GingerB

I traded my 2013 ES 350 luxury model in today for a 2021 ES 350 base model with 18k miles. I didn't do my research to compare the base model to the luxury model. On my drive home I learned I don't have heated/vented seats. It never occurred to me that heated seats wouldn't be standard on a Lexus. I live in a cold winter climate. Is there a way to install the heated seat component to my seats? Does anyone know if heated/vented seats became optional due to the chip shortage in 2021? I'm having some buyers remorse on my deal.

UltraLux22

It looks like you're out of luck on the seat warmth front! While an aftermarket heating kit might provide some toasty tushy relief, you'd still be without the cooling feature. Replacing the entire seat for those features alone probably isn't worth the hassle and would be quite the undertaking, aka—Money, Money, Money, Money... [pregnant pause] ...MONEY!
In this case, it comes down to the package or lack thereof; heated and ventilated seats are a perk of the premium package, not a pandemic-related conspiracy.

landonm86

I don’t think I’ve seen a base 7th gen ES without the premium package. I figured it was an option that they all got and was designed that way to keep the “starting at” price low.

Side note: I did have a loaner NX (2023) from the dealer that did not have parking sensors and that surprised me as I had also not driven a current gen NX or ES without that feature.

NTH

Seat heater elements can be added quite easily these days. You're probably SOL on the ventilated seats, however. Ugh, that blows

UltraLux22

You aren't wrong. It's very unusual to find a base ES without the premium package. Almost all the great features and packages are only available with the premium upgrade. The only exception is the SmartAccess key card. This explains why it's so rare to find a base ES without the premium package. This means no panoramic glass roof, rear spoiler, triple beams, or just about anything else without the premium package.

mmatheny

What blew me away is the need for the premium package to get memory seats!!

sderman

Consider adding an after-market remote start to pre-heat/cool the car.