For a long time, Lexus has been Japan’s counterpart car brand to rival the German luxury titans. When you’re looking for a well-made, powerful, luxury sedan, SUV, or coupe, Lexus can go toe to toe with the likes of BMW, Audi, and Mercedes.
That comparison is true for the optional extras offered by Lexus on their current models. Like the German brands, you have a wealth of choices when building your Lexus, with a multitude of packages and options.
One of the most popular packs on current Lexus models is their Premium Package. Unlike certain packs which focus on improving one part of the car, the Premium Pack includes a wide range of upgrades.
All of this sounds great – but how do you know if the Premium Package is right for you? In this article we’ll cover the features you get with this pack, along with the cost for each model, and whether we think the Premium Pack is worth it…
Let’s start by looking at what is included when choosing the premium package. This can be confusing, as Lexus includes different options depending on the vehicle model.
This means an IS with the premium package may have different options than an RC F with the premium package selected. It might sound strange, but we’ll clear things up below.
What Lexus Models Have This Package?
The premium package is limited to only a handful of Lexus models currently. You’ll find this option on the following models.
- Lexus IS
- Lexus ES
- Lexus NX
- Lexus RC
- Lexus RC F
On some Lexus models the premium package features are included as standard, or available as individual options.
What’s included in the Lexus Premium Package?
The Lexus premium package contains the following options, depending on the model you are buying:
| FEATURES | LEXUS IS | LEXUS ES | LEXUS NX | LEXUS RC | LEXUS RC F |
| 19-INCH SPLIT-10-SPOKE ALLOY WHEELS | Y | ||||
| 19-INCH HAND-POLISHED 20-SPOKE FORGED ALLOY WHEELS BY BBS | Y | ||||
| POWER TILT-AND-TELESCOPIC STEERING WHEEL | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| OUTSIDE MIRRORS WITH AUTO TILT-DOWN IN REVERSE | Y | ||||
| LEXUS MEMORY SYSTEM FOR DRIVER’S SEAT, OUTSIDE MIRRORS AND STEERING WHEEL | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| POWER FOLDING MIRRORS | Y | ||||
| INTUITIVE PARKING ASSIST WITH AUTO BRAKING | Y | Y | Y | ||
| OPEN-PORE WOOD TRIM | Y | Y | |||
| BLACK PRISM INTERIOR TRIM | Y | ||||
| LEATHER INTERIOR TRIM | Y | ||||
| REAR SEAT CENTRE CONSOLE WITH CUPHOLDERS AND ARMREST | Y | ||||
| FRONT DOOR-SILL SCUFF PLATES | Y | ||||
| REAR ARMREST WITH CUPHOLDERS | Y | ||||
| POWER REAR SUNSHADE | Y | ||||
| HEATED LEATHER-TRIMMED STEERING WHEEL | Y | Y | Y | ||
| POWER TILT-AND-SLIDE MOONROOF | Y | Y | |||
| POWER REAR DOOR WITH KICK SENSOR | Y | ||||
| HEATED AND VENTILATED FRONT SEATS | Y | Y | Y | Y | Y |
| FAST RESPONSE INTERIOR HEATER | Y | ||||
| RAIN-SENSING WINDSHIELD WIPERS | Y | Y | Y | Y | |
| AUTO-DIMMING REARVIEW MIRROR WITH HOMELINK SYSTEM | Y | ||||
| WIRELESS CHARGER | Y | ||||
| WINDSHIELD WIPER DE-ICER | Y |
Accordion title 1
This is a placeholder tab content. It is important to have the necessary information in the block, but at this stage, it is just a placeholder to help you visualise how the content is displayed. Feel free to edit this with your actual content.
Accordion title 2
This is a placeholder tab content. It is important to have the necessary information in the block, but at this stage, it is just a placeholder to help you visualise how the content is displayed. Feel free to edit this with your actual content.
Let’s find out more about some of the options available within the Premium Package:
Power Tilt-And-Telescopic Steering Wheel
The tilt and telescopic steering wheel option allows you to select the perfect driving position. With this feature you can adjust both the height and distance of your steering wheel electronically, to find the best setting for you.
In simple terms, the tilt function allows you to raise and lower the height of the steering column, and the telescopic function allows you to move the wheel as close or as far away as you want (like you would adjust a telescope).
This is a simple feature, and to be honest, we don’t mind if cars only come with a manually adjustable steering column, as it’s not a feature you’ll use that often. That being said, it’s still a bonus to have this, and if you have two or more regular drivers in your Lexus this will come in very helpful.
