The Lexus brand of vehicles is sold in more than 70 countries globally as of writing, but is it a luxury car brand?
Lexus is the upscale car brand of Japanese automaker Toyota Motor Corporation. It is the fourth-largest luxury car brand worldwide with Audi, Mercedes, and BMW rounding out the top spots and the third top-selling luxury brand in the US.
Lexus was ranked #77 on the Forbes list of World’s Most Valuable Brands (2020) and is also listed among the ten largest global Japanese brands.
What Defines A Luxury Car?
Any car manufacturer, if so inspired or to satisfy the demand of its customers, can launch a luxury range as part of their offering on the market. Discerning customers will go more for brands that have a certain cachet, offering some distinction from the rest.
Another of the differences lie in the plush and exquisite interiors, the number of features that come standard, and the level of performance matched with myriad safety and technology attributes
Hallmarks of a luxury vehicle could include accents such as heated seats and steering wheels, state of the art automatic safety features, and top of the line entertainment and connectivity systems.
Added to this, the price tag lends more heft in separating the best of the best within the luxury class.
The Audi, BMW, Cadillac, and Lexus brands among a few others are within the sphere of still affordable luxury cars.
On the other hand, however, brands such as the most expensive car ever, the 1963 Ferrari 250 GTO, the Bugatti La Voiture Noire, the Rolls Royce Sweptail, and Mercedes Benz by Maybach Exelero call for much deeper pockets as they are priced well into the tens of millions.
Rarity and exclusivity are also key features among differentiators of luxury cars and enthusiasts will happily fork out a bigger chunk of change to get that one model for which there are only three of its kind on the market.
How Does Lexus Rank As A Luxury Brand?
Car Throttle ranks luxury cars within three different categories – super-luxury-luxury, and premium.
Each category somewhat uses pricing to determine its tier with Rolls-Royce and Bentley ranking at the top; makes like Audi, BMW, and Lexus ranking in the second tier, and premium marks such as Buick and Infiniti completing the list.
As much as price is one determining factor to separate classes of luxury vehicles, quality, dependability, aesthetics, and customer satisfaction are additional determinants.
In 1991 after their most successful year of sales since launching, Lexus finally appeared on J.D. Power and Associates’ studies on vehicle quality, customer satisfaction, and sales satisfaction, ranking highest among their compeers.
In general terms, Lexus vehicles have been said to handle well; they are comfortable, reliable, and include many premium features.
Lexus has also attained the enviable title of being the only reliable luxury car brand with their LX model SUV, according to Motor Biscuit.
In terms of pricing, Lexus still ranks behind its European counterparts in the same category of luxury car models.
Why Should You Buy A Lexus?
The Lexus brand was first introduced in the US – its largest market – in 1983 and offers a range of sedan, coupé, convertible, and SUV models which can be run on petrol, diesel, fully electric, or hybrid energy.
Since its launch, the company has gone on to establish itself in the automotive market as the largest selling premium make of Japanese cars.
Lexus has its headquarters in Nagoya, Japan, and was among one of the first companies to introduce a certified pre-owned program that has been successful for more than 20 years in the US.
It has the reputation as being equally reliable as used cars as well as new cars, and many owners hold on to their Lexus for a long time as their dependability is unmatched.
A certified used Lexus has the same luxurious feel and stable performance as a new one so used-car buyers will not miss out on the sophistication afforded a brand spanking new car.
They have an excellent resale value so when you are ready to trade up for the newest model of your favorite Lexus, it could fetch you a decent sum of money to go towards your new purchase.
Of the estimated more than 260 car models in the US, the Lexus GS and the Lexus ES models feature on the top 10 list of longest-lasting luxury car brands.
This is an excellent testament to the longevity of the Lexus brand as well as the premium experience which one can get with such a purchase.