Why Doesn't Lexus Sell In The Uk?

[mikeyv]

Having a diesel Lexus 220d , it really is not very good at all engine wise . I bought it because it wasn't a BMW or Audi and wanted to be different . Sadly it is different and is back in the dealer again on Monday for another £800 worth of work, a new EGR and a Water pump leak . Less than 36 MPG overall is also disappointing.

The hybrid IS300 looks better but I don't do much city driving so I don't do the drive cycle to suit that car .

My next car will be a Honda Accord estate , Lexus don't do an estate or a decent engine in the uk.

All in all Jap cars don't sell that well over here because they are boring and they don't do diesels that well .

I had an Accord tourer a few years back, and the 2.2 diesel was a cracking engine, the motoring press agreed, so it must have been good.

[rayaans]

Having a diesel Lexus 220d , it really is not very good at all engine wise . I bought it because it wasn't a BMW or Audi and wanted to be different . Sadly it is different and is back in the dealer again on Monday for another £800 worth of work, a new EGR and a Water pump leak . Less than 36 MPG overall is also disappointing.

The hybrid IS300 looks better but I don't do much city driving so I don't do the drive cycle to suit that car .

My next car will be a Honda Accord estate , Lexus don't do an estate or a decent engine in the uk.

All in all Jap cars don't sell that well over here because they are boring and they don't do diesels that well .

Well thats obviously your fault for buying the car then isnt it? Its like buying a BMW 114d and complaining it doesnt have enough power ?

[Tyrosman]

My wife has a VW Passat and I have the RX300 both cars a similar age (10years) and mileage circa 73,000miles. The Passat has been the most reliable and least expensive to repair just two faults, a leaking radiator cost £280 replaced and fitted and front driveshaft gaiters supplied and fitted for £230.

The RX300 had a power steering pump leak (Lexus replacement part circa £900 plus fitting). Passenger heater servo failed cost £200 fitted and now the heater matrix faulty, cost unknown. Not a fault but the offside door mirror was vandalised. Door mirror unit replacement part £518 plus fitting.

Fuel consumption for the passat diesel - 45+mpg. For the Rx300 - around 20-23mpg.

I am not damning the Lexus one bit the car is excellent, only the ridiculous cost of spare parts. Therefore the cost of ownership must be a leading factor re. VW as opposed to Lexus.

[VILLAN57]

Having a diesel Lexus 220d , it really is not very good at all engine wise . I bought it because it wasn't a BMW or Audi and wanted to be different . Sadly it is different and is back in the dealer again on Monday for another £800 worth of work, a new EGR and a Water pump leak . Less than 36 MPG overall is also disappointing.

The hybrid IS300 looks better but I don't do much city driving so I don't do the drive cycle to suit that car .

My next car will be a Honda Accord estate , Lexus don't do an estate or a decent engine in the uk.

All in all Jap cars don't sell that well over here because they are boring and they don't do diesels that well .

Well thats obviously your fault for buying the car then isnt it? Its like buying a BMW 114d and complaining it doesnt have enough power ?

Not with you mate , why is it my fault the car is unreliable and only does 36 to the gallon and not the claimed 44 mpg? I didn't buy it thinking it did 60 mpg , I can normally get more MPG than the stated company MPG. I suggest you read my post again.

[VILLAN57]

Having a diesel Lexus 220d , it really is not very good at all engine wise . I bought it because it wasn't a BMW or Audi and wanted to be different . Sadly it is different and is back in the dealer again on Monday for another £800 worth of work, a new EGR and a Water pump leak . Less than 36 MPG overall is also disappointing.

The hybrid IS300 looks better but I don't do much city driving so I don't do the drive cycle to suit that car .

My next car will be a Honda Accord estate , Lexus don't do an estate or a decent engine in the uk.

All in all Jap cars don't sell that well over here because they are boring and they don't do diesels that well .

I had an Accord tourer a few years back, and the 2.2 diesel was a cracking engine, the motoring press agreed, so it must have been good.

I almost bought one before this Lexus , wish I had now . My son in law has one , traded his 320D in for it as he was so ****** off with the beamer . Not a spot of bother with the Honda and it does more MPG than my Lexus.

Going back on topic , I think most Brits see a Lexus as a rebadged Toyota and others seem to think they are expensive , when they are cheaper than the rival Merc BMWs Audis JLR's etc

[Robin M]

Having bought my Lexus in the year dot (when Lexus was in it's infancy here) after many years of being a ripped-off Merc driver, I was astounded at the level of service provided. Add to that the undeniable quality,reliability etc.

In those days, Lexus aimed its market squarley against Merc and they won (may be not in huge volumes, but in immensely satisfied owners).

Then they decided to take the fight to the little squirt BM 3 series market, with the IS (undoutably a fine car), but in the minds of many Lexus owners, this was a case of devaluing the brand.

