Lexus from Japan are better than those from North America?

[NemesisUK]

Apparently they are ...

 

[Mincey]

I'd heard that you really want a Japanese built one.

[Hadrian]

Wow, talk about Nit Picking !!

[Cotswold Pete]

I always thought the correct term for those gaps was 'shut lines', but anyway maybe the Canada build needs to have a bit more oomph on closing becuase maybe your avargage North American is going to a bit more horny-handed than your average Japanese buyer. 

I decided not to waste all my time watching the whole video, so might have missed some golden nugeets in the second half🥱

[NemesisUK]

12 minutes ago, Cotswold Pete said:

I decided not to waste all my time watching the whole video, so might have missed some golden nugeets in the second half🥱

No, you didn't ...

My experience of working with both Japanese and America companies there is a fundamental difference in worker attitudes. The Japanese take a very personal pride in their work ... 

 

[Barry14UK]

Scotty Kilmer, apart from extolling Lexus/Toyota cars over the years has said Japanese built ones best.  

[RONNIE W HODGEKINSON]

1 hour ago, NemesisUK said:

No, you didn't ...

My experience of working with both Japanese and America companies there is a fundamental difference in worker attitudes. The Japanese take a very personal pride in their work ... 

 

Totally Agree With You Peter...Work Attitude and pride in What They Do is Paramount...Always has been..!!!!

[Werewolf1976]

You can actually visit the Toyota factory in Japan where they make the Crown and Lexus GS

Production is a process where small errors can compound - the Japanese factory is immaculate - I could see a Japanese produced Lexus being superior

[agent_dess]

Maybe a bit off-topic but i could see myself potentially importing the next IS from Japan 5 years down the line given they are no longer sold in European market.  Right now i would love an IS500 🙄 but lack of availability and most importantly funds would hamper my attempt lol

But gotta love the Japs for the work ethics 🙂

[Initial P]

Buy JPN built for better rear doors 😆

[Linas.P]

They surely haven't seen Tesla... and by the way I strongly advise for anyone just for educational purposes to go and test drive one, or at least look at the demo car in the showroom. Oh my god they are horrible! Panel gaps consistency, I don't even know what to compare, because every single one is different... body lines... again - no clue what is misaligned because trim doesn't fit by as much as 2 fingers (this is specifically Model 3 rear door chrome piece was like 15mm higher)... paint... I am not talking about orange peel being consistent... there was literally stone and hair stuck under the clear coat.

And yes I am crapping on Teshla again, but what I wanted to say is that Lexus build quality is so excellent that anything you say about it is going to be nit-picking, it just can't be other way around because tolerances and QA are so tight... and yes I tend to pick on some models for feeling like Toyota... still even the worst Toyota is million miles ahead of best Teshla. But it isn't even an achievement because Teslas are so bad there is no other established car manufacturer even close to how horrible they are... perhaps BL in 70s would have been close match.

Why am I saying this - not only workers attitude is different in Japan, buyers attitude is different in Japan, so small things like rear doors harder to close would never be picked-up in US, because even Canadian/American doing QA would not understand that this is something to check for...

As for the person who did the review - I really respect him for having that level of attention to the detail, so that he can tell the car which is 99.8% there vs the car which is 99.9% there. And I kind of like to think I have good attention to the detail, but that is why I could not drive Tesla every... it would just drive me mad.

P.S. Am I right to think UK Lexus are Japanese made? 

 

[Barry14UK]

Some superior things made in Japan are not even intended to be  sold abroad.  Take watches for example.  Some of their best models are what is called JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) range. Of course there are sellers who are happy to export and enthusiasts all over the world that often pay well over the local prices to obtain one.  

I have personal experience of this.  Just before Christmas I decided to treat myself to a good and nice looking Quartz watch as my 16 year old Seiko Sportura had suffered some wear particularly on the black external Tachymeter ring.  It even went into an MRI scanner but I remembered it was under my shirt while the scanner was just ticking over and before a 'sequence' started.  I pressed the emergency button and a somewhat annoyed lady took it and said "Well that's ruined".  It did stop it but I reset it later and it still keeps excellent time years later, a testimony to Japanese quality. But I digress.  Now, everybody in the UK knows Casio are well known for calculators and mainly low end watches but in Japan they do some much better ones, the Oceanus range for example and I saw a model within this range I liked the look and specification of but they can't make them fast enough and I  couldn't get the one I wanted even at a premium.  This blue finished one is the model - just look at the spec although there are other ones with more 'Complications' that are far more expensive. https://www.discovery-japan.me/category/select/pid/460/language/en/currency/GBP?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6JK66v-V-wIVJu_tCh0TPwOoEAQYCiABEgLVI_D_BwE

