Did Lexus Ever Make A Station Wagon?
Lexus is a car brand that's often been seen as luxurious (that's even where the name comes from), from the glorious sound of the Lexus LFA to the stunning designs of its expensive convertibles. Some may be surprised, then, that Lexus actually had a station wagon at one point. But in true Lexus fashion, its version of a station wagon was a bit more polished and a bit less about stuffing in kids and groceries. Perhaps that was the downfall of the short-lived IS300 SportsCross.
Lexus appeared to be afraid of going into full on station wagon mode. The car shared many similarities to the IS300 sedan like the inline-six 2JZ engine with just 215 horsepower and rear-wheel drive chassis — although it was not available in manual. While it had some of the station wagon features you'd expect — flat folding back seats and a passenger seat that can fold forward — it was quite short in length and height. It also had luxury elements like plush seats and aluminum trim that would be a bit inconvenient for anyone looking to pick up a group of kids from a soccer game. Would they fit? Would you want them to fit?
How many Lexus IS300 SportsCross were sold?
The Lexus IS300 SportsCross was sold from 2002 to 2005, a mere three years. During that time, only a little over 3,000 station wagons were sold in the United States. It came as no surprise that the SportsCross didn't return when the second generation of the IS300 sedan arrived in 2006. It looked to be a failed experiment from Lexus — a luxury, compact station wagon that was not sporty enough to be a sports car but not large enough to be a family vehicle.
This hasn't stopped the Lexus IS300 SportsCross from having a cult following, of course. It's a rare station wagon from a popular brand that is hard to come by. Right now, Car Gurus only has seven for sale across the entire country, ranging from $9,000 to $22,000 depending on the mileage and condition. Despite none really being around, this hasn't stopped past owners from having fond memories of the SportsCross, with drivers calling them "classy" and "sporty."
Lexus tried once more to branch out with a hybrid hatchback called the CT200h. It managed to sell under 9,000 units since it came out in 2016, causing Lexus to announce it was discontinued in 2018.