on. Now you are bringing guns into the discussion? Let's stick to cars on this thread.[/QUOTE]
it was a simple way to explain about something that was from one country but built in another country. and what people dont want and do want and how hard it is to sell something that you own that is not built in the same country as its from.
I bet your a liberal ? thats totaly agaisnt firearms ?
i buy Tag eye glasses because they are french if they started to be built in China or the USA i would not buy them how about that you like that more?
it was a simple way to explain about something that was from one country but built in another country. and what people dont want and do want and how hard it is to sell something that you own that is not built in the same country as its from.
I bet your a liberal ? thats totaly agaisnt firearms ?
i buy Tag eye glasses because they are french if they started to be built in China or the USA i would not buy them how about that you like that more?