Ex-Lexic

I spent probably an hour on the phone with my Lexus salesman over the past 2 days discussing the various prices and option packages available for the 460. I conclude from these discussions that in order to get the options I want, I have to "special order" them, and maybe they will be available in 6 months, maybe not. Any car I ever bought, including BMWs, I sat down with the salesman and went over the options and option packages one by one--do I want it, or don't I? And the car was ordered from the manufacturer exactly as I requested it. At Lexus for the LS460, I guess you can only order the three levels that they document, hope it will come in somewhere around launch and hope it will be the right color. You really aren't ordering YOUR car; you are indicating to the dealer which of three pre determined package combinations you prefer.

Why is this? The answer is that it helps Lexus this way. No question about that. But why? They must not have the ordering system to do this. It probably is because they are not sufficiently automated at the manufacturing end to build specific configurations, just their "standard" ones.

Oh sure, I can get the car I order, after 6 months.

Note I am not complaining about the price, just the frustration on not getting the car I order until they are ready to build it.

Hey, Lexus, if you want to be in the big leagues, you gotta have the stuff. At BMW I ordered the specific car I wanted, followed it by vehicle number through pre-manufacture, manufacture, shipping, and dealer prep. It showed my exact options on it at all times and physically where the car was at all times.

Six months...bah!

dfiorito

I would assume it is the assembly line mentality.

It is easier to build 20 identical cars then to sit there and make 20 individuals.

This way they can get most of the preorders out in time and then worry about the special orders later on.

Just my 2 cents

David

Lexmex

I see a similar mentality every time I order (whether drive in or walk in) at McDonalds. I like their grilled chicken sandwiches. However, everytime I order one, I have to wait and wait and wait or be told in the drive thru to move my Lexus forward so that other people can be attended to. I finally told the drive thru attendant the other day, I am the paying customer and I am going to wait right here until you bring me my food...and they were angry about it.

Ex-Lexic, you are 100% right to complain as you are going to spend some big $$$ for that vehicle.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

It's pretty much a "Lexus thing"

Lexus is not that flexible in picking and choosing whatever option you want or don't want. It's usually packaged together with option a, b, or c.

Pretty much I just repeated what you said ex-lexic

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

I can tell you right now that there are some people doing a Special Order for the LS460, and choosing which specific options and packages to add.

It's a matter of who can do it and who can't. Some dealerships are more knowledgable than others. Some dealerships have direct access for Special Orders for immediate processing, and some send their orders via e-mail or fax to HQ for Lexus to create the Special Orders.

Perhaps the dealer that you want to order the car from does not have the capability to "create" your car. It's best to find another dealer that can accommodate your needs.

trentpa

The Georgia dealership's distribution of the option/package grid and guesstimate of prices provides more of a disservice than a service (which is probably why the grid clearly states in the lower left that the grid is "Confidential: Internal Use Only--Not for Distribution"). (In fact, there are clear errors in the grid. For example, if you order the Premium Package, LP, you are required to order the MS package yet there is no MS package on the grid.) Prices have not yet been determined and certainly have not been distributed to dealers. However, orders will begin being placed next week (July 17-21), at which time pricing should be available.

Lexus has always bundled certain options together. On one hand, you can argue that when you're spending $70K or more for a vehicle, you should be able to get it built precisely the way you want it. However, the production efficiency of bundling options results in overall lower costs for Lexus, and those savings are passed on to the customer, which is why most people view even the top of the line Lexus as a bargain, when compared to comparable MB/BMW models. I'd be happy if they loaded the LS with every conceivable bell/whistle and made the only option the color, and reduced the loaded price by 5-7% because of the production efficiencies.

Has anyone seen any of the interior dimensions? I'm tall and have difficulty with head room in most cars. Will the LS 460 have more or less head room than the LS 430?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

well i dont' think Ex-Lexic was saying he couldn't order the car, it's just that it's a lot of hassle, which is true. every time you do a custom order on lexus, it will be at least 3 months from order to car built and delivery.

and "helping lexus"?! now, that's helping you. lexus would have no problem doing all cars custom made or the way you want it, but cost would be a lot higher and in turn the car would be more expensive. lexus is keeping these more "default setup" so the overall cost is lower and thus able to sell them to us for cheaper. it's completely give or take scenario.

if anything, just wait for the car to come out, do a custom order. a good dealership will be ble to get your car in about 3 months. you just pay msrp that's all

Gojirra99

It takes at least 3 months to custom order a Mercedes too ( i.e those models without a long waiting list ).
I know, because I was so close to ordering a E500 before I got my SC430 4 years ago. I do think they have a better system of tracking the order at every step though . . .

Ex-Lexic

Well, Lexus CAN build custom cars, it just takes longer. So they DO have the capability. The reason they don't build custom cars without delay could be because they want to keep the price down, but it seems to me that they want to keep the profits UP. If they had the modern manufacturing capability, it seems to me that someone enters the car options/specs at the front end of the manufacturing process and presto, out comes the finished car according to the order. But what do I know...

rominl

iTrader: (4)

well look at andrew's post, it takes at least 3 months to custom built a mb too. i don't know about bmw but i don't see it being less than 2 months? and for lexus, the 6-month wait you mentioned is the LONGEST i have heard. i have takled to several places about custom ordering sc430 before, and they all said 3 months.

if today lexus charges the same as mb and bmw on customers, but not allowing us to have more choices, yes i say they are just for profits, but we are getting the car for less money now, so i don't think they are really "ripping" on us. it's a different business model that's all i can see

if everyone is customizing their cars, i don't think it would be as smooth as the current manufacturing line. just my thoughts

don't get me wrong though, i HOPE lexus could have let us choose our own options too, but for the price i am getting the car, and that i usually go for more fully loaded cars anyway, i am ok with it

i totally agree, for example bmw has superb tracking systems. but that's because they almost encourage and open the doors for people to custom order their cars, so this tracking system is incentive.

lexus is doing the opposite, they don't recommend people to custom order their cars at all, so why would they want such a system

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Isn't the "Ultimate" package for the 460L only available as a Special Order? I mean, if you're gonna spend $94k on a car, it should be "special"...

Ex-Lexic

And where is the Radar Cruise Control, that almost all the high end cars have now? Not there! And where is the 8GB Hard Disk Audio Drive with room for 4,000 songs that we heard so much about in January? Not there! And the NAV Traffic with Real Time Updates? Not there.

Thats bait & switch, folks...

Bah!

ikey78

I believe the Radar Cruise is incorporated in the Pre-Collision system (PS)

They mention "Hard Disk Drive" in several packages (MH, NA) I think this is the system that will store the music.

spwolf

considering that it is toyota and lexus that are pushing this technology the most, out of all manufacturers, I doubt it wont be there... it is just that your dealer might not have right information since the car is not even close to selling yet. From Avalon to IS, ES, GS and current LS, there is no other manufacturer that has that much of use of the technology.

Reason Toyota is pushing packages, instead of individual options like europeans do, is that it is more efficient to produce this way. That is the reason also that Lexus has more standard equipment than anyone else, and the packages bring options pricing down as well.

It is also much easier for inventory, so if you like certain packages, you will be getting your vehicle much sooner than if you were to custom order them from BMW or MB.

Reason your dealer stated 6 months instead of normal 3 months wait, is that it is brand new vehicle, so for first few months, they are not accepting custom orders.

spwolf

p.s. both MB and BMW have started reducing number of options recently, in order to lower the costs and bring vehicles to customers sooner...