We have written about Lexus on many occasions and developed a great understanding of its features and capabilities. Today we will explore Lexus solely as a luxury brand. Let’s have an overview:
Lexus is undoubtedly a luxury brand. It consists of eleven different models in its luxury lineup with prices ranging from $35,000 to $130,000; indeed, a luxury price point. Lexus uses high-quality materials like open-pore wood, hand-folded trims, excellent LED ambiance illumination, and the latest technology to establish itself as a luxury brand.
However, this was only a summary. We have researched what luxury features and comforts Lexus offers and how it compares to other brands. Read on to get a better understanding of Lexus as a luxury brand.
Why Are Lexus Considered To Be Luxury Cars?
The Lexus lineup provides eleven luxury cars, including three sedans, five SUVs, and three coupes. As you can see, Lexus offers a variety of options with different levels of refinement and luxury. Its vast price range of $35,000 to $130,000 allows it to attract just about anyone interested in a luxury vehicle with a model perfect for them. According to Forbes, this makes Lexus the fourth luxury car brand globally.
Lexus’s sedans include the Lexus IS/IS500, Lexus ES, and Lexus LS. The Lexus ES comes in a hybrid option as well, with a hybrid option for the LS model coming soon too. The Lexus LS is the all-in-one luxury king among the offered sedans, and the Lexus IS 500 is their luxury sports-oriented sedan.
The available coupes are the Lexus RC, Lexus RCF, and Lexus LC. The Lexus RCF and Lexus LC both provide luxury but provide incredible performance with the highest horsepowers in the Lexus lineup (Lexus RCF: 472, Lexus LC: 471). The Lexus LC is also available in a hybrid and convertible option.
The SUVs offered include the Lexus UX, Lexus NX, Lexus RX, Lexus GX, and the Lexus LX. The UX, NX, and RX offer hybrid options, and NX also offers a plug-in hybrid option. The Lexus GX and Lexus LX are the top two luxury SUVs, and the LX is the best luxury vehicle that Lexus has to offer.
Luxury
Exterior
The Lexus luxury sedan, Lexus LS, and luxury SUV, Lexus LX, have stunning exteriors. Lexus’s exterior design in its lineup is exceptional, especially in its top models. The sleek headlamps and taillamps, and magnificent alloy wheel options dictate that it is an actual luxury vehicle that commands respect wherever it goes.
Interior
Interior. The defining factor of luxury vehicles. Lexus amazes us with its elegant and sophisticated interior that showcases finesse. The cabin ensures complete comfort with its massaging power seats and butterfly headrests and, of course, manifests grandeur with its hand-pleated trim, a tribute to origami art which is such a complicated expression that human hands can only fold it.
The cabin is complemented with a panorama glass roof and thematic ambient illumination that personalizes your environment, making it perfect for you. The soft LED illumination welcomes you into the cabin. The masterful placement of LEDs creates a tranquil environment where your armrests give the impression that they are floating (in the Lexus LS). An elegant and refined cabin indeed.
Features
What luxury vehicle is complete without exclusive features? Lexus utilizes the latest technology to bring you an array of features. It offers a 7.0-inch rear center console in the Lexus LS and two 11.4-inch LCD screens for rear-seat entertainment in the Lexus LX.
The cabin makes driver convenience a priority with features like Intelligent Assistant, which allows you to control most in-car features with casual speech, and a color Head-up display for all the essential information in one place, the windshield. The cabin also has the ability to engulf you with its Mark Levinson surround-sound system offering the latest three-dimensional technology in an automobile.
F Sport
The F Sport trim revolves around exceptional handling. It utilizes F Sport-tuned Adaptive Variable Suspension and Adaptive Variable Air Suspension to give you an extraordinary handling experience. It offers upgrades in exterior styling such as F Sport front fender badges, mesh grille inserts and 22” Dark Grey Metallic finish F Sport wheels on the Lexus LX and 20” Dark vapor Chrome finish F Sport wheels on the Lexus LS.
