Tell me about the Lexus, please. All auto info seems to be held under
deepest security. Could somebody point me at a table of brands vs
prices, with pointed commentaries on each entry? I'm looking at
buying/leasing a car, but it looks like I need a postgrad degree to
even start. Thanks, somebody.

I'm not sure why you consider car information to be a secret, but it
is widely available.  You can visit a dealer and take home brochures,
contact the manufacturer to have information mailed to you, or check
out the car maker's web site.  You can also see information about all
the major models of all the major manufacturers in magazines such as
Consumer Reports, and many car related magazines.  There are also a
number of web sites that discuss reviews of various models such as
edmunds.com or carpoint.msn.com.

What are they keeping secret from you?

Here's a good place to start. 

http://www.lexus.com
http://www.lexus.com/lexusConfigApp/index.jsp
Build Your Lexus