XeroK00L

I see AMG models and even the SLR for sale at Mercedes-Benz dealerships. Why can't Lexus get their top-of-the-line model on display at least in "some" top-dollar dealerships in LA and the Bay Area. There're plenty of people in these areas that won't settle for anything less than fully loaded.

encore888

Agreed! If they can muster up the Exec Class Seating Package for the Taste of Lexus events, you'd think they could offer up a few of those cars for dealership display in their most top affluent markets.

Plus a lot of these Lexus dealerships have been beautifully designed and are more upscale-looking than anything out there, have been for years--they're ready for this car!!! And the LS 600h L!

Gojirra99

I suppose it's possible at least some dealerships may have one for demo purpose ? Sometimes it's hard to convince a potential buyer that the 4-seat/RSES exec. package is right for them if they don't even get to sit in one to try everything.

Also, I think I recall rominl mentioning that some Lexus people told him in the preview at the Toyota Museum that they are planning to market the high end LS models( I suppose that means the LS460L exec. package & the 600hL) by actively approaching them instead of waiting for them to come into the showroom, so maybe those potential customers will get a preview by private appointment only ?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

i wouldn't be surprised if some dealerships just go ahead and "order" one or two in to show buyers and they can probably sell them fast anyway, especially for dealerships in area where people buy cars during weekend "shopping"

but at the same time i can understand why lexus makes this a special order as well. it's funny how when everything is readily available, people say it's not exclusive. when it's something you have to ask to get, people say it's not friendly @_@

the RSES, to be honest, is not really that much of a practical setup for MOST people, period. a big *** sedan like this but only 2 seats in the back. this is clearly only for people who
1) want exclusivity and have passion of the car
2) really for executives or so who needs / wants those setup

otherwise it's almost pointless to get the car with RSES. with the above reasons, making it a special order car, makes a lot of sense

encore888

^^^
You mean the Executive Class Seating Package right? I think you can have the Rear Seat Entertainment System, RSES, with a 5-seat configuration and quite a few people I think will go for that.

Gojirra99

Yes, if they have the RSES available with 5-seat, it's going to appeal to a broader range of buyers, then it will not just be for executives, but better as a family car as well.

Ukraine

What are the Canadian packages?

rominl

iTrader: (4)

well, if they actually allow us (in the US at least) to get the rear entertainment system separately from the executive package, then definitely it's a big plus and a lot of people would want that

but i am under the impression (and guess?) that the rear entertainment and executive package, they only come together as one package

spwolf

its is really not made for people who will drive the car, rather, being for people driven in it... otherwise, why would you spend all that money on it?

jg_hill1

Keep in mind that Lexus will debut the LS460 with pre-determined option packages based on thier "best guess" as to what will sell. If history repeats itself, in about six months or so after the introduction they will tweak the standard configurations to better meet demand.

Gojirra99

People pick cars not only for themselves(whether he's the driver or not), but for the rest of the family, as well as the passengers they expect to carry most of the time.
For me I will always be the driver & I'm still interested in the 4-seat with ottoman because my mother is a retired immigrant & she never drove in her life, so I take her out quite frequently
The 4-seater may work for me at least in the shorter term but not for those with a larger family with kids, it just aren't versatile enough. The thing is if you go with the 5-seat configuration, you can't get some options like the entertainment system, which is a good feature for a family car.

XeroK00L

As I said before in the IS launch, "best guess" is not good enough an excuse not to make a truly fully loaded car available (in the IS's case, the Mark Levinson and PCS were not available in the showroom for many months). How can they determine the demand of an option if they do not present it to the showroom visiters in the first place? This makes zero sense. You've seen the press LS460L interior pictures...at least HALF of them concentrate on the extraordinary Executive Seating Package. It was a marketing success. People are wowed. They want to visit their dealerships the first day the LS460L goes on sale and try for themselves to sit in that reclining rear seat with footrest and see just how exquisitely comfortable it can get. Guess what, they can't. They have to buy it before they can even touch it. A few of them might actually be willing to do that, but Lexus will lose business of many of the rest who would've bought it if they had the chance to see it and try it. In the end, that's probably how Lexus is going to conclude that there isn't a great demand for the Executive Seating Package. Geez... make what you advertise to your customers available first, and then you can see how the demand is like. Is that too hard for the Lexus marketing/sales geniuses to comprehend?

Gojirra99

Why do you keep assuming that the dealerships won't even have at least one demo for people to see ?

vraa

iTrader: (2)

At our dealership the only LS430 in the showroom is a base model one with no options.
<Just an example, not trying to make a point>

XeroK00L

Because not one dealership (in the west coast at least) had even one IS w/Mark Levinson in the showroom to demo the system to the many audiophile customers in the first 3 months? The dealerships ended up having to sell by saying "the stock system is just as good...you won't be able to tell the difference". Yeah sure, you don't have one here. Of course I can't tell the difference.

If history repeats itself....

Stop being so frugal, Lexus! For god's sake you're a LUXURY car brand!!