To a large majority of the premium executive sedan buyers, Japanese luxury brands such as Lexus and Infiniti don’t even register as left-field alternatives, let alone natural rivals to the likes of Mercedes-Benz, BMW and Audi. Apparently, they are being hypnotised to think as such, according to Lexus.
Lexus USA’s new video ad – simply named Hypnotize – is cleverly positioned to serve as a wake up call for its target customers, urging them to look past the image barrier. It centres on the Lexus GS executive sedan and its German rivals, the Mercedes E-Class, BMW 5 Series and Audi A6.
The premium Japanese marque claims that the GS 350 trumps them all, by virtue of it having leather upholstery as standard (unlike the Merc – in the US, at least), rear-wheel drive as opposed to the A6’s front-wheel drive layout and of course, more power from its six-cylinder engine than the 5 Series’ four banger.
Watch the ad for yourself (and how it was shot below), and tell us what you think. So, do you agree you’ve been hypnotised all this while?
Closer to home, we’ve pitched the GS 250 against the BMW 520i, Audi A6 2.0T and Infiniti M25 (now called the Q70). Read our full comparison feature to see if we think the Lexus is a worthy rival to the usual suspects (no, we don’t mean the Infiniti).
Lexus GS 250
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AI-generated Summary ✨
The comments reveal mixed sentiments about Lexus's claim of surpassing German cars, with many questioning the credibility of such comparisons, citing that Lexus is essentially a rebadged Toyota Camry or explaining its strengths in comfort and reliability. Some appreciate Lexus's engineering, interior quality, and handling, while others criticize it as overpriced, lacking "soul," or unexciting. Debates also touch on brand perception, marketing strategies, and off-topic opinions about other brands or cultural stereotypes. Overall, there's recognition of Lexus's improvements and accolades, but skepticism remains about its ability to truly challenge established German luxury marques. The discussion illustrates differing opinions on Lexus's value, performance, and branding, highlighting both admiration and doubt.