Lexus Dealers - The Crown Slips?

[pml9952]

As a propsective customer new to lexus having seen all the JD Power stuff I am naturally curious to see what all the fuss is about. Sorry to say so far not much.

In the North East I am roughly half way between two dealerships. I have test driven the IS 250 at both. Both know that on the 1st March I WILL change my car, and both know that the IS220d is one of only two that I will consider. So far neither have made contact to invite me for a test drive. Not looking good.

On top of that I called both to ask the price of fitting rear park assist to an IS220d SE. One dealer quoted a price which they subsequently said was incorrect (£340 initially, and then £480), the other has failed to phone back twice, despite a second call, and that now more than two weeks ago.

So far then 5 out of 10 at best for the sushi, and overall no better than VW (with which my relationship ended in divorce) . Perhaps folk in other parts of the country fare better, but on the strength of my experience so far I'm far from convinced.

Might be the BM after all.

[Pip]

I must agree that lexus were absolutely disgraceful in this department. Lucky i bought my IS privately and went on the strength of the car and not lexus customer relations which is what i urge you to do. They were over priced and not very helpful at all. Nor did they return phonecalls even to this day for part prices etc.

BMW came, picked me up and even dropped me off to test drive their coupes as one was not on site.

Lexus need to take heed and quick.

[Steve ( West Mids )]

When you say both know you are going to change, how do they know? Have you been in and spoken to them, have you phoned them? Sometimes you have to work a salesman. It is for him to sell you the car not for you to buy it, but he's gotta now you are serious.

You may struggle with dealer fit reverse sensors at the moment. There is a fault with them and they are not currently available. Something to do with the wiring loom and compatability.

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

If you can afford to, shop around for everything...it is the second most expensive thing you have your dosh in...(or third after the wife and kids).

Lexus Leic so far have been fantastric...though I haven't got my new car yet...

They've made me lots of assurances that I will not be disappointed with them...and I do believe them!

[Kazi]

If you can afford to, shop around for everything...it is the second most expensive thing you have your dosh in...(or third after the wife and kids).

Lexus Leic so far have been fantastric...though I haven't got my new car yet...

They've made me lots of assurances that I will not be disappointed with them...and I do believe them!

Lexus Leics rang me up ealry December and I only mentioned I wouldn't mind a test in January. Since then they keep hounding me

[MacRS200]

There's a fine line between being attentive and pressure sales

[Tailpipe]

As a propsective customer new to lexus having seen all the JD Power stuff I am naturally curious to see what all the fuss is about. Sorry to say so far not much.

In the North East I am roughly half way between two dealerships. I have test driven the IS 250 at both. Both know that on the 1st March I WILL change my car, and both know that the IS220d is one of only two that I will consider. So far neither have made contact to invite me for a test drive. Not looking good.

On top of that I called both to ask the price of fitting rear park assist to an IS220d SE. One dealer quoted a price which they subsequently said was incorrect (£340 initially, and then £480), the other has failed to phone back twice, despite a second call, and that now more than two weeks ago.

So far then 5 out of 10 at best for the sushi, and overall no better than VW (with which my relationship ended in divorce) . Perhaps folk in other parts of the country fare better, but on the strength of my experience so far I'm far from convinced.

Might be the BM after all.

Sorry, mate, but is there a possibility that you have come across as a rather diffucult and demanding customer to deal with? Based on your post, I wouldn't touch you with a barge-pole if i was a dealer - you seem like you're more trouble than you're worth. Do you expect dealers to be mind readers? if you want a test drive in an IS220d, ask for one!

Have you any idea of the numbers of miscellaneous calls dealers get from time-wasters or semi-serious punters? Add to the fact that Lexus' latest line-up of cars means that they've got more people going into their dealerships than ever before and you can probably understand why it is difficult to be as proactive as they usually are.

