how do lexus cars really compare to european cars?

[niky]

Depends... how good are the parts?

To some extent, buying any "premium" car is silly, because the mechanical bits are just mechanical bits. There's not really much in a "premium" car that puts it above and beyond a new "regular" car besides some extra insulation and nicer interior materials. They all use engines, suspensions, brakes and bearings. The 918 supercar uses modified Cayenne braking components, if I recall right... and many 80's and 90's supercars used handles, control stalks and lights from mass market parts bins.

All that matters is that the car works well and when you use it, it satisfies you.

The parts sharing isn't going away. Soon, BMWs will be sharing parts with Toyota. Mercedes already has parts shared with Mitsubishi and Chrysler in the past and might share with others again. And many of the electronic and engine components (fuel injectors, pumps, ECUs) are shared between brands. You can get the same transfer case that's on a high-end Jeep Wrangler Rubicon by buying a Foton. You can get the same high-tech Bosch injection system on said Foton as you get on most European diesels. Does that then make those other cars overpriced compared to the Foton? Hardly. Because they offer something extra. Build quality, better engineered bodies, brand value. That doesn't change because of who or what may be using the same components.

Understand the feeling... if you're paying extra for something premium, you expect something more, but it doesn't bother me. (then again, I'm cheap. )