Is Lexus becoming like Microsoft?

I'm afraid so, judging by their ad in The Economist.

It reads as follows:

We've seen the future and it's called personalization.

Today, every Lexus has the capability to have many of its electronic settings customized.

Meaning things like lights, locks and windows can be programmed to operate in a way that's most convenient for you.

Simply decide on the adjustments you'd like to make, and your Lexus dealer will handle the rest.

In the years to come, we'll be adding even more things that you can personalize to our vehicles.

You see, at Lexus, we never forget who's in the driver's seat.

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Huh.

No sooner did Lexus get over its schadenfreude re: BMW's and Mercedes' failed iDrive and COMAND driver–car interfaces than they hopped on board the complexity bandwagon to make the Lexus no longer manageable by you and your little old self.

No, now it requires Big Brother — in the form of your Lexus dealer — to interpose himself between you and your car.

While they're programming it maybe they'll throw in a satellite–transponder so they can track you whenever there's downtime at the dealership.

Gimme a break.

Requiring someone located somewhere else to help you control your "lights, locks and windows" is not personalization: rather, it's the ultimate in depersonalization.

Unbelievably poor idea.

But I'm sure those who thought it up were paid very well indeed.

If this isn't an example of the Bizarro World masquerading as the real one then I don't know what is.