Hello all! I could use some car buying advice! What has your recent purchasing experience of a new ES 350 been like? I realize we are in strange, very expensive times, but it seems dealers should be able to discount certain models in certain locales. I am in the SE. An ES has come in - and now I have a few days before meeting with the dealer.

Some background:
I’d been researching and test driving SUVs for about a year, and very surprisingly - to me! - landed on a Lexus ES 350 UL sedan. I will use as a daily driver and also to explore the east coast. I haven’t had a new car for a long time, and decided in my retirement to get one that I could be responsible for taking care of for the long haul.
My current SUV, which I loved more than any previous car, began to have extremely expensive repairs and left me stranded a couple of times in a new location I’d moved to. I put a hold on a hybrid NX; however, after watching zillions of videos and reading many forums, I realized that my true criteria for a new vehicle was reliability, comfort, great audio, regular tires with a spare, and a quiet NA 6-cylinder ICE with as much luxury as I could afford. I was also drawn to the ES for its old-school buttons and lack of emphasis on screen tech. Last of a kind! I am hoping I will be happy being low in a long sedan again. The test drives seemed fine, but if anyone has insight about adapting to a sedan, I would love to hear about that.

This forum has been incredibly helpful to my journey, so thank you all in advance!

 

As you've mentioned, you've been test-driving SUVs, possibly including some from Lexus. I've also driven several of the newer Lexus compact SUVs, and compared to the ES 350, there's simply no contest in terms of smoothness and comfort. The ES also excels in the other criteria you've mentioned. Personally, the drivetrain in those smaller Lexus SUVs is a major turn-off, and I felt the same way about the previous generation RX. I haven't driven the new RX yet, but I'm not actively looking for a new car at the moment.

What are you seeing in terms of pricing and discounts in your area? If you're coming from an SUV background, have been test-driving SUVs, and even had one on hold, yet you're still drawn to the ES 350 Ultra Luxury, I think you've found your answer. If you didn't feel that connection during your first test drive, you'd likely have moved on – and it sounds like you have, to the ES. It's a wise choice, especially compared to the smaller Lexus SUVs, and IMHO, the only choice!

Regarding discounts, my local dealer is offering around $1750 off for on-the-lot models of the 25s and $1000 off for in-transit models. For the remaining 24 ES hybrids, they are advertising discounts of $4000 to $5000. Additionally, if you are leasing, there is an extra $4000 lease cash available on the 24s. Those are the advertised prices, so there would be more room, but that's my area, and each region is different, of course.

 

You are correct. I never really felt the connection to the smaller Lexus SUVs, and felt like I was trying to force myself to embrace the ride and the design as well. When I got into the ES, I really, really liked it. Because I am older, I don’t really have the need to haul things anymore (although I’ve always appreciated the ability to throw my bicycle into the back of an SUV). Might be more difficult to get in and out of as time goes on, but I think that’s an OK trade-off for a serene ride.

My problem is, I’m not seeing any discounts here at all, although I’ve see discounts mentioned earlier in the year on forums, YouTube, KBB, Edmunds, etc. If I wanted to purchase a higher demand hybrid NX or RX, or I lived in California, I would understand the dealer not budging off MSRP. I am curious what others have seen in the recent weeks.

 

Regarding discounts, my local dealer is offering around $1750 off for on-the-lot models of the 25s and $1000 off for in-transit models. For the remaining 24 ES hybrids, they are advertising discounts of $4000 to $5000. Additionally, if you are leasing, there is an extra $4000 lease cash available on the 24s. Those are the advertised prices, so there would be more room, but that's my area, and each region is different, of course.

 

Thank you! That is really useful information. I am not that far away from where you are (although no ‘24 or UL 350s on the lots here!).

 

Are you willing to consider the 300h hybrid model or are dead set on the 350 (V6)? IMHO the 300h gives a quieter driving experience during traffic and at cruising speeds at a comparable low end torque. So it's worth considering.

If you plan to drive a lot, maybe give the hybrid model a test drive (in normal or sport mode) before ruling it out. I was also dead set on the 350, but during my test drive I was really surprised by the 300h. It's not a V6 power but I my age I appreciate the smother/quieter experience. Maybe there are better sale incentives for the Hybrid.

As a bonus, during my first year of 300h ownership (5,000mi) I got over 500+mi per (smaller 13.2 gal) tank. So I stopped maybe 9-10 times at gas stations for fill-ups during that year.

 

Hi scubapr, Thank you for the feedback! Yes, I did drive the 300H, and I loved it. It is VERY impressive - extremely smooth. Totally different from the other Lexus hybrids I test drove.
My thinking on which model to get is that I can always get the hybrid, but I can only get the V6 now. I’m coming from an inline 6 turbo, so I really like the ES 350’s sound and pulling power (when you keep the tires down). I don’t put that many miles on a car, so I’m not too concerned with skipping the hybrid for now. (The only reason I had put a deposit on an NX hybrid was because I didn’t like the way the gas engine sounded, and thought I had to have a CUV.) I *think* this is the right decision for me now.

Do you think that in the future the ES hybrid might be an AWD set up, like 250 AWD meets 300H ? Would be interesting to see how would that affect the hybrid’s handling.