What followed was then a bunch of 'large Jap-looking cars' (fatal mistake not to keep Giugiaro) and spreading resources all over the broad market spectrum.

Consequenlty a lot has sufered - my biggest gripe, service (local dealer farmed out to multi-marque group) tried getting a replacement key fob the other week and ended being re-directed to 5 different locations in the country, before just giving up!)

Many moons back, I decided to spoil myself with a nice watch. Up market jeweller in S'pore (before anything else) asks

"What car do you drive?"

When I replied - he got out a stunning(but simple) Breitling

When i asked him why he had suggested this, reply was

"If you had said Merc, then it would have been a Rolex so you could show off that you had made it, BMW then a Tag-Heuer because you cannot really afford quality and want to fool people with flash.

Breitling because it is understated quality and you have nothing to prove!"

I still have both car & watch and am still as ecstatic as day one. (although it probably is about time to get a new Gs350 F Sport before decades-long mid-life crisis wanes

[BigV]

In my job until last year all the managers had top of the range Ford Mondeo's as fleet cars. Now it seems a Mondeo is no longer good enough and only an exec German brand will do. Hence 3 Managers have BMW's, 1 has a Merc and 1 an Audi. I spoke to one of them recently and was told Lexus was not given as a choice when choosing their next company car.

German brands are seen to be aspirational, but even VW is not good enough. Couple this with a lack of imagination among the British public. They don't seem to care that they drive the same car as 2 million others as long as it's overpriced and German and I guess you have part of your answer.

However I do agree that the range of Lexus engines is poor, particularly diesels and this doesn't help with sales.

For my part, I love the fact I drive something so rare and different. (IS250C) I spent £20k plus on my car and would not have felt happy if I had bought the same as everyone else. I often get stopped and asked questions about it, I don't suppose too many 3 series drivers could say the same.

[I CU2]

None of the Japanese brands over here offer a good diesel engine. Nothing from Lexus/Honda. etc! It's all petrol or hybrid (we do get the IS350 though, took 5 years after the initial US launch though

Pricing for German parts though are absolutely ridiculous as well as servicing costs - does the same apply to the UK too?

VW destroyed their brand image here with that silly DSG gearbox and the issues it has caused people.

[I CU2]

We don't even get the Accord Tourer here! I'm quite jealous of your markets broad range and especially the prices you guys pay!

[Silver Arrow]

Having a diesel Lexus 220d , it really is not very good at all engine wise . I bought it because it wasn't a BMW or Audi and wanted to be different . Sadly it is different and is back in the dealer again on Monday for another £800 worth of work, a new EGR and a Water pump leak . Less than 36 MPG overall is also disappointing.

The hybrid IS300 looks better but I don't do much city driving so I don't do the drive cycle to suit that car .

My next car will be a Honda Accord estate , Lexus don't do an estate or a decent engine in the uk.

All in all Jap cars don't sell that well over here because they are boring and they don't do diesels that well .

I had an Accord tourer a few years back, and the 2.2 diesel was a cracking engine, the motoring press agreed, so it must have been good.

I almost bought one before this Lexus , wish I had now . My son in law has one , traded his 320D in for it as he was so ****** off with the beamer . Not a spot of bother with the Honda and it does more MPG than my Lexus.

Going back on topic , I think most Brits see a Lexus as a rebadged Toyota and others seem to think they are expensive , when they are cheaper than the rival Merc BMWs Audis JLR's etc

Some of us do recall though, as Brits, the Alteza and the Celsior came here as Lexus. Also, some of the Toyota Amazon's are sold over in the states as RX's too. To be honest, I'm glad that they don't sell well here. It means that we can enjoy exclusivity, great customer service and a bracingly good car. If they start selling loads and loads, the dealers will start having Sytner BMW and Audi style "fast lane" servicing, and make you feel as though they are doing you a favour.

So I say let the so called badges of the german cars take the sales....

I do agree though that in my opinion and that of some of the dealers I've spoken to the IS220d was probably the worst car Lexus ever made, it was my first and i swore my last....but....

[Pete-r]

I think the Deisel issue is a major factor, as is the reduction in choice of engines.

If you take BMW for example, the lexus range matches the 1,3,5,7,X5 but you only have a choice of engines in the IS, GS and LS and even then there's only 2.

Compare the CT200h to the 1 series, you have 116,118.120.125,130,135 etc and all the D's , all in coupe, hatch and cabrio etc. it's the same with the other series.

The market share for Lexus is always a cul de sac, and with no performance brand as such away from the ISF the image is always of the cars being wafty.

Personally having owned lots of cars from zee germanz, I like the more low volume nature of the lexus. I think it's more like Jaguar in that respect, the car park in work is literally littered with bmw, audi and Mercedes and maybe 5 lexus and 10 jags.