Buyback Notification

[skyfish400h]

Letter received from dealer indicates they have earned the "Elite of Lexus" honor and they have been authorized to "buy back your current vehicle at above market prices" regarding my 2006 RX400h. They state they have been directed to increase their pre-owned inventory of these cars.

What is the deal with this? I'm new to the Lexus brand... is this just one of their promotional gimiks? The letter looks "official" and "businesslike" rather than "glossy" and "ad-like" as one might expect.

Is this just one of they ways they try to get you to move into a new Lexus? Or is there more to it?

[mehullica]

Not sure if we have the same letter. Mine car was a lease and if you are 6 months from the end of your lease you can get out early if you lease/buy any Lexus/Toyota/Scion vehicle. I got out of the lease on mine, and if you stick with the same model you get an extra $1000 bonus cash. Pretty good deal. I got out of my lease and into another with no drive off $$$ due to the bonus cash offer.

[retired00]

Letter received from dealer indicates they have earned the "Elite of Lexus" honor and they have been authorized to "buy back your current vehicle at above market prices" regarding my 2006 RX400h. They state they have been directed to increase their pre-owned inventory of these cars.

What is the deal with this? I'm new to the Lexus brand... is this just one of their promotional gimiks? The letter looks "official" and "businesslike" rather than "glossy" and "ad-like" as one might expect.

Is this just one of they ways they try to get you to move into a new Lexus? Or is there more to it?

It's a way to get you into the dealership. Glossy is not the style most Lexus stores go for.

[SW03ES]

Its an advertisement, they want to take your RX in on trade and sell you a new one.

I agree, not a typical Lexus dealer marketing ploy. More like a Ford dealer.

[RX400h]

Its an advertisement, they want to take your RX in on trade and sell you a new one.

I agree, not a typical Lexus dealer marketing ploy. More like a Ford dealer.

I agree. I used to get this type of letter from the Nissan dealership. You can understand why the dealership will lend you a brand new Lexus when your used one is being serviced - they want you to like the new one so much that you'll trade yours in in short time.

The funny thing is that our local BMW dealership lends its service customers a Toyota Camry. When asked why they do this, they say that after driving a Camry, customers will appreciate their BMW all the more. The funny thing is that those customers may be LESS likely to trade in their cars for a brand new one. BMW's philosophy appears to be opposite that of Lexus!

[SW03ES]

The reason BMW gives out Camrys is cost. The BMW dealer here doesn't give out Camrys, it gives out 325s. They just told you that to put a spin on it. Camrys are cheap, reliable transportation. Much cheaper to maintain a loaner fleet of Camrys than maintenance and repair hungry BMWs.

As for Lexus, they use bare bones ES350s and RX350s. I hardly think anybody in a GS or an LS, or a GX or LX is going to go out and trade for an ES or RX because they liked the filthy, beat up loaner. I am always relieved to get my ES300 back even when I turn in a brand new ES350, because the loaner is dirty and beat up, lacks the features I have like the Nav.

[RX400h]

I recently was loaned an ES350 and it was spotless and almost new, so I'd guess that it all depends upon the dealership. I was very impressed by the ES, but not enough to want to have it over our RX.

The Camrys with window stickers that announce they are BMW loaner cars is just plain comical to me!

[SW03ES]

They're spotless and almost new when they're almost new LOL. My dealer rotates the loaners out every 6-9 months because the people beat on them so hard.

[NY_RX400h_Savanah]

"than maintenance and repair hungry BMWs."

Where did you get that from-customer reports again Or you just work for Lexus? Did you ever drive any of the BMW's -it'll take the light years for Japanese car makers (not only Toyota but others as well) to make cars that come close in performance and feel of Germans. Especially if you like performance driving and sound of real sport car engine.

Hate when people come up with BS like that. Why is the BMW providing maintenance for free for 4 years/50k??- because those cars brake so much and require a lot of maintenance??

Well definitely not-only thing I had to change in my BMW within 4 years period was a rear stop light bulb. Nothing else-will I have the same luck with Lexus-hope so.

