November 2015 Lexus | Auto Sales

[mmcartalk]

Last but not least, Lexus is still holding onto high-gloss wood trims and they are rapidly becoming out of fashion. Raw, matte or open-pore woods are the new standard for luxury and Lexus needs to at least offer them as an option in all models.

In other words, wood that actually looks like wood.

Polished wood may look (and feel) good on the upper steering-wheel rim, but I agree with you that it's not really best for the dash or door trim.

 

[mmcartalk]

There is nothing wrong with the interior of the IS. It needs refreshing on the exterior.

I don't quite agree. I owned a 1Gen IS300 for five years (in the hard-to-get Solar Yellow paint), which I thought was extremely well-built. Each version of the IS since then (at least IMO) has used materials inside and out that felt progressively less-solid. The chrome-ball shifter in my 1Gen IS, for instance, was real polished metal-chrome, not a piece of plastic. There are many other examples inside as well, but I don't have time to list them all here.

Lexus please cut that spindle grill into half now we have had enough

On this one, I tend to agree with you, but I don't think that is going to happen unless sales slump.

 

[CIF]

On the topic of the 1st gen IS, it was never actually built as a Lexus. It was built as a Toyota originally, and simply rebadged and sold as a Lexus in North America. Many people would argue the 1st gen IS interior was quite downmarket for a Lexus. I'm not sure I'd use that interior as a hallmark of quality.

 

[mmcartalk]

On the topic of the 1st gen IS, it was never actually built as a Lexus. It was built as a Toyota originally, and simply rebadged and sold as a Lexus in North America. Many people would argue the 1st gen IS interior was quite downmarket for a Lexus. I'm not sure I'd use that interior as a hallmark of quality.

Yes, I know it was a rebadged Toyota Altezza with the larger 3.0L in-line 6 (I owned one for 5 years). When I said interior "quality", I wasn't talking about something extremely plush like in an LS430, 4Gen Es330, or the 2Gen SC, with areas of wood-trim everywhere....it obviously was not like that by any means. By "quality" I meant something that was screwed-together well enough to last, using durable materials that didn't feel like they were of bargain-basement quality, and something that I could bounce my large, heavy frame in and out of, several times a day, for years, without the seats ending up looking like something an NFL team had practiced on LOL. In that, IMO, it was clearly the best of the three IS generations, though it lacked the later versions' AWD option and had lousy winter traction, even with electronic traction-aids.

The 1Gen IS also had some really nice interior features inside...not only the genuine-metal polished chrome ball-shifter I previously mentioned, but a shift lever itself that precision-snapped in and out of shift-gates like a Rolex watch, smart-looking chronograph-styled gauges, shift-buttons on both sides of the steeering-wheel spokes (front and back), and a killer stereo. The only things I didn't like inside were the total lack of wood trim, the orange instrument-panel lights, a quirky climate-control system that kept defaulting to recirculate instead of fresh-air, and some quirks in the shift-gate markings.

 

[CIF]

Yes, I know it was a rebadged Toyota Altezza with the larger 3.0L in-line 6 (I owned one for 5 years). When I said interior "quality", I wasn't talking about something extremely plush like in an LS430, 4Gen Es330, or the 2Gen SC, with areas of wood-trim everywhere....it obviously was not like that by any means. By "quality" I meant something that was screwed-together well enough to last, using durable materials that didn't feel like they were of bargain-basement quality, and something that I could bounce my large, heavy frame in and out of, several times a day, for years, without the seats ending up looking like something an NFL team had practiced on LOL. In that, IMO, it was clearly the best of the three IS generations, though it lacked the later versions' AWD option and had lousy winter traction, even with electronic traction-aids.

