When you’ve been doing your job well for so many years, it’s natural that you wouldn’t like the new kid in the office, the handsome guy who dresses sharp and has a knack for landing clients. That doesn’t mean you can’t learn something from him, though.
Consider Lexus the established professional and Tesla the young buck in the slick clothes. According to Green Car Reports, the U.S. marketing chief of Toyota’s luxury division, Brian Smith, recently stated that the success of the Model S is one reason why sales of the LS have declined. However, Lexus isn’t blind with resentment. It has its eyes open – and focused on Tesla’s stores. The company believes the newer brand’s direct-sales locations bring in younger buyers and are seen as lower-pressure environments relative to typical dealerships.
Lexus hasn’t disclosed any set-in-stone plans for mall stores of its own, but it intends to keep dealers as a part of whatever – if anything – it attempts. That’s a great idea because Tesla has faced a lot of opposition in multiple states over cutting them out of the loop. I just don’t see how the idea can be executed. Direct sales and dealer sales seem to be mutually exclusive. GCR says, “One potential arrangement might involve using mall stores as a form of advertising, hooking potential customers who could then be directed to a traditional Lexus dealership to buy the actual car.” True, Tesla does something similar, in that its sales staff members encourage those serious about getting one of the manufacturer’s cars to purchase it online. Clicking a mouse is a lot less of a hassle than driving across town, though.
What do you think? Should Lexus take a page out of Tesla’s book and alter some of the words, or just keep doing what it’s always done? Could its potential direct-sales method actually work?
Derek Shiekhi's father raised him on cars. As a boy, Derek accompanied his dad as he bought classics such as post-WWII GM trucks and early Ford Mustang convertibles.
After loving cars for years and getting a bachelor's degree in Business Management, Derek decided to get an associate degree in journalism. His networking put him in contact with the editor of the Austin-American Statesman newspaper, who hired him to write freelance about automotive culture and events in Austin, Texas in 2013. One particular story led to him getting a certificate for learning the foundations of road racing.
While watching TV with his parents one fateful evening, he saw a commercial that changed his life. In it, Jeep touted the Wrangler as the Texas Auto Writers Association's "SUV of Texas." Derek knew he had to join the organization if he was going to advance as an automotive writer. He joined the Texas Auto Writers Association (TAWA) in 2014 and was fortunate to meet several nice people who connected him to the representatives of several automakers and the people who could give him access to press vehicles (the first one he ever got the keys to was a Lexus LX 570). He's now a regular at TAWA's two main events: the Texas Auto Roundup in the spring and the Texas Truck Rodeo in the fall.
Over the past several years, Derek has learned how to drive off-road in various four-wheel-drive SUVs (he even camped out for two nights in a Land Rover), and driven around various tracks in hot hatches, muscle cars, and exotics. Several of his pieces, including his article about the 2015 Ford F-150 being crowned TAWA's 2014 "Truck of Texas" and his review of the Alfa Romeo 4C Spider, have won awards in TAWA's annual Excellence in Craft Competition. Last year, his JK Forum profile of Wagonmaster, a business that restores Jeep Wagoneers, won prizes in TAWA’s signature writing contest and its pickup- and SUV-focused Texas Truck Invitational.
Where do you go for answers when you have a Lexus with a gorgeous leather interior but are not sure about how to maintain that luxurious look? The "Club Lexus" forums, of course.