Ultimately, you will spend more time in any car you buy than in the dealership of any brand you choose. So choose the brand wisely. Lexus isn't top for quality for nothing. by the same token BMW doesn't languish well below it because its cars are better. in my expereince, it is BMWs crown that has slipped - which is hardly surprising given how many more cars BMW sells than Lexus.

More than that, relationship building is a two-way process - sometimes you have to make people feel you're worth the effort.

[pml9952]

As a propsective customer new to lexus having seen all the JD Power stuff I am naturally curious to see what all the fuss is about. Sorry to say so far not much.

In the North East I am roughly half way between two dealerships. I have test driven the IS 250 at both. Both know that on the 1st March I WILL change my car, and both know that the IS220d is one of only two that I will consider. So far neither have made contact to invite me for a test drive. Not looking good.

On top of that I called both to ask the price of fitting rear park assist to an IS220d SE. One dealer quoted a price which they subsequently said was incorrect (£340 initially, and then £480), the other has failed to phone back twice, despite a second call, and that now more than two weeks ago.

So far then 5 out of 10 at best for the sushi, and overall no better than VW (with which my relationship ended in divorce) . Perhaps folk in other parts of the country fare better, but on the strength of my experience so far I'm far from convinced.

Might be the BM after all.

Sorry, mate, but is there a possibility that you have come across as a rather diffucult and demanding customer to deal with? Based on your post, I wouldn't touch you with a barge-pole if i was a dealer - you seem like you're more trouble than you're worth. Do you expect dealers to be mind readers? if you want a test drive in an IS220d, ask for one!

Have you any idea of the numbers of miscellaneous calls dealers get from time-wasters or semi-serious punters? Add to the fact that Lexus' latest line-up of cars means that they've got more people going into their dealerships than ever before and you can probably understand why it is difficult to be as proactive as they usually are.

Ultimately, you will spend more time in any car you buy than in the dealership of any brand you choose. So choose the brand wisely. Lexus isn't top for quality for nothing. by the same token BMW doesn't languish well below it because its cars are better. in my expereince, it is BMWs crown that has slipped - which is hardly surprising given how many more cars BMW sells than Lexus.

More than that, relationship building is a two-way process - sometimes you have to make people feel you're worth the effort.

sorry tailpipe no need to get so touchy, all Im saying is based on customer surveys I had a level of expectation that was clearly unrealistic, and so far I can't see the difference between the lexus experience and most of the rest.

[Monster-Mat]

2 dealers in 53 is hardley a good generalisation of the whole lexus experiance

[Rsarin]

Im sure that if you mention to any lexus dealership in the UK that you dont feel happy about the level of attention youve received as a prospective customer im certain that any one dealership would spring into action and aim to force a motor down your throat as soon as poss.Lexus are the first to hound people when you leave telephone details.And I agree sales staff need to know your interested,and im sure due to the high volume of 250s being test driven in the uk that they may be slow to respond. Most the people in my street have been down to the local lex dealership.(maybe 1 in 5 actually have the intention to purchase in the next month most have just bought new cars,just checking out competition.BUT The product is the most important thing.

[MartinC]

Lexus Twickenham have offered twice to bring a IS250 round to my house for me to test drive :) despite me declining the first time saying that I doubt I would part with mine so soon after buying it brand new.

Would be nice to take them up on the offer, but I don't like to come accross as a messer.

My local dealer Lexus Hatfield allowed me to pick my car up the day after I bought it B) and seemed keen to do the deal

seems experiences throughout the country are very different.

[chinny]

totally off the topic here, jamboo where did u get the picture of the 250, looking for a nice one to put on my desktop.

back to the topic, my dealer has been pretty good, got us plenty of lexus freebies and not a useless bottle of wine or bouquet of flower in sight.

[Northern Boys Luv Gravy]

I bought my IS250 off Jeff @ Newcastle and found him to be very helpful, without being too pushy. He booked me in for a test drive and then let me take my time and the car sold itself. I'm sure if you give him a bell he'll put you in the first 220d demonstrator they get.

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

totally off the topic here, jamboo where did u get the picture of the 250, looking for a nice one to put on my desktop.