[Rabbers]

Historically, one of the reasons why goods manufactured in Japan deservedly acquired - and have maintained - a reputation for quality was the government’s active encouragement of high standards as the basis of export-driven post-war industrial reconstruction.  Whereas it took several decades for other Far Eastern countries to overcome a reputation for producing shoddy goods, Japan aimed from the beginning to at least match Western quality levels, initially unashamedly imitating them but subsequently adding improvements and value.  So important were exports collectively understood to be for rebuilding the national economy that, provided that most or all of the goods deriving from any new manufacturing venture were not sold or consumed within Japan, investors could count on subsidies of up to 100% of necessary capital as well as tax exemptions for agreed long periods after start-up.  Lexus is itself a major example of this kind of deal, no cars produced under the Lexus name at purpose-built facilities within Japan (e.g. the Tahara plant) having by negotiated agreement been sold to the domestic market until 2005.  Fundamentally, the export-or-die mentality instilled into highly disciplined workforces within an equally disciplined society has earned the country and its products a lot of respect.

[Bluemarlin]

I read somewhere that Toyota/Lexus actively encourage staff at all levels to come up with ideas for improvement, in fact I think they set targets for it. Nor is it the kind of scheme that just gets you a lunch voucher and a plaque on the wall for the month, and instead can result in thousands of pounds, based on the value of the idea to the company. I believe they also devolve power to anyone to be able to stop the production line if they see problem.

Lexus take things to whole new level though. Here's a pretty cool video about their craftsmanship for those who are interested and have an hour to spare:

[youtube]

[/youtube]

[Spock66]

24 minutes ago, Bluemarlin said:

I read somewhere that Toyota/Lexus actively encourage staff at all levels to come up with ideas for improvement, in fact I think they set targets for it

Yes Toyota pioneered Kaizen which has been widely adopted across many industries.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kaizen#:~:text=Kaizen was first practiced in,outside of business and productivity.

[McRattlehead]

I previously worked at a silicon wafer plant where as stated above any employee could make a suggestion for improvements in the process.It was called the Kaizen scheme there was rewards offered if accepted.

Many years ago i was told a story about match makers wishing to save money on sandpaper costs used to strike the match,an employee said he could half the cost the boss called his bluff the answer was to put sand paper on one side of the box instead of both.

[RONNIE W HODGEKINSON]

On 2/15/2023 at 11:25 PM, Barry14UK said:

Some superior things made in Japan are not even intended to be  sold abroad.  Take watches for example.  Some of their best models are what is called JDM (Japanese Domestic Market) range. Of course there are sellers who are happy to export and enthusiasts all over the world that often pay well over the local prices to obtain one.  

I have personal experience of this.  Just before Christmas I decided to treat myself to a good and nice looking Quartz watch as my 16 year old Seiko Sportura had suffered some wear particularly on the black external Tachymeter ring.  It even went into an MRI scanner but I remembered it was under my shirt while the scanner was just ticking over and before a 'sequence' started.  I pressed the emergency button and a somewhat annoyed lady took it and said "Well that's ruined".  It did stop it but I reset it later and it still keeps excellent time years later, a testimony to Japanese quality. But I digress.  Now, everybody in the UK knows Casio are well known for calculators and mainly low end watches but in Japan they do some much better ones, the Oceanus range for example and I saw a model within this range I liked the look and specification of but they can't make them fast enough and I  couldn't get the one I wanted even at a premium.  This blue finished one is the model - just look at the spec although there are other ones with more 'Complications' that are far more expensive. https://www.discovery-japan.me/category/select/pid/460/language/en/currency/GBP?gclid=EAIaIQobChMI6JK66v-V-wIVJu_tCh0TPwOoEAQYCiABEgLVI_D_BwE

Had A Look At This Watch And Must Say Its a Cracking Timepiece Just loved the design and that colour is amazing Sorely Tempted...R

[NemesisUK]

1 hour ago, RONNIE W HODGEKINSON said:

Had A Look At This Watch And Must Say Its a Cracking Timepiece Just loved the design and that colour is amazing Sorely Tempted...R

So did I ..... Really striking timepiece 

Must resist.... must resist....