Heated and Ventilated Front Seats
The heated and ventilated front seat option is one of the best features of the premium package. Heated seats are always welcome, and available on most luxury vehicles these days, but ventilated seats step things up a level.
Ventilated seats are often confused with cooled seats – these are actually two different features. Ventilated seats work via fans in the seat to circulate cooled air, and on most vehicles we’ve tried these work far better than you’d expect. Overall cooled seats are usually more effective, but ventilated seats still work well.
The heated and ventilated front seat feature is one we’d definitely choose if it was a standalone option, and it’s great to see it included in this package.
Lexus Memory System
We’ve covered the Lexus Memory System briefly when we looked at the Tilt-and-Telescopic steering wheel. Essentially the memory system allows you to save your preferred settings for the location of the steering wheel, your side mirrors, and your seat.
As you’d expect this is a must-have feature if you have multiple regular drivers in your Lexus. Speaking from experience in my current BMW, there’s nothing more annoying than having to reset my seat position every time someone else drives.
Having a memory system might seem like a trivial feature, and if you’re the only person likely to drive your car it won’t get much use. However, if you have multiple users this feature should be near the top of your list.
Rain Sensing Windshield Wipers
The Rain sensing wipers are a feature I wish we had as standard on more luxury vehicles, for a couple of reasons. When you have your wipers set to ‘auto’ function, once your Lexus senses rain or snow on your windshield, it measures the severity and activates the wipers to an appropriate speed.
Across all the cars I’ve used with automatic wipers, the result is usually the same. These systems are great at initially reacting to rain or snow, but the speed setting is often way too high, and you have to manually adjust the setting yourself.
We’ve only tried this feature on 2021 model Lexus cars, and they worked as well as most other luxury vehicles. Overall it makes sense to have this in a premium package, but it’s an option I’d never pay for on its own.
Power Tilt And Slide Moonroof
The Power Moonroof is only a package feature on the IS and NX models, and it’s as you’d guess, the addition of a moonroof into your car. The Lexus moonroof can be adjusted to tilt open or slide away, as with most premium moonroofs.
This isn’t the largest moonroof we’ve tested on a recent car, but as more cars seem to be replacing these with glass panoramic roofs, it’s good to see Lexus still offering this option.
Overall we’re not a fan of adding a moonroof – you lose interior headroom and most owners don’t get a lot of use. If you’re in a warmer climate this might be a good option, but we would always go the full step for a convertible if open-air driving was a viable option.
Intuitive Parking Assist with Auto Braking
The Intuitive Parking Assist feature works to make reversing a safer process in your Lexus. When you start to reverse, there are sensors on the car that detect if you’re too close to an object, and you’ll hear a warning noise (and an icon on the central screen).
This feature also comes with auto braking, which activates the brakes automatically if the car senses you are about to hit something. These systems also detect traffic approaching from either side while you are reversing.
Parking sensors are always useful features, but on current luxury vehicles, this shouldn’t be an optional extra. I can understand an additional cost for reversing cameras, but parking sensors should come as standard on Lexus models.
There we have some of the key options as part of the Premium Package. As shown in the menu for each model these aren’t the only features available, so check what is covered on the specific model you want.
Now we’ve covered the features available, let’s talk about the cost of the Lexus Premium Package, and if it’s worth selecting
How Much Does It Cost?
The cost of the Lexus premium package depends on the model, but as a guide for the US market:
Lexus IS: $4,020
Lexus ES: $2,430
Lexus NX: $3,050
Lexus RC: $1,790
Lexus RC F: $6,375
Is the Premium Package Worth It?
Like the premium packages offered by Mercedes and BMW, this pack has some great features mixed with some less enticing options and a high price tag. That doesn’t make the premium package bad value though, and on most models, we’d strongly consider selecting this.
From all the features available, the best options for us are the heated & ventilated options for the seats and steering wheel, and the interior trim upgrades. For a lot of owners, the moonroof will be the highlight of this pack, and although we aren’t fans, it’s easy to see why.
Overall compared to packages like this from other manufacturers, the cost of the Lexus premium package is on the high side, but it’s still a pack we’d probably select.
If you liked this post and want to find out more about Lexus and packs from other manufacturers, check out the links below:
The Lexus Luxury Package Explained
Which Lexus Has The Best Fuel Economy?
Which Lexus Models Have a Heads-Up Display?
The Most Expensive Lexus Sports Cars
Which Lexus Models Have Ventilated Seats?
The Audi Performance Package Explained
