nate579

iTrader: (4)

I thought this article would spark a very good debate. Moderator please delete if this article has already been posted.

German upmarket hegemony, built on speed, innovation said unassailable In Europe

But Lexus, other upstarts with quality, style, price might be dangerous combination

Click here for whole article...Detroit News

Och

iTrader: (3)

Yeah I don't quite agree with that article. Given, german brands do have more prestige and heritage, but as far as innovation I think the Japanese have the upper hand.

As far as Lexus' lack of success in Europe, it believe it is because Lexus doesn't have strong marketing or dealer network there. Also, the so called success of "german premium cars" in Europe isn't all that. Most MB and BMW sold over there are bottom of the line models with diesel engines, there's nothing premium about them. Lexus isn't trying to compete say with BMW 1 series or Mercedes A class, this is what Toyota is for.

nate579

iTrader: (4)

Yea it's obvious imho that this guy likes the german brands over lexus, regardless.

Och

iTrader: (3)

Well, say if Lexus would step down to BMW level and release LS300D with cloth seats and acceleration on par with Honda Civics, and priced it 5-10k below 730D, I bet it would have a lot more success in Europe, but then Lexus wont do it, because Lexus is a real premium brand, not just a glorified badge.

But then again, knowing how European governments run, they probably tax the living hell out of Japanese imports so its hard to have competitive prices.

-J-P-L-

Interesting.

Europeans seem to be very stuck onto the past.
They don't care how good Lexus gets, they won't give them credibility.

I challenge them to drive the upcoming LS600hL and see if they can honestly say that it is NOT "premium". Please.

Comparing sales numbers in the US to Europe is very suprising. Lexus is #1 here, but barely noticed over there.

XeroK00L

Lexus was playing the follow-the-leader game for quite a while because it was the safest strategy for an upstart. But now that their image is better established, they're innovating and setting standards just as much as if not more than the German premium brands. Lexus proves that complexity and reliability can co-exist. That's one of the true innovations from Lexus that is totally overlooked by this obviously biased article.

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

kinda retarded bashing lexus sales when BMW and MB have been around forever and lexus about 15 years

PhilipMSPT

iTrader: (5)

Europeans trust heritage and are lifelong buyers of certain brands. They are not like Americans who want the newest and best thing every two years. If there is something that has more value in history and class, they would rather go for that instead of something that has more value in new technology. Look at how Tokyo values technology, but Europe values tradition. It's not about credibility, it's about "family."

The LS600hL will make a big splash. Will it sell? I'm pretty sure it will. Will people give it the same value as the 7 or S? I don't think so.

There will also be a lot of controversy (A LOT) with the design borrowing from European brands. Although Lexus admits that the LS is designed from the ground up using L-Finesse, you cannot deny the similarities in outline and shape with the 7 and S...

Och

iTrader: (3)

I don't think europeans are necessary the way you describe them, people are the same everywhere and I dont think tradition is the most important factor to anyone who's about to dump 100k on a car. I think many Europeans simply don't know anything about Lexus to begin with because, like I said before, Lexus doesn't have a strong dealer network or marketing over there. Kind of like some European cars her, Alfa, Renault, Pigeout, Citroen - sure most people heard the name, but does anyone know much about them?

That being said, from what I heard Lexus is a huge success in Russia.

marshmallo

Just goes to show you can even publish toilet paper. This book is
an unbelievable monument to stupidity.

LexusLimit

As long as Toyota keep doing what they're doing, they'll eventually take over the prestige and heritage category.

nate579

iTrader: (4)

What kills me is he included Volvo in the premium brand catagory. What is he smoking. At best volvo is a entry into luxury sorta on par with Acura or Saab.

doug_999

The article has a little of the domestics will forever rule mentality. Same sort of thing could have been said about the American cars back in the 70s and the insignificant threat of the Japanese back then (ha ha).

Och, I will tell you however, that in terms of Innovation, the Germans are FAR ahead of the Japanese. This of course comes at the severe expense of reliability.

xioix

Far ahead with what

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

number of years in existance