Try this link (off the oficial web site):

http://www.lexus.co.uk/lexus_cars/is_new/i...y/wallpaper.asp

I believe that they have changed some of their pic's now...but there are still some good'ns.

Back on topic, the dealer experience may now start to drop no doubt. The dealerships may have been set some aggressive targets, and may start to try and win new sales rather than look after existing or have the time to deal with each one meticulously...thereby dropping a "ball" every now and again.

This is what happens when you cross or muddy the "Quality .v. Quantity" threshold...and I hope Lexus throw resources at maintaining the the "Quality, no matter the quantity" ethos...

Incidentally, anyone seen the new IS220d TV Commercial? I saw it on Telly on Friday night... :heart:

It's here:

http://www.lexus.co.uk/lexus_cars/is_new/i...asp?playvideo=1

All it does is showcase the car, wiythout giving anything away...like a tease...!

[Big Chris]

I agree that not all experiences with Lexus dealers are perfect;

I took my IS200 SE to a Lexus dealership for a 10,000 mile service. I stressed when booking the car in and when I dropped it off that I would be driving the car to France on holiday the following day.

I picked the car up at around 5pm and the service manager said that everything was fine. He wished me the best for my trip to France the next day. I also booked the car in for new alloys on my return.

Whilst in France after driving 500 miles I noticed a nail in the back tyre. I changed it for the spare and the holiday continued uninterrupted.

On my return from holiday I happened to read through the service documentation and it stated that there was a nail in the back tyre. The dealer knew I was going to France the next day so all I can assume is that he forgot to tell me. Crap!

On my return from France I took the car in for the new alloys. The tyres were duly changed, including the tyre with the nail still in it. This time it was either not spotted, or if it was spotted they decided not to tell me.

I never bothered complaining as I suppose I should have read through the service documentation. Nevertheless I know I was let down and whilst the service I have received from Lexus GB on other matters has been outstanding, on this safety critical item the dealer let me down.

[Eunos800]

Interesting topic....I am also beginning to now wonder what all the fuss re "Lexus customer service" is about.

I have already placed my deposit some weeks ago ( 250 SEL MM auto sunroof ) and requested a March '06 delivery. Having followed several threads here about rattling noises, and so-on, I e-mailed lexus GB twice regarding these matters, and have not even received a reply

On Thursday 5th Jan, I wrote and posted first class by snail mail, a letter to the salesman dealing with my order. The letter mentioned the above points, as well as several other issues, including a request for expected delivery date, as we wished to embark on a short 5 day foreign touring holiday immediately after collecting the car from the showroom (Chester ), and we needed the date confirmed in order to finalize the hotel / eurotunnel booking etc. To date I have received no reply...not even an acknowledgement of receipt of my letter. Having recently retired from a lifetime career in food retailing, at a senior level, I know that any customer, or prospective customer of our company, would have received better attention than this over comparitavely minor incidents such as a dented tin of beans !!

I shall obviously have to take the initiative myself and incur the cost and trouble of telephoning them...again. Not Impressed so far

[Claire G]

The dealerships I've used in the past have generally been atrocious. In the end I got so fed up with them that I used an independant garage from then on!

[Whoever]

Hi all.

I will be a Lexus owner within a few weeks, and I can't wait!

I visited two Lexus Centres this week and the experiences were interesting.

Dealer A did not contact me when the 220d was being booked for test drives. A promised call back did not happen. To be fair, I am not a current Lexus owner, and perhaps my buying intentions were being tested. However I considered it to be just a car dealership. We were a long way from striking a deal.

Dealer B was eager to do business. I walked in off the street and spoke to the manager and then the owner, two very professional and courteous people, and it was the most painless and pleasurable negotiation for a car purchase I have ever made. We were made to feel a bit special. I particularly liked the way we were escorted back to our car.

It goes without saying that Dealer B got my business, especially as the deal was £1500 cheaper for me!

Please don't ask me to identify the centres. It was just my personal experience and things might be different for others.

