I had a talk with one of my friends that owns a SC400 in the states. It seems to me that he figures himself to be in a different class because he owns a lexus. I reminded him that he owns a toyota badged as a lexus, meaning, it was "just a toyota." Why do lexus owners take offense to the fact that some people may call their cars toyota's? The ironic thing is, the people who associate their cars with luxury because they own a lexus, also try to convert as much as possible to soarer. I have a problem these days with people who try to elevate themselves via car status. When i was younger and rolling the streets in my camaro, supra owners wouldnt talk to me because they were "above me." It seems that a good majority of lexus owners seem to be this way too. I understand that there are idiots out there in all classes of cars, but in my opinion the man makes the car, not the other way around. Sorry...just venting.

Wow... this is something new.

Well I figured someone had to say it...

sorry about your friend but, for the most part most people in the SC community pay hommage to the Soarer. There are some that think they are bigger than life because they drive an old car. I just think those are the type of people that never had anything. Personally I have alway love these cars and they are tangible. your friends feelings are NOT consistant with the majority on this forum. on the real the average car age is 10 years old. who couldn't get one if they wanted one. I feel everyone here loves the quality of the Toyota product and timeless beauty of the car.

Hah we have had many heated debates about this. Many members on this board don't agree that its a toyota with a lexus badge. They always come back to "its a Lexus"....what does it say on your side windows, on your sunroof, on your parts....They are definitely Toyotas with a few more luxuries. Toyota has been a no bs car company for a while and is one of the major reasons whey they do so well. Lexus offers Toyota reliability with luxury. But as far as the SC goes, haha it is the epitome of a Toyota brought over from Japan thrown in the Lexus market.

Well I was refering to some people on this forum. I've been around here for sometime, and heard my share of comments about how people should treat/modify their car because it's a lexus.

Some peeple are just stuck on status and others just enjoy the fact that their ride is unique it's the same with clothes and people that are stuck on brands. To me Toyota makes my car but I am proud of it because it is mine and forget what anyone else thinks. Toyota/Lexus means a pretty reliable vehicle.

Well, it is a toyota through and through, however we do have the advantage to beefier design and better quality products. How better quality if it is all toyota? Sit in any toyota car and you'll notice it doesn't seem as nice. A lot use cloth, cheaper plastics, etc... The lexus line gets the better of it all in production. Same goes for mechanical.

Neither the same as toyota branded cars, nor different, just better in a lot of ways.

Hah we have had many heated debates about this. Many members on this board don't agree that its a toyota with a lexus badge. They always come back to "its a Lexus"....what does it say on your side windows, on your sunroof, on your parts....They are definitely Toyotas with a few more luxuries. Toyota has been a no bs car company for a while and is one of the major reasons whey they do so well. Lexus offers Toyota reliability with luxury. But as far as the SC goes, haha it is the epitome of a Toyota brought over from Japan thrown in the Lexus market.

The windows and sunroof on my GX470 say Lexus on them. But underneath, a lot of the vehicle is a Toyota Prado.

The license plate frame on my LS sums up my opinion ...

Because he's an ignorant prick.

I drive a Toyota, and I'm proud to drive a Toyota.

People in Mexico confuse my Lexus for a Toyota...I even use Camry center Caps with the Toyota logo (not for theft, but actually better quality build).

I pay homage to the Toyota Harrier and a lot of the features of the vehicle we don't have (especially the tiptronic-like transmission).

True, some people will have their different attitudes and opinions about their vehicles. I have friend who belong to Chevrolet clubs and they comment that they hate the fact that Opels are badged here as Chevys.

At my track, we do have arrogant pricks on occasion, I know a few with SRT-4s and Civic VTECs (and they don't show much on the track either) who think they are above everyone else until they have their butts handed to them by a turbocharged VW Beetles or even my RX300 in the case of the VTEC.

Same parts, same cars. Heck, you can even purchase the chrome trunk bar from a 05/06 Camry and install it on a 2nd Gen Lexus GS and they are not even the same platform.... Amazing

The windows and sunroof on my GX470 say Lexus on them. But underneath, a lot of the vehicle is a Toyota Prado.
not really... Prado is actually GX. With Prado, what they did is make an Lexus and then rebadge it.

This is evident in cheapest Prado versions, intended for goverment/company usage, that dont even have stereo in them... and yet they have soft plastics everywhere, same as in GX.

So it really goes both ways...

My personal take is that they are all Toyotas... (not that there is anything with that)

Toyota has tried to differentiate the brand a few years ago by no longer offering a Toyota counterpart in Japan. (Soarer/SC430, Aristo/GS and so on)
most definetly... Lexus is luxury Toyota. And thats pretty damn nice.

lol...
Lexus no matter what anyone says with developed from the ground up to be a Lexus. Toyota DID NOT rebadge Cresseda's and Crowns and call them a Lexus.

Over 1 billion dollars in the 1980s was spent on the F1, "LS" project alone.

Toyota is the parent company, Lexus is NOT a Toyota. The simple rebadges are the ES 250 and LX.

Lexus then debuted worldwide as Lexus in 1989. Only in JAPAN were they still badged Toyotas.

Of course some will call them Toyotas to this day which is fine.

not really... Prado is actually GX. With Prado, what they did is make an Lexus and then rebadge it.

This is evident in cheapest Prado versions, intended for goverment/company usage, that dont even have stereo in them... and yet they have soft plastics everywhere, same as in GX.

So it really goes both ways...

The GX sold in the U.S. is not all that different than the top of the line Prado assembled in mainland China. It's mainly a marketing and equipment thing - just like Ford/Mercury/Lincoln or Chevy/Buick/Pontiac -- they are mostly the same cars except for options and trim. It can certainly be argued that, over the years, the top trim level Toyota badged Celsior sold in Asia was far nicer and better equipted than the very top LS that sold in the U.S.

