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Old 01-25-2006, 12:47 AM
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Veloce300DT Veloce300DT is offline
TEAM MULHOLLAND
 
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Sacramento-Bay Area Corridor
Posts: 1,110
I can see where a Lexus may rub off to be of lesser quality. In my eyes the plastics arent of lesser quality, but of lesser finish; On an MBZ the plastics are finished on all visible surfaces- even in crevices in the glove box door jam. On a Toyota/Lexus there is less attention to these details... for example on my friends ES300 the glove box door has an unsmoothed ridge along the inner top of the glove box door, lending to a more mass produced economy feel than a quality finished feel. The stitching of the leather seats is slightly crooked in parts and all of the knobs and speedo look as though they have been lifted out of a Camry.... trim pieces and fittings are shared between Toyota and Lexus... which depending upon ones viewpoint can be a good or bad thing.... Sure its great for Toyota, they can make it cheaper to produce a luxury car by taking parts from the toyota parts bin. That cost saving obviously doesnt filter down to the consumer level as Lexus' sell at a premium, comparable to certain MBZ's that offer a more individualized and finished feel when looking at the small little details throughout the interior.

That said, Lexus' in my eyes arent of lesser quality, but are slightly less refined. More pedestrian. But they are still very very nice cars, and offer great value... who could say a dressed up Toyota is a BAD thing. They certainly dont compare to an MBZ when it comes to many little details... they share commonalities in only 2 areas... features and price. And for many consumers, those are the two most important factors when buying a car. Thats how Lexus has survived; before Lexus, toyota was one of the first automakers to offer ample features and QUALITY at competitive prices...and the people whom bought toys then moved into Lexus when they wanted more luxury. They could still own their duruable toyota, but now with leather, alloys, and wood trimmings. The same goes for the Honda/Acura phenomena. Those consumers are less interested in the little details like finish.


As far as a car that I wouldnt want to be seen in....... hmmmmm
I like lots of cars, and lots of ugly cars.... I have a fetish for french cars.. Pugs, Citroens, even the Renault LeCar. Many would consider the cars I like as hideous, or of bad taste. I'll just cut to the chase. Anything GM, or American for that matter, esp. if it has a Bush decal on it. Im so typical. Forgive me.
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