Topic: What happened to Lexus styling?

[MsJoanne]

Lexus used to be sleek and sexy (I'd have killed for the old SC's at a time I couldn't afford a Yugo).  Now, I'm looking at my next upscale purchase and after looking at the Lexus AWD offering...blech. It's no longer my father's Oldsmobile (since they are no longer), now it's my father's Lexus.

Seriously, guys. What happened to your styling?  Bland is not beautiful.

[Erik]

Lexus used to be sleek and sexy (I'd have killed for the old SC's at a time I couldn't afford a Yugo).  Now, I'm looking at my next upscale purchase and after looking at the Lexus AWD offering...blech. It's no longer my father's Oldsmobile (since they are no longer), now it's my father's Lexus.

Seriously, guys. What happened to your styling?  Bland is not beautiful.

Bland is what sells nowadays. Better boring than offensive. Manufacturers with much more styling pedigree than Lexus have gone the way of the bland. I don't believe that the early 21st century will go down in history as a great era of automotive design.

[Turbo Bob]

Lexus used to be sleek and sexy (I'd have killed for the old SC's at a time I couldn't afford a Yugo).  Now, I'm looking at my next upscale purchase and after looking at the Lexus AWD offering...blech. It's no longer my father's Oldsmobile (since they are no longer), now it's my father's Lexus.

Seriously, guys. What happened to your styling?  Bland is not beautiful.

Bland is what sells nowadays. Better boring than offensive. Manufacturers with much more styling pedigree than Lexus have gone the way of the bland. I don't believe that the early 21st century will go down in history as a great era of automotive design.

Yeah but it's like manuals. Everyone moans they are disappearing and then buy automatics, everyone moans about bland styling and then goes crazy when someone designs something slightly interesting.  It's the general public, they are all stupid.

[Erik]

Lexus used to be sleek and sexy (I'd have killed for the old SC's at a time I couldn't afford a Yugo).  Now, I'm looking at my next upscale purchase and after looking at the Lexus AWD offering...blech. It's no longer my father's Oldsmobile (since they are no longer), now it's my father's Lexus.

Seriously, guys. What happened to your styling?  Bland is not beautiful.

Bland is what sells nowadays. Better boring than offensive. Manufacturers with much more styling pedigree than Lexus have gone the way of the bland. I don't believe that the early 21st century will go down in history as a great era of automotive design.

Yeah but it's like manuals. Everyone moans they are disappearing and then buy automatics, everyone moans about bland styling and then goes crazy when someone designs something slightly interesting.  It's the general public, they are all stupid.

Cant argue much of that, Bob. One of the reasons I picked my 300C was that it was unique and dramatic. Don't know that I would say it I'd beautiful, per se, but it was a strongly and distinctively designed car.

[aaronk]

Lexus used to be sleek and sexy (I'd have killed for the old SC's at a time I couldn't afford a Yugo).  Now, I'm looking at my next upscale purchase and after looking at the Lexus AWD offering...blech. It's no longer my father's Oldsmobile (since they are no longer), now it's my father's Lexus.

Seriously, guys. What happened to your styling?  Bland is not beautiful.

Bland is what sells nowadays. Better boring than offensive. Manufacturers with much more styling pedigree than Lexus have gone the way of the bland. I don't believe that the early 21st century will go down in history as a great era of automotive design.

Hmm, maybe its the demographic. Hyundai has certainly done well with their striking new styling, so it's not like there isn't room for aggressive and innovative design. I don't know off-hand what the average age of a Lexus buyer is, but I think it's a lot higher than companies willing to explore edgy new styling. Personally I find the IS cars attractive, if not a bit sedate, but everything else is less than forgettable.

The problem is there are few manufacturers willing to gamble on something 'new'. I was so impressed that the Nissan Juke made it to market and I'm honestly proud of Nissan for doing it. Same with the Cube. Say what you will about the end result, at the very least its a bold move in a sea of cars that all look the same. We own a Santa Fe, a fairly non-descript looking CUV, but parked next to its immediate competition (Rav4, CR-V, Outlander) you would be hard pressed to tell any of them apart from a distance if they were the same colour.

Now, the new CT200h is a neat little car...maybe Lexus is slowly getting it.

[Erik]

Actually, let's keep in mind that Lexus does have a new, more dramatic look coming. Will be interesting to see if they water it down for production.

[Jaeger]

Bland is what sells nowadays. Better boring than offensive. Manufacturers with much more styling pedigree than Lexus have gone the way of the bland. I don't believe that the early 21st century will go down in history as a great era of automotive design.

I think Hyundai is proving you wrong.  As much as you like to take every opportunity to rail against what you perceive to be hideous designs, I'm sure you will agree that their newer products are neither bland nor boring.  And they are all selling better than their more conservative and derivative forebears.  Yes, the products themselves have improved, but I think strong styling cues in segments generally represented more by "safe and conservative" entries, is a significant part of the story of Hyundai's emerging success. Just about every review of Sonata and Elantra talks a good deal about the styling.  Mostly positive, I have to say, but in any case they are talking about it.  How often is the styling of the Accord even mentioned?  I'd say Kia is also playing a strong styling card, albeit with a different look.

