Pity the music industry. Between 99-cent downloads, free - if not always legal -file-sharing services and MP3 blogs, and an increasingly fragmented audience, it's desperately in need of a new revenue stream.
Carey Fiertz of Export Risk Management owns two BMWs and says he couldn't see himself in a Cadillac dealership "in a million years." But as Cadillac tries to hoist itself up to the level of BMW, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota's Lexus, this successful entrepreneur represents the very demographic that it yearns to seduce.
Toyota Motor Company does a better job than any car company in America of keeping its customers coming back, according to data from J.D. Power and Assoc. General Motors ranks second in customer retention.
James Farley, group vice president and general manager of Toyota's Lexus luxury division, is leaving the company to join Ford as head of that company's marketing efforts around the world.
For the first time in 12 years, Toyota's Lexus luxury brand has to share its top rank in J.D. Power and Associates' annual Vehicle Dependability Study.
It used to be horsepower. Then it was fuel economy. Now there's another number making its way into the big print in car ads: the number of airbags.
For years now, car buyers have been presented with a stark choice: Go green (do good), or go upscale (feel good). That all changes this summer when Lexus finally debuts its much-anticipated LS 600h...
I've been winning the car wars in my house for years. My wife would love a Mercedes Benz or, yikes, an Aston Martin.
First things first. As abundantly advertised, the Lexus LS 460L can park itself. Or, more accurately, it can use an array of onboard ultrasonic sensors, miniature cameras, electric motors, and vehi...
To get a sense of the terrifying wonderfulness of the newest Lexus hybrid, all you need to know is that General Motors, BMW, and DaimlerChrysler are engaged in a $1 billion cahoot simply to try to ...
Pity the music industry. Between 99-cent downloads, free - if not always legal -file-sharing services and MP3 blogs, and an increasingly fragmented audience, it's desperately in need of a new revenue stream.
Carey Fiertz of Export Risk Management owns two BMWs and says he couldn't see himself in a Cadillac dealership "in a million years." But as Cadillac tries to hoist itself up to the level of BMW, Daimler's Mercedes-Benz, and Toyota's Lexus, this successful entrepreneur represents the very demographic that it yearns to seduce.
Toyota Motor Company does a better job than any car company in America of keeping its customers coming back, according to data from J.D. Power and Assoc. General Motors ranks second in customer retention.
James Farley, group vice president and general manager of Toyota's Lexus luxury division, is leaving the company to join Ford as head of that company's marketing efforts around the world.
For the first time in 12 years, Toyota's Lexus luxury brand has to share its top rank in J.D. Power and Associates' annual Vehicle Dependability Study.
It used to be horsepower. Then it was fuel economy. Now there's another number making its way into the big print in car ads: the number of airbags.
For years now, car buyers have been presented with a stark choice: Go green (do good), or go upscale (feel good). That all changes this summer when Lexus finally debuts its much-anticipated LS 600h...
I've been winning the car wars in my house for years. My wife would love a Mercedes Benz or, yikes, an Aston Martin.
First things first. As abundantly advertised, the Lexus LS 460L can park itself. Or, more accurately, it can use an array of onboard ultrasonic sensors, miniature cameras, electric motors, and vehi...
To get a sense of the terrifying wonderfulness of the newest Lexus hybrid, all you need to know is that General Motors, BMW, and DaimlerChrysler are engaged in a $1 billion cahoot simply to try to ...
Toyota luxury brand, Lexus, saw it's rank in Consumer Reports' annual "predicted reliability" survey from first to fifth. Replacing Lexus in the top spot was Toyota's own Toyota brand.
I drove a Lexus for the first time on the German autobahn at 150 miles an hour. The year was 1989, and Lexus was launching in front of U.S. journalists.
Entering the U.S. market at the end of October, the Lexus LS brings a potpourri of amazing technology all wrapped in the usual Lexus goodness.
Americans are more satisfied with a broad range of products they use, from autos to personal computers, according to a survey of consumers.
