By Being Evolutionary With The New RX Is Lexus Vulnerable To A REVOLUTION?

By Being Evolutionary With The New RX Is Lexus Vulnerable To A REVOLUTION?
Maybe they simply ran out of ideas.

That is the only explanation I can come up with in trying to describe some of the new car designs being sold by the manufacturers.

Case in point, the new Lexus RX models.

As the best selling model for Lexus, the RX is certainly important to the overall bottom line at Lexus – one would think that any tinkering with a winning design would create an even better design.

Evolutionary details abound…

…revolutionary ideas?  Not this time around.

I won’t argue that the folks at Lexus know what they are doing, but the wolf is always at the door.

And don’t think for a minute the execs at other manufacturers aren’t aware of what a cash cow the RX is for Lexus.

In evolution of the RX, could a revolution capture the business?

Let’s be honest, Lexus isn’t known for taking big risks.  They know what works, and to deviate from that could spell disaster.

Or could it?

Case in point, the new IS coupe.  Noticeably absent from that lineup is the availability of larger engines.  While the IS-f maybe a halo for the sedan, the coupe IS-f would certainly cast an even larger shadow.

And so it is with the RX as well, a great car done well.

But more importantly a great car done safely.

Sterile.

No sharp edges to hurt yourself on.

And in the end that may be all that matters.  The cash registers at Lexus dealers throughout the US will ring up sale after sale from soccer moms not content to truck the tykes around in a minivan.

And everyone at Lexus will be happy because their bonus checks will keep rolling in.

And the competitors will sit on the sideline and envy the money generated by the RX.

OR MAYBE SOMEONE WILL SIT UP AND TAKE NOTICE

That in a time of evolution a revolution is brewing.

Now that would make for some interesting reading.

Do you think Lexus should have stepped outside of its comfort zone to create a revolutionary product, or do you agree with their strategy of evolutionary thinking?

Don’t miss out on our extensive LA Auto Show Gallery that is proudly sponsored by Lexus.

Written by: Agent 00J



david999david999 - 11/23/2008 12:29:38 PM
-17 Boost

A step backwards? A top selling SUV with some of the most innovative features available on any type of vehicle, as well as high quality manufacturing processes a step backward?????


AudiNewEnglandAudiNewEngland - 11/23/2008 1:47:11 PM
+18 Boost
Look at it, it used to be a decent looking car. Now, it's all...lumpy.


BillBill - 11/23/2008 2:26:50 PM
+3 Boost
The RX from a technological point of view is definitely not a step backwards, but in terms of design it isn't anything special at all. If we look at the main competition we see cars with style, a type of elegance, presence and character as some would say. I personally find the BMW X5 to be very muscular and sporty with a hue of elegance in the overall design. The Mercedes ML is pure classiness and elegance with a small breath of sport in the design. The Infiniti EX makes use of curvacious lines to promote a kind of classic European elegance that is coming back in fashion.

So, then we look at the new Lexus RX and what do we see? A completely characterless (from a design point of view) and bland vehicle. It even looks a bit "fat" to my eyes. On the positive side it looks like a premium vehicle, but that's about it. Lexus didn't take any risks with this car because they believe the secret to its success was not only its features, but its design. Personally the new RX makes the last generation model look like a beauty queen.


hao420hao420 - 11/24/2008 12:34:30 AM
+1 Boost
Dont mind the exterior, still has a decent looking interior.....


JUGNUJUGNU - 11/23/2008 4:26:40 AM
-4 Boost
i think new RX is alright. Front end could have been better but overall nice evolutionary design.
and seeing it's competiotrs which are X3, LR2, GLK, EX35, Q5(which are no beauties either)...etc it seems already at the top of the class. 300BHP engine, Hybrid option, and Lexus trademark quality and reliability.

JUGNU


WillisWillis - 11/23/2008 8:35:48 AM
-6 Boost
For the last time, the RX doesn't compete with GLK, X3 or Q5 etc.

