Lexus "too Japanese" for the Japanese

Locals Prefer Foreign Brands

Lexus GS 460
Lexus GS 460

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Comments (18)

 BabyMilo BabyMilo
i can sorta understand why you would pick a german import because that gives you more staus than lexus... just becuase it is an import. But lexus is still a fantastic brand
March 21, 2008 6:32 pm
 ck314 ck314
"...some even go to the extent of importing left-hand-driven German cars to feel its originality (exclusivity?)" lol I actually planned for awhile to import a RHD japanese spec. LS460, precisely to get that exotic twist...
March 21, 2008 8:52 pm
 persian187 persian187
lexus needs to revamp their interiors. The flagship sadan's interior should not resemble a Landcruiser's. Stop the maddnessss!
March 21, 2008 9:01 pm
 Bremen_Koenigsegg Bremen_Koenigsegg
Madness? MADNESS? THIS. IS. ECONOMICS! *punt*
March 22, 2008 9:58 pm
 []V[]orbid[]V[]an []V[]orbid[]V[]an
those interiors are too....hmmm....whats the word....logical?!? Just a lack of emotion, even after their so called finesse movement. great cars for those who own them but for the money...i want a little pizazz.
March 22, 2008 2:44 am
 THERENAISSANCEMAN THERENAISSANCEMAN
" a prophet is not without honour except in his hometown and among his own relatives and in his own household . " Mark 6:4
March 22, 2008 3:18 am
 Bremen_Koenigsegg Bremen_Koenigsegg
You're honestly comparing this Japanese German saloon wannabe to Jesus? I admire the connection, but honestly -- the LS460 is not revolutionary in any sense of the word.
March 22, 2008 9:55 pm
 ck314 ck314
Yet it's the kind of car he'd test-drive.
March 23, 2008 10:28 pm
 Bremen_Koenigsegg Bremen_Koenigsegg
The LS 460 is not revolutionary in any sense? Are you kidding? A LS would first of all certainly fare much less than a similarly equipped S class or 7 series. Think of all the features that come standard on the car that are options on the Mercedes and BMW which start at more than 10 K average more than the Lexus. And then there's the park assist system, reliability..I wonder what you'd call revolutionary.
March 24, 2008 1:19 am
 Bremen_Koenigsegg Bremen_Koenigsegg
Reliability is tedious, park assist is tacky gadgetry, and being less expensive does not a revolutionary car make. Stop diminishing the word! You can't ramble off a few good qualities about an overall boring car and deem it revolutionary; I'm sorry, you just can't.
March 25, 2008 12:23 am
 pscs pscs
i actually think lexus is better than german counterparts (of course, only the flagship models). i think they have more "individual taste". perhaps i drive audi and maybe i feel that lexus is different. and these jap people are weird. they like everything western. they can trash their culture and prefer the west over the east. where's the pride? for a fact korean cars aren't great, but korean people have strong passion for their own cars! i like lexus because they just show "class" (like the LS460 over S-class) - not that german cars don't - but they also need to improve on some factors to the germans. dunno what but the "feel" is not as strong as the germans...
March 22, 2008 7:49 am
 unknown unknown
well lexus has no history in japan...also in the US. it's just a glorified toyota.
March 22, 2008 1:24 pm
 chile chile
I work in the industry and I had a client tell me the difference to the Germans and Japanese cars. He said the Germans have found a way to give a car a soul. The exterior and interior blend and have a soul when you drive them. The Japanese cars may look great on the outside with design but once you get a look of the interior it screams plastic Toyota and the drive does not accompany the overal package like the German cars. The S class is not only the best selling large luxury sedan it has always been the benchmark. LS460 over the S Class, first Lexus needs to work on their abysmal braking system on that car...from 60-0 in 209 feet! Are you kidding me!
March 22, 2008 1:33 pm
 Hiromichi Hiromichi
lexus has still a short line up in its home market. They don't have ES,RX, nor LX which are all sold under Toyota nameplate. Though Lexus sales in Japan has not been up to Toyota's expectation, I am sure they will oversell the Germans soon because they are much more reasonably priced with wider sales network than German rivals. Their approach to the market is similar to Coach in the USA, affordable luxuary. I believe that instant volume increase will be easily possible, if Toyota wants to do, by expanding model line-up and model variants especially in IS range, such as estate, coupe, convertible and even a hybrid.
March 23, 2008 9:01 am
 wjaprep wjaprep
"also in the US. it's just a glorified toyota." Yeah, thats probaly what the japanesse think about it. Id much rather drive a Mercedes C class than a rebadged toyota camry (lexus es)
March 24, 2008 4:43 pm