GX Black Line Special Edition
The special edition Lexus GX offers upgrades on interior and exterior. On the outside, you’ll find rugged roof rails, 18” six-spoke alloy wheels with Gloss Black finish, and a black grille surround that creates a bold and commanding exterior. The interior is upgraded to a Black and Gray NuLuxe trim with light gray stitching accents complemented with a unique open-pore Black Ash wood trim.
Capabilities
Luxury remains incomplete without performance to back it up. We’ve seen that Lexus delivers on the luxury front. In fact, it excels there. So how does it fare on the performance front? Below we have listed the horsepower and 0 to 60 mph times for the Lexus lineup.
| Model | Horsepower | 0 – 60 Time (seconds) |
| Lexus IS / IS 500 | 311 | 4.4 |
| Lexus ES / ES Hybrid | 302 | 6.6 |
| Lexus LS | 416 | 4.6 |
| Lexus UX | 169 | 8.9 |
| Lexus NX / NX Hybrid / NX PHEV | 304 | 6.6 |
| Lexus RX / RX Hybrid | 295 / 308 | 7.7 / 7.9 |
| Lexus GX | 301 | 7.8 |
| Lexus LX | 409 | 6.9 |
| Lexus RC | 311 | 5.8 |
| Lexus RCF | 472 | 3.96 |
| Lexus LC / LC Hybrid / LC C | 471 | 4.4 |
The Lexus lineup offers a tremendous range of horsepower offerings and great 0 to 60 mph times. Most models provide more than 300 horsepower, and a few exceed the 400 horsepower mark. Its two most luxurious models have horsepowers greater than 400.
The Lexus LS comes with 416 horsepower and a stunning 0 to 60 time of 4.6; the Lexus LX comes with 409 and an admirable 0 to 60 mph time of 6.9. The performance options available in Lexus are fantastic, allowing you to opt for any vehicle without worrying about performance.
Its top luxury models have excellent performance capabilities. If you want to take it a step further, Lexus offers the Lexus RCF, a stunning vehicle with 472 horsepower and 0 to 60 mph time of under 4 seconds.
Price And Cost
Lexus demands a price point worthy of Luxury vehicles. Lexus’s lowest-priced vehicle is the Lexus UX standing in at $34,225. This pricing makes it clear that Lexus is a luxury brand, with all of its models bearing different levels of Luxury.
The table below shows the starting prices of the Lexus lineup models.
| Model | Starting Price |
| Lexus IS | $39,850 |
| Lexus ES | $41,875 |
| Lexus LS | $77,075 |
| Lexus UX | $34,225 |
| Lexus NX | $39,025 |
| Lexus RX | $46,645 |
| Lexus GX | $56,700 |
| Lexus LX | $88,245 |
| Lexus RC | $43,545 |
| Lexus RCF | $66,945 |
| Lexus LC | $94,125 |
The starting prices start at around $35,000 and go up to $95,000. As stated before, the pricing strategy of Lexus defines it as a luxury brand. Lexus has a higher price point than brands like Acura or Buick, helping it set itself apart. However, several Lexus vehicles also last a long time, including the RX350. Its top models, such as the LS and LX, have prices similar to high-end luxury brands like BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Although maxed out, Mercedes-Benz and BMWs can exceed $150,000.
Safety
Luxury brands tend to offer the latest safety technologies and features available. Let’s look at the most crucial safety features that Lexus offers.
- Pre-Collision System with Pedestrian Detection provides steering assistance and can apply the brakes if necessary when a pedestrian or vehicle collision is detected. This feature includes left turn intersection detection and detection of bicyclists in the daytime.
- Lane Tracing Assist and Lane Departure Alert with Steering Assist, which helps you stay in your lane and provides steering assistance if required.
- Intuitive Parking Assist with Rear Cross-Traffic Alert and Braking is especially helpful when reversing out of parking spots.
- Trailer Sway Control helps detect and suppress unwanted trailer movement.
- Blind Spot Monitor
What Lexus Is Top Of The Line And Why?
The Lexus LX sits at the top of the Lexus luxury lineup. The Lexus LX comes at a starting price of $88,245 and its highest trim, the LX 600 Ultra Luxury, comes at a starting price of $127,345. It provides 409 horsepower and 479 lb-ft of torque, giving you a 0 to 60 mph time of 6.9 seconds and a combined MPG estimate of 19.
