jskennedy

a co-worker has made the comment several times that i'm "riding in luxury now"

i've never considered my rx as luxurious

i'm not sure it has any features not available in SUVs not defined w/ the term luxury

it does have softer interior materials & a quieter cabin than most

that doesn't equate to luxury to me

what do you think of when you think luxury

i'm thinking a chauffeur

The G Man

Lets see, what defines a luxury suv? The name brand Lexus certain does.

DaRacerz

Well... its a Lexus for starters!!! On a serious note, I believe what distinguishes a luxury car from a regular car today is shrinking as the technology gap is shrinking.

A lot of the details are under the hood and not necessarily visible to the eye. Such as having a quiet ride without road noise and wind noise, well refined suspension that works well at all speeds and is not sloppy or harsh, electronics work well together. The latest in technology gadgets out there.

On the visible end, quality of materials. Limited use a cheap hard and noisy plastics, better quality leather and comfortable to sit in. Looks refined, no bare metal sticking out on the inside.

got to make up for the cost difference somewhere.

rxets

Luxury SUV is principally a marketing term to sell fancier vehicles which may have higher performance, comfort, technology, or brand image. The term lacks both measurability and verifiability, and it is applied to a broad range of SUV sizes and types... ... The production of luxury models increased in the late 1990s as they generated higher profit margins than ordinary automobiles did. For some auto makers, luxury SUVs were the first SUV models they produced. Some of these models are not traditional SUVs based on light truck as they are classified as crossovers.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sport_u...cle#Luxury_SUV


This won't help explain the term, but at least it shows us the general ideas.

I guess you can feel more and understand their differences if you put your RX and another non-luxury SUV* next to each other.


*most of non-luxury SUV.

tfischer

I've been in many SUVs, and owned an RAV4, and the RX is clearly the class act. It's quieter, smoother, more comfortable and has a wide range of "extras" like carpets, lighting, NAV, electric rear door, tilting mirrors, etc, that are often not even available on less expensive models.
Clearly it's a luxury car, because you could get along with much less if you had to.

Mdkellys

I agree that usually when you get a luxury SUV you get better leather, better carpets, quieter cabin, high end stereos, and new technology like automatic high beams.

afpj

The Nissan Murano is a small SUV that has many gadgets. In some ways it has more gadgets than the 2010 RX, as one poster who was a long time RX owner switched to this Nissan. However, the subjective quality "feel" of the build materials, the attention to detail to trim, fit, sound deadening as others alluded to above, all contribute to the "luxury" concept. Despite that one example of getting more bang for the buck with the Murano, I would not consider it as a luxury as it is not as quiet, and my "rear end" meter thinks it rides more harshly than the RX. Now the BMW X5 rides harsh to my rearend o meter, but handles better and is pretty quiet. Based on quiteness, fit and finish, I personally would classify RX and BMW as luxury, not Nissan. DIdn't try the FX35, so can't comment on that, but if it is to the Murano as the Venza is to the rx, then the FX can be considered luxury as well. IMO of course. Your mileage may vary.
Happy almost New Year!

tfischer

We forgot to mention that another aspect of the "luxury" vehicle is its reliability, which often is due to a higher level of construction materials. Pumps, motors, bearings, etc., are all heavier to last longer and operate more smoothly. This costs extra, but often saves money over the long run, when more cheaply made water pumps wear out early and need to be replaced.
It's too bad that such peace of mind is a "luxury," but that's the way it is.
Everything costs extra.

The G Man

If reliability is condition for a luxury vehicle, then BMW, MB, Audi, Rover or Volvo would not be consider a luxury car.

kitlz

Maybe it should be the high cost of repairs and replacement parts instead of reliability

I have been in the RX since 98. The only other 'luxury' SUV at that time was the Acura. GM and Ford were simply ugly and boring. Times certainly have changed. SUVs are a dime a dozen now. IMO what brings it to the luxury level is the quality, what is standard vs optional (or not available at all), and the finish. Lexus has been up there since the beginning and consistently so.

jskennedy, your coworker's comment reminds me of something I overheard a few years back from one of my coworkers. She was describing her new C-class MB to another person and said, "at least it's not a Lexus." I just smiled

lex

What does THAT mean???

tfischer

I, for one, have no idea what that means. Literally it makes sense, but it's a thought not worth expressing. Apparently the speaker thought that "Lexus" was a disparaging term, but I have not only not heard it used that way, but often hear it used as an indicator of very high quality, referring to something which is devoutly to be desired.
It hardly bears further analysis or discussion.

kitlz

Coming from someone who had a horrible old Hyundai, not much. Many people unfortunately are ignorant about Lexus. All they see are dollar signs or get caught in the whole image thing. I invite them to take a drive before passing judgement. Obviously I smiled because I know I made the better choice and image ain't everything

By the way, my coworker had to turn in her C a few months later for one with traction control after she found out she couldn't back out of a flat parking spot in a few inches of snow. I only wish I was there to see that

Stormforge

^ lol, agreed with tfischer.

The G Man

I think what she meant was that in her mind, people buy Lexus because of the lower price and people buy MB are less likely looking for a bargain.