Perennial winner Lexus took the top spot again this year in the J.D. Power and Associates Vehicle Dependability study, but U.S. brands Mercury, Buick and Cadillac filled out the top four.
"Whoever said money can't buy happiness isn't spending it right." You may remember those Lexus ads from a few years ago, which hijacked this bumper-sticker-ready twist on the conventional wisdom to...
TIP 1 Pssst...bridge for sale
Technology revolutions have touched every aspect of daily life, except one: light.
Porsche rises to the top in a new J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Survey. The survey was revised this year to take into account inherent design issues as well as malfunctions and manufacturing defects.
Q When the company I work for was acquired recently, my stock options were suddenly worth more than $1 million. Is it okay to say nothing about this to my siblings? My brothers have good jobs, but...
MONEY's car tests don't involve stopwatches. Instead, trunks are loaded up, kids shuttled, vehicles parallel-parked--in other words, what you do with your car in the real world. Value is the other ...
o or a weeklong family vacation? Buy a new Toyota or a used Lexus? Get a desktop or a laptop? And if a laptop, which one? Both options may be right--or at least, neither is wrong. The choice depends on what you're looking for. ...
n. Shop used and that same $30,000 can move you up to a serious luxury model, such as a Lexus GS 430. Yes, it's three years old, but with Lexus' certified plan (see below), all you really give up is the depreciation. --LAWRENCE ULRICH ...
I REALLY CAN'T WAIT FOR CHRISTMAS this year. I'm hoping for so many things under my tree, and I normally don't even have a tree. This year I put one up. That's how good I think this gifting season ...
It happens to the best of us. Hurtling down the freeway, we get distracted and take our eyes off the road. Usually we regain our focus and cruise merrily along. But when the driver in the car ahead...
With all the famous people clogging the sidewalks and mountain trails of Aspen, you might think that no one there would make a fuss over a newspaper columnist. Try making the rounds of the Colorado...
The Jaguar XJ was the top-ranked premium luxury vehicle and the Scion xB was the top compact car in a recent owner satisfaction survey by an automotive marketing consulting firm.
Each time you make a purchase, you choose between one product or service and another. You figure out how much you want to spend, then you ask questions. Would you rather take a weekend trip for two...
Thirty grand. That's just a bit higher than the average price Americans pay for a new car. And if a new car is what you want, $30,000 will get you a superb ride such as the redesigned Toyota Avalon...
General Motors and Ford earned a record number of awards while Lexus ranked highest in long-term dependability for the 11th consecutive year, according to J.D. Power and Associate's latest Vehicle Dependability Study.
For the second year in a row, the Lexus SC 430 ranked as the most reliable new car on the market, according to a study released Wednesday.
Start with the nation's best-selling luxury SUV. Then tempt the save-the-planet crowd by adding the world's most sophisticated hybrid drive system. Finally, make it faster and plusher than ever, to...
Start with the nation's best-selling luxury SUV. Then tempt the save-the-planet crowd by adding the world's most sophisticated hybrid drive system. Finally, make it faster and plusher than ever, to lure drivers whose primary goal is to whip the Joneses.
What's the definition of a hot car? One sign is when the manufacturer delays the on-sale date so that it can get more cars into dealerships and avoid disappointing too many customers. That's what i...
BEST SPORTS CAR
What You Can Learn From Toyota
"Certified pre-owned" sounds like a load of marketing hooey, doesn't it?
When it comes to automotive gizmos, Americans say they are most willing to pay for stuff that saves them at the pump, according to a study released Wednesday.
The Pontiac GTO, Nissan Armada and Chevrolet Equinox, all brand-new models, debuted at the top of their respective market segments in a major new-car satisfaction survey released Thursday.
Cars made by Korea's Hyundai have been rated as among the best values because of improved customer opinion of its quality, according to a survey.
Remember when cars had names? Evocative, sometimes powerful, sometimes way off the mark, like Mustang, New Yorker, Bonneville and Capri. They meant something, or at least were easy to remember.