Jaeger

[safristi]

.....BOOTY is in the EYE of the BE HOLD HER...............

[Turbo Bob]

I would agree that the Elantra, Sonata, and Optima are all good looking, but I wouldn't call them bold or striking.

[rrocket]

Lexus used to be sleek and sexy (I'd have killed for the old SC's at a time I couldn't afford a Yugo).  Now, I'm looking at my next upscale purchase and after looking at the Lexus AWD offering...blech. It's no longer my father's Oldsmobile (since they are no longer), now it's my father's Lexus.

Seriously, guys. What happened to your styling?  Bland is not beautiful.

I don' think the IS series is bland.  And the LS series looks better than it ever has.  I don't think the RX styling could be labeled as bland either (as far as SUVs go).  The G series?  Boring...but the new G is going to be quite nice (IMO).

If you can wait...wait for the next G series or IS series.  They are both being re-designed.

[Mike]

Lexus used to be sleek and sexy (I'd have killed for the old SC's at a time I couldn't afford a Yugo).  Now, I'm looking at my next upscale purchase and after looking at the Lexus AWD offering...blech. It's no longer my father's Oldsmobile (since they are no longer), now it's my father's Lexus.

Seriously, guys. What happened to your styling?  Bland is not beautiful.

I don' think the IS series is bland.  And the LS series looks better than it ever has.  I don't think the RX styling could be labeled as bland either (as far as SUVs go).  The G series?  Boring...but the new G is going to be quite nice (IMO).

If you can wait...wait for the next G series or IS series.  They are both being re-designed.

I personally think the RX350 is about as bland as mid size luxury SUV's get (along with the new SRX).  My GF and I were driving last week and a FX35, Q7 and RX350 were all playing roadblock side by side on the 403.  She turned to me and said, 'wow that infiniti looks aggressive compared to those other two.  The Lexus looks old and dated'. I fully agreed.

I agree with you though the new GS should be a looker.

[5 Wheel Drive]

The IS series is the only Lexus I've liked.  Everything else they make does nothing for me, I find them very bland.

[Erik]

The IS series is the only Lexus I've liked.  Everything else they make does nothing for me, I find them very bland.

I do like the current LS. Handsome, if not bold.

Most unique, and bold looking sedan of the last decade was the original Mercedes CLS.

[TopGun]

I'd offer that much of the bland design is yet another example of the MBAs screwing stuff up.  In the absence of good leadership, it's hard to argue against going more conservative.

Those that have gone the way of a unique design have had much to gain and nothing really to lose - I would put Hyundai, Kia, Maserati in that group.

Bold design shouldn't be confused, IMO, with good design either.  You can have a unique, bold design that's ugly...and you can have a bland design that is still handsome just due to good proportions.  Infiniti and even Subaru learned the lesson that bold designs are not enough.

[CatsEye68]

I don' think the IS series is bland.  And the LS series looks better than it ever has.  I don't think the RX styling could be labeled as bland either (as far as SUVs go).  The G series?  Boring...but the new G is going to be quite nice (IMO).

If you can wait...wait for the next G series or IS series.  They are both being re-designed.

There's bland at one extreme, and ugly at the other (see above). Neither is a positive thing.

[Erik]

Another bold design....

[rrocket]

There's bland at one extreme, and ugly at the other (see above). Neither is a positive thing.

Then why did you buy such a blandly styled car if it's such a bad thing?

[Erik]

But the OP was certainly right about this. Great design. Clean. No strange creases and bends, or unnecessary ornamentation. IMO, just a beautiful car.

[safristi]

..Need a new pair of spats to park my lexus at Blandings Manor........... .........

[life in the slow lane]

Lexus used to be sleek and sexy (I'd have killed for the old SC's at a time I couldn't afford a Yugo).  Now, I'm looking at my next upscale purchase and after looking at the Lexus AWD offering...blech. It's no longer my father's Oldsmobile (since they are no longer), now it's my father's Lexus.

Seriously, guys. What happened to your styling?  Bland is not beautiful.

I don' think the IS series is bland.  And the LS series looks better than it ever has.  I don't think the RX styling could be labeled as bland either (as far as SUVs go).  The G series?  Boring...but the new G is going to be quite nice (IMO).

If you can wait...wait for the next G series or IS series.  They are both being re-designed.

I also think the IS and the LS are good looking automobiles. More to my taste, then the Hyundai (which I also think looks good) as being a bit older, I fit the demographic that another other poster saying that the more luxurious vehicles tend to be more conservative for the age group they are trying to capture. However, I can see this changing as the younger generation which I believe likes the more sporty look become the main focus of the luxury car manufacturers