Lexus equal Toyota??

[Benarsenal]

I judge products as products, whether it's worth the money due to its qualities and equipment, not by badge. To me, a name or a badge has no value whatsoever.

 

Lexus is a divison of Toyota, yes, but their products are different from Toyota's main range. Yes some Lexus are badged as Toyotas in Japan, but everywhere else in the world, Lexus exists as a separate brand.

 

Anyway those 'rebadged' Lexus that someone saw, most likely is Parallel Import. I believe BM imports Lexus as it is, not rebadged Toyota.

[C32b]

Huh? wtf u talking.. Got proof or not?

 

FYI the Lexus SC430 design is known as Toyota Soarer in Japan. Those you saw could be Toyota Soarers and not SC430s.

 

I hope you are not getting too excited about what I said.

 

1. You could be right that local PI are selling toyota soarers and those are the ones I saw. It could be possible that there was huge demand for PI for the 10 soarers I saw being trailered off at one shot.

 

2. There is no Lexus in Japan. With Japanese labour costs being higher than SG/Msia, it stands to reason there is no point building a Lexus in Japan and sending it to Singapore as compared to getting the Toyota converted to Lexus locally.

 

3. It is a known fact that lexus models are sold as luxury toyotas in Japan so they are the same thing except for some minor tweaks.

 

Other instances of such things being done include cars being imported into sg (continental and japanese cars) then being retrofitted with the necessary fittings in order to have the kit that comes with a luxury model.

 

One notable example is a certain japanese brand car that comes into sg with fabric interior and no spoiler. A msia made fibreglass spoiler is fitted on the car and the leather is fitted locally to keep omv down and car cost down. This msia fibreglass spoiler has been proven to break at higher speeds where downforce is higher as compared to the JDM spoiler. This is a well known fact among this group of enthusiasts.

 

Like other responses to this thread, the luxurified toyota = lexus is good to drive and comfortable so people dont mind paying a premium for a improved toyota. Whats wrong with that? If it is viewed as a status symbol since its more pricey, there is nothing wrong with that either. Everyone has a choice.

 

No one made a fuss when the toyota celica was launched witha 1.8 190hp vvtli engine. Demand was lousy. The engine is now flying off the shelf when packaged in the Elise & Exige. Paying conti price for Japanese internals? Why not? Its just personal choice.

 

Here are other examples:

 

http://www.the370z.com/other-vehicles/1252...ct-z-300zx.html

http://www.mx5nutz.com/forum/index.php?showtopic=34086

http://www.gtaforums.com/index.php?showtopic=450006

 

When there are examples of cars that are singularly built by mass market car companies without significant parts sharing, they usually lose a heck of a lot of money for the company and are ultimately discontinued. These include the Efini Rx7, the Honda NSX and Honda S2000. Toyota and Nissan, being good examples of multiple sharing of platform and parts, are simply doing the necessary to ensure long term survival by cost cutting.

 

Even the Porsche 996 is built with an mix of parts of various models of Porsche.

 

Ultimately car are purely a money game for car companies and by consequence car buyers.

[Limwilliam17]

So what if it's a Toyota?Cheapo???How come not so many on the roads compare to other Japanese brands?

 

Drive the car you like.Lexus is equal to comfort,the slientness,the power and smoothness from V6.Not much car come close.

[MR2SBA]

Agree with you that Lexus cars were just high end of Toyota, but Lexus cars have been branded as Lexus some years ago.

 

[C32b]

Agree with you that Lexus cars were just high end of Toyota, but Lexus cars have been branded as Lexus some years ago.

 

There are, to my limited knowledge, no lexus cars in japan. The branding and when it was conceived is irrelevant since toyotas in japan can be specced up to virtually the same as the lexus sold on our shores. So Lexus does = Toyota.

 

This is not the same as VW = Audi.

[Viceroymenthol]

No one made a fuss when the toyota celica was launched witha 1.8 190hp vvtli engine. Demand was lousy. The engine is now flying off the shelf when packaged in the Elise & Exige. Paying conti price for Japanese internals? Why not? Its just personal choice.

 

you fail to acknowledge the fact that the Lotus chassis, suspension, etc are much stiffer and lighter and made for superb handling. the celica may not have been as good a handler.

 

no one making a fuss about the lexus RX 350 or mazda CX 7 but if they put those engines into a copen body and chassis (if it fits) or a MX-5 miata and you'll see critical acclaim everywhere by reviewers despite being priced like an S2000 or 370Z.

 

the engine is just one aspect of a car, there are too many other factors that go into making a high performing, well-selling car.

Edited November 1, 2010 by Viceroymenthol

[Benarsenal]

There are, to my limited knowledge, no lexus cars in japan. The branding and when it was conceived is irrelevant since toyotas in japan can be specced up to virtually the same as the lexus sold on our shores. So Lexus does = Toyota.

 

This is not the same as VW = Audi.

