I’ll start this article with a personal confession: I wasn’t always interested in a vehicle’s luxury and reliability. Pure luxury? Maybe – but only up to a point. But reliability? I always made the type of face that spells: ‘Now, what’s that?’
My father’s first ride was a Peugeot 504 – and that vehicle, spartan as it was, saw the mechanic almost every fortnightly, even if it was to help jump its battery because pops had come driving in during the rains and in a hurry, had forgotten to switch off the headlights leading to a flat battery the next morning (it didn’t have those warning chimes if you’re thinking).
Overall, visits to the mechanic were usual and expected and if we took too long to visit, the mechanic had a way of coming around the house to see if all was indeed well.
Then, Pops sold the 504 – and got a W124 Mercedes, and that German piece of engineering instantly reminded us all what we were missing.
The vehicle hardly ever saw the mechanic and when it did, it was always for routine maintenance. During rides, we truly were welcomed into the world of luxury and security on the road.
There were also no more incidences of flat batteries because pops forgot the headlights: the headlight-on chimes (the W124 had the feature) always saw to it.
That was when I started thinking of vehicle reliability and while at it, luxury. But, why should you care about the thoughts of a young man (as I was then)? Why should this even remotely bother you?
The answer, it turns out, is in black and white, in the next paragraph.
Article Outline
Why You Should Care
I had a strange policy as a young man: many of the things other folks bothered about never held my interest: girls, clothes, material stuff – nothing.
Armed with this spartan mindset, I didn’t think much about the mattress I got when I left home and started life, away from my parents.
It was a simple unit; thick enough to fill up my 5X6 bedframe but nothing fancy beyond that point.
Less than six months later, I developed severe body pains and my spine wasn’t mine again. It was as if I was engaged in a severe motor accident and was the victim.
Frustrated and in severe pain from just sleeping and waking up (apparently, on the wrong side), I had no option but to consult a physician.
The doctor who saw me was old and experienced. After some questions, he determined that the cause of my ‘sudden’ body pains and spine challenge was as a result of the mattress I was using.
He argued that the unit couldn’t support my weight, properly, especially in the right places, hence the challenge.
That day, I picked up an orthopedic mattress on my way back and since that day, I’ve used only orthopedic mattresses – and have never had any random body pains again.
So, how does this long epistle of mine remotely connect to why you should care and consider both a luxurious vehicle and an option that is reliable while at it?
This is it: while vehicles like the Corolla, Yaris, Civic, Prius, and Picanto are reliable, they are largely designed with economy in mind and wind up being spartan.
This means, if you’re spending hours in them, it will be at the expense of your body – as such vehicles are designed with a ‘strip down’ mentality where anything not related to its direct function is taken off in favor of minimalism and fuel efficiency.
This explains why most of the economy models don’t even have hood liners on their 2025 offerings!
So, on your way to work, if you need to drive for an hour or two, would you rather arrive there in no time or soak up every bump on the road directly and arrive looking already tired?
Importantly, would you rather spend your weekends trying to fix what’s wrong with your car or catching up with friends and relaxing?
See the luxury and reliability connection now and understand why you should care?
Want Luxury And Reliability? Buy & Drive A Lexus
The challenge with modern automotive engineering is that luxurious vehicles are generally NOT reliable. A look at the JD Power Ratings through the years tells an interesting, curious, and familiar story: these cars are always rock bottom reliability-wise!
One marque, on the other hand, consistently produces vehicles that are high up in the luxury department and year in, year out, ace reliability ratings…
…that marque is Lexus.
What Makes A Lexus So Reliable (And Luxurious)?
There is a very good reason why a Lexus is so reliable and to date, remains one of the few, (if not the only marque) that actively promotes a culture of luxury and reliability.
It is the philosophy of kaizen.
Kaizen is a Japanese business philosophy that loosely translates to continuous improvement, including improvement of working practices, personal efficiency, etc.
Kaizen is at the heart of Toyota/Lexus production and the core of the vehicle design and manufacturing process. It is intrinsically woven into Japanese culture and taken personally at Lexus.
Culminating in lean production (PDF) and incremental improvements, this is singlehandedly the reason why Toyota dominates the car manufacturing scene and Lexus tops in the luxury and reliability segments (at least for mass-produced vehicles).
It’s no wonder, Lexus made one of the two best sedans of all time.
And, why Lexus remains luxurious? Simple: it’s the luxury division of Toyota!
Summary
Luxury and reliability (in the sense of the auto world) were strange bedmates. Lexus was the marque that made it possible for both to share the same sentence without sounding contradictory.
Now, close to forty (40) years after Lexus debuted, it (still) remains the undisputed leader of the luxury and reliability segment – if you’re interested.
No manufacturer compares – not even close!