Forget the Price Feel The Quality

[SH20]

Once I got past the ridiculous cost of rubber mats I realised that the hot rubber extrusion machine that spat them out must have been expensive to produce. Not every ES customer would want them and are happier with the very nice carpet set you get but when you look close at these winter mats the weight and quality is there to see. Not sure why you can't buy rear mats as well.

Pity then I gave the first set of these I had away after trading in the ES.    I gave them to a good friend who drives a Toyota Camry which shares the same floor pan. At least I didn't pay for them, part of a protection pack the dealer fitted as part of the deal back in 2019.   

   

[e-yes]

Mine were delivered one month after the car was delivered !

Even the cardboard packaging felt over engineered, and so do the mats of course. The securing locks feel as if they are dampened. Rubber floor mat doesn’t have to be this “nice” but oddly they are.

-E

[Cs150]

Very good quality, dealers often throw in for free as part of the deal. Interestingly the OEM rubber ES mats offered in the US are a slightly different design 

[Mincey]

I had the Lexus rubber mats in my 3IS. I really didn't like them (too squeaky) and was glad to return to Betsy's carpet mats. Horses for courses I guess!

[Rabbers]

I was once given a beautiful brand new ES as a courtesy car on a day of filthy weather with rain and sleet.  When I pointed out that there were no rubber mats in the back the service manager half-jokingly but not unintelligently suggested I should tell rear passengers to wipe their feet before getting in.

[Mincey]

1 hour ago, Rabbers said:

I was once given a beautiful brand new ES as a courtesy car on a day of filthy weather with rain and sleet.  When I pointed out that there were no rubber mats in the back the service manager half-jokingly but not unintelligently suggested I should tell rear passengers to wipe their feet before getting in.

Absolutely right!

People are rarely allowed into the back of Betsy but a few weekends ago I had no choice but to let my 9 year old granddaughter in. The back of the passenger seat is covered in muddy footprints. She will travel in her grandmother's car next time.

[SH20]

I kept back the 4 Toyota CHR winter mats  when I traded it for my 3rd ES and so use the rear CHR mats in the ES. While not a duplicate  foot print of the carpet mat  it is close and will do the job given Lexus don't do a rear set for the ES

On a different note   is just cost that Manufacturers stopped refinishing their alloy wheels on the inside to match the finish of the outside.  I definitely remember cleaning wheels in previous years on all sorts of cars where the painted finish was as good on the outside.  Now they don't bother and leave you with a base alloy finish with the obvious black overspray when the outside is painted before machine facing.   I guess that's why wheel refurbishment companies get a lot of praise when they powder coat the inside and outside before lacquering. 

Still they do make an attractive alloy wheel if you ignore the inside finish. 

[Rabbers]

I habitually change to rubber mats when I change from summer to winter tyres despite the fact that logic and weather rarely overlap.  Although Lexus rubber mats don’t look or feel as good as their carpet counterparts, their quality is undeniably high, their weight, as Steve notes in his OP, being particularly impressive.  Unfortunately in my experience the driver-side mat tends to whiten in the area of the pedals because of slight surface wear caused by a swiveling heel.  Rubber reviving products such as GummiPflege can help but the discolouration inevitably returns.

 Incidentally, although Lexus may once have offered rear rubber mats for some models, I’m not sure if it has done so for any car in recent years.

[beyond the blue]

3 hours ago, Rabbers said:

I habitually change to rubber mats when I change from summer to winter tyres despite the fact that logic and weather rarely overlap.  Although Lexus rubber mats don’t look or feel as good as their carpet counterparts, their quality is undeniably high, their weight, as Steve notes in his OP, being particularly impressive.  Unfortunately in my experience the driver-side mat tends to whiten in the area of the pedals because of slight surface wear caused by a swiveling heel.  Rubber reviving products such as GummiPflege can help but the discolouration inevitably returns.

 Incidentally, although Lexus may once have offered rear rubber mats for some models, I’m not sure if it has done so for any car in recent years.

I've noticed the same with my Lexus rubber boot liner with regard to getting a good finish. I've tried lots of products but it doesn't look great.

[Scotlex]

I like good quality mats 😀

Not sure if you get a choice between rubber or carpet 🤔

[ColinBarber]

11 minutes ago, Scotlex said:

Not sure if you get a choice between rubber or carpet 🤔

No, not unless you talk your dealer into throwing some in.

[Scotlex]

2 minutes ago, ColinBarber said:

No, not unless you talk your dealer into throwing some in.

OK, thanks for that.