Lexus IS-F Wins Big in AJAC Test Fest

When the Automotive Journalists Association of Canada (AJAC) gathered together for their annual event to name the best vehicles for 2009, they brought in two Lexus’ to compete: The IS-F in the Best New Sports/Performance Car over $50k, and the LX 570 in the Best New SUV/CUV over $60k. The LX 570 ended up being …
Kevin · October 27th, 2008

Lexus LX 570 Contending for Motor Trend SUV of the Year

The Lexus LX 570 is up for the Motor Trend SUV of the year: Since last year’s contest, a lot has changed with regard to the SUV market. Most manufacturers are going for the smaller, more fuel-efficient, and in some cases car based vehicles, the 2009 Lexus LX 570 is none of those, and it’s …
Kevin · October 14th, 2008

Lexus Tops in Customer Loyalty

J.D. Power’s has released a first quarter report on Customer Loyalty, a study that determines what percentage of car buyers stick with the same manufacturer when purchasing a new vehicle. In the study, Lexus lead the way at 48%, four points higher than BMW and nearly four points over Mercedes. I find this to be …
Kevin · September 4th, 2008

Lexus Dominates J.D. Power Dependability Study

For the 14th year straight, Lexus has topped the J.D. Power Vehicle Dependability Study, and they did it in style. Take a look at this chart: This study measures the consumer problems on three-year-old vehicles. The substantial gap between Lexus and their next closest competitor illustrates an impressive 25 problem drop over 2007, when Lexus …
Kevin · August 7th, 2008

Lexus GS Video: 1998 Motor Trend Import Car of the Year

This video of Motor Trend television awarding the Lexus GS the 1998 import car of the year award is extraordinary if only for the sheer amount of praise heaped on the vehicle: “Almost as good as a new Corvette.” “Matching or exceeding the German traditions in every measure possible.” It’s no wonder why the second-generation …
Kevin · July 21st, 2008

Lexus places third in JD Power Initial Quality Study

The 2008 JD Power Initial Quality Study has been released, and Lexus has placed third overall and just one point under Infiniti for second place. The lineup is well represented In the individual segments, with both the LS and RX placing first in their respective groups. Here’s a full breakdown: Large Premium Car: LS (1st …
Kevin · June 4th, 2008

Lexus wins UK Security Award, LS wins Best Luxury Car

Here’s story that slipped through as I was finishing up the new version of this site: Lexus won two awards in the 2008 Fleet World Honours, taking home the Security award and the Best Luxury Car award for the LS: The Security Award reflects Lexus’s high levels of protection against theft of or from its …
Kevin · May 19th, 2008

Lexus ranked #2 Luxury Auto Brand in the USA

The Luxury Institute has released their annual report on the top prestige auto brands in the USA, and Lexus ranked #2, just behind Porsche and in front of Mercedes. Here’s some details about the survey: The proprietary Luxury Brand Status Index (LBSI) survey is the only measure of the prestige of leading brands among wealthy …
Kevin · May 13th, 2008

Lexus UK tops JD Power Customer Satisfaction study for 8th straight year

Count this among the news I missed last week when my head was buried in code, Lexus UK has topped the annual JD Power Customer Satisfication Index for the eighth year in a row: In the nameplate rankings, luxury Japanese brand Lexus ranks highest for an eighth consecutive year, receiving a customer satisfaction score of …
Kevin · May 13th, 2008

Lexus LS 600hL is the UK Chauffeur Car of the Year

The Lexus LS 600hL has been named the UK Chauffeur Car of the Year by The Chauffeur Magazine (no, really): Key factors behind the judges’ decision included the Lexus hybrid system which allowed for lower emission and competitive fuel economy, build quality, and the reclining and massaging rear seats which can adapt for shiatsu back …
Kevin · April 8th, 2008

Consumer Reports names the Lexus LS 460L the #1 Luxury Sedan of 2008

Consumer Reports has released its top picks for 2008, and among the ten winners, the Lexus LS 460L was chosen as the #1 luxury sedan: With a score of 99 out of 100 in CR’s road test, the LS 460L ($77,000) is CR’s highest-rated vehicle. It provides a no-compromise environment of comfort and roominess, coupled …
Kevin · February 28th, 2008

Lexus IS 350 V6 Engine Named as one of 2008’s Best

The 3.5L DOHC V-6 engine found in the Lexus IS 350 has been named as one of 2008’s top engines by Wards: As it earns its third consecutive 10 Best Engines award, Associate Editor Byron Pope sums up the Lexus-exclusive engine’s execution: “Good luck beating this in any category.” …where the IS 350 application really …
Kevin · January 21st, 2008

The Lexus LX 570 Already Winning Awards

I’m not sure how much stock you can put in an award given to an unreleased vehicle, but that didn’t stop WealthTV viewers from awarding the 2008 Lexus LX 570 “The Most Luxurious SUV” award. There wouldn’t be much to see here if the Lexus spokesman Paul Williamsen hadn’t pull the engine cover off : …
Kevin · January 6th, 2008

Lexus Scores High with Customer Retention

Lexus has ranked second in JD Power’s 2007 Customer Retention Study, retaining 63% of its new car buyers. This was only topped by Toyota, Lexus’ parent company, with 64.6%. This doesn’t surprise me at all, reliability and customer service holds a lot of weight in the minds of most car buyers, and Lexus has excelled …
Kevin · December 7th, 2007

