Phwoar!

[Mincey]

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/dreamy-lexus-is-sportwagon-demonstrates-why-estates-shouldn-t-be-a-dying-breed-219631.html

That would be one good looking car. Why oh why oh why Lexus didn't/don't you make estate versions of the IS and ES?

[Spottedlaurel]

I've said the same thing before. The Germans manage to churn out tourer/estate/wagon versions of many of their saloons/hatchbacks but there are very few big Japanese estates available that aren't an SUV. When I got my RX I considered Subaru Outback and Mazda 6, not much else out there.

I'd love to see them make something equivalent to the Nissan 300C and Toyota Camry estates I had in the past and fondly remember.

[Linas.P]

I am personally not an estate fan, but it must be said that IS would look great in that body style... and as an alternative to SUV... any day for me. 

[Mincey]

5 minutes ago, Linas.P said:

I am personally not an estate fan, but it must be said that IS would look great in that body style... and as an alternative to SUV... any day for me. 

Absolutely!

[Spacewagon52]

The American market is the decider unfortunately.

 

That is a lovely design.

[Notamech]

18 hours ago, Spacewagon52 said:

The American market is the decider unfortunately.

 

That is a lovely design.

Rumour has it that LEXUS actually stands for Luxury EXport for the US. Not sure how far thats true but given how unimaginative companies can be with names i wouldn't be surprised if that were true. 

[LenT]

33 minutes ago, Notamech said:

Rumour has it that LEXUS actually stands for Luxury EXport for the US.

Really?!

Well, that sales guy certainly saw me coming!  

So it really doesn’t stand for Len’s EXclusive and Unique Supercar…

[ganzoom]

39 minutes ago, Notamech said:

Rumour has it that LEXUS actually stands for Luxury EXport for the US. Not sure how far thats true but given how unimaginative companies can be with names i wouldn't be surprised if that were true. 

Lexus was formed to produce a product that can compete with the 7 series for 5 series prices using TMS methods.

Toyota did such a good job Mercedes had to reevaluate their production process to cut costs, hence the 'drop' in quality some Mercedes owners moaned about in the mid 2010s.

[Notamech]

Looks like that full from has been debunked but they do confirm that the misnomer does exist 

https://www.lexusofparramatta.com.au/about/blog/what-does-lexus-stand-for

[Notamech]

9 minutes ago, LenT said:

Really?!

Well, that sales guy certainly saw me coming!  

So it really doesn’t stand for Len’s EXclusive and Unique Supercar…

Could be if you look at the IS series as a supercar 😛

[Linas.P]

19 hours ago, Spacewagon52 said:

The American market is the decider unfortunately.

 

That is a lovely design.

I thought "wagons" were resurgent trend in US (and overall) now? Perhaps that only applies to vintage cars thought... I always find it weird when "estates" are priced higher than coupes/convertibles as classic cars. But then again I was never and estate car lover... I understand it is practical, but I just value different things in the car, don't have dogs, don't need to help my family move furniture, don't need to put tools for work, so probably I will never get it. But I do appreciate some people need such car (more so than SUVs), I just always considered them more of "utility cars". 

[Mincey]

I wouldn't normally go for an estate/wagon/shooting brake but that IS estate would definitely get my bank card out. I was tempted for a moment by a UX or NX but for my needs, the boot space is way too small.

[Derek870]

Totally agree! Not everyone wants an SUV!

[MartinH]

Estate car format altogether more useful than SUV, esp when deploying roof rack where ready access is required, eg to bicycles

[Spacewagon52]

On 8/25/2023 at 12:35 PM, Linas.P said:

I thought "wagons" were resurgent trend in US (and overall) now? Perhaps that only applies to vintage cars thought... I always find it weird when "estates" are priced higher than coupes/convertibles as classic cars. But then again I was never and estate car lover... I understand it is practical, but I just value different things in the car, don't have dogs, don't need to help my family move furniture, don't need to put tools for work, so probably I will never get it. But I do appreciate some people need such car (more so than SUVs), I just always considered them more of "utility cars". 

Regarding classic cars, estates are rarer than the equivalent saloon. As you say they were regarded as utility and used as such. Classic pickups are very expensive for the same reason I guess.

in the past I never liked estates - I always chose the standard 3 box saloons.

[Linas.P]

4 hours ago, Spacewagon52 said:

Regarding classic cars, estates are rarer than the equivalent saloon. As you say they were regarded as utility and used as such. Classic pickups are very expensive for the same reason I guess.

in the past I never liked estates - I always chose the standard 3 box saloons.

That I know and you are correct - the classic saloon will always be the cheapest, simply because they are most common. Not every car model will have all 4 body types, but for example BMW 3-Series historically did. What I have observed over long period of time... after saloons then comes cabriolets despite being probably the rarest (I could speculate maybe classic convertibles are too much pain even for enthusiasts), then coupes (which for long time were most desirable) and nowadays estates often cost just as much and sometimes even more than coupes. And that is despite estates clearly being more utilitarian e.g. coupes and convertibles usually comes with more options, like leather, bigger engines, factory body kits etc. And this is not singular examples, I was looking at vintage car auctions, especially in US and estates very often commends premium even over coupes, which is a somewhat new trend of maybe last 10 years. Just kind of find it strange, but not sure if that translates to demand for new estate cars. 

[Mr_Groundhog]

On 8/25/2023 at 12:50 PM, Mincey said:

I wouldn't normally go for an estate/wagon/shooting brake but that IS estate would definitely get my bank card out. I was tempted for a moment by a UX or NX but for my needs, the boot space is way too small.

Isn't the boot space larger in the NX?
Also, seems the ES and the IS have roughly the same boot space...

[Mr_Groundhog]

On 8/24/2023 at 9:35 AM, Mincey said:

https://www.autoevolution.com/news/dreamy-lexus-is-sportwagon-demonstrates-why-estates-shouldn-t-be-a-dying-breed-219631.html

That would be one good looking car. Why oh why oh why Lexus didn't/don't you make estate versions of the IS and ES?

I'm all moist now.

[Mincey]

40 minutes ago, Mr_Groundhog said:

Isn't the boot space larger in the NX?
Also, seems the ES and the IS have roughly the same boot space...

The opening on the ES is bigger though which makes putting bulky things like bass cabs in. The downside is that the hinges (hinges?) are exposed unlike on the IS which means large things can be crushed if you're not careful.

[Mr_Groundhog]

I was in the US a few weeks ago and I saw a few of these.
This one I saw at a car park and all I can say is pics don't do it justice. I'm hating on Lexus for not bringing it over to Europe (although the way prices go nowadays I probs couldnt afford it).
BTW if you're ever in Los Angeles, I would HIGHLY reccommend visiting the Petersen Automotive Museum.....best in class!

 

[hieronymous]

As a previous enthusiastic owner of 2 Prius’s, a “better” hybrid was high on my wish list, and this was the outcome. I was fortunate to get mine in 06/21 as covid was starting to bite into supply times. It performs effortlessly, but can also easily run on the smell of an oily rag..

These 2 pics show it up quite well..

 

[DBIZO]

Very handsome ride, you should be proud.