Lexus' popularity?

[I-Tech]

How come Lexus is so popular in USA when they are not selling many cars here in Europe. It seems they have very little prestige in Europe?

[Jimster]

Well in Europe- Lexus is a somewhat new badge- and Europeans don't like new badges- they want older, more trusted names like Mercedes Benz and BMW, also half the people in the US don'tknow that they are really Toyotas in a tux

[Hudson]

Actually, most US Lexus buyers DO know that their cars are high-end Toyotas. They're hardly "Toyotas in a tux" but just rebadged versions of Japanese market Toyotas. Just like Cadillac is the high-end of the GM lineup. Nobody would ever call a Cadillac an "Oldsmobile in a tux."

[MioCLK]

Originally Posted by I-Tech

How come Lexus is so popular in USA when they are not selling many cars here in Europe. It seems they have very little prestige in Europe?

Lexus are designed for the US market.
So the cars are designed somewhat like American cars.
With big roomy interior and a "comfortable suspension"
But Europeans tend to look for "control" of the car. They want stiff suspension for better handling. As Europeans highways have a greater top speed when comparing to the US.
I think its just that Lexus doesn't suit the European market, just like most Japanese and American car makers.

[camrytuner]

Lexus is a relatively new brand to Europe. It took about 5-7 years before Lexus took off with the redesigned Camry/ES platform in 92 (before the ES250 was a Camry with uglier lights) and the GS platform. Given Toyota's standards of quality and continual revision, Lexus will probably outsell Mercedes in Europe in 6 years, like it does here in the states.

[Fleainat]

Originally Posted by MioCLK

Lexus are designed for the US market.
So the cars are designed somewhat like American cars.
With big roomy interior and a "comfortable suspension"
But Europeans tend to look for "control" of the car. They want stiff suspension for better handling. As Europeans highways have a greater top speed when comparing to the US.
I think its just that Lexus doesn't suit the European market, just like most Japanese and American car makers.

This is definitely a main reason, but there are a few more reasons. Europeans go for very small engine/small cars because of the smaller streets and very strict pollution laws and very expensive gasoline. Also, the Europeans that do want an expensive car can much more easily afford Mercedes/BMW because there aren't tariffs and destination fees which add a few thousand to all Lexuses that have to travel around the world to Europe.
My 2 cents

[camrytuner]

i gotta take issue with the idea that most jap and american car makers don't build cars to suit Euro markets...People go to great lengths to import Nissan Skylines into Europe, Toyota Camry is a big seller in the UK and France, Ford sells as many cars as Pug does. With any new entry there is a learning curve, and once Toyota finds what makes Lexus' sell in Europe, they'll end up displacing MB as the top selling Lux brand, much like they did here in the US. And Toyota has the money to spend on it too, its the second largest automanufacturer in the world, and its got the highest market cap of ANY auto company, and its models are the 3rd most profitable, behind GM and VW(?), so it can afford to take time to get it right.

[Redteam22003]

Originally Posted by camrytuner

i gotta take issue with the idea that most jap and american car makers don't build cars to suit Euro markets...People go to great lengths to import Nissan Skylines into Europe, Toyota Camry is a big seller in the UK and France, Ford sells as many cars as Pug does. With any new entry there is a learning curve, and once Toyota finds what makes Lexus' sell in Europe, they'll end up displacing MB as the top selling Lux brand, much like they did here in the US. And Toyota has the money to spend on it too, its the second largest automanufacturer in the world, and its got the highest market cap of ANY auto company, and its models are the 3rd most profitable, behind GM and VW(?), so it can afford to take time to get it right.

I AGREE WITH YOU...GOOD POST....MANY PEOPLE DONT SEEM TO ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT MOST EUROPEAN CARS ARE OWNED BY US AUTOMANUFACTURER.
SO I GUESS MB ARE CHRYSLER IN TUX AND ALSO JAGUAR ARE FORD IN TUX TOO

[lodownlv]

toy in a tux LOL

[MioCLK]

GM and Ford certainly owns many european, and even Asian brands. But for Chrysler, they are just taking the garbage dumped by Mercedes.

[57JagXKSS]

Originally Posted by Redteam22003

I AGREE WITH YOU...GOOD POST....MANY PEOPLE DONT SEEM TO ALSO UNDERSTAND THAT MOST EUROPEAN CARS ARE OWNED BY US AUTOMANUFACTURER.
SO I GUESS MB ARE CHRYSLER IN TUX AND ALSO JAGUAR ARE FORD IN TUX TOO

Mercedes-Benz merged with Chrysler back in 1996. As with any merger, one is the buyer and that was Mercedes-Benz.

The new Chrysler 300 is not a restyled Mercedes-Benz E class.

Jaguar's new XJ is all Jaguar. It has an aluminum chassis which is 40 % lighter and 60 % stiffer than if it were steel. The 2005 Jaguar Super V8, the flagship XJ, weighs over 800 pounds less than a BMW 760Li. Here is the Super V8.

[57JagXKSS]

The new Jaguar XJ uses a 6 speed ZF automatic transmission.

The next Jaguar XK8 and S-Type will use the new XJ's aluminum chassis.

Jaguar's V-8 is not a Ford V-8. Jaguar's new 4.2 V-8 does not have the timing chain tensioner problems of the old 4.0 V-8 used in 1997 thru 2000 XK8s and 1998 thru 2000 XJ8s.

http://www.jagweb.com/aj6eng/v8_performance.html

Here is the engine block of Jaguar's 4.2 V-8

[57JagXKSS]

pictures, videos, and more of the new aluminum Jaguar XJ

http://www.keycast.com/keycast/jagua...=7&jsenabled=1

[lodownlv]

i like jags too my aunts xj8 VP is soo nice and fast