Saw a video by TMMC where they even showed the new NX cars being made on the same line as Rav4s.

Pretty shocking news - this means that they have literally the same workers and QC as a Toyota.

This kind of makes me not want to buy a Lexus .. why buy if your car is just a glorified Rav4?

 

It's always been that way in my opinion ( the glorified Toyota part) and I say that as an NX owner that loves the car. It also partially explains the dramatic value drop after a few years. We got ours at 3 years old for about half of what a new one cost. I can't help but love it at that price and the 2016 we have still feels like new.

They are doing what I would do as a manager and leveraging a system that works. I don't think there are inherent issues with the quality of workers and QC, it's the inside and out design (aesthetic and functional), material quality, feature range of each component (i.e. seats and media system), suspension components, engine choices, sound deadening, paint and dealer experience etc.. thats likely the differentiator. At one point and likely still today, many well known brands outsourced their assembly to even a third party, Magna Steyr.

A car dosent have a soul, it's just a sum of its parts so its a Lexus because of those parts combinations (and the thought that goes into them) and not because it was "conceived and born" in a Lexus facility versus a Toyota one.

 

Lexus in general has always been, to some extent, a 'glorified Toyota", but..... while there are a lot of the same parts and engineering elements and both come from the same company, Toyota, there's a lot of key differences. Some of the features, parts, tuning, etc. are unique to Lexus, and the dealer network and how much better they generally treat their customers are just some of the differences. Toyota was fairly clear when the NX launched that although it was based on the RAV4, there's a lot of original car there.

You get all of the benefit of Toyota's mfg, engineering, quality control, and more (from volume) as a basis, then they add/refine/change some things for Lexus, including higher quality parts/finish/QC. You even see the same thing within a given make, there's a huge difference between a Corolla and a Land Cruiser. Same thing for many, many manufacturers, I prefer Kitchenaid and am willing to pay the upcharge, over Whirlpool products. Audis and Porsches are glorified VWs, but you can tell the difference.

 

I work at this plant. The process of building is the same regardless of the car. Where things change are the Quality specs. Fits are tightened, Quality control enhanced. There is a big difference in acceptable quality in a Rav vs. Lexus. I just bought an NX and will only buy Toyota or Lexus as I see the quality on a daily basis. There are few defects that flow out of each shop. Most are caught in the SQA audit. Any mass produced vehicle will have defect outflow, but Lexus standards are among the highest, and I can personally attest to the quality.

 

Yes, in the past you could get a used car a couple of years old at a bargain price ..... but not today used car prices are almost as high as new ones. Simple economics of supply and demand...low supply, high demand = high prices

 

My '04 RX is just a glorified Camry, and 18 years and 200,000 miles later it still runs great. A Toyota is not exactly a bad starting point.

 

how is this possible? I see rav4s and nx cars interdispersed on the same line. Wouldn't it be hard to know oh for the rav4 be a little less stringent vs the next car be more stringent. I think the change in behaviour would be hard to keep up

 

I noticed lots of ICE NX's being produced as of late from TMMC, any news when the hybrid production will begin?

 

Tooling are programmed for different calibrations. The tolerances will vary for each vehicle. The team members are aware of the specs of each vehicle and the programs will not allow them to pass a car if it does not meet the required measurements etc. The mechanical aspects of a build are all the same (assembly) all would be built with proper standardized work. Where the difference comes in is the quality of materials, fits, and quality inspections. TMs are very well trained and have attention to details. Processes are set up so that there are many double checks of important (Delta Quality). These cars are inspected with great detail. I wouldn’t purchase my own product if I felt otherwise. I have also worked at a Honda plant and the attention to quality is superior in a Lexus shop.

 

Lexus, Acura, Infinity, Lincion, Cadillac, etc, etc are all glorified versions of their parent company.

 

They have them in production. Hybrid batteries are another item in high demand as well. Supply chain issues will impact their production.

 

Thanks for confirming. I was also going to say the same thing. The launch video definitely shows a 350h being assembled.

If you see the official TMMC video, at 1:28 there is a shot of a hybrid battery in a vehicle on the line, and starting at 2:02 you can see the technicians installing the hybrid battery into a white NX. Cambridge head been making RX and RAV4 hybrids for years, and adding the NX into the mix would not need any major retooling.

I don't have a VIN yet, but I can't wait for my Grecian Water NX350h to arrive. ETA is June.

 

I’ve been building the RX for 10 years now. I’m seeing the new NX being built now. There is a huge increase in hybrid demand in the last year.
They retooled the cambridge facility from building the Corolla to the Rav, and now NX. It’s the new platform. Can’t wait to get my NX. I still have to wait 4 months too!

 

The new 2023 RX is in pilot at the moment in the south Cambridge plant. Production begins in October 2022. Going to be a nice car!

 

Awesome news thanks! How are you guys doing on the Pano roof shortage situation? Is it improving since Lexus added that other premium trim to give buyers the luxury package options minus the Pano roof? Thanks again for the inside scoop!