You'd have a hard time picking Jim Press out of a lineup of auto executives. Middle-aged, with graying hair, slightly stooped--he's nobody's idea of a bigtime car guy. Press doesn't stand out on an...
U.S. auto buyers are more satisfied with their dealerships' service departments than in the past, and Lincoln dealers got top marks for the first time, according to a survey from J.D. Power & Associates.
Sales of the biggest SUVs took a hit in April, spawning suggestions that record gas prices will drive Americans into more fuel-friendly models. To which I say, Hah! More likely, consumers will grit...
When it comes to buzz, hybrid cars are sure getting a lot of mileage these days. Some 136,000 hybrids from Toyota and Honda have been sold to date in the U.S., and Toyota reports customers waiting ...
For the first time, Korean carmakers, thanks to a strong performance by Hyundai, have surpassed both domestic and European carmakers in initial quality, a measure of the number of problems owners experience in a new car.
Looking for a new car?
On the last day of press previews before the big Detroit auto show opens to the public, Chrysler Group unwrapped three new convertibles headed to dealerships.
Today, success in the once quiet luxury car market can be spelled with three letters: SUV
Toyota Motor Corp., one of the world leaders in environment-friendly auto technology, on Tuesday unveiled the world's first luxury vehicle using a hybrid powertrain, due for release in the United States this year.
Toyota's design research laboratory sits on a tree-shaded hill outside Tokyo, far from the company's noisy stamping presses and oily assembly lines. But the placid setting belies a revolution withi...
Tired of being associated with blue hair and bingo nights, Cadillac has decided to do something before Lexus, BMW and Benz drive it into early retirement. Breaking open a $4 billion GM piggy bank, ...
Tired of being associated with blue hair and bingo nights, Cadillac has decided to do something before Lexus, BMW and Benz drive it into early retirement. Breaking open a $4 billion GM piggy bank, Cadillac is busting moves unseen since the doo-wop era.
Spend $25,000 on a car that doesn't run the way you expect it to, and you get pretty angry. Spend $50,000 or $100,000, and you get really angry. Just listen to the anguished howls of Mercedes-Benz ...
In just over a decade, Lexus has zoomed past more-established brands to become the biggest-selling luxury car line in America. Unlike its import competitors, it imparts a different personality to d...
Just as times change, so do cliches, and the answer to the old question, "Would you buy a used car from this man?" is fast becoming, "Sure, why not?" A huge number of attractive two- and three-year...
Ahhh, Fall. Amber-colored leaves on the ground, the blaze of a warm fire in the hearth, and the smell of fresh exhaust blasting from the tailpipes of this season's new 2002 models. It's a particula...
Wu-Tang Clan The W Loud Records
BEST NEW SPORTS CAR
Ten years ago, there really was no such thing as a relatively inexpensive luxury car. Back then, if you wanted luxury features you either went the whole nine yards--and paid for all of them--or got...
Although Lexus does a mean business with the retired set, Toyota's luxury brand is desperately seeking more youthful buyers. The company's big push is the new IS 300 sports sedan--yet another attem...
Judging from the forward-thinking, risk-taking machines on display at last month's North American International Auto Show in Detroit, the car industry is enjoying a lavish renaissance. Inspired par...
Somehow it seemed right when CFOs recently voted Lexus their favorite brand of car. Since its introduction in the U.S. ten years ago, the Lexus has been the car of choice for those who wanted to sp...
FORTUNE's time-is-money fake book: Enjoy the thrill and status of erudition without the headache of actually acquiring it.
When their new-car warranties run out--usually after three years or 36,000 miles--most motorists steer clear of the dealer's service department. Instead, they take the majority of their business to...
ADMIT IT: Wouldn't it be great to tool around in a vehicle that doesn't scream out "family car"? Absolutely. But shelling out $1,400 a month to buy a sleek set of luxury wheels like the Jaguar XJ8 ...
