The Lexus Image

dutchie01 · April 9, 2016

After reading what wide variety of cars we have driven before buying our first Lexus it makes me wonder how Lexus is seen in the automotive world. Some of us have been going for Japanese cars because of the reliability, some started because of the individualism, some because Lexus is non German. But, what about The Brandimage?

The image of a brand will differ per country or even per model, an X6 is different to a 320D, a Corvette differs from a 911. But if i over generalize Mercedes is a Taxi, Audi is for Accountants, BMW is mainstream ex mondeo or bought by criminals ( cash of course) , Saab was lawyers,doctors, dentists, Volvo was safe and boring, Skoda is intelligent and accepted, Toyota is reliable and Dacia is economical. But what about Lexus?

What is your honest opinion of the Lexus Brand Image? Was this enough to attract you to the brand? Do you see it on thesame height as Porsche? or do you see it as another Toyota? Japanese Volkswagen, or apple on wheels??

For me it was the replacement of my Alfas and Saabś, beeing not mainstream mattered for me. Only Later i discovered the engineering ( and sometimes over-engineering) behind the brand. The product made me an afficionado but the brandimage seduced me first.

How was this with you guys?

PaulWhitt20 · April 9, 2016

For me, Lexus is about standing out from the crowd, being an individual and seeking out the best for yourself. Wanting reliability, technology and customer service.

If you have ever read The Relentless Pursuit, you will understand what Lexus is about. (Or was, not sure how much they have kept to their values)

steveledzep · April 9, 2016

On my second Lexus now. Had four Saabs previously.

I like individuality and non-mainstream, hence the Saabs before.

The demise of Saab made me look for another car (non German) and my research brought me to Lexus.

Wouldn't entertain another brand now......I thought that about Saab at the time mind you !

dougie175 · April 9, 2016

Always been a Honda fan, but wanted something a bit more prestige, wanting to stay Japanese there was no other option than a Lexus for me, not regretted it yet, its a superb car.

I have always wanted my cars to be individual and owning a Lexus makes being individual very easy with no compromise on reliability or comfort!

ganzoom · April 10, 2016

We bought a Lexus because it's essentially a Toyota but with a nicer interior, so we knew it was reliable. The Lexus replaced a Honda, and pretty much all of other past cars have been Nissans.

The 'Apple' of the car world is Tesla, and by a MASSIVE margin, Lexus isn't even close. Tesla have managed to secure 320k+ of per-order on a car 18 months away from production, with no final price, or any firm details on spec. If anything Lexus/Toyota is in very real danger of doing a Nokia.

Back in 2007 when apple launched the Iphone, Nokia was the biggest established brand by far, they didn't see apple as a threat and left it too late to innovate.

The rest of car industry is scrambling to produce a plug-in batted car to compete with Tesla, Lexus hasn't got a single plug-in car on its development road map, instead they seem to be obsessed with putting massive NA engines into their top end machines.

The tech in cars is changing very quickly, and Toyota/Lexus need to innovate, the Miria is a dead end (Even dealers in California, the land of the wealthy tree hugger cannot shift them). They need to cut their losses, senior management need to swallow their pride and start developing a Battery EV competitor to Tesla. BMW/Audi/Merc/Porsche/Jag are all now less than 2 years away from launching a full production battery EV. If Toyota/Lexus don't get involved soon they are in serious danger of becoming irrelevant.

ganzoom · April 10, 2016

https://lexusenthusiast.com/news/page/2/

Year to Year US sales figures. Lexus is been kept afloat by the NX and RX, as the SUV obsession continues. Sales of their non-SUVs are down 20%, the IS is down 25%.

Compare this to the plug-in market in the US, up 32% year on year.

http://insideevs.com/march-2016-ev-sales-in-us/

wh05apk · April 10, 2016

Agree with ganzoom here, we had looked at mercedes and audi, but they were bland and rattly, we just happened to pass a lexus dealer, not really interested in an is but took one out and were sold, it was after all a posh toyota, so reliability was guaranteed (so why can't they give a five year Warranty?)

After a few days of ownership, I would now never buy another diesel or petrol car, the next car will be full electric, that is the future, I think the turning point will be when a reasonably priced car is available with 200+ range, at that point they become viable as company cars, which drive the market.