And Lexus can offer all the 300-hp engines they want in the RX. In case you have not noticed, there is a recession going on. I doubt too many people, even the wealthy, will be interested in a fuel-inefficient RX.


HSCenterconsoleHSCenterconsole - 11/23/2008 3:07:04 PM
-5 Boost
JUGNU just simply doesn't get that Autospies is a US based website. Nobody particularly cares what the Lexus RX competes with in the Middle East – it is irrelevant to Lexus’ main market here in the States.

Anyways, JUGNU is probably already dreaming of what this new RX will look like with chrome paint and gold rims. He and his countrymen really know how to keep it classy (and by classy, I mean terribly garish and tasteless).



WillisWillis - 11/23/2008 10:43:41 PM
-2 Boost
LOL! Quite true. Jugnu posts some of the most "amzing" comments on this site.


randy33randy33 - 11/24/2008 1:42:33 AM
-2 Boost
No, non sequitur.

The X6 is one of the most correctly-proportioned designs in automotive history -- coming from a company with a history of beautiful cars.

The 'all new RX', on the other hand, is the ugliest SUV ever created by Lexus, coming from a company that has yet to actually produce an attractive SUV.

Take note: The X6 is a 'coupe' (from the French, "to cut"). The X6's design is a trimmed, streamlined shape that takes only what parts are needed to remain an "SUV", and a leaves the rest back in the bin for X5 buyers to rummage through.

The 'all new RX', on the other hand, appears to everybody to just a BLOATED version of the previous RX. It looks like somebody's kid took a can of expanding urethane foam and injected it under the previous RX's fenders and bumpers. It's a total, absolute disgrace. Toyota should be ashamed.


mplsmpls - 11/23/2008 6:35:42 AM
+3 Boost
Lexus playing safe and consevative..!! the RX first released in 1998 defined a whole new segment of luxury SUV.. even BMW had to buy Landrover to get at the SUV & 4x4 market...


M35MTM35MT - 11/24/2008 4:19:44 PM
0 Boost
Actually, Infiniti had a 1997 Model year Qx4, so...if you really want to say who came in first you should mention the LX450.


S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/24/2008 6:45:38 PM
-1 Boost
The QX4 was a re-badged Pathfinder, really a POS. You may as well count the Acura SLX too then, a little-known rebadged Isuzu Trooper.

Those cars don't compete with the Lexus RX. They are trucks. The RX is a crossover. Not even the ML--which came out a year before the RX--was the same type of vehicle. Its first true competition came from Acura and BMW.


M35MTM35MT - 11/25/2008 9:28:37 AM
+1 Boost
Wow, unless your have badge conscious problems the Qx4 is far from a POS. It had every luxury feature that was expected at the time and it was off road capable, and the Pathfinder is one of the best SUVs on the road. Not to mention it had Nissan's V6.

WTF dude?


S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/26/2008 12:54:47 AM
+1 Boost
"Wow, unless your have badge conscious problems the Qx4 is far from a POS."

Have you ever sat in one? Piss-poor excuse for a luxury SUV. Tons of fake wood, cheap plastic and awful seats. Don't take it personally because I know Infinitis today are miles ahead of what they were then. But the least you could do is admit that the truck was indeed crappy. It does everything a Pathfinder does, and nothing more, except maybe having xenon headlights and heated seats. Not enough.


silver1silver1 - 11/23/2008 8:10:29 AM
-4 Boost
Lexus is doing exactly the right thing. Giving consumers what they want. They are still America's #1 Luxury Brand by giving what the majority wants which is a Lexus like car.


WillisWillis - 11/23/2008 8:34:30 AM
+2 Boost
I agree with Silver. They're playing it safe. No major styling changes. Make the new RX look like an RX, no matter how bland or uncreative it might be styled.

Lexus clients typically don't seem to care much about style but want the quality, value and features over design or performance.


