A Little Marketing Hype....

[cuse69]

Looking for a new family vehicle, probably end up with a cross-over SUV. After reading the Lexus literature I'm really beginning to believe Toyota has replaced quality and engineering with marketing hype. Let me quote their description of the leather seating from their ES 350 brochure.

"Only the highest-quality leather stock is considered for use in an ES. And even then, it must undergo extreme tests before being approved. To name a few: being frozen to -40 degrees F, withstanding the flame of a blowtorch and enduring a 10 year simulation of ultraviolet rays."

Technically, any material in a solid state is in essence frozen. It happens that we are most familiar with the freezing point of water as 32 degrees F. Leather can be exposed to -40, but not frozen to -40 since it is frozen already at a temperature much higher than room temperature. In any event I doubt may of us would have occasion to expose our "highest-quality leather" to -40 degrees. I guess leather can withstand a blowtorch from a far enough distance or a short enough exposure (maybe milliseconds) but I doubt any real exposure to a flame of any kind would be kind to leather. As for the UV rays, one would wonder about the intensity of the UV used for this test and what this claim is really saying.

This brings us to the point of this post. Buyer beware. Give some real thought to marketing claims and challenge the absurd. Understand, become educated and seek out opinions from real experts.

This forum offers a unique opportunity to look behind the counter so to speak and listen and learn from real experts about furniture, retailing and the trade. Become an educated buyer or beware,
it's your choice.

Larry