It’s of no surprise to anyone that new vehicles can be hard to find these days. Some production has been throttled thanks to supply chain challenges, more than a few dealer lots are bereft of product, and everyone seems to be at the end of their rope.
But spare a thought for customers in Japan who wish to buy a new Lexus LX. According to reports, the wait time for one in that part of the world has grown. To four years.
Automotive News has pointed out that the brand’s website makes it clear those who order an LX today could end up waiting more than 48 months to get their new SUV. To quote the site (with help from Google Translate):
Thank you very much for considering and ordering our vehicle. LX is very popular not only in Japan but also around the world, and we have received orders that greatly exceed our production capacity, so we are currently suspending orders.
Regarding the resumption of orders, we will inform you again based on the future production situation. We apologize for the inconvenience and thank you for your understanding.
Very good, then. While the 4-year metric is not mentioned in that soliloquy, it has been reported by enough reputable sources to make it believable. Here at home, a spokesperson for Toyota told AN that Lexus has a significant sold order bank for the model but wait times are not nearly as dire thanks to a “global allocation preference”. America: land of the free and home of the LX, apparently.
Back in Japan, a similar note has been appended to the build-and-price tool of the snazzy new Lexus NX. Orders are apparently backed up for about 12 months for that model in its home market. If you’re wondering, there are assembly facilities in Japan for both the LX and NX, while the latter also has a plant in Canada.
Pricing for the NX starts around $40,000 in America with hybrid variants adding a couple thousand dollars to that sum. The large-and-in-charge LX, meanwhile, starts at $88,245 but can easily sink itself into six-figure territory without issue. Its top trim, the LX 600 Ultra Luxury, sets an opening bid of $127,345.
[Image: Lexus]
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Interesting—I thought that anything that big with a V8 was taxed to the point of “why bother?” in Japan.
The LX has a twin turbo V6 now
Actually it’s the width of the streets that make most Japanese say, he’ll no I’m not buying one of them. I can remember driving down a street in Tokyo in a Honda Shuttle in the 90s (Civic Wagon in the US) and both side mirrors hitting the fences alongside the road. That Lexus would get wedged tight on that road.
“Headline in Canada Might Missing Word, Not Actual Sentence”
Supply chain shortages are hitting everywhere.
Totally worth the wait.
On the other hand, Toyota might be out of the automotive business four years from now (refer to the 2022 YTD sales pace).
Which reminds me of the best rental car experience I ever had:
• Daughter wanted to go to California
• Daughter had no interest in driving that far with me — ergo we fly, ergo we need ground transportation in L.A.
• Considered mass-transit-only option; was advised by TTAC B&B no go, definitely get a rental, consider a Mustang convertible and include PCH excursion
• Light bulb: Daughter loves Jeep Wrangler, Jeep Wrangler rental vehicle is cheaper than Mustang convertible
• Official visitcalifornia.com site gives the all-clear despite Pandemic status at the time
• Dad (that’s me) books non-refundable rental vehicle, sends picture of vehicle and reservation to daughter; Dad is hero for at least one day
• Trip is cancelled (of course) due to Pandemic
• No fuel cost, no NVH concerns from Wrangler, no parking expense
• Cost of unused rental is more than covered by Covid refund from daughter’s University (courtesy of U.S. taxpayers)
• Win
An excuse just to post your elaborate personal tale?
What I mean is, if I lived in Japan I would totally order a Lexus LX for my spouse and then never take delivery.
Then why didn’t you just say that? Is this a travel forum? Did we need to know about your trip to California, Jeep rental and Covid university refund win?
Why didn’t you just scroll on by?
Art Vandelay ; When I see garbage in the parking lot: I dont walk on by it, I pick it up and put it in a receptacle, time willing.
But hey, its great to hear someone gloat over an unused rental bill somehow fronted “courtesy of U.S. taxpayers” and then relate their boneheaded bullet point story to the Lexus LX 600.
“Then why didn’t you just say that? Is this a travel forum? Did we need to know about your trip to California, Jeep rental and Covid university refund win?”
You didn’t, but we did and unless you have moderator powers, you’ll just have to live with that. Or don’t. But whining and otherwise being a donkey’s hindpart about it won’t do much except annoy everyone, moderators included.
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That thing is so ugly I wouldn’t wait 30 seconds for it.
Toyota has never been interested in selling a high volume of the LC or LX. Even when fuel economy was not a concern and demand was high, they still didn’t make that many.
Sadly, they don’t seem to care about selling the LS in the quantities they once did either, granted that is many companies now.
There’s no audience for the LS anymore. The older buyers at whom the 430 and 460 were targeted are all aging out and the younger buyers don’t care about sedans no matter how you plan or design them.
Now the LX… if they prioritized the US market rather than the global markets that are so profitable for them, it would be a very different product. But they put the global markets first and as a result the LX is a bit of an oddity in our market. It’s narrow, tougher than it needs to be to last in US service, and styled for function first.