 

Lexus was first introduced in the US.

 

The Japanese 'Toyota-Lexus' are actually Lexus models rebadged as Toyotas.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lexus

[Viceroymenthol]

actually i am very curious to find out the percentage of the car being outsourced to OEM and outsourced again to OEM or sub-contracted factories in china/india/malaysia/thailand.

 

i suspect it is a very high percentage.

 

i read somewhere that even for swiss watches, they now have an unprecedented number of parts of the watch case, bracelet, strap, and movement made by china factories... due to the suppliers shifting manufacturing to china or buying from china manufacturers.

 

so that rolex you bought from hour glass thinking it is pure swiss made is probably more chinese than you are.... and could possibly share certain mechanical parts with the replica rolex sold in JB.

[inlinesix]

There are, to my limited knowledge, no lexus cars in japan. The branding and when it was conceived is irrelevant since toyotas in japan can be specced up to virtually the same as the lexus sold on our shores. So Lexus does = Toyota.

 

This is not the same as VW = Audi.

Any person who like to clock post? I paste the link to Lexus.JP in my earlier post. Lexus Japan has been launched since 2005.

 

Toyota soarer <> Lexus SC430 as it cease since 2005 (with launch of Lexus Japan)

 

Toyota Celsior <> Lexus LS460 as it cease together with LS430

 

So, get ur facts correct before u express ur opinion.

[Unitek]

Bro.,

 

Which lexus model are you looking at?

I dont know much about other model, but the harrier 3.0 and RX300 does have some difference in sound insulation. And i must say Lexus is very reliable.

 

I think BM/Lexus came out with a 5yr warranty package for new car, so buying one with a valid warranty will surely give you peace of mind. just before my 3rd year is up, my SE actually changed the compressor and window seal for me. this is despite that they are not worn.

 

I am considering a 2nd hand lexus. Someone I know commended : "Why buy Lexus? still a toyota?! Like no change." Because I am driving a wish now.

 

Toyota is definitely not lexus but they sure can make good Lexus. Not only Corollas.

 

[Viceroymenthol]

Any person who like to clock post? I paste the link to Lexus.JP in my earlier post. Lexus Japan has been launched since 2005.

 

Toyota soarer <> Lexus SC430 as it cease since 2005 (with launch of Lexus Japan)

 

Toyota Celsior <> Lexus LS460 as it cease together with LS430

 

So, get ur facts correct before u express ur opinion.

 

hallo fanboy

 

do u consider MINI a BMW?

Edited November 1, 2010 by Viceroymenthol

[Beehive3783]

I hope you are not getting too excited about what I said.

i am getting pretty excited because I have never heard of Lexus doing this officially for their models. Only know of those PIs rebadging Harriers to RX models.

[Relagsingh]

hallo fanboy

 

do u consider MINI a BMW?

 

pretty soon i will. the day will come when u can see FWD BMWs, which will happen.

[RadX]

pretty soon i will. the day will come when u can see FWD BMWs, which will happen.

 

i see it coming......and goodbye BMW

[Weiming]

Lexus is now a separate brand in Japan. Thus no more Toyota models will have an equivalent Lexus model compared to the past (IS = Altezza, ES = Windom, GS = Aristo, LS = Celsior, RX = Harrier, SC = Soarer).

 

I think with the launch of the LFA, they are on the right track. The cars do need better exterior design, more engine choices and body shapes plus suspension tuning help from Lotus under the Lotus/Toyota partnership :)

[Mini-itx2010]

you fail to acknowledge the fact that the Lotus chassis, suspension, etc are much stiffer and lighter and made for superb handling. the celica may not have been as good a handler.

 

no one making a fuss about the lexus RX 350 or mazda CX 7 but if they put those engines into a copen body and chassis (if it fits) or a MX-5 miata and you'll see critical acclaim everywhere by reviewers despite being priced like an S2000 or 370Z.

 

the engine is just one aspect of a car, there are too many other factors that go into making a high performing, well-selling car.

 

I agreed with you on the Lotus. Although its also using a 2ZZGE engine, the chassis is much lighter compared to the celica and its MR, no FF. The lotus has also far better handling compared to the the Celica which again due to chassis and suspension rather than engine. There is also a supercharged version of the Lotus as well but no supercharged Celica.

 

Btw, Toyota did have a "Lotus like" car and its the MRS. Its very light with good handling too. However, Toyota choose to drop in a 1ZZFE engine instead of the 2ZZGE. If it has the 2ZZGE, it should be able to compete with the Lotus. Of course, there is nothing stopping the owner to change the engine......

[Mini-itx2010]

i see it coming......and goodbye BMW

 

Yes, I read about it...... BMW has plans to release FF BMWs.....

[inlinesix]

hallo fanboy

 

do u consider MINI a BMW?

Mini is a PSA as it shares a lot of common parts with Peugeot Citroen

 

So, is Bugatti = VW?