Despite its de facto status as an uncool car, the minivan makes a lot of sense for a lot of families. Today's people movers drive well, have excellent features, and keep everyone in your crew comfortable. Outside the US, however, the minivan market is more diverse than you might expect.
In Japan, for example, the humble family mobile has been elevated to a full-on luxury suite on wheels. The Lexus LM, where LM literally stands for Luxury Mover, presents an upscale experience—just not one for US buyers, sadly.
Or do they? I recently spotted a current-generation Lexus LM on California roads. At first glance, I assumed perhaps someone body and badge-swapped a Toyota Sienna. Upon closer inspection, however, it would have to be a perfect swap as every piece looked correct and the fit and finish were Lexus-grade perfect.
So I did some more research and discovered that the Lexus LM is, somehow, being imported and sold here in the US. And the cost of entry is eye-opening.
Irvine Coast Motorcars in Costa Mesa, California, has not one but two 2025 Lexus LM vans available for sale. Both are LM350h hybrid models, and each is configured with the seven-passenger seating configuration. There's a four-passenger version that serves up enough luxury to make a Maybach owner jealous. In fact, that model is dubbed the "Emperor Suite," which is one hell of a name.
I'm not sure what a four-passenger version would set you back, but I can tell you how much it costs to put the seven-passenger version in your driveway. Irvine Coast Motorcars is asking an eye-watering $258,888 for an LM with 8,709 miles or $269,800 for one with just 1,936 miles.
Even in the seven-passenger setup, that second-row seat is first class. These are power-reclining thrones with tablet-sized controls. You have shades to keep the sun out of your eyes, controls for the audio system, and you can adjust the climate control how you see fit. The armrests are even heated.
The Lexus LM is based on the Toyota Alphard and rides on the TNGA-K global platform. The model you see here is a second-generation LM, which is hybrid only. An LM350h delivers around 250 horsepower, but Lexus also makes a 366-horsepower 500h version. You can spec the LM350h with front- or all-wheel drive, while the LM500h comes standard with the Lexus Direct4 AWD system. Regardless, neither one should be here, especially with a standard California plate affixed to the rear.
So what's it doing on California roads, and how did it get registered? We reached out to Irvine Coast Motorcars to learn more. They haven't gotten back to us (yet). Based on the van's asking price, however, we can only assume the answer to our question is cash… and lots of it.
Lexus sells the LM in a handful of Asian markets, Australia, and parts of Europe. It would be interesting to see what a US-market version could do, especially if the price were set at the right level for a true US road-legal version.
