1QWKGS4

iTrader: (3)

But leather it must have for a $50K car. I paid $50K for my '99 GS400 15 years ago. It had leather so smooth it felt like rubbing your hands on butter. If it didn't have REAL leather on the GS, i would probably driving a Mercedes now instead of my GS. Point is, Spend good money, YOU get real stuff, like REAL LEATHER, not this NULUX Crap. I don't care how durable or it feels like leather, sit on Nulux on a Ten hour drive and tell me its the same.. LOL

SW17LS

It's incredible how the cost of cars has gone up. My GS cost more than my Dad's 98 LS! Your GS cost what an IS costs now.

Yep, gotta have leather on a car of this level.

jhs82

I'd rather get the NuLux than the crappy "Milano" leather you get in the Audi A6. There is a really broad spectrum of leather quality. The NuLux exceeds quite a lot of them.
But the Lexus leather is really nice.

1QWKGS4

iTrader: (3)

Well, we are talking about Lexus leather not Audi..

Have you ever seen the higher-end Semi-aniline leather Lexus offers?

jhs82

I have driven a fully loaded 2011 GS450h (almost bought it), been inside a 2010 LS600h, and obviously own a 3IS (with real leather). Don't know what type of leather they have, but all are very nice.

Instead of the NuLux, Lexus could have done like Audi and offered poor leather. The price would have been the same, but it would be real. But the NuLux is better.

LexFather

Yeah not sure why the USA got slighted....all these options are available, just not in the USA market. We don't get the rear steer option either and that to me would increase the handling advantage the IS already has here.

Then though maybe you are at a 55k-60k IS 350 F-sport which is knocking on IS F territory.......the thing is, let people decide b/c SOME people will go that route ala the Germans.....

SimTide985

But they DO give people the option of memory seating and leather!!! That's my point---it's right there in the Luxury package--it's still the same car!!!

Jeez, you guys keep forgetting that and acting like the car. The fact is, the F-Sport is meant to be a totally different animal---right there down to the seats themselves. The F-Sport is not a volume seller. They have to limit the already heavily engineered and tuned product of that car, which means, they have to keep variability down to keep that model profitable while they recover the initial startup costs. Like it's been mentioned countless times before, there is a logical, reasonable explanation for why the F-Sport is optioned out the way that it is.

SW17LS

They are making the consumer choose between luxury features and the F Sport package, and I think thats a mistake. Other manufacturers don't make the consumer do that. Since we've had more than a couple new members come on posting frustrated about having to make this choice...this isn't something we're making up.

If I bought the car I would want the F Sport package, but I would also want memory seats and leather. I can buy a 3 series M Sport and get leather and memory seats. I can buy a C Class with the sport package and get leather and memory seats. I wouldn't even want the non F-Sport IS.

1QWKGS4

iTrader: (3)

This guy makes an Excellent point and is the KEY ISSUE with Lexus optioning.

This is not a competitive stance for Lexus, Making a consumer take Sport or Luxury is cheap way out, (Example) its like saying buy "a Cadillac or buy a Corvette, It doesn't give you an option for a CTS-V (Analogy).

Glashub

I agree with you about the consumer being able to choose options if he/she wants. But I also completely get what SimTide985 posted and believe he is spot on.

Review after review has pointed out that the Lexus costs less. That's part of the magic dust that makes the car seem special. The appearance that you're getting a BMW beater for less money.

I was driving in m IS today and I asked myself if I would have paid over 50K for the car so I could have cooled seats, leather, etc. The answer is no. Too many good choices when I start looking at the 55K (+ taxes, title and license fees).

The IS would never be a 55K car in my mind. It's branded as the 45K car -- competition with the TL and G37. I think Infiniti made a mistake trying to take the Q as high as 55K -- I don't think of Infiniti Q50's as 55K cars.

1QWKGS4

iTrader: (3)

You make alot of sense! I agree that Lexus is Valuable brand and buying comparable car in other Luxo brands (BMW, Mercedes) has always cost more and then you start piling on the options comes big money often up to a $10-15K price gap. Is understandable why Lexus did the "Hunt-n-peck" of most used options for a certain model to keep cost down. If say they started giving us Options like we want, a IS350 could go $55-60K, and that wouldn't be a great selling point for Lexus.. and they would be like everyone else..

1QWKGS4

iTrader: (3)

BUT: I still think they should allow a buyer to Special order a Car to their hearts content, if they don't care about price other than the standard Sport or Luxury pkg we have to choose between for "Price conscience buyers"

SimTide985

BMW is the only manufacturer that comes close to how they nickel and dime you for every little customizable thing you can get in your car.

You can spend $55k on a 335i---but still, you can't get ventilated seats no matter what you do. At least the Lexus IS gives you a possibility!!

You've got to recognize that almost every car in this segment are pretty much the same way.

1QWKGS4

iTrader: (3)

You are right, i had a 335i and i liked how you can get it with this and that, mix-match your options but they do nickel you to death.. (its good and bad) but you pay for EVERYTHING.

dsadsauser

My GL450 has an MSRP of over $73k and does not have leather. We did not want leather. The MB-Tex is so much thicker and more durable than leather. My kids would absolutely destroy leather seats in no time.