The 1Gen IS also had some really nice interior features inside...not only the genuine-metal polished chrome ball-shifter I previously mentioned, but a shift lever itself that precision-snapped in and out of shift-gates like a Rolex watch, smart-looking chronograph-styled gauges, shift-buttons on both sides of the steeering-wheel spokes (front and back), and a killer stereo. The only things I didn't like inside were the total lack of wood trim, the orange instrument-panel lights, a quirky climate-control system that kept defaulting to recirculate instead of fresh-air, and some quirks in the shift-gate markings.

You're strictly talking about interior durability then and fit and finish, not really quality. Look, there are Toyota Corolla and Toyota Echo/Toyota Tercel models that have highly durable interiors with strong fit and finish, but that does not make them necessarily possess high material quality and definitely not luxury.

How about certain years of certain Mercedes Benz products that have had so-so durability, and inconsistent fit and finish? Could one really argue those are not luxury interiors? It depends, as those interiors still used quality materials.

With the 1st gen IS, I very strongly believe that the interior material quality is average at best, nothing special. The fit and finish and durability of the interior is very good yes.

With the 2nd gen IS, the interior material quality was significantly better than the 1st gen IS. This is extremely hard to argue otherwise. However, the 2nd gen IS interior does have some issues with the durability and fit and finish of the interior.

With the current 3rd gen IS interior, frankly it's too early to talk about the durability of the interior. A few more years need to go by. Fit and finish seems strong. The interior material quality is not amazing; depending on who you ask it's either a bit worse or a bit better than the 2nd gen IS interior material quality. Therefore IMO, it's premature to say the 1st gen IS interior is 'better' or more durable than the 3rd gen IS interior.

Also, it greatly helps in interior discussions (and general auto discussions), to be as clear and concise as possible

 

[mmcartalk]

How about certain years of certain Mercedes Benz products that have had so-so durability, and inconsistent fit and finish? Could one really argue those are not luxury interiors? It depends, as those interiors still used quality materials.

From my admittedly limited experience (I did not personally own one)..Mercedes quality, including interior materials, nose-dived in the late 1990s, after the company was forced to cut costs rom Lexus/Infiniti competition. Yes, they still had some rich-looking stuff inside, but IMO a lot of it was surface glitz without real substance underneath it. (just to be fair, I think that Buick did the same on their Enclave SUV when it first debuted).

Also, it greatly helps in interior discussions (and general auto discussions), to be as clear and concise as possible

No problem. If anything I post is unclear or questionable to other posters, I don't mind comments or questions aimed at clarifying it. I've seen some real Bozo trolls and comments over the years (fortunately, not here on LE) that would make anything here look like Einstein.

 

[IS-SV]

From my admittedly limited experience (I did not personally own one)..Mercedes quality, including interior materials, nose-dived in the late 1990s, after the company was forced to cut costs rom Lexus/Infiniti competition. Yes, they still had some rich-looking stuff inside, but IMO a lot of it was surface glitz without real substance underneath it. (just to be fair, I think that Buick did the same on their Enclave SUV when it first debuted).

.

Unfortunately thats mostly the usual internet hearsay and unclear sweeping generalizations of little value for concise and accurate evaluation of Mercedes interiors in recent years/last decade. I've owned several Benz vehicles.

I'm not even sure what topic is anymore, lol... Just checked, "Nov. 15 auto sales".

 

[mmcartalk]

Unfortunately thats mostly the usual internet hearsay and unclear sweeping generalizations of little value for concise and accurate evaluation of Mercedes interiors in recent years/last decade. I've owned several Benz vehicles.

I'm not even sure what topic is anymore, lol...

11/15 Lexus sales.

Oh, and, BTW, in one of the new RX threads, when you posted that nice-looking shot of the dark-blue RX sitting outside the Lexus showroom on the front of the lot, I thought, for a moment, maybe, that you had just contributed to one more sale

 

[mikeavelli]

I need to add Benz sales which were down 13% from a year ago.

Going to be one hell of a December for car sales. I think the highest I've seen was 39k one year for Lexus, I wonder will any of the top 3 break 40k sales in a month. That is just a staggering number of luxury cars.

