z32

It's all personal perception. Just like some people prefer clothes from Banana Republic, while some prefer Gap...Limited...Guess etc. So it's not about who designs the car or not, it's rather a cultural thing. So you can't say Japanese styled cars aren't designed as well as those from German / Italy. German engineering used to be good, but nowhere as good as before. BMW / Mercedes / Alfa Romeo / Rovers / Fiat etc all have reliability issues and all of them are not as reliable as before. Lexus / Toyota has extablished their reputation being very reliable, not to mention it's alot cheaper to fix (if things break) compare to MB / BMW etc. MB's quality has gone downhill for the past decade and they are trying very hard to get back to gear, but it'll take another 6-8 years before they can get back on track. Forget about Ford / GM they are no way near anything

ElitistK

iTrader: (4)

did you know that there is japanese influence in the newer bmw's?

lexusrott

We agree, the 1965 Opel Kaddet was a very sweet ride.
In February of 1967 we drove Route 66 from Los Angeles thru St. Louis .
Ahhh , the " Good Old Times " .........

Merry Christmas

llamaboiz

Well... i will say the new LX, i dont like the styling either... its like... strange lookin. Sure looks are subjective and everyone is entitled to their own opinion, but if i had a choice between a 'ugly' LX and a 'sexy' X5, i'll still take the LX. Looks arent everything. *but yea it is a big part*

z32

Personally I think the LX570's front looks just fine. But the rear needs a bit more work, it looks a bit like the Prado or the 4Runner. The 3rd row rear side windows should be lengthened vertically and the rear tail lights should be bigger. But maybe if u add some of the offroad accessories (like the taillight guards, the ladder, roof cages etc) it'll have an entirely different look, or a better look

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

only beef I have on looks is on the rear, area around the license plate should be aligned with the rear tailights. Like how it is on the 470

Twstrchasr

I have to add to all of this by saying that for a very long time the Jap. auto makers had no clue how to "design" an automobile. All they did was copy existing designs from other companies and then they tweaked it from there. I have owned many Jap. autos starting in 1970 with the Datsun 240Z to my current 2001 Land Cruiser. I have owned many autos from many companies and I do not consider any bias towards any one brand. But, the fact remains that the jap. auto industry does make a quality product but for "enthusiasts" many of these cars are "soulless" tools. I, like others here were enthusiastic about the 2008 LC/LX but are terribly dissapointed in the look of them. I have begun to like the LC quite a bit more than I did after first seeing it though. Regardless, the 200 series LC/ LX is no beauty queen. It is a shame the designers didn't use the Range Rover as a styling example rather than a Subaru Forester that mated with a bar of soap !!

j stuff

iTrader: (5)

like i said

rg_gibson

I agree but the Germans still IMO dominate in the engineering department. IMO the Germans have the best handling cars.

vraa

iTrader: (2)

Yeah but I don't care about handling. I like to go to Conroe a lot and go boating. I like to taking pictures of the mountains. I like going with my friends to Miami.

Styling be damned, it looks conservative. It's not going out trying to look flashy. I'm glad it blends in. Heck I wish it were a little less subtle like the older LX's, makes you feel safer when you park in bad neighborhoods.

miniround

Well if everyone is entitled to their own opinion, I might as well start typing...

What is this whole influence thing everyone is talking about. It is the most obvious of all car traits, that is, how one car looks like another. No graduate lands a job at a major car company and immediately comes out with "the perfect design". Many top designers are working for their second or third major car company. This is why some cars look as if they are DUI (driving under influence) of other car companies. This is because the designer of that car may have worked else where before landing a job with that company. If you did not have this, there would be no "market". Think for a second before you start typing nonsense--bs bugs me.

And what is this about "japanese car companies don't know how to design a car"? Well if I'm not mistaking you are writing from America, about a Lexus designed for sale in America, in which America is the country that statistically likes certain designs through which companies design their cars.

You can't say "I don't like Japanese styled cars".
You can say "I disagree with America's perception of what a car from a Japanese-owned company should look like"...
...because, well that is why the cars from Lexus we see here in America look the way they do...

If you haven't noticed, as with cellular telephones, cars designed and sold in Japan are of radical designs targeting the market in which they are sold. The designs mirror what the public thinks cars should look like, and include details that the public wants in a car...And obviously that is why the new Lexus' look the way they do here in the USA. That is how People want them to look.

America-If we demand it, they will supply it
Japan-If you build it, they will buy it
(and for kicks haha) Dubai-If you build it, they will come.

codex57

Really? Where? All I see is stupid Bangle's crap. That guy needs to be shot! Along with the idiot execs that approved his crap. The updated X5, IMHO, looks worse than before it got face lifted. The newer BMW stylings is one reason why I went with Lexus this time around. Yeah, I know he did the E46 3 series, but he wasn't allowed to use much of his original ideas on it.

sdbrandon

I suppose you like the Honda Element or FJ Cruiser better.

The X% is the hottest trucklett out there. A bargain compared to an LX boat.

AKoch

FJ or Element design over the X5? Absolutely. They are actually interesting to look at, as oppose to the X5 which I think is one of the worst examples of vehicle design. IMHO. But that's the reason why my BMW liking (read 'owning') stopped after the previous generation 7th series (Italian design), and the 850 (same).

And I am not really interested in how X5 drives, I am not on a market for a minivan with a powerful engine.

RXGS

iTrader: (2)

ok guys, lets not get in a fight over this, lets just say that the gl is better then both of them, lol jk, the x5 isn't ugly, i just woudn't buy one, and the lx isn't exactly the most up to date car, and the new one isn't the most beautiful truck on the road, but people still like it, so can't we all just get along