Lexus Shook Up The Luxury Market In 1989 - Can You Still Say The Same Now?

It really doesn't need to shake things up again. It's pretty well established now... at least in the U.S. market.

To this day I credit Lexus for focing the Germans to step up their game when it comes to reliability and standard equipment offered...

Yes, even now I can still say 'Lexus shook up the luxury market In 1989'.

Unfortunately, the Japanese don't seem to be able to keep shocking the world. Nissan GT-R came back in 2007, which shocked the entire automotive industry and many automakers learned a lot from it, but now, GT-R is not really much. NSX is also the same case.

Yes, it's true. Lexus rocked the entire house in 1989 and for the next 12 years. But since it became its own worst enemy. First, they changed the direction of the SC from a phenomenal luxury sport coupe to the less-than-phenomenal SC convertible. Then they essentially went price-for-price with the Germans, no longer offering the incredible luxury value that was one of the cornerstones of their original business model. Then they moved away from the bread-and-butter formula of creamy, handsome luxury with undeniable reliability. The new formula still hasn't quite caught on the way they probably anticipated. Their two top-selling models, by a significant margin, still follow the original formula: the ES and RX.

And I'll add the the LF-A probably didn't have the impact that Lexus intended. I think Lexus wanted it to usher in a new era of performance in order to change the perception of the brand. But because the LF-A was so rare, the general public didn't really get to see or hear it. It wasn't featured in any major Hollywood movies, ala the R8 (Iron Man) or SLS (Transformers). It was certainly known and loved amongst auto enthusiasts, but I don't think it quite hit the general public the way it needed to.

Pretty good take on things. They definitely changed the way the Germans treat their customers, not that it was bad before, but it wasn't up to Lexus standards. They also forced some price reality, but then Lexus went stale. For Lexus to have dropped the ball with the 2013 LS was a telling sign that they couldn't keep the pace anymore. The LS was the car that started it all, it should have been brand new for 2013, but all it got was a facelift and now it is just outdated as the S-Class KILLS it in both sales and on the road.

Lexus didn't shake up the luxury market in 1989 that much, it changed a few things, for example.....

Taking sales away from already royally fucked-up Cadillac and Lincoln,

In 1990 Benz's E-class, which came into market in 1985 as a 86 model was on its 5-th year, people gave Lexus a try and when in 1993 Benz introduced a new v6 engine that was able to fuck Lexus LS400 V8 people went back to Benz and in 1994-5 on its last 2 years of production E-class sales went back up 15000 units a year, the quad headlight W210 E-class introduced in 1995 as a 96 model really shook the world and always averaged 50000 units a year.

What the media. most ignorant people and what robotically trained Lexus salesmen that were trained to say all sorts dumb things has never matched reality.

Lexus was more of a hyper hoopla that a sales champ.

If it was such a great car? then why was it copied from Benz??? Why was it changed 5 years later ??? (which is too early for a luxury car) and then why was the front changed for another 3 years. 1998-00

The only time Lexus LS had success was 2001 to 2007 when Benz was going through Chrysler inspired fucked-up quality problems. Once people found out that 2007 and up S-class was being built with Benz's old-fashioned durability under the new CEO's orders, S-class sales went wayyyy up

The only sales champs with Lexus badge are RX, a glorified Highlander due to the fact that direct competition Benz's ML is always ugly so people go for RX and glorified Camry and recently changed to Avalon based ES, a front wheel drive sedan that's every woman's and retired people's favorite that has no competition whatsoever from Germans.

How the fuck can you claim your car to be luxury when it's front-wheel drive ??? I have no idea, that shit is only possible in USA with good marketing and gullible people who have long given up all the Detroit-made shit that broke down on them all the time

I agree. This is because the U.S. is practically a country with so many classless people, just like how New York City is the only world class city in the United States.

You always hear about the American celebrities vacationing to the major European cities like Paris, but not like Utah, Wisconsin, Virginia and such average Joe cities.

It's interesting how the European imperialism still strongly lives on today in their own luxury brands, as they pretty much appeal to the entire world.

You can also feel the greatness of America today, in McDonald's, KFC, Burger King (Oh wait, it is now Canadian, isn't it?), Detroit and Apple's bendable iPhone 6 Plus Tsk Tsk Tsk

Oops, I meant average Joe states.

Or maybe I meant to say, not-so-interesting states?

Why not just quite while you're behind?

There was no Benz with a V6 in 1993 lol, but you're right for the most part. Lexus is a has been now, but they're starting to come back.

Lexus followed the LS with the orginal luxury crossover and still leads this category.

What I meant was the 6 Cylinder engine they had on then W124 E-class. It was upgraded to aluminum block 3.2 from 3.0
It was always an inline 6