Tesla are the new apple, and for that reason I will probably not buy one, there is too much "emporers new clothes about it" it seems they can do no wrong, personally I find it bland and badly packaged, with a low rent interior, but I do love what they have done in terms of changing market perceptions of eV.

bluenose1940 · April 10, 2016

Quality and individuality for me. I just love it when i go down to the seafront and it and the car parks are packed to the gunwales but only the odd Lexus can be spotted (not that often either). Row upon row of Audi's BMW's and Mercs etc. I'm guilty of wearing a big grin when I'm out in mine!

dutchie01 · April 10, 2016

2 hours ago, ganzoom said:

https://lexusenthusiast.com/news/page/2/

Year to Year US sales figures. Lexus is been kept afloat by the NX and RX, as the SUV obsession continues. Sales of their non-SUVs are down 20%, the IS is down 25%.

Compare this to the plug-in market in the US, up 32% year on year.

http://insideevs.com/march-2016-ev-sales-in-us/

Morning Ganzoom. i partly agree with you. Electric is already here and within the next 24 months all major manufacturers will have full electric cars available. If there will be a good electric car with an acceptable range and attractive styling than for sure that will be mine! ( Oh that should have been a Saab it just fits the image so well ..).

On the other hand i do think there is a lot more in development than electric only. The weightpenalty and limitid capacity of todayś batteries are still a weak point and if i am correct the new LS flagship will be available with a hydrogen fuell cell as from next year. Also the plug in technology is widely available within the Toyota company so maybe it will be an economical decision to not go for this in Lexus.

Anyway the automotive landscape is changing around us which is exciting to watch! For the first time i am not sure what my next car will be ( change in 2 years)..

200h · April 10, 2016

lexus aren't that common place on the road i only see a few IS's around.

the uk isn't setup for full electric cars to replace the everyday vehicle

.if you could have the range that the tesla has at a price of an IS

then its a no brainer i would have one , but being stuck with a relatively low range

sub 90 miles isn't for me,if cars could have inductive charging that would be better

so in the morning your car would always be fully charged without having to plug her in,

i could imagine what my boss would say if i forgot to plug in my car and couldn't turn up

for work the next day.

valanade · April 10, 2016

I bought my first IS200 because it was a quality car that wasn't a BMW/Audi and loved it. I didn't like the replacement 2nd generation IS220/250 because it looked too much like a 3 series BMW so I went to a SAAB 93 mainly because I wanted the diesel economy. Replaced this with a Merc CLK 270d which I enjoyed but missed the exclusivity so bought the Toyota GT86 within a week of seeing one in the flesh - total exclusivity down here in the West Country there were only about 6 registered West of Bristol!!

Returned to the IS with the 300h now that I need a proper 4 seat car and again enjoy the fact that out of the 200 plus cars in my work car park there are only 2 us who have got the lure of the Lexus brand and in particular the IS

In short my answer comes down to quality and exclusivity but I agree that Lexus may well be left out in the cold if they don't have a re-think of their full electric vehicle policy

Spacewagon52 · April 10, 2016

16 hours ago, PaulWhitt20 said:

For me, Lexus is about standing out from the crowd, being an individual and seeking out the best for yourself. Wanting reliability, technology and customer service.

If you have ever read The Relentless Pursuit, you will understand what Lexus is about. (Or was, not sure how much they have kept to their values)

I could not agree more. Brand Image means nothing to me. I run my LS 400 because, quite a few years ago, I read how under rated the mark was. I took the plunge on a MkIII and what a car! I always said I would have another one, but did not quite believe myself. If you read the Relentless Pusuit, you can begin to understand how good these cars actually are. Has the quality been maintained over the years? That is for others to comment upon. I can only speak of my own experience (of the LS 400) so far. I am not particularly interested in toys and gizmos (age I think), I just love the smooth, effortless overall performance and relative economy from a wonderful V8 engine. Yes, I would agree these cars are becoming dinosaurs in this modern age - so grab yourself a bit of history before they become extinct!

Goggy · April 10, 2016

Having owned two Citroen's, which both drove well but were unreliable, I decided to go for a Toyota because they where top of the reliability lists. But I also wanted a plush interior which Toyota just don't seem to get right, all too much plastic for me. I test drove a Prius, but it was let down by the interior and it rattled, so this LED me to Lexus. On my second Lexus now and spent a long time looking at other prestige cars recently but none can match Lexus. I also like the fact that they are more exclusive. I just wish they did a plug-in, as most of my journeys are short duration so that would be ideal for me.