🥺

[DBIZO]

On 2/15/2023 at 11:01 PM, Linas.P said:

They surely haven't seen Tesla... and by the way I strongly advise for anyone just for educational purposes to go and test drive one, or at least look at the demo car in the showroom. Oh my god they are horrible! Panel gaps consistency, I don't even know what to compare, because every single one is different... body lines... again - no clue what is misaligned because trim doesn't fit by as much as 2 fingers (this is specifically Model 3 rear door chrome piece was like 15mm higher)... paint... I am not talking about orange peel being consistent... there was literally stone and hair stuck under the clear coat.

And yes I am crapping on Teshla again, but what I wanted to say is that Lexus build quality is so excellent that anything you say about it is going to be nit-picking, it just can't be other way around because tolerances and QA are so tight... and yes I tend to pick on some models for feeling like Toyota... still even the worst Toyota is million miles ahead of best Teshla. But it isn't even an achievement because Teslas are so bad there is no other established car manufacturer even close to how horrible they are... perhaps BL in 70s would have been close match.

Why am I saying this - not only workers attitude is different in Japan, buyers attitude is different in Japan, so small things like rear doors harder to close would never be picked-up in US, because even Canadian/American doing QA would not understand that this is something to check for...

As for the person who did the review - I really respect him for having that level of attention to the detail, so that he can tell the car which is 99.8% there vs the car which is 99.9% there. And I kind of like to think I have good attention to the detail, but that is why I could not drive Tesla every... it would just drive me mad.

P.S. Am I right to think UK Lexus are Japanese made? 

 

Probably right. Depends on the model. All IS is made in Japan, in Toyota's Tahara plant, which is said to be a top class manufacturing plant, globally.

[Moleman]

3 hours ago, DBIZO said:

Probably right. Depends on the model. All IS is made in Japan, in Toyota's Tahara plant, which is said to be a top class manufacturing plant, globally.

Today, Lexus models are made in several locations in Japan, Canada, and the United States that are high-quality and provide an exceptional upgrade to your travels. Popular locations of Lexus vehicles are being produced in the follow places:

• Tahara, Japan — LS, GS, IS, GX, RX, & NX
• Toyota City, Japan — ES, LX, LFA, & LC
• Kitakyushu, Japan — CT, HS, & RX
• Miyawaka, Japan — ES, IS, RX, NX, & UX
• Susono, Japan — SC
• Cambridge, Ontario, Canada — NX, NX hybrid, RX & RX hybrid
• Georgetown, Kentucky, USA — ES 

[NemesisUK]

I believe the North American plants only make LHD versions, primarily for their own market.

 

[RONNIE W HODGEKINSON]

12 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

So did I ..... Really striking timepiece 

Must resist.... must resist....

🥺

Go On ..You Know You Want To...Treat Yourself..!!

[Mincey]

10 hours ago, Moleman said:

Today, Lexus models are made in several locations in Japan, Canada, and the United States that are high-quality and provide an exceptional upgrade to your travels. Popular locations of Lexus vehicles are being produced in the follow places:

• Tahara, Japan — LS, GS, IS, GX, RX, & NX
• Toyota City, Japan — ES, LX, LFA, & LC
• Kitakyushu, Japan — CT, HS, & RX
• Miyawaka, Japan — ES, IS, RX, NX, & UX
• Susono, Japan — SC
• Cambridge, Ontario, Canada — NX, NX hybrid, RX & RX hybrid
• Georgetown, Kentucky, USA — ES 

I was concerned that Betsy might have been thrown together by a bunch of Good Ole Boys but after a quick look at the VIN, the first letter being a J shows she's from Japan.

[Rabbers]

16 hours ago, NemesisUK said:

So did I ..... Really striking timepiece 

Must resist.... must resist....

🥺

 

3 hours ago, RONNIE W HODGEKINSON said:

Go On ..You Know You Want To...Treat Yourself..!!

Casio with its Oceanus line of premium auto-synchronising watches may well have taken its marketing cue from Seiko with its Grand Seiko line of mechanical ones.  The latter continue to be entirely made in Japan and were launched with the declared intent of matching the best of Swiss horology.  While their excellence is universally acknowledged (and reflected in the prices), their desirability to connoisseurs is more debatable, mainly, it is said, because of the absence of a long background tradition.  I have heard it said that Toyota's creation of the Lexus brand may have been in some measure inspired by the Grand Seiko philosophy, and it is interesting to note that such following as the watches have acquired is also largely in the U.S.

[Moleman]

2 hours ago, Mincey said:

I was concerned that Betsy might have been thrown together by a bunch of Good Ole Boys but after a quick look at the VIN, the first letter being a J shows she's from Japan.

Sorry should have mentioned that. J for Japan. Quickest way to tell.