Comment by jacquesm

Lexus and Toyota are the same thing really, except for the small detail that Lexus is the premium brand created with the express goal of having distance between it and Toyota. As soon as you're going to mix in things like "the right lease deal, certified pre-owned, or loaner vehicle discount" you are no longer comparing apples to apples and if you were to apply the same right lease deal, certified pre-owned or loaner vehicle discount to both sides of the equation there would still be different audiences in play.

And yes, within a single brand there is price differentiation too. That's the whole point: different priced vehicles for people with different budgets and matching expectations. Absolutely nobody is going to expect the same kind of luxury from a Yaris as from a Lexus.

I agree that when you spend other people's money it is easier to overspend, no contest on that.