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Old 19th October 2017, 11:01   #61
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

The Lexus dealership was outstanding here in Melbourne even though I went in to enquire about a used Lexus IS Hybrid but I am still surprised that executives from so high up in the food chain visited a customer for feedback! Thats practically unheard of across industries. I did not go ahead with my purcahse since it was out of my budget.

I have gone in for another Japanese luxury brand recently, Infiniti. Will start an ownership thread soon.
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Old 19th October 2017, 12:18   #62
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

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Originally Posted by honeybee View Post
More than the cost advantages, they will be watching the production quality. I heard Lexus had ruled out production in China for concerns over the quality. Same will happen here.
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Originally Posted by Turbanator View Post
Can be true but mostly it's to keep their USP - Made in Japan for Lexus.
They have no plans of any production in India. The only plant outside Japan, I think is in North America as the volumes there justify the investment.

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Originally Posted by Lone Ranger View Post
This is great to hear! I'm might sound a little old fashioned here, but I used to be in sales, and I have found that nothing makes a customer happier than personally visiting an existing customer just to find out how things are and do a proactive review. The car by itself is only a product, and its these things that make it a 'relationship'.
Agree 102% with you. In my business 50% of my job is relationship management with the customer when there is no sales agenda and 40% is managing my people. If you manage the relationship at senior, middle and lower levels the sales just happen.
Quote:
Did they refer now and then to a structured questionnaire pattern or was it a freewheeling discussion? I am especially impressed that they took your wife's feedback as well. A lady's perspective is extremely useful because often they think of/observe things that completely bypasses the male brain ( I speak as a married man).
It was a free wheeling discussion but the key agenda, which was informed earlier, was customer feedback (on sales experience, driving experience etc), suggestions for improvements in the car & customer lifestyle. I did tell them their products are ~15% more expensive! I don't think their pricing policy will change. They were quite clear that the USP of the ES300 is quietness, comfort, soft ride and focus on the back seat and un-hassled driving. When it is time to get a new car for the business to replace our old Camry guess which brand I'll buy.

In September my wife was waiting at the entrance of a certain building in NCR when this car turned into the porch to pick her up. A young man (maybe 22 or so) looked at it asked her about it (she of course knows nothing beyond the fact it's name in Lexus) and enquires if the car was featured on Team BHP. This is an authentic passenger statement (apologies to the old Lufthansa advertisement line). He then pulls out his phone and opens this article and shows her and sure enough the license plate number matched. I am flattered. Team BHP should be too. [the car doesn't sport the TBHP stickers]. Love this forum.

Last edited by V.Narayan : 19th October 2017 at 12:35.
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Old 19th October 2017, 14:03   #63
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

Of course it's not exactly raining Lexuses, and I am sure your model is probably the only one or two in NCR.

It's already an exclusive brand and as such a head turner. He must have been a TBHPian (or soon to be one).
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Old 17th November 2017, 02:32   #64
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

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Originally Posted by extreme_torque View Post

I have gone in for another Japanese luxury brand recently, Infiniti. Will start an ownership thread soon.
Could we trouble you for your owner's review on the Infiniti. Eagerly looking forward to it. Thanks in advance.
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Old 18th November 2017, 04:28   #65
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

Congratulations Narayan sir on your Lexus. I am sure that this car will last you for more than 10 years with just normal maintenance. Lot of my Indian managers here in US are the prime examples of a happy Lexus customers. If I remember correctly, you paid around 1L for the extended warranty for 5 years? Are they not offering extended warranty on Hybrid pack in India for free? In US the car comes with standard 7 year/100k miles powertrain warranty. Hybrid system warranty is for 8 years/100k miles. I feel as a goodwill gesture, they should have offered the extended warranty for free atleast for first few hundred customers.

I almost bought a 2016 model pre-owned Lexus ES350 last month for $32k USD. But need to back out at the last moment due to unavoidable health constraints. The car in question is a fully loaded ES350 with all the features ran just 11k miles and one owner car. The dealership is still in touch with me even though the car is sold.

Even though it is E class/5 Series/A6 competitor, it has been priced in the range of C class here in US. I am not sure whether Lexus will start local assembly in India in near future. But even in that case, I am very sure that they will not reduce the price of this car .