Regardless of whether they are called Toyota or Lexus, they are still damned fine vehicles and that is why we are shareholders and not just owners of Toyota and Lexus cars. Toyota ADRs have been a great investment -- look at the five year trend -- you can buy TM ADRs at any broker ... http://finance.google.com/finance?q=TM

They spent the cash on the LS.

Other than that, the rest are really just rebadged Toyotas.

They spent the cash on the LS.

Other than that, the rest are really just rebadged Toyotas.

SC, GS? RX was the first of its kind.

The GX is Prado based, good points there.

Why do lexus owners take offense to the fact that some people may call their cars toyota's?

People in America have problems with status. There are plenty of people who would buy cars for their name and nothing else. Toyota is seen as a brand that delivers affordable and reliable automobiles. People do not want to be associated with "affordable" because they feel they need to have something that the majority of the people dont have. Take the lexus badge and replace it with the toyota badge and I guarantee you that a good amount of current lexus owners wouldn't buy one in the first place. No one can deny that America has a problem with identity. The japanese have no problem with buying an Aristo or Celsior under the Toyota name. People would be hesitant to pay $50k for a toyota sedan back then.

I really dont care about the brand name. My only requirements for buying my car at the time was that the car had to be a reliable sedan with rwd and V8. That limited me down to the LS430 and GS400/430. I would sport the Toyota badge no problem, but some people aren't willing to accept that their lexus is a Toyota with a few nice touches.:rolleyes:

People in America have problems with status. There are plenty of people who would buy cars for their name and nothing else. Toyota is seen as a brand that delivers affordable and reliable automobiles. People do not want to be associated with "affordable" because they feel they need to have something that the majority of the people dont have. Take the lexus badge and replace it with the toyota badge and I guarantee you that a good amount of current lexus owners wouldn't buy one in the first place. No one can deny that America has a problem with identity. The japanese have no problem with buying an Aristo or Celsior under the Toyota name. People would be hesitant to pay $50k for a toyota sedan back then.

I really dont care about the brand name. My only requirements for buying my car at the time was that the car had to be a reliable sedan with rwd and V8. That limited me down to the LS430 and GS400/430. I would sport the Toyota badge no problem, but some people aren't willing to accept that their lexus is a Toyota with a few nice touches.:rolleyes:

It is not just America though I agree its to the point Euro companies don't send us all their cars like 630 BMWs and S350 S-classes.

Europe is WORSE than us. They even comment in reviews "I can't buy it b/c of image". Top Gear is a prime example.

Japan is JUST AS BAD, they would rather be seen in a Euro car than a Japanese car b/c of IMAGE.

Image is a big deal to the majority of luxury car buyers and successful luxury marques know how valuable it is to have!:)

I have always respected the parent company in Japan. If I had my way, Acura would still be Honda, Lexus would still be Toyota, and Infiniti would still be Nissan. The badges means little to nothing to me. The car itself is what I respect. I always say, if the car is good the car is good. It doesn't really matter what plastic badge name is on the grill or trunk. However, the USA is all about status. Nothing wrong with that, just some people are more into it than others.

When I drove a Lexus, I considered it a Lexus, not a Toyota. Sure Toyota is the parent company, but Toyota dealers sold NOTHING like my GS400 and are more a mass market outlet.

Maybe Toyota will eventually drop the Toyota brand entirely, just as GM doesn't sell 'GM' cars, they sell Chevys, Cadillacs, Buicks, etc. Toyota already has Scion and Lexus so they're on their way.

Lexus then debuted worldwide as Lexus in 1989. Only in JAPAN were they still badged Toyotas.

uhh...we've had lexus since the current IS debuted.
my dad owns a Zero Crown Athelete. Its a Toyota, but I think its a damn nice car...i mean it is bascially an IS350.

uhh...we've had lexus since the current IS debuted.
my dad owns a Zero Crown Athelete. Its a Toyota, but I think its a damn nice car...i mean it is bascially an IS350.
I know. It debuted in Japan in 2005 as a Lexus. Been a Lexus everwhere else sine 1989.

Chris, the USA is NOT the only country about status. Europe, the Middle East, Japan are on par if not WORSE when it comes to image and status.

When I took the badges off my GS 400 and had no emblems on the car, most people thought I was nuts, including gear heads. I could have cared less.

I know. It debuted in Japan in 2005 as a Lexus. Been a Lexus everwhere else sine 1989.

Chris, the USA is NOT the only country about status. Europe, the Middle East, Japan are on par if not WORSE when it comes to image and status.

When I took the badges off my GS 400 and had no emblems on the car, most people thought I was nuts, including gear heads. I could have cared less.

yeah, my parents are that way too. Ever since we had a car stolen, they're all about making their cars discrete as possible. I've always debadged mine, and I like the difference of the people's initial reaction from seeing it, and after I tell them what it is. The vast majority has no idea about cars, all they know is what the marketers tell them.

STATUS exists everywhere and it's in all different forms... for other people who live in different part of the world, having a few pigs or cows or even wives is considered major status..:).

STATUS exists everywhere and it's in all different forms... for other people who live in different part of the world, having a few pigs or cows or even wives is considered major status..:).

I have a beautiful friend who grew up and was born in Nigeria. She is a model here in America. In Nigeria she is considered crap. Seems the bigger you are the better there.

Pics are in teh TLN thread if you can find em;)

I have a beautiful friend who grew up and was born in Nigeria. She is a model here in America. In Nigeria she is considered crap. Seems the bigger you are the better there.

Pics are in teh TLN thread if you can find em;)

Great points made by both you and Newr.:thumbup: :thumbup: