What Is The Most Prestigious Brand?

This is a touchy subject among car enthusiasts but we felt that we might as well bring it up since it always brings a lot of sub-topics to the table, and rightfully so.

From Ultra-luxury brands like Rolls Royce, Bentley, and Maybach to premium-luxury brands such as Audi, BMW, Jaguar, & Mercedes to modest luxury brands such as Acura, Cadillac, Infiniti, & Lexus all of these have the right to be prestigious in their own rights.

We randomly asked 30 people on the street to do a survey and that is why we have a 3 tier grouping system. It came to our surprise that Lexus wasn't mentioned in the same sentence as Audi, BMW, Jaguar, & Mercedes because they are such a powerhouse here in North America. However, that doesn't mean Lexus isn't prestigious.

Tier 1
Rolls Royce: beautifully sculpted body and ultra luxury amenities make this car one of the most desired barges to get around in. The perfect car for the ultra wealthy.

Bentley: they differs than the Rolls Royce in the type of consumers they attract. Rolls Royce is old money whereas Bentley owners seem to be born after the baby boomers. Cars like the Bentley GT coupe really gave the company new life.

Maybach: it's been called the private jet on wheels to other names like it. It's as luxurious as the two automakers just mentioned. It has even more amenities than it's competition and more room in the back seat. It's for the elite who don't want flash like a Rolls Royce but yet still desire the pampering cushioned ride of a Rolls Royce.

Tier 2
Audi: as VW's luxury division, Audi has become very well respected world wide. It's contemporary and modest design philosophy really grabs the attention of the buyers who want a fine built German saloon without the glitter and flash of a Mercedes-Benz.


BMW: the "Ultimate Driving Machine" as they call it and rightfully so. The 3-series BMW saloon and coupe have been the benchmark in it's segment for years for handling and comfort all in one package. It's definitely more sporty than an Audi or a Mercedes but it caters to those who want luxury but also those who love to drive.


Jaguar: It's safe to say people who buy Jaguar are those who look for traditional British luxury. It's the next best thing next to Rolls Royce and Bentley (even though they are owned by Germans). Jaguar new XF models differs from traditional Jaguar so perhaps that may draw interest from consumers who typically turn to Mercedes as the luxury brand to own. They are very prestigious (especially the high end XJ's)


Mercedes: Not much mentioning is needed for this marque brand. It's been the definition of luxury in a global scale for any person looking for a luxury car. Their innovative technology has benchmarked themselves as the most recognized brand in the world. They cater more to luxury seekers than consumers looking for a sporty ride. Mind you they have a great AMG division which makes adrenaline pumping, gas guzzling, acceleration a must-have.


Tier 3

Acura: some call them overpriced Honda's but in reality they differ much from the parent company. We find that Acura's have more care put into their fine finishing. Acura's proposition seems to be more solid than their Honda counterparts. We feel that they are the most understated and under-rated luxury brand in North America. They bring well equipped and well priced luxury vehicles to the table which is a great alternative to the slightly more expensive Infiniti's & various Lexus models. As for it's prestige it lacks the luster of even a Lexus but does its job well and based from our studies, their customers are taken care of very well.

Cadillac: the only American luxury brand maker that made our list. They make heavy comfortable cars and is the best domestic luxury brand in North America. They put Chrysler and Lincoln to shame. Their levels of quality is considered high compared to Chrysler's cheap plastic and Lincoln's inability to keep their door sills lined up with the set on the rear door. Cadillac has prestige and in country's such as China and among others in Asia, they are perceived as very respectable cars. In a world where there are many millionaires and billionaires these cars are a favorite.

Infiniti: has made themselves known for performance luxury vehicles. Their level of prestige is no where close to a Lexus but in our opinion their at the same level until you reach past the M35/M45 price range. They are probably the closest competitor to Acura since both brands don't exactly have a "flagship" vehicle. Not yet at least. So does this Infiniti brand have any prestige? of course! otherwise they wouldn't be considered a luxury brand. They just don't have the reputation of a Lexus. Not yet...



Lexus: has hired the best of the best marketers to promote their brand. They have separated themselves from their Japanese rivals enough that they can contend with the European brands. Some call them glorified Toyota's or expensive Toyota's. In fact, they do share similar components to this day despite them claiming their completely separate entities. Their marketers have built an image for their brand of cars to a level of prestige that their Japanese rivals only wish they could have.

July 07' Motor Trend Magazine Picks A Hyundai Over A Lexus

In the July issue of the Motor Trend Magazine there was an article doing a comparison between the Hyundai Veracruz Limited AWD and the Lexus RX350. It is obviously not a biased comparison but what does this really mean? Does it mean that Hyundai is moving up in the market and capturing their targeted segments slowly under the radar?

Hyundai(even KIA) have never been the most respected cars but perhaps the writers saw something that we don't and that can pose potential threat to the brands that are more expensive than any models offered by Hyundai.

It will be interesting to see what the next reviews and comparisons between other models in the Hyundai lineup will be and how they match up.

Toyota Reports May Sales - Lexus 4.8% increase in sales compared to May 2006

(Torrance, CA)

June 1, 2007 – Torrance, CA - Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today reported all-time best-ever sales of 269,023 vehicles for the month, an increase of 9.7 percent over May 2006. The former all-time best-ever record was 242,675 units in March 2007.

