This is a silly question perhaps but it's difficult to search for an explanation, but I assume that the following happened.

1) Mid 90's Lexus marked its 'Luxury Sports Sedan' the ES 250 and later ES 300. ES = Executive Sedan...

2) Towards '00 Lexus decided to split the market between an entry-level Luxury Sedan, the ES, and a Luxury Sports Sedan...

3) Lux Sports Sedan, based on Toyota Altezza, christened the "IS"

Is there any meaning to "IS"? Does it fit in the Lexus 'ranking' (LS/LX; GS/GX; ES/RX)...
And does it market well? IS vs. ES. vs. LS...?

 

There have been many previous threads trying to figure this out as well. The two answers most agreed upon were "Individual Sedan" and "International Sedan". Personally I tend to agree with the former.

 

I don't think it stands for anything. I don't think "RX" and "GX" stand for anything either. Could be wrong though.

 

I prefer model "names", but it seems that lettrs and/or numbers is the trend. Here's an interesting article on this subject from CNN:

http://money.cnn.com/2004/09/07/pf/a...oder/index.htm

 

It's believed that the "RX" stands for "Recreational Crossover" and the "GX" for "Grand 4x4". Whichever that helps you remember its name better, I guess.

 

Is this what people just call it? Or has Lexus officially said that these are what the RX and GX stand for?

 

Cool find.

I think the main reason why some luxury car companies keep to the alphanumeric naming system is to advertise the brand's name. I know when people ask what I drive, I'll say "a Lexus SUV", instead of an RX330. Most people I know aren't car buffs, so they wouldn't know an RX330 from an X5.

I think either way you get excellent name recognition, whether it be make or model; it just depends on how shiny the image is of the make and model. (one good example is Acura's back and forth experimentation of "Legend" to "3.5 RL" to "RL". They wanted consumers to say "I drive an Acura" and not "I drive a Legend".

 

Cool article, although:

This is not necessarily true for ES vs. IS...

 

Honestly, although it doesn't really count now, I always thought "IS" stood for "Inline Sport" or "Inline Sedan", in regards to the engine. But that doesn't exactly fit anymore

 

the article doesn't make sense..... I is after G, do you expect the IS to be bigger and more expensive than the GS?

from my memory i read that it's

international sedan
global sedan
luxury sedan
executive sedan

 

I bet if BMW and Mercedes all of a sudden switched to real names (Although they never will) all the Japanese companies will eventually return back to the original names of their cars like Legend, Integra, Inspire, Soarer, Aristo, Celsior and such. Back then the alpha numeric names used to mean something with the European cars, but BMW especially often goes off that with teh 325 that has a 3.0 and such.

 

umm that's some interesting thoughts there, i wonder what they would do huh?

but if anything i like how toyota and lexus do things differently on their models

 

ES for Executive Sedan as posted.

 

If anything it seems that numbers are here to stay, and that they may be changed around...

For instance MB....vs. Lexus

1980's 420 SEL (MB)

1990's LS 400

1995... S 430 (MB)

2000... LS 430

 

420 SEL = 4.2 Liter V8 Saunder (Super Class) Einspritzpumper (fuel injected with petrol) Long Wheelbase
300SD= 3.0 Liter Saunder Class Diesel, short wheelbase implied
Now they just call them S Class, E Class, C Class etc. which is not as specific

SL stood for Super Light which of course it is not anymore......

Lexus Luxury Sedan and 4.0 Liter = LS400 is more like the original Mercedes system of designation up the the IS220d (Diesel)