Lexus’ Luxurious Line Up

Back during the 1980s, Toyota Motor Company was faced with a bit of a dilemma: their cars were making great strides in both quality and reliability, but their share of the market was somewhat limited by their then current offerings. Beyond the Corolla, Camry, Celica, Supra, Cressida, and a pick up truck, Toyota offered nothing for customers to go to once their tastes went toward something luxurious. Unlike GM, which could bump Chevy owners up to a Buick or a Cadillac, no Toyota on American streets save for the Cressida could compete against BMW, Mercedes, or Cadillac. Until the Lexus, that is.

The Lexus brand was born out of Toyota’s awareness that a separate, distinct line of cars had to be created in order to compete against other luxury makes. Unlike in Japan, where luxury Toyota models abound, the American market was perceived as not ready for a Toyota to compete against Mercedes, however surveys showed that consumers would accept a brand specially created to do battle with luxury marquees. By 1990 the first Lexus cars hit American streets, many were thinly disguised Toyotas, but they quickly won praise from auto critics and were snapped up by consumers. Importantly, Toyota could now produce a line of cars that increased their bottom line.

Today, Lexus is the car by which all others are judged. Indeed, Mercedes was quickly overtaken in the battle for the hearts and minds of many luxury car owners. For 2006, Lexus offers a total of nine models including:

Sedans: The LS, GS, IS, and ES are all sedans and they are priced from the low 30s to the upper 50s. The LS is the flagship of the sedans with V8 power, 6 speed automatic transmission, and luxury appointments galore.

Convertible: The SC is Lexus’ ragtop entry and it features 2+2 seating. Powered by a V8, the SC is no slouch as its engine produces 288hp and its rear wheels power the car.

SUVs: A big part of the Lexus line up is its four SUVs. New for 2006 is the RX Hybrid, the first luxury SUV on the market. This SUV joins the regular RX and two big SUVs, the GX and the LX.

Curiously, Lexus currently does not offer a coupe in the line up. With a Jaguar offering the XK coupe, and with Cadillac expanding their “V” series, that is likely to change. However, don’t hold your breathe for a luxury minivan or for a Lexus pick up truck as Toyota isn’t likely to mess with success and confuse the issue.
In all, the Lexus brand has matured considerably ever since the ES250 and LS400 went on sale in 1989. Most cars look and perform like true luxury cars and the accolades the brand has received over the years are both welcome and warranted. Truly, Lexus is the benchmark by which all other luxury cars must be judged.