Agent63Agent63 - 11/23/2008 9:06:13 PM
+1 Boost
Many Lexus drivers are previous Toyota drivers so they know about the reliability attributes and why not to Lexus, a luxury brand under the same family of cars. I know some people didn't want to face the expensive German oem parts after warranty expired so they turned to a Lexus. The brand overall is cheaper than a world class Mercedes badge but still appeals to a broader range of the new generation of young adults. It may never grace the video of a music megastar but it will please the bargain shoppers in the luxury market and people who are seeking a less flashy design but doesn't want to sacrifice a reliable car. Not that Lexus are "cheap" but their cheaper than a Merc most definitely. The out-going RX still looks the best in my opinion. It's still quite feminine as the old one but it's always been that way anyways. I'm not a fan of this look. Toyota has never had any inspirational or revolutionary designs in their camp so this is no surprise.


silver1silver1 - 11/24/2008 11:35:38 AM
+2 Boost
"It may never grace the video of a music megastar"

Paul McCartney drives a Lexus and he a music star and several others.


mac075mac075 - 11/23/2008 9:34:58 AM
-3 Boost
Considering how nice, yet ultimately unrelated stylistically, the IS, ES, GS, and LS are..... this rendition of the RX is a complete disaster. The design language at Lexus is unique and not exactly fluid across the brand. So anything would have been better than the new RX. The Toyota Venza is MUCH better looking and cheaper!!!! Seriously, Lexus made a major mistake and I hope the usual buyers see it!


ISqqkkISqqkk - 11/23/2008 10:07:48 AM
-7 Boost
The overall design looks fine to me. Yet abandoning the touchscreen will be a huge mistake for the new RX. We don't need the inferior "i-drive" type of navigation.


S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/24/2008 6:48:09 PM
-1 Boost
"Lexus actually claims the IS-F was designed to be an everyday man's Porsche Carrera, that has 4 doors and is actually drivable."

The Carrera, with its lighter weight and smaller engine, is more drivable than the IS-F--or M3 sedan, or RS4, or C63 AMG--ever could be. That's why it's still so popular.


mitchatlexusofmarinmitchatlexusofmarin - 11/26/2008 1:20:35 PM
+1 Boost
Where did Lexus claim that S4? I have been privy to every Lexus mission statement for 19 years now, and honestly dont remember ever hearing that. BTW, the RX350/450 is a winner outside, and phenominal inside in person. You will just have to wait and see. I have spent time inside and trust me, it is a cut above anything else even close.


AudiNewEnglandAudiNewEngland - 11/23/2008 11:30:38 PM
-2 Boost
It looks awful...and so does the X3.


LexusKindaGuy12LexusKindaGuy12 - 11/23/2008 2:00:12 PM
-2 Boost
honestly, at first i was a bit skeptical. but most cars look better in person than in the press release photos.

in fact, it looks a bit better everytime i see it. sure its not what we would have wanted but you cant say that its an exact replica. i see some interesting new lines.


JUGNUJUGNU - 11/23/2008 4:59:08 PM
+1 Boost
hscentreconsole
so u r not only ill-mannered but also racist. this is my last reply to u.

JUGNU


HSCenterconsoleHSCenterconsole - 11/23/2008 7:06:41 PM
-4 Boost
JUGNU, you can only click the "reply to this comment" instead of doing an entirely new post.

My comment is anything but racist. Just look at all of the chrome SLR's, 599's, golden Camry's and other automotive atrocities coming out of the UAE right now. You can't deny that money can buy expensive cars, but certainly doesn't buy class.


answeranswer - 11/23/2008 6:06:46 PM
+3 Boost
I'll say this, there's nothing really wrong with the new RX. You might not like the way it looks, but the thing really doesn't appear to have lost its appeal to those who already were fond of it.

HOWEVER, this thing lacks anything making it truly special. Yeah the interior is different, but I wish they would have made it even more funky. And the exterior really is boring.

This is my biggest criticism of Lexus of the last several years: They aren't doing anything to set themselves apart.

