Count Drakul

No, its against federal law for a screen to be displaying video in the driver's line of sight. I know that, but the touch LCD is considered "in the driver's line of sight"? I thought "line of sight" referred to anything that might obstruct part of the windshield.

Isn't the point of the DVD playback so that your passengers can watch a movie while in motion? This was going to be the tiebreaker for me between the Ultra-Lux and Premium-Plus package. :(

Thanks to both of you! Yeah, I'm a little disappointed that manufacturers don't offer a direct competitor to the ES. But then again, it makes my decision easier. I've been told that the luxury model of the new W204 C-Class will offer more comfort than the old C-Class, and I've scheduled an appointment to test drive it as soon as the dealership near me gets their demo model, but I've yet to form an opinion about it (besides the fact that I love the new C-Class's exterior :)). My personal philosophy when it comes to buying cars is to not settle for any pretenses, and to go all out along one style. If I want a fun and sporty drive, I'd get a small and light sports coupe, like the BMW 135 coupe, not a sedan. The way I see it, the ES350 is the best luxury I can afford right now before making the leap up to the LS in five to ten years. ^_^

I'm no expert on the ES350, but that package sounds like the one that would normally cost $41,800 MSRP, so it looks like a good deal. Is it just me, or are the ES350s routinely being sold at $4-5k below MSRP? I test drove a Premium Plus ES350 the other day, and the dealer said he could get me an Ultra Luxury for under the MSRP of the Premium Plus.

Hallo! As is obvious, I'm a brand new user on these forums, and, hopefully within a few months, a brand new owner of a Lexus ES 350, as well. So far, it's the only car in the entry-level luxury segment that I've test driven that I've actually enjoyed. I'm different from my friends (and, apparently, from the rest of the 18-24 male demographic) in that I don't care much for sportiness or "fun" in driving. I just want a no-fuss, extremely comfortable, extremely smooth ride from point A to point B, especially because I drive a lot between LA, San Francisco, and Las Vegas: almost one long distance trip a month, if not more. My first choice has always been Lexus, and the ES350 seems to best fit that bill. Right now I'm planning on either a Premium Plus package or an Ultra-Luxury package ES350. I've test-driven both of these, and fell in love immediately. (My only qualm would seem to be that the parking assist feature doesn't really "assist" anything; does this thing only work within inches or something?) Which one I eventually get will depend on whether I think the DVD playback of the Mark Levinson is worth the extra $2-3k (though I can probably negotiate it down). But, being the kind of person I am, I want to check out what other options I might have that can compete with what the ES350 has to offer. I've checked out the BMW 3-series, Benz C-Class, and Infiniti G and M sedans. I've already ruled out the BMW--too sporty--and neither Infiniti model doesn't draw me in quite as much as the ES350. Acura is off the picture entirely; it's hard for me to think of Acura as something more expensive Honda, and I don't feel like I'd be getting my money's worth. The new Benz 2008 C-Class looks intriguing, though, and IMO looks even better aesthetically than the ES350 (especially with the panoramic sunroof), but I haven't test driven it yet, so any opinions about it would be welcome. Can anyone comment on what options I have for the $30k to $45k MSRP price range? I realize I'm biasing my replies by asking on a Lexus forum, but I WANT that ES350. I just want to make sure I didn't miss anything on my way to buying it.