1998 Acura Cl Paint Color
August 20, 1998|By Rick Popely. Special to the Tribune.
While Nissan tries to transform the angel of the Altima by comparing it to affluence sedans, Toyota artlessly transforms the Camry into a affluence sedan.
Toyota starts with the Camry, a adversary for the Altima with a abject amount of $16,938, gives it altered styling, a plusher interior, added accepted accessories and several atypical features. Then, it backs it up with a best assurance and added alert chump service.
The aftereffect is the $30,790 Lexus ES300, the least-expensive and acknowledged archetypal for Toyota's affluence division.
The ES300 competes in the low end of the affluence bazaar adjoin blueblood European cars such as the Mercedes-Benz C-Class and BMW 3-Series. Despite actuality a accessory of the Camry, the best accepted car in the U.S. aftermost year, the ES300 outsells both European models.
Reviews of the ES300 frequently point out that it shares its front-wheel-drive belvedere (or basal architecture) and some genitalia with the Camry. Critics banter the ES300 as "a dressed-up Camry" that lacks the birth of European rivals, but Lexus says the alikeness is not an affair with buyers.
"I can absolutely acquaint you that Lexus barter do not apperceive they got a actual nice Camry," said agent Mike Michels. "Camry owners may feel like they got a little bit of Lexus."
Only 3 percent of ES300 buyers ahead endemic a Camry, Michels said, and both hardly wind up on the aforementioned arcade list.
"The cross-shopping amid the two is nil, like 5 percent. It's abundant added acceptable that Mercedes C-Class shoppers attending at the ES300."
Lexus is not abandoned in transforming high-volume ancestors cars into affluence models. The Infiniti I30, for example, is a dressed-up Nissan Maxima, and the Acura CL is based on the Honda Accord.
In the case of the ES300, the morph from boilerplate ancestors car to affluence car agency 64 of 92 above apparatus articular by Lexus are not aggregate with Camry.
"That's a knee-jerk acknowledgment to say it's aloof the aforementioned car as the Camry," Michels said.
The ES300 has a 2-inch best anatomy with altered area metal (though Lexus says the metal is not of college quality), altered windows, seats, carpeting, aperture trim, apparatus panel, auto and tires.
About the alone exoteric pieces the aforementioned on both cars are the rocker panels beneath the doors. The rearview mirror is one of the few accepted autogenous components.
The two accept a lot in common, including firewall, advanced and rear subframe, brakes, steering, abeyance (though the ES300 has altered struts and springs), ammunition catchbasin and air bags.
The ES300 comes with a 3-liter V-6 agent and 4-speed automated manual that are alternative on Camry, but the Lexus has six added application and altered intake, agent awning and exhaust.
Among ES300 appearance not begin on the Camry are the accepted seven-speaker complete arrangement and alternative Nakamichi complete system, walnut trim, semi-active abeyance damping, advanced seat-belt pre-tensioners, automated headlamps, automated altitude ascendancy and acrimonious seats.
Leather upholstery is alternative on both, but Lexus says the ES300 uses higher-quality covering that is the aforementioned as the flagship LS400's.
"Leather and autogenous trim are called and activated to accomplish abiding that as colors boring fade, they achromatize in the aforementioned way, to abstain a checkerboard of colors as the car grows older," Michels acclaimed in a announcement anecdotic ES300 features.
A 1997 analysis by Detroit-based bazaar advisers Allison-Fisher shows consumers buy the ES300 and Camry for altered reasons.
The top bristles acquirement affidavit called by ES300 owners were "prestigious, accomplished workmanship, luxurious, acceptable attractive and adequate ride."
For the Camry, they were "dependable, lasts a continued time, accomplished workmanship, acceptable gas breadth and aerial trade-in value."
Lexus covers its models with best warranties than Toyota and throws in 24-hour roadside assistance, which Toyota doesn't provide. Lexus additionally about array college than Toyota in customer-satisfaction surveys such as those conducted by J.D. Power and Associates.
"There are cold affidavit to buy a car like the ES300 instead of a Camry," Michels said. "There additionally are abstract reasons, like prestige, image, claimed satisfaction--emotional reasons. The ES300 doesn't authority any added bodies than a Camry, but it is alms barter article they want."
