• Cars.com, Wednesday, February 22, 2012 10:08 AM

Premium cars priced below $30,000 are coming back, but Lexus isn't biting. Last year, Buick introduced the Verano, based on the Chevrolet Cruze platform, and starting under $23,000. Acura followed with the ILX, which shares underpinnings with the Honda Civic and will start "well below $30,000" when it hits dealerships this spring. Mercedes is still on track to roll out a family of compact cars stateside.

Toyota's Lexus division wants none of it. Lexus has just one car below the $30,000 mark, the pint-sized CT 200h hybrid, and it sells well enough. But the automaker wants none of the near-luxury pie, said Brian Smith, VP of marketing.

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