andywin · April 11, 2016

Having looked at my budget for a quality car, the Audi's, Bm's and Jags had nondescript interiors and a sales rep image that does nothing to make you feel good about yourself. The IS sport is a thing of beauty both inside and out, the 200T has performance too. There was nothing else I could see myself buying because I couldn't get excited about them. Was this just my taste? who cares, its me that's driving it. But in the first week of ownership I went into my local shop, a chap came in and said to his mates "you have to come out and see this Lexus, its outside now" all excited. How much would you have to spend on a BMW to get that reaction? Thats what sells cars my friends, pure class . . . . .

rayaans · April 11, 2016

My views on brand image are probably quite stereotypical but.... I spend a lot of time on roads (albeit short journeys but mostly in traffic) and it appears that the stereotypical views of brands are not that stereotypical! Ive seen it with my own eyes and here is what I've seen and think:

Audi - The older ones are driven by sensible people. The newer ones seem to be driven by idiots although there are exceptions. The A3 and A5 seem to seduce idiots at that. Also, with RS vehicles, I better pull out of the third lane within 1/100th of a millisecond or he's going to undertake me.

BMW - This is the opposite - older ones seem to be driven by idiots and newer ones tend to attract reasonable drivers. Exception is probably the new 3 series. Newer 5 series drivers are pretty good. Id assume all the ones who had older BMW's went to new Audi's!

Jaguar - Havent seen any young people drive these whatsoever, even the XE. Saw a lad in an F-type but turned out it was hired for a wedding. The classic old mans brand!

Volvo - Unnoticeable and uninteresting bar the new XC90.

Mercedes - I dont mind a good Merc and the drivers are OK. Of course, exceptions always apply especially with the C63 being driven by yobs with no regard for the road.

Lexus - got to admit, Ive never seen a Lexus driver drive badly which is saying something! Individualism, exclusivity and someone who enjoys a relaxing drive springs to mind

steveledzep · April 11, 2016

2 hours ago, rayaans said:

Lexus - got to admit, Ive never seen a Lexus driver drive badly which is saying something! Individualism, exclusivity and someone who enjoys a relaxing drive springs to mind

Haha.....I agree with your summary of driver behaviour with various brands and models.

My IS250C is a sporty looking convertible, but is not particularly quick by today's standards. It can crack on a bit of course, but most of all it is a very pleasant place to be and the exclusivity is top drawer with only 800 or so in the UK. It draws many admiring glances and prompts conversations even in supermarket car parks.

bluenose1940 · April 11, 2016

rayaans said " Lexus - got to admit, Ive never seen a Lexus driver drive badly which is saying something! Individualism, exclusivity and someone who enjoys a relaxing drive springs to mind"

A week ago i was a passenger in my wifes car and some happie chappie in his Lexus (I couldn't tell if it was a 220d or a 250) was virtually touching her rear bumper whilst she was overtaking another car on a dual carriageway. After completing the overtake my wife moved over and bombhead took off like a bat out of hell, If he was/is a local and has lived in the area for more than a week he should know that he aint going nowhere, not no how he aint. There is absolutely no point in driving like a madman on the Exeter to Exmouth road as, quite quickly you will have to slow down and, anything gained from the sudden spurt is just as quickly lost again. The section of dual carriageway is not very long and soon becomes a single carriageway again with no opportunities to overtake. In this instance he came to a dead stop in the queue at the roundabout and we continued our merry way on the inside lane to turn left at the island. We gave him a little 'toot' as we passed.

Driving down this dual carriageway you will occasionally be passed at great speed by a nutter and invariably, you will find yourself immediately behind them again as we approach Exmouth, simply because all of the cars that he had overtaken had, at some point, turned off the main road and so, all of their stressful overtaking had gained them nothing and, there we are, right behind him again having driven as rayaans said "enjoying a relaxing drive"

rayaans · April 11, 2016

8 minutes ago, bluenose1940 said:

rayaans said " Lexus - got to admit, Ive never seen a Lexus driver drive badly which is saying something! Individualism, exclusivity and someone who enjoys a relaxing drive springs to mind"

A week ago i was a passenger in my wifes car and some happie chappie in his Lexus (I couldn't tell if it was a 220d or a 250) was virtually touching her rear bumper whilst she was overtaking another car on a dual carriageway. After completing the overtake my wife moved over and bombhead took off like a bat out of hell, If he was/is a local and has lived in the area for more than a week he should know that he aint going nowhere, not no how he aint. There is absolutely no point in driving like a madman on the Exeter to Exmouth road as, quite quickly you will have to slow down and, anything gained from the sudden spurt is just as quickly lost again. The section of dual carriageway is not very long and soon becomes a single carriageway again with no opportunities to overtake. In this instance he came to a dead stop in the queue at the roundabout and we continued our merry way on the inside lane to turn left at the island. We gave him a little 'toot' as we passed.