Investing in a hedge fund instead of a mutual fund is like buying a Lexus instead of a Toyota. There are two reasons to spend the extra money: (a) you're enticed by the possibility of higher-powere...
When people spy the Lexus RX 300 for the first time, the response is amusing. They begin a ritual dance: They squint, circle, peer through the window, tilt their head from side to side, step back. ...
In the quirky, back-to-the-future timing of automotive launches, January was when the car companies rolled out a vast array of new 1999 models--which will all go on sale later this year. Among othe...
Some stellar improvements have surfaced in the luxury-car market in the past few years--state-of-the-art traction control, side airbags, and more powerful and efficient engines, to name a few. Yet ...
From sweaters to sweatpants, cold remedies to cold cream, Americans in the 1990s are demanding--and receiving--discounts. Now, at last, consumers are getting big breaks on new cars too. After watch...
A BUYER SHOPPING for luxury usually looks for timeless classics: Hermes scarves, Mark Cross leathers, Mont Blanc pens. Not so in cars. Dramatic changes in customer preferences have roiled the luxur...
THE CRASH scene at the intersection of 40th Street and 26th Avenue in Tampa is chaotic and tense. The two cars are bent and battered. Their drivers and passengers are not bleeding, but they are sha...
SOMETIMES a simple question can direct a whole era's business agenda. Management guru Peter Drucker blew executives' minds in the 1970s by asking, ''If you weren't already in this business, would y...
LET'S SEE NOW. TCI + Bell Atlantic + QVC Network + Paramount + Viacom + AT&T + Time Warner + US West. Hmmmmmm . . . confused? Marketers can hardly keep up with the headlines, much less comprehend h...
REMEMBER those Honda TV commercials with the klutzy salesmen? The point was that their ineptness didn't matter, because the cars were so good they sold themselves. Stop action! Those autos aren't f...
For the first time in a decade, the U.S. auto industry has a genuine chance to grasp the lead from its Japanese competition. Ford and Chrysler are operating at worldclass efficiency, and General Mo...
Joseph Gorman, 54, head of TRW, a major auto-parts supplier to Detroit's Big Three, insists that his top managers try out a Lexus. Says Gorman of the $40,000 Japanese luxury car: ''It's as good an ...
It seems as if every other TV commercial these days is for a car maker or an insurer touting the safety of air bags. Indeed, 60% of the 1992 models have driver-side air bags as standard equipment, ...
After years of surging sales, Japanese automakers are shifting into low gear as domestic demand for cars and trucks slows (see chart). One reason for the slump: Japanese buyers have less disposable...
WHILE the Japanese chewed up the competition in small cars in the 1980s, European and American manufacturers of big, expensive automobiles all but dozed. They thought the special qualities of their...
NOT CONTENT with strong sales and rising market share, Japanese carmakers want more -- they want to prove they are No. 1 in the world. That message reverberated through the recent Tokyo Motor Show,...
COMPETITION/Cover Story 42 WHERE JAPAN WILL STRIKE NEXT Loaded with cash and eager to head off fire-breathing challenges from Korea and other growing Asian dragons, the folks who brought you the Wa...
WEALTH/Cover Stories 44 THE BILLIONAIRES: DO THEY PAY THEIR WAY? For the most part, yes. Many are shrewd risk takers, creating new companies, even whole industries, and lots of jobs. But they also ...
HIDDEN AMONG rice fields on the northern Japanese island of Hokkaido, Toyota's Shibetsu test track has been off limits to outsiders since construction started in 1982. Recently, Toyota Chairman Eij...
MANAGING/Cover Story 30 REINVENTING IBM CEO John Akers has shattered tradition by publicly discussing the company's shortcomings. Better yet, he has set out to fix them. He's reorganized the bureau...
THE SIGHS of relief around Detroit are almost palpable. For the first time since the Japanese upset the comfortable oligopoly of U.S. automakers in the early 1970s, events seem to be going against ...
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