The Lexus Nexus

摘要

When you drop your car off for service at Ray Catena Lexus of Monmouth, in Oak-hurst, N.J., bring your golf clubs: You can practice your game at an indoor driving range and golf course simulator adjacent to the plush waiting lounge. If you happen to be at Fletcher Jones Lexus in Las Vegas, feel free to get your nails done with the on-site manicurist or browse the Neiman Marcus boutique. In the past two years Lexus has per- suaded its 207 U.S. dealers to spend $750 million of their own money upgrading their stores. We're not talking streamers and bright paper signs advertising low APRs. Instead they built huge, clean service bays and thousands of square feet of showroom space appointed with espresso machines and grand pianos. Why dealers are willing to do this says a lot about why Lexus, already the nation's bestselling luxury brand, is pulling away from competitors. Sales are up 21% through April, while Cadillac's have grown 5%, BMW's are up 2% and Mercedes-Benz's have shrunk 3%. In 2003 Lexus, a division of Toyota, sold 260,000 vehicles in the U.S., 19,000 ahead of number two BMW.