Report: Lexus Considering Fixed Prices At Dealerships

Lexus LX 570 (Credit: Lexus)

Saturn made waves in the automotive industry back in the day by instituting a no-haggle policy at its dealerships. Scion does the same thing today, and according to report from Automotive News, Lexus will soon join in.

The new strategy is being considered as a way to make the car shopping experience even better for consumers. Lexus has a history of being one of the top brands in the industry when it comes to customer satisfaction, and it appears that it is taking a proactive approach to keep it that way.

To start off, Lexus will be dipping its toe in the water by having 12 of its dealerships in the US try out the no-haggle method. Currently, there are 236 Lexus dealers in the country. If the pilot program is deemed successful, it would likely spread to all retail locations.

Many people have listed car shopping as one of their most dreaded activities. One of the things about car shopping that has been cited as especially unpleasant is negotiating over price. The method has worked well for CarMax as well. Instead of focusing on the cost of a vehicle, the system will mean that Lexus dealership employees will have to concentrate on the advantages of a vehicle over the competition.

Lexus is battling hard against Mercedes-Benz and BMW in the luxury vehicle space. Up until 2011, Lexus was the top luxury automotive brand in the US. Now, BMW holds that title. Mercedes-Benz has been working hard to climb to the top, with the result being that the segment has grown considerably.

Another big change is coming to Lexus dealerships. A program called The Lexus Difference will be starting up soon. Details are scarce, but it’s supposed to make car shopping more personalized.