Toyota concerned about aging owner base for Lexus
By Thami Masemola
August 31, 2009 5:34 PM
Filed Under: Corporate/Financial, Industry, Japanese, Lexus, Toyota
Lexus is in danger of becoming another Buick, a brand known and bought for being quiet, safe, reliable and comfortable. And that's about it. According to research done by IHS Global Insight, Lexus buyers are looking at the same things as Buick buyers.
"Lexuses are dolled-up Toyota appliances," said Rebecca Lindland of IHS Global Insight. "They're built for reliability and dependability, not to generate excitement."
That means attributes like driving excitement and design quality are not top priority when customers go car shopping. Worse still the average Lexus owner is 56 years-old. Comparatively the average Buick buyer is approaches 70 years of age.
"Lexus is Buick in training," said Lindland. "Lexus made its name with baby boomers. They're aging, and the average age of Lexus owners is increasing with them. Lexus hasn't been able to supplement the baby boomers' loyalty with younger buyers. They've tried with vehicles like the IS sport sedan, but they haven't been able to penetrate younger buyers."
The Japanese premium car maker may be recognising this disturbing trend, hence the recently teased Audi A3/ BMW 1 Series competitor. There are also other segments dominated by youth in which it does not play.
"Part of the problem is that Lexus doesn't have a good entry crossover SUV like the BMW X3 and Audi Q5," Lindland said. The RX 350 -- Lexus' best-selling vehicle by a wide margin -- is about the same size as those vehicles, "but it's seen as a mom-mobile, darned near a minivan," she said. "You expect it to be driven by a woman with children.
Given that the SUV is the top seller for Lexus should raise eyebrows in a market dominated by cars like the BMW 3 Series and Mercedes-Benz C-Class. Additionally, it does not seem the introduction of two new vehicles, the IS sedan and even more powerful IS-F has not helped the company to challenged its segment rivals despite critical acclaim.
Hope bears down on the HS 250h hybrid which is due to launch this fall. A serious victory will be claimed if the premium hybrid can generate half the excitement as the Toyota Prius hybrid. However, with an EPA rating of 35 mpg compared to the Prius' 51 mpg, it's already got one strike against it.
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Comments
Renegade, your right others do it too but the article is about Lexus
Edited by user on August 31, 2009 at 7:05 PM
Edited by user on August 31, 2009 at 8:19 PM
Edited by user on August 31, 2009 at 9:56 PM
The Q7/Cayenne/Tourag, these cars differ because only the basic platform is shared, the rest such as engines, suspension setups, interiors and features are completely different. Its not just a 'lets skin a few cows, throw in a heap of chrome and chuck that LExus badge on, that'll be enough to charge 25k extra. Suckers.'
Toyota invented Lexus to fool Americans and it works. Lexus doesn't have any original heritage and pedigree, so Toyota just transferred their DNA and added some luxurys. Audi existed before VW and continues to be Audi, same as Bugatti , Bentley and Lamborghini. all fell different even if they are owned by VW. platform sharing is one thing , shameless rebadging à la Toyota and GM is another.
Edited by user on September 1, 2009 at 1:57 AM
as for the ZR1 vs R8 thing , i give you a better example , i will rather get a Zonda F than a Ferrari Enzo even if Pagani is such a young company. Pagani builds exciting cars from day 1, they are not mindless clones.
Let's see Lexus build something more exciting (and i'm not talking about a limited edition $200k car)than it's normal competition and people , including myself, will give them another chance.until then they will only sell cars to aging Americans.
the rest of the world has a good alternative to German luxury cars, it's called Jaguar.
Speaking of Toyota .. they really got out of the young clients sight when they took off the Celica from the range !! Bring back models like : Celica, MR2 and Supra .. and some younger clients will surely look after you !!
Edited by user on August 31, 2009 at 10:06 PM
But still! This so talked LFA! When we'll see some test of it??? So many time developing it, it must be perfect by now!
The thing is that apart from the U.S. Lexus seems to be 'the alternative' choice ... to Mercedes, BMW, Audi and Jaguar.
The LS is a hideous looking thing and always has been, the GS is a bit of a non starter, and the IS .. is still catching up with the big four as well.
If only Lexus would stop building cars that mimic Toyota.. that would be a start. The LS and GS have so much 'Camary' about them! And they should also stop trying to 'out button' the competition.
Do you really not know why? There are people out there that think of a car as getting from "A to B". They want reliable and safe transport. Not a car they pay good money for that leaks oil after a year (or less) and electronics that do anything but what they are designed to do.
What I really want to ask is why can't other manufacturers increase their reliability? Haven't Europe and Detroit been doing it long enough? Maybe they might actually learn something from Toyota, and Japan in general. I mean even Hyundai, in it's short life, has evolved. Is this too much of a challenge to your thinking?
And it should also be said that there is not one other manufacturer in the world that has more models on the market with hybrid technology than Toyota/Lexus. Not one. What have they been doing for the last decade?
Edited by user on September 1, 2009 at 6:59 AM
we don't really need a hybrid technology, yes it is a great concept but flawed at the same time. we rather have a BMW 320d than say a Prius. nissan engineers are skipping the whole hybrid thing by going fully electric while bmw, mercedes and honda are betting on the hydrogen. clearly the toyota people are missing something.
here's the reality. lexus needs to compete in the ever challenging market in europe. 1.they don't have a good diesel engines at the moment. 2.lexus cars are ultimately dull and has no character. 3.their cars are very expensive. 4.lack driving dynamics or involvements. 5.old people drives them. 6.no motorsport or heritage. 7.people who drives lexus or toyota are such bad drivers. 8.because it is designed, engineered and build by toyota - don't believe me? check out at every lexus doorseals; it says build by toyota motor corporation.
The flaw in your argument is that you are speaking solely with consideration for Europe. Not the world outside of it. Which might I add is rather populace.
Where do you happen to think electricity comes from? Hybrid technology is the most logical next step. All you're talking about doing is shifting greenhouse emissions elsewhere.
Innovation is not simply about styling. There's more to cars than what you're taliking about. Not to mention that my original argument was to do with practicality.
Believe it or not, European engineered cars don't automatically translate to "good cars" for the rest of the world. You know, that few billion other people?
Edited by user on September 1, 2009 at 10:47 AM
Again, you've missed the main point of my argument. May I ask what magazine? Personally, I doubt that you'll be willing to divulge after your misguided argument. In any case, time will tell in what direction cars are heading. I think we will both agree that it's well beyond us.
Edited by user on September 1, 2009 at 12:53 PM
do you think South America and Africa care about hybrids ? and btw , Europe built hybrids in the 19th century. there wasn't a market for them so they dropped them. after 100 years when the batteries evolved the Japs built some hybrid cars and fanboys act like it's the second coming of Jesus.
no one says the technology in Lexus is bad , they are just bland and boring cars. and Toyota are just means to get you from A to B. that's not a bad thing for people who need such things , but don't expect car enthusiasts to like those cars.
Edited by user on September 1, 2009 at 6:51 PM
How many Toyota/Lexus bashers on this site? Maybe 9 or 90?
Which is the biggest? Now why can't the Europeans beat the crap out of Toyota/Lexus?
Nuff said!!!
Nuff said !!!
dnt take this as to shocking...
but I think I might love you
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