The Lexus LX is a breathtaking vehicle. No other word for it. On the outside, its gorgeous design spells out luxury, further enhanced by its elegant blade tail lamp and graceful 22” forged Silver finish alloy wheels.
The interior of the LX is just as incredible, if not more. The interior uses hand-selected premium materials to give it the best finishing and refinement. The offered open-pore wood trims and thematic ambient illumination transform the cabin into a place of tranquility.
The LX offers a four-seat configuration. It consists of second-row captain’s chairs trimmed in diamond stitch semi-aniline leather that reclines up to 48 degrees. It also provides a power-retractable ottoman and personal table.
All of the above, paired with the latest technology like color head-up display, intelligent assistant, rear-seat entertainment, and the Lexus app, make for a top-of-the-line luxury vehicle.
Where Does Lexus Rank Amongst Other Luxury Car Brands?
Lexus is ranked as the fourth-largest luxury brand by Forbes. The three brands above it are BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi. Lexus beats out other brands like Buick and its Japanese competition like Acura and Mazda.
It stands above them because it offers better material in its interior, better refinement, and a price point that clarifies its luxury status. Lexus comes as a competitor to the big three luxury brands. BMW focuses on making its vehicles driver’s cars and offers better and higher performance options than Lexus.
Audi also has good reliability and costs more than Lexus while providing even better refinement and brand weight. Mercedes-Benz continues to define the luxury world with its S class, making it easy for it to rank above Lexus.
Although BMW, Mercedes-Benz, and Audi are thought of as having higher luxury status, Lexus has a tremendous growth rate owing to its outstanding reliability and lower overall maintenance costs.
Should You Get A Lexus?
Yes, it is an incredible option. Lexus is a better luxury option than many other cars because of its refinement, elegance, and comfort. We’ll focus on why a Lexus may be better than the big three luxury brands: Audi, BMW, and Mercedes-Benz.
Lexus has a price point similar to Mercedes-Benz and BMW, while it’s usually lower than Audi. One of the main advantages that Lexus has over these brands is reliability. Lexus cars are more reliable, and they have lower overall maintenance costs because they generally have fewer maintenance needs, and each maintenance visit costs less on average than the three big brands.
Toyota’s stellar reputation as a reliable brand helps too. Those who don’t know much about luxury brands and are first-time buyers instantly trust Lexus because it’s Toyota’s luxury division. Toyota is a brand synonymous with reliability and understood by anyone remotely interested in automobiles.
Lexus also has a better resale value than other luxury brands giving it another edge. Many people prefer Lexus, and why Lexus has tremendous sales growth.
We would recommend the Lexus LS and Lexus LX for those who want no compromise on Luxury. Although those who want to spend a little less may still do so at Lexus, there’s a great vehicle at every price point starting north of $35,000.
If you want to spend less still, you can opt for brands like Acura and Mazda, which don’t offer the same level of refinement but still have great value for money and many premium features and stylish designs.
Closing Thoughts
In wrapping up, Lexus is a luxury brand and a great option even comparatively to other big names, and we hope that our detailed analysis of this brand will help you figure out if this is the type of brand you want to invest in.
If you’re on the market for a Lexus car you might want to consider checking our multiple articles talking in depth about Lexus models and their possible issues like the Lexus RX450h Hybrid, and many more.
In conclusion, being informed and proactive can save you a lot of headaches down the road. Happy driving!
Sources
- https://www.lexus.com/models/LX
- https://www.lexus.com/models/GX?link[model_overlay_special_edition][SHOW_PAGE]=true
- https://www.lexus.com/models/LS
- https://www.forbes.com/companies/lexus/?sh=37f88faa2dc7
His interests in cars, motorcycles, and machines led him to the University of Engineering and Technology, Lahore where he is currently a mechanical engineering sophomore.
His future aims include the development of an energy-efficient prototype vehicle for the Shell Eco-Marathon competition and getting a Master’s Degree in Automotive Engineering from Germany.