Where is the stuff that makes people say "cool"? Why isn't the new RX only going to be offered as a hybrid? For that matter, why isn't the entire Lexus lineup hybrid-only?

I'll always be a Lexus fan, and think a lot of the most vocal Lexus critics are daft pricks. But, I guess I'll just remain dissapointed with models like this new RX because I know Lexus is capable of much more.




LexusKindaGuy12LexusKindaGuy12 - 11/23/2008 7:41:19 PM
0 Boost
the last few years have been boring?

s far, everything looks good to me. only the IS-C and this RX may be questionable. but the IS, GS, and LS have been big hits


answeranswer - 11/24/2008 12:25:02 PM
+2 Boost
But are any of those as visually impressive as the original SC?


S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/24/2008 6:50:37 PM
-1 Boost
"s far, everything looks good to me. only the IS-C and this RX may be questionable. but the IS, GS, and LS have been big hits"

Big hits = creative?

I know exactly what answer means. And it doesn't only apply to Lexus. The only leg they really have to stand on is the reliability. There is nothing else about their products that really makes them special.


S4cabriofoxoneS4cabriofoxone - 11/26/2008 12:56:13 AM
+1 Boost
" reliability is just about the most important thing to consider when buying a car.."

Wrong, that's totally subjective.

"the "original" SC was a COMPLETE rebadge of the jdm soarer, soo are you saying youd rather have a dynamic, stylish toyota than a reliable lexus??"

Other way around. The Soarer was a re-badged SC. I would rather have the old SC than the new SC.


Dr550Dr550 - 11/23/2008 7:31:08 PM
+3 Boost
Not suprised about style. Neighbor has 1st and 2nd generation RX and they look almost the same. Lexus design clinics must have come to similar conclusion. P.S. Couple is in their 60's.


LexusKindaGuy12LexusKindaGuy12 - 11/23/2008 7:40:14 PM
-1 Boost
i had the first gen RX300 and now i have the second generation RX330. let me just say...if you park them next to each other, you wont make a mistake in thinking they are the same.

in fact, the second gen is a full 7 inches longer than the old one, and 5 inches wider.


LexusKindaGuy12LexusKindaGuy12 - 11/23/2008 7:40:27 PM
-1 Boost
p.s. im in my 30s


dodgedartdodgedart - 11/24/2008 1:50:40 AM
-1 Boost
Maybe it's really a Hyundai. Is Lexus outsourcing?


xj13xj13 - 11/24/2008 6:01:05 AM
-2 Boost
looks like a fat "IS" lexus, damn ugly, next.


weaponXweaponX - 11/24/2008 9:59:50 AM
0 Boost
A financial atomic bomb just hit the global economy, and the US is at ground zero.

Who knows exactly if the damage will result in a Great Depression version 2.

In these troubled times the last thing a car company needs to do is radicalize a tried-and-true formula.



randy33randy33 - 11/24/2008 11:14:03 AM
-1 Boost
No credit? Bad credit?

Complain about "US Depression". In truth, everybody's FINE. STOP YOUR BITCHING PEOPLE.


M35MTM35MT - 11/24/2008 4:24:45 PM
+2 Boost
I remember when the 2004 RX was released, cleared-out talights, sexy curved back headlamps, "modern" interior design, nice looking rims. Boring to drive, fight the soccer mom with luxury bill perfecting. Sold so much that I'm sure it helped sell pre-owned RX's from the last generation.

This new one, however, is a step back. The interior is at least taking a chance, but who cares, it wont hide the fact that overall it just doesnt look good. It will be interesting to see if this sells.

Good luck Lexus.


DenaliDenali - 11/24/2008 5:32:34 PM
-1 Boost
BENCHMARK


enthusiastx11enthusiastx11 - 11/25/2008 12:49:37 PM
0 Boost
....of benign cars for people who hate driving and lack any sense of style.


enthusiastx11enthusiastx11 - 11/25/2008 12:48:56 PM
-1 Boost
wake me up when lexus makes an attractive SUV.


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