Who knows, maybe I'll try to help Lexus

 

[mmcartalk]

Who knows, maybe I'll try to help Lexus

You've certainly done your share. Maybe it's time for them to help YOU.

 

[mikeavelli]

On a related note seems the Rav-4 outsold the CRV for the first time.

 

[IS-SV]

On a related note seems the Rav-4 outsold the CRV for the first time.

That's a big accomplishment, nicely done Toyota. The CRV has been top selling SUV in US for a long time.

 

[Trexus]

The RC has come full circle since selling the RC on November 2014. The RC is off to a good start for the first 11 months of 2015 with only the RC 350 and RC F. Currently we now have the RC 200t and RC 300 awd sales should increase in the U.S. and worldwide.

November 2015
4 Series 3,424
RC 1,282
A5 1,277
G37 coupe 206

YTD 2015 (Jan - Nov)
4 Series 40,481
RC 13,073
A5 11,934
G37 coupe 3,659

Since Inception
4 Series 78,701
RC 14,995
A5 112,959

I'm projecting that Lexus will sell about 15,000 units (U.S.), 45,000 units (worldwide) of the RC for all of 2015.

RC 200t
RC 300h (outside U.S.)
RC 300 awd
RC 350
RC 350C (hopefully coming soon to replace IS 250C/350C)
RC F

Lexus bring the RC 300h to the U.S.

Audi has the A5, S5 and RS5. I'm sure most sales are of the A5 base model...

 

[Bulldog 1]

And yet...AutoNation was down in November ?!? Country's largest automotive retailer not breaking records? LOL.

 

[mikeavelli]

The RC has come full circle since selling the RC on November 2014. The RC is off to a good start for the first 11 months of 2015 with only the RC 350 and RC F. Currently we now have the RC 200t and RC 300 awd sales should increase in the U.S. and worldwide.

November 2015
4 Series 3,424
RC 1,282
A5 1,277
G37 coupe 206

YTD 2015 (Jan - Nov)
4 Series 40,481
RC 13,073
A5 11,934
G37 coupe 3,659

Since Inception
4 Series 78,701
RC 14,995
A5 112,959

I'm projecting that Lexus will sell about 15,000 units (U.S.), 45,000 units (worldwide) of the RC for all of 2015.

RC 200t
RC 300h (outside U.S.)
RC 300 awd
RC 350
RC 350C (hopefully coming soon to replace IS 250C/350C)
RC F

Lexus bring the RC 300h to the U.S.

Audi has the A5, S5 and RS5. I'm sure most sales are of the A5 base model...

Thanks for the data!!!

 

[IS-SV]

I need to add Benz sales which were down 13% from a year ago.

Yes, shortage of new SUV's constrained November Benz sales. Core sedans C, E, S remain strong from sales standpoint.

 

[Tragic Bronson]

On a related note seems the Rav-4 outsold the CRV for the first time.

Must be an extreme selldown of the 2015s...the 16 isn't showing up on the website yet. I'm sure Toyota had the incentives cranked out, and Honda quietly retreated.

 

[mikeavelli]

Bump for comparisons sake. We are working on the new date currently! Huge month!!!

 

[mmcartalk]

On a related note seems the Rav-4 outsold the CRV for the first time.

Possibly because the CR-V, long the reliability champ of compact car-based SUVs, has taken a reliability hit from Consumer Reports. Still not really an unreliable vehicle, and not below average, but not at the top of the class like it was for years.

 

[mikeavelli]

Possibly because the CR-V, long the reliability champ of compact car-based SUVs, has taken a reliability hit from Consumer Reports. Still not really an unreliable vehicle, and not below average, but not at the top of the class like it was for years.

Hey Mike, here is Dec 2015
https://lexusenthusiast.com/forums/threads/december-2015-sales-thread-lexus-year-end-totals.1361/

Seems the Rav-4 outsold the CR-V again but just barely