Do you have any idea how many cars they sold out of 300 imports?
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Old 19th November 2017, 20:03   #66
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

Removal of rust drip stains

We were out for 1 week and the car was parked in the building basement in its usual spot. Unfortunately one of the pipes in the ceiling was going drip-drip with rust in it. It stained the left side front door with a rust looking stain 6" wide and 2 feet deep. I was horrified on seeing it this morning and concerned that it may be permanent given the week long impact. Fortunately 3M Gurgaon, where I am a regular customer, were able to remove it completely using some chemical. The car is covered with PPC in toto and that helped keep the paint protected. The PPC may cost a lot to start with but situations such as this make it worth while. The PPC has been a boon in the past for minor abrasions and now for rust stains.



Quote:
Originally Posted by hema4saran View Post
If I remember correctly, you paid around 1L for the extended warranty for 5 years? Are they not offering extended warranty on Hybrid pack in India for free?
Yes, Correct. First 3 years warranty is with the car and the extended warranty one pays for.
Quote:
In US the car comes with standard 7 year/100k miles powertrain warranty. Hybrid system warranty is for 8 years/100k miles.
The US law required them to do so I believe.
Quote:
Even though it is E class/5 Series/A6 competitor, it has been priced in the range of C class here in US.
In USA etc the size is that of an A6/ 5 Series while price is that of a C. Here the price is above that of an E. Market dynamics? Maybe price maximization.
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Do you have any idea how many cars they sold out of 300 imports?
No idea. Given that they are launching the LS500 and NX300 I assume they are doing well.
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Old 19th November 2017, 20:13   #67
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Originally Posted by V.Narayan View Post
[u]

In USA etc the size is that of an A6/ 5 Series while price is that of a C. Here the price is above that of an E. Market dynamics? Maybe price maximization.

No idea. Given that they are launching the LS500 and NX300 I assume they are doing well.

Isn't the ES more of a middle segmenter of the C/E or 3/5? The IS is the compact, and the GS directly competing with the A6 and 5 series?
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Old 19th November 2017, 20:22   #68
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

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Originally Posted by kkkkkaran View Post
Isn't the ES more of a middle segmenter of the C/E or 3/5? The IS is the compact, and the GS directly competing with the A6 and 5 series?
My understanding is the same as yours that the ES is positioned, in the American market, as a mid-point between E and C - like a 'get the cabin size of an E for the price of a C' positioning. Do not have much knowledge of the GS. I do not know if the GS is positioned, in USA, directly against he A6, E, 5 or a notch above.
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Old 20th November 2017, 08:11   #69
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

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Originally Posted by V.Narayan View Post

No idea. Given that they are launching the LS500 and NX300 I assume they are doing well.
That is some good news. I want them do well in India.

Quote:
Originally Posted by V.Narayan View Post
My understanding is the same as yours that the ES is positioned, in the American market, as a mid-point between E and C - like a 'get the cabin size of an E for the price of a C' positioning. Do not have much knowledge of the GS. I do not know if the GS is positioned, in USA, directly against he A6, E, 5 or a notch above.
The ES starts at $38k here in US. But the GS starts at $46.5K USD. E, A6 and 5 series are starting around 50K USDs.

ES does well in sales where as the GS is neither here nor there kind of vehicle. I guess when it comes to sporty cars people tend to move away from Lexus .
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Old 20th November 2017, 09:26   #70
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

Quote:
The car is covered with PPC in toto
Can you please share more details, is this same as PPF? I got done on mine X5 from 3M Chandigarh but was not been done correctly and there are some air gaps in few places. But as you mentioned, has saved the paint & marks on nooks brilliantly, I plan to get the same on 7 as well and can go with 3 M Gurgaon if you recommend.

Quote:
Given that they are launching the LS500 and NX300 I assume they are doing well.
Not necessarily, apart from your car, I am yet to spot any Lexus in North India ( I saw your's a few weeks ago on a Sunday at Golf course Road!) but that does not mean that there are no sales.