Bottom line is that BMW is a BMW -it's not a Luxury version of some other brand like Lexus of Toyota.-Feeling the difference?

Lexus only became a brand after Toyota realized that US market is hungry for Luxury cars like Mercedes, BMW and to compete with them. Few years ago Lexus didn't really exist in Europe- and they didn't even exist in Japan until 2006.

[skyfish400h]

"than maintenance and repair hungry BMWs."

Hate when people come up with BS like that.

Don't hate. It only brings YOU down.

If you have some website or statistical evidence that BMW repair history is better than (or even equal to) Lexus, then I'm sure we would all like to see it.

As it stands there is the current datapoint that BMW autos are more prone to repair than the Lexus brand. This is well established... your anticdotal experience not withstanding.

You may disagree with the source of the datapoint (Consumers Reports), but that hardly invalidates all the people who responed to the surveys they publish. I'll give you the benefit of the doubt that you are not suggesting CR is making this stuff up.

[Rx330driver]

lol not that driving feel BS again. haha. Thats really the only argument used against Lexus in all car comparisons. Screw the feel that only 10% of the population can really tell the difference. anywhoo...

Ive gotten a NAVed RX350 before...it was da bomb. Didnt want to give it back after getting used to the bluetooth.

[RX400h]

"than maintenance and repair hungry BMWs."

Where did you get that from-customer reports again Or you just work for Lexus? Did you ever drive any of the BMW's -it'll take the light years for Japanese car makers (not only Toyota but others as well) to make cars that come close in performance and feel of Germans. Especially if you like performance driving and sound of real sport car engine.

Hate when people come up with BS like that. Why is the BMW providing maintenance for free for 4 years/50k??- because those cars brake so much and require a lot of maintenance??

Well definitely not-only thing I had to change in my BMW within 4 years period was a rear stop light bulb. Nothing else-will I have the same luck with Lexus-hope so.

Bottom line is that BMW is a BMW -it's not a Luxury version of some other brand like Lexus of Toyota.-Feeling the difference?

Lexus only became a brand after Toyota realized that US market is hungry for Luxury cars like Mercedes, BMW and to compete with them. Few years ago Lexus didn't really exist in Europe- and they didn't even exist in Japan until 2006.

Some people actually have reliable Jeeps; that doesn't mean that Jeeps are reliable in general. Your experience in no way speaks for most BMWs. Let me ask you something: Have you driven an IS350? For anyone to say that a 330i is "light years" away from the IS350 should step away fro the sleeping pills!

[SW03ES]

"than maintenance and repair hungry BMWs."

Where did you get that from-customer reports again Or you just work for Lexus? Did you ever drive any of the BMW's -it'll take the light years for Japanese car makers (not only Toyota but others as well) to make cars that come close in performance and feel of Germans. Especially if you like performance driving and sound of real sport car engine.

Niether, I simply know a lot of people who have BMWs. I've driven MANY BMWs, and while you are correct they are very good cars with excellent driving dynamics they are significantly less reliable as a whole than something like a Lexus. BMWs are nice, but the cold interiors coupled with stiff rides don't appeal to me. I'd rather have a Mercedes.

If you think it'll take light years for the Japanese to catch up to BMW precision, drive the Infiniti G and M and to a lesser extent the Lexus IS. Still not quite as sharp as the handling on a BMW 3 or 5 series, but pretty darn close, cheaper, AND more reliable.

Bottom line is that BMW is a BMW -it's not a Luxury version of some other brand like Lexus of Toyota.-Feeling the difference?

Lexus only became a brand after Toyota realized that US market is hungry for Luxury cars like Mercedes, BMW and to compete with them. Few years ago Lexus didn't really exist in Europe- and they didn't even exist in Japan until 2006.

Thanks for telling me plenty of things I already know. That doesn't change the fact that BMWs as a whole are less reliable than Lexus vehicles. Thats a fact that is backed up by plenty of data from plenty of seperate sources, consumer reports, JD power, etc. Find me ONE set of data that shows a BMW model as being more reliable than even the industry average, let alone a Lexus. It has absolutely nothing to do with them being fine driving machines which they are, but they are on the whole less reliable.