Photo: Lexus
Now in its fourth generation, the RX is fresh from ushering in the RXL at the 2018 Los Angeles Auto Show. Because of the seven-seat variant, the five-seat RX will go through some changes for the 2018 model year, chief among which is the starting price of $46,690 for the eco-minded RX 450h.
The most expensive powertrain of the Japanese automaker’s best-selling utility vehicle is $7,340 cheaper than the equivalent RX 450h for the 2017 model year, which begs the question, how come? According to Cars Direct, the revisioned price includes the $995 destination charge, and as expected, the list of standard equipment suffered a few changes as well.
The report states that “leather and heated/ventilated seats are no longer standard. Both now require you to first add $640 for the heated & ventilated seats, then $1,110 for the Premium Package.” As if that wasn’t enough, the Premium Package requires the customer to specify the moonroof, which adds $1,350 to the price. Satellite navigation? That’s no longer available as standard, but as an optional extra priced at $2,120.
Repackaging extends to safety equipment, for blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert now cost $1,065. Alas, the catch is that the 2018 price is actually an improvement of $1,055 compared to last year’s sticker. You can thank the beancounters at Lexus for dreaming up such a strategy. At the end of the day, however, some customers don’t want all those features from the get-go, which is why the model year change is a-OK with them.
On the other hand, who the hell doesn’t want heated and ventilated seats in a premium SUV? It will be interesting to wait and see how many people would fool themselves into thinking that they can do without such an essential feature in order to save a few bucks on their next luxo-SUV. If it were your money, what would you do given these circumstances?
The report states that “leather and heated/ventilated seats are no longer standard. Both now require you to first add $640 for the heated & ventilated seats, then $1,110 for the Premium Package.” As if that wasn’t enough, the Premium Package requires the customer to specify the moonroof, which adds $1,350 to the price. Satellite navigation? That’s no longer available as standard, but as an optional extra priced at $2,120.
Repackaging extends to safety equipment, for blind-spot monitoring and cross-traffic alert now cost $1,065. Alas, the catch is that the 2018 price is actually an improvement of $1,055 compared to last year’s sticker. You can thank the beancounters at Lexus for dreaming up such a strategy. At the end of the day, however, some customers don’t want all those features from the get-go, which is why the model year change is a-OK with them.
On the other hand, who the hell doesn’t want heated and ventilated seats in a premium SUV? It will be interesting to wait and see how many people would fool themselves into thinking that they can do without such an essential feature in order to save a few bucks on their next luxo-SUV. If it were your money, what would you do given these circumstances?
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