So I await my 220d SE+MM with much excitement. To heighten my anticipation I have been taking the SATNAV tutorial here:

http://www.lexus.com/models/ls/interior.html

Is it the same system on the IS? I am sure it can't be much different.

Happy to join the club!

[Eunos800]

Hi all.

I will be a Lexus owner within a few weeks, and I can't wait!

I visited two Lexus Centres this week and the experiences were interesting.

Dealer A did not contact me when the 220d was being booked for test drives. A promised call back did not happen. To be fair, I am not a current Lexus owner, and perhaps my buying intentions were being tested. However I considered it to be just a car dealership. We were a long way from striking a deal.

Dealer B was eager to do business. I walked in off the street and spoke to the manager and then the owner, two very professional and courteous people, and it was the most painless and pleasurable negotiation for a car purchase I have ever made. We were made to feel a bit special. I particularly liked the way we were escorted back to our car.

It goes without saying that Dealer B got my business, especially as the deal was £1500 cheaper for me!

Please don't ask me to identify the centres. It was just my personal experience and things might be different for others.

So I await my 220d SE+MM with much excitement. To heighten my anticipation I have been taking the SATNAV tutorial here:

http://www.lexus.com/models/ls/interior.html

Is it the same system on the IS? I am sure it can't be much different.

Happy to join the club!

Hello whoever, and welcome to the club :D

I too would have probably been happy with the diesel...except that Lexus have deemed it unprofitable to fit an auto box :duh: Not sure that the satnav /mm system on the new IS will be the same as the one on the LS ( looked at the link you posted ) and seems a different screen to me...although Im sure those lucky peeps who have already got their cars will confirm one way or another.

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

I was LED to believe that the IS version was the latest, faster mapping etc...but then was that compared to the old IS DVD Satnav or most latest/advanced in Lexus range...Who Knows?

Mr Mole might know - where is he? We need a "Where is Mr Mole" Campaign... :P

[jonny]

I picked up my newly acquired second hand Lexus IS200 SE from the dealership yesterday.

The whole 'Lexus' experience was an extremely pleasant one. From the moment I first walked into the dealership (Guildford) I was treated like royalty. Bearing in mind I am only 24 and was after a second hand car, they treated me like I was buying a brand new car fully loaded. The dealership was very busy when I went so the Financial manager showed me the car and took me for an immediate test drive.

On picking up the car yesterday they also threw in a bottle of champagne!

That's was I call service. I can thoroughly recommend Guildford Lexus, go see Justin or Gary.

[nicnac]

@ jamboo

hes probably too busy sorting out the rattles !!! :D

[Scarlet Pimpernell]

@ jamboo

hes probably too busy sorting out the rattles !!! :D

:duh: :D

[scott]

I was led to believe that the IS version was the latest, faster mapping etc...but then was that compared to the old IS DVD Satnav or most latest/advanced in Lexus range...Who Knows?

Mr Mole might know - where is he? We need a "Where is Mr Mole" Campaign... :P

As a user of the IS300 DVD Sat Nav and the new Sat Nav in the IS220d I can confirm that the new one is streets (no pun intended) ahead:

* Faster

* Post code destinations.

* Far more colours.

* Much sharper and clearer graphics.

* Better icons for points of interest (POI) e.g. actual logos for the different petrol stations, so you know which is a shell, bp, tesco garage etc. Make's it easier when searching out cheap fuel in a unfamiliar town.

* TMC - traffic icons on the map, updated regularly e.g. queueing traffic, accidents, road works, road closures etc.

* Directional POI e.g. speed camera, plays a sound as your approach from the RIGHT direction - you effectively tell it which side of the road the speed camera is on.

* 3d landmarks - no idea what they are but I'm looking forward to seeing my first one!!

and finally ... TOUCH SCREEN, totally awesome, including entry of destinations - you get a touch screen qwerty keyboard, much easier.

[MattCook]

> Directional POI e.g. speed camera

Oh can you upload your own POIs?