"As fuel prices and consumer confidence rose, the industry saw a move to passenger cars, with retail business posting sharp gains over a very challenging April," said Jim Lentz, TMS executive vice president. "Despite the industry's shift toward passenger cars, Toyota's all-new Tundra hit an all-time high in May. As for hybrids, the market's appetite continues unabated, with Prius also establishing an all-time record."

The Toyota Division posted all-time best-ever sales of 237,176, up 10.9 percent over last May. The Lexus Division reported best-ever May sales of 31,847 units, an increase of 2.1 percent.

Toyota Division
Toyota Division passenger cars recorded all-time best-ever sales of 148,327, an increase of 12.7 percent over last May. Passenger car sales were led by Camry, which posted best-ever May sales of 50,126, up 11.8 percent over the same period last year. Camry Hybrid reported sales of 6,853 units in May. The Prius hybrid gas-electric mid-size sedan posted all-time best-ever sales of 24,009, an increase of 184.9 percent over May 2006. The Yaris subcompact reported an increase of 30.5 percent, posting best-ever May sales of 10,949 units. Corolla reported all-time best-ever sales of 45,238 units, an increase of 4.7 percent over the year-ago month.

Toyota Division light truck sales were up eight percent, with a best-ever May total of 88,849 units. Light truck sales were led by the RAV4 compact sport utility vehicle (SUV), which reported best-ever May sales of 16,547, up 13.5 percent over the same period last year. The all-new Tundra full-size pickup reported all-time best-ever sales of 17,727, an increase of 113.8 percent over the year-ago month. Highlander and Highlander Hybrid posted combined May sales of 11,991, up 6.7 percent over the same period last year. The Highlander Hybrid gas-electric mid-size SUV reported sales of 3,312 units for the month. FJ Cruiser reported May sales of 4,639 units.

Scion posted May sales of 11,570 units. The tC sports coupe led the way with May sales of 6,615 units. The xB urban utility vehicle posted sales of 3,658 units for the month.

Lexus Division

Lexus passenger cars reported best-ever May sales of 19,943 units, an increase of 4.8 percent over May 2006. Passenger car sales were led by the ES 350 luxury sedan with May sales of 8,572 units. The all-new LS 460 and LS 460 L reported combined sales of 3,196, an increase of 183.2 percent over last May. Combined sales of the IS 250 and IS 350 posted all-time best-ever sales of 5,722 units, up 19.5 percent over May 2006.

Lexus Division light trucks reported May sales totaling 11,904 units. The RX 350 and RX 400h enjoyed combined best-ever May sales of 9,798 units. The RX 400h hybrid luxury utility vehicle reported sales of 1,746 units for the month.

TMS Hybrids

TMS calendar-year-to-date hybrid sales totaled 119,154 units, an increase of 75 percent over the same period last year. In May, TMS posted sales of 36,101 hybrid vehicles, up 102 percent over last May. Toyota Division posted sales of 34,174 hybrids, up 121 percent over the same period last year. Lexus Division posted sales of 1,927 hybrids.

There were 26 selling days this month, as compared to 25 selling days last May.

LF-A Photos: Another look at what started the Lexus L-Finesse

Here are some great shots of the LF-A car. This is NOT the production model but it shows what great design capabilities the design team at Lexus has. For the more recent photos of LF-A's in testing click here. The spied photos show some striking similarities to the ones that appeared at the auto shows world wide. This design concept is what officially started the Lexus L-Finesse that has inspired the IS, ES, GS, and LS model ranges.

The LF-A really shows an aggressive stance with wide fenders, large wheels, and of course the 3 tail pipes on rear. This design has been criticized by some and loved by many. It will join the competition range of the Porsche 911, Mercedes SL, Audi R8, BMW M6, and Jaguar's XKR. It has been said all over the internet that the engines that will be offered are two V8's and a V10. Toyota's acclaimed hybrid technology will be implemented in one of the V8 variants for this LF-A. L-Finesse has ran wild throughout the Lexus line up and will continue to do so in future models to come.

SPIED: 2009 Lexus LF-A in testing

Lexus has hit the Nordschleife with its cleanest prototype yet for its LF-A supercar. LF-A prototypes first hit the 'Ring in 2005, and have seen a number of alterations over the last two years.

In that time, two concepts have also hit the auto show circuit, and while they were clearly related in overall shape, they differed drastically in their surface development. The 2005 concept was a rather simple wedge shape, while the 2007 iteration was more rounded, with more nuanced, almost fussy detailing.

The prototype's lower side vents and front air-intakes come quite close to the '07 concept, but the air scoops around the test car's C-pillar are more simplistic like the '05 concept. With its large mesh air extractors and triple exhaust tips, the prototype's rear-end design once again borrows from both cars, but ultimately goes its own way in the details. With the temporary, function-only tail-lights that are tacked on, it's clear that this prototype doesn't reveal the car's finished styling.

The headlights on the prototype still appear to be simple, angular shapes, not unlike those of modern Lamborghinis, but the '07 concept has strange lamps with a distinctive LED strip running down the front bumper. Whether elements of the latest design study will end up on the final production cars is still unknown.

Lexus is obviously approaching the LF-A with great care and extensive development–both mechanically, dynamically, and stylistically. At this point, it seems that Lexus designers are still fine-tuning the LF-A's shape.