Toyota with their deep pockets and the thought process/ culture behind their work, I don't think they will run away so quickly even if they don't get numbers. Lexus workshops are shared with Toyota and so must be parts distribution centre so their only expenses are running showrooms which at this moment are less than 5 so even if they spend say 10 Lac per month at one dealership, it's not a big deal for either Lexus or Toyota dealership to whom they can support partially.

Again, they will definitely have a local assembly plan & the new Toyota plant will surely have a separate production line for Lexus. But even if they start producing here, they will have to keep pricing in the ballpark of Germans.

Last edited by Turbanator : 20th November 2017 at 09:37.
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Old 20th November 2017, 19:11   #71
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

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Originally Posted by Turbanator View Post
Can you please share more details, is this same as PPF? I got done on mine X5 from 3M Chandigarh but was not been done correctly and there are some air gaps in few places. But as you mentioned, has saved the paint & marks on nooks brilliantly, I plan to get the same on 7 as well and can go with 3 M Gurgaon if you recommend.
Yes I meant PPF - Paint Protection Film from 3M. I had the entire car done, at 3M Gurgaon on Golf course Road, for both the Volvo XC60 and the Lexus ES300 and it has served me well. Some may not agree about doing the whole car which I can understand on grounds of cost but for these expensive cars I think it is worth it.
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.... apart from your car, I am yet to spot any Lexus in North India ( I saw your's a few weeks ago on a Sunday at Golf course Road!) but that does not mean that there are no sales.
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Old 20th November 2017, 20:42   #72
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

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Originally Posted by Turbanator View Post

Not necessarily, apart from your car, I am yet to spot any Lexus in North India ( I saw your's a few weeks ago on a Sunday at Golf course Road!) but that does not mean that there are no sales.
I'm sure they are selling. I have spotted an RX in Ludhiana safely tucked into a by lane at night. And another ES too few days later in Delhi.
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Old 20th November 2017, 20:50   #73
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

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I have spotted an RX in Ludhiana safely tucked into a by lane
I think that is owned by Chandigarh dealership. However, they have sold 2 LX to one family at Ludhiana
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Old 20th November 2017, 21:18   #74
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

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Originally Posted by V.Narayan View Post
They have no plans of any production in India. The only plant outside Japan, I think is in North America as the volumes there justify the investment.
Lexus has only 2 plants outside Japan. One in the US where the manufacture/assemble the ES and one in Canada where they assemble the RX.

I don't think they're looking for volume alone. They refused to set up a plant in China because they thought the Chinese weren't ready to manufacture cars of that quality. They said the mindset isn't there. The only reason they have plants in north america is because this region has a history of manufacturing cars!!

They will not even hire random people to work in the lexus factory. You have to be one of the best at a Toyota factory to qualify to work at the Lexus factory. That's what I read and saw on the internet.....
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Old 20th November 2017, 22:14   #75
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re: Lexus ES300h Ownership Review | EDIT: Bagheera celebrates the 6th birthday @ 62,000 km

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Originally Posted by V.Narayan View Post
I had the joy today to host 2 senior Lexus-Toyota executives at home to discuss customer feedback on the Lexus. The two key from Lexus International, Japan were Koji Sato San who is the Chief Designer of the LC Series of Lexus cars. The other was Yasuhiro Sakakibara San the Chief Engineer for the ES300/350 family. Both outstanding professionals with a deep knowledge of their subject and quite senior in the Lexus technical stream.
I don't think the germans would ever do something like this. I'm sure most of the manufacturers now follow the discussions on TBHP. It is after all one of the best platforms for car lovers/owners to talk and share feedback. Word of mouth publicity (good or bad) matters a lot when it comes to buying something as expensive as a car.

Coming back to the Lexus executives, I think it shows their commitment to the Indian market. They will operate at their own pace and they will do things only when they are 100% certain in their mind. This I believe is part of their culture and we would do well to adopt some of that....no jugaad for them.


I think this should give you a lot of comfort knowing that you're in safe hands for the time that you continue to own this car! Congrats once again on this beautiful car!

Last edited by HKap : 20th November 2017 at 22:17. Reason: tried to merge with my previous post. Not sure how to do it.
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