 

If you want the V6 this is definitely the time. There's a lot of speculation on the 8th gen but IMHO 2025 will be the last v6 engine. Going fwd I think the ES will be exclusively hybrid, PHEV, of full EV.

I hope the 8th brings an ES PHEV with AWD 300+hp and foldable rear seats. I would consider that, but not in it's first year model production. Maybe 3rd+ model yr.

Good luck getting the 350. It's an excellent and reliable proven engine; and Lexus it's right now at the top of CR reliability standings.

 

I appreciate your feedback, and your other posts in the forums!

 

Also, when meeting with the dealer don't settle. Be ready to walk away unless you really need that car. Try to get a price you know you will be happy paying for and make the dealer meet you there. Sedans are very slow movers compared to SUV's, so you are in a better position to negotiate if in no rush to buy. During my buying experience I went home 2 times before they agreed to a price I was comfortable with. The first time they even told me that they had another customer waiting to buy the next day if I decline their offer.

Finally, have one of the many online loan calculators in you phone ready to input (total sale/finance price, APR, and loan length) and compare to the final dealer numbers. If something does not match, look for hidden extras like extended warranties, ceramics, wheel insurance, etc. Dealers always try to mark up on these extras.

 

I have owned a number of Toyota V-6 Camry's and finally a V-6 Avalon. I got interested in getting something even nicer, with newer electronics, last fall. The Toyota Crown and Venza I looked at were not as nice as the Avalon. Someone suggested I look at the ES350, which has the same engine and transmission as the cars I had been driving but would be a step up in the electronics and other features. I then started shopping for a Lexus.

I used cars.com to find cars that met my search criteria and to decide what trim level and features I most wanted. It is a very useful tool for car shopping, but the information is not always correct or current, so go to the dealer site to verify details for any car you may wish to buy. The ability to see the window sticker is especially valuable, but not all dealers offer that feature. I tried my local dealer, who would have had to go to the trouble of doing a dealer trade to get a car I would accept and generally seemed uninterested. His low-ball offer on my trade, sneaky added tracker and silly math errors on his printed proposal sent me out his door. I had been looking only at the ultra luxury trim and had studied some online window stickers to become familiar with what standard features and options were actually on all the cars I checked out. Then I discovered that the luxury trim was likely to have options installed that made it practically identical to the UL. Look at the sticker price on the cars you see listed to get an idea of how their installed features compare. You probably want to see a sticker price of $54500 or more. I saw many advertised discounts of around $3000 off sticker, so I considered that a minimum discount while shopping. I then selected the nearest dealer from cars.com that had an acceptable car, discount and decent online trade-in estimate. I got a bigger sticker price break and a better estimated trade allowance than the other dealers I had shopped. I made the deal by phone and email and drove the Avalon 90 miles to the dealer. They agreed to the previous estimated price difference, and we drove the ES350 home. We like the car, and it is indeed a bit nicer than the Avalon.

=lexus&maximum_distance=500&mileage_max=&models=lexus-es_350&monthly_payment=&page_size=20&sort=list_price&stock_type=new&trims=lexus-es_350-luxury&trims=lexus-es_350-ultra_luxury&year_max=2025&year_min=2024&zip=27713]New Vehicles for Sale Near Durham, NC | Cars.com

 

That’s a nice story, Arrowrock - I’m so glad you got your car on your terms! Thank you for the tips. I had been checking Cars.com, and had some sample window stickers printed out for my upcoming appointment with the dealer who snagged an allocation for me. I hadn’t considered that the next trim level down might have the other added options that I wanted, so I’m revisiting that now. Everything will be useful when it comes down to the wire, and if I do need to walk away, I’ll try your tactic. I appreciate your insight

 

Scubapro - I hate that we have to go through these things with dealers. Takes some of the fun out of buying the new car that you research and finally choose. Thankfully it isnt something I’ll have to do again any time soon!
I’ve gotten some good ideas of discounts, etc here. Thanks!

 

Agree 200%! I hate to bargain. It's not in my nature. Also hate having to explain to a finance/sales person why I don't care/need a ceramic add-on that I could do better myself compared to the dealer.

Fortunately I wasn't in a need of a car at the time which made the process somewhat easier for me.

I do like the Tesla sales model; online ordering and same price for all.

 

My parents started taking me to antique shops when I was nine years old and I soon began my own collections. Once I got older, I found buying a new car is not very different from buying antiques. I am not saying I like bargaining, but I am used to doing it.

Almost every time I have bought a new car, I traded my old one. In Indiana, we only pay sales tax on the cash difference, so trading usually saves a lot of money and a lot of time. no matter whether the new car is discounted or "same price for all," the trade-in price for the old one is very much a subject of intense discussion before the final cash difference can be agreed upon.

My local Toyota and Lexus dealers are of the breed that adds mandatory dealer-installed options to their cars, increasing the price without adding value. When I buy a new car, I make it clear that I am not paying extra for flashing upper brake light, upholstery spray, GPS tracker etc. Honest dealers will agree. My last two new cars were bought 90-100 miles from home from honest dealers. The Internet has opened up a much wider selection of dealers if you are willing to drive a few hours away from home. One hopes the local dealer can then do a proper job of servicing at a fair price. I was a little disappointed to see that my new Lexus comes with only two free norma six-month interval services instead of the four that my Toyotas had.