Driving down this dual carriageway you will occasionally be passed at great speed by a nutter and invariably, you will find yourself immediately behind them again as we approach Exmouth, simply because all of the cars that he had overtaken had, at some point, turned off the main road and so, all of their stressful overtaking had gained them nothing and, there we are, right behind him again having driven as rayaans said "enjoying a relaxing drive"

Like most things, there's always an exception to the general rule.

Having said that, if you are driving down the dual carriageway and get passed by a nutter at great speed, they'll more often than not be driving something with a German badge on it (talking about Luxury cars here).

DanD · April 14, 2016

I owned a string of French and Italian cars... from Renault Twingo to Maserati... all with iffy to appalling reliability records, made worse by indifferent after sales service.

Decided that enough was enough and checked out car magazines and reliability surveys. Top two were consistently Skoda and Lexus. Since I'd always liked the looks of the RX400h, I decided to go for one and never looked back... and eventually switched to a 450h... which will be replaced by a NX... or possibly a GS450h

Reliability, silence, short list of options and most of all excellent customer service, which to me is an integral part of car ownership. I have been so impressed with my two Lexus and my local dealer that I have no intention to move away from Lexus...

My last car before switching to Lexus was a Renault Grand Scenic 1.6 which, over the same period of ownership and mileage, cost me more to run that my previous RX400h... even though the RX was maintained by the dealer! - Need I say more!?

In terms of innovation, I am not at all sure that Lexus lead the way anymore. Quality, comfort and reliability are certainly still at the top, but it seems to me that they are being overtaken by other makes where technology is concerned, in particular with regards to infotainment (sat nav graphics and less than intuitive menus, ease of use and functionality etc). Admittedly, this may have changed with the new RX... I have yet to sit in one!

Spacewagon52 · April 14, 2016

Reliability has usually been my first priority. If things go wrong it costs. This may not be a fair comparison but my neighbour for 36 years bought new a 2007 Passat 2.0 litre petrol estate. Apparently they need the cambelt changing every 30,000 miles. He has just come up to 60,000 and has had to have the belt done again with new water pump, plus a full service, MOT, two shock absorbers, rear brakes (?), new Battery. He is going to show me the bill so I can see exactly what has been done (at VW main dealer)

Would anyone like to guess the approximate cost of his bill?

rayaans · April 14, 2016

1 hour ago, DanD said:

I owned a string of French and Italian cars... from Renault Twingo to Maserati... all with iffy to appalling reliability records, made worse by indifferent after sales service.

Decided that enough was enough and checked out car magazines and reliability surveys. Top two were consistently Skoda and Lexus. Since I'd always liked the looks of the RX400h, I decided to go for one and never looked back... and eventually switched to a 450h... which will be replaced by a NX... or possibly a GS450h

Reliability, silence, short list of options and most of all excellent customer service, which to me is an integral part of car ownership. I have been so impressed with my two Lexus and my local dealer that I have no intention to move away from Lexus...

My last car before switching to Lexus was a Renault Grand Scenic 1.6 which, over the same period of ownership and mileage, cost me more to run that my previous RX400h... even though the RX was maintained by the dealer! - Need I say more!?

In terms of innovation, I am not at all sure that Lexus lead the way anymore. Quality, comfort and reliability are certainly still at the top, but it seems to me that they are being overtaken by other makes where technology is concerned, in particular with regards to infotainment (sat nav graphics and less than intuitive menus, ease of use and functionality etc). Admittedly, this may have changed with the new RX... I have yet to sit in one!

The new RX infotainment is good. It's the same layout as the IS and NX but the whole system is just faster which helps alot.

The 2017 LC is coming out with the ALL NEW infotainment system

Also, Lexus has just patented an augmented reality windscreen. It's basically a full windscreen HUD!!! Bet it's coming on the LS for sure!

capese21 · April 14, 2016

5 hours ago, Spacewagon52 said:

Would anyone like to guess the approximate cost of his bill?

£1500

DanD · April 15, 2016

£1750

Spacewagon52 · April 15, 2016

Just over £2000 - and they immediately knocked off £100 through embarrassment I feel - so about £1,900 - I will look at the bill and give you a proper breakdown - after all it is ONLY a VW Passat!