Lexus IS 250 & GS 450h Place First in Australia’s Best Car Awards

The winners of Australia’s 2007 Best Car Awards have been announced, and Lexus was well represented, taking first place in two categories. For the second year in a row, the IS 250 was named the Best Prestige Car. The GS 450h placed first in the Best Luxury Car category, also for the second time in …
Kevin · December 5th, 2007

Lexus LS is the World’s Most Beautiful Large Sedan

Not exactly sure how it happened, but for the 15th Annual L’Automobile più Bella del Mondo (Most Beautiful Cars in the World) Awards, Lexus managed to snag first and second place in the Limousine (Large Sedan) category, with the LS 600h taking top spot and the LS 460 taking second. I’m surprised they didn’t just …
Kevin · November 26th, 2007

Lexus Places First in Japanese Customer Service

Lexus sure knows how to treat their customers, at least according to JD Power. On top of a first place finish in the JD Power Sales Satisfaction Index, Lexus dominated the Japanese Customer Service Index as well: Now in its sixth year, the study identifies five factors that measure customer satisfaction with service performed at …
Kevin · November 15th, 2007

Lexus Tops JD Power’s Sales Satisfaction Index

According to the latest JD Power Sales Satisfaction Index Survey, when it comes to selling cars, Lexus is tops: “Lexus improves by four rank positions from 2006, which is a gain driven primarily by increased customer delight with the dealership facility, salesperson performance and vehicle price,” said Tom Gauer, senior director of automotive retail research …
Kevin · November 14th, 2007

Consumer Reports: The Lexus GS AWD = Below Average

The news today is that the AWD versions of the Lexus GS, along with two Toyotas, have been dropped from Consumer Reports’ 2007 Recommended list. The net result, Toyota as a whole (including Lexus and Scion) has dropped from first overall to third, behind Honda and Subaru. What were the problems with the AWD GS, …
Kevin · October 16th, 2007

Lexus Tops American Customer Satisfaction Survey

Lexus has rated first with U.S. car buyers in the University of Michigan’s annual American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI), scoring 87 out of a possible 100 points. Rounding out the top five were BMW, Buick, Mercury and Cadillac, all with a score of 86. The telephone survey, which asks car buyers to rate their satisfaction …
Kevin · August 14th, 2007

Lexus & The Best Global Brands Report

Interbrand annually publishes a non-industry specific report on the Best Global Brands, ranked by “brand valuation”. This year, Lexus rings in at 92, same as last year, and was 10th overall in car brands. Much ado was given to Hyundai’s ranking, placing at the 72 position, above Porsche and Lexus. It can hardly be considered …
Kevin · July 30th, 2007

Lexus Wins Big in 2007 Motorist Choice Awards

The Motorist Choice Awards is an annual ranking of vehicles that deliver both the highest customer satisfication and lowest cost of ownership, held by Intellichoice and AutoPacific. For 2007, Lexus came first in a number of categories: Premium Luxury Car: Lexus LS Premium Sports Car: Lexus SC Aspirational Luxury Car: Lexus IS The LS 460 …
Kevin · July 29th, 2007

Lexus Places Third in J.D. Power Customer Service Study

Lexus has ranked third in the 2007 J.D. Power Customer Service Study, coming up behind Jaguar and Buick and tying with Cadillac: The study “measures the customer satisfaction of vehicle owners who visit the dealer service department for maintenance or repair work during the first three years of ownership”, and in its 27th year, is …
Kevin · July 19th, 2007

Reflecting on Initial Quality

While not Lexus specific, Joseph B. White of the Wall Street Journal has taken a deeper look at J.D. Power’s Initial Quality Survey and is driven to wonder, Is Initial Quality still relevant? Now, most of the major auto makers have made so much progress, that the Power Initial Quality Survey has less to offer …
Kevin · June 11th, 2007

Total Quality Index: Lexus Results

Another study was released today, this one by San-Diego-based research firm Strategic Vision. Their Total Quality Index, or TQI, is considered the premier measure of new vehicle owner satisfaction, as it asks buyers to rate every aspect of the owner experience. Lexus made a decent showing, with the RX 350 placing first in the Near …
Kevin · June 7th, 2007

Lexus Places Second in J.D. Power 2007 Initial Quality Study

J.D. Power & Associates published the results of their 2007 Initial Quality Study, and Lexus placed second in the overall rankings, behind Porsche: As you can see, it was a very close race, with Lexus owners reporting 94 problems per 100 Vehicles as compared to Porsche’s 91. The individual vehicle results were less flattering, with …
Kevin · June 6th, 2007

RX Models Finish High in Consumer Reports SUV Rankings

Both of Lexus’ current RX models ranked in the top four of Consumer Reports latest SUV rankings, with the RX400h coming in second and the RX350 tying the Acura MDX for third. Considering that the Highlander Hybrid took the number one spot, Toyota practically swept the Consumer Reports rankings. Not a bad result, though they …
Kevin · June 5th, 2007

Lexus Interiors Score High in KBB Research Study

KBB has released the “Interior Styling” results of their consumer automotive perceptions research study, and Lexus scored high in each of the luxury categories: Luxury Sedans 1. Lexus 2. Mercedes-Benz 3. Infiniti Luxury SUVs 1. Cadillac 2. Lexus 3. BMW Convertibles/Sports Cars 1. Mercedes-Benz 2. Porsche 3. Lexus From my own experience, I know Lexus …
Kevin · June 5th, 2007