I think we’d all like our shot at becoming King for a Day, at least at some point in our lives. King of what, it doesn’t really matter. You could be the King of England or the King of Dancing or even the King of Cheeseburgers. Just to be king of something, for one day, would be so very ridiculously fantastic. I want it. We all do.

But King for a Day means only 24 hours of gratification, so King for a Month or a Year would be quite a bit more satisfying, right? Take Lexus, for example, who has been named Auto Express’s Manufacturer of the Year seven times in the last decade. It’s a good feeling. It really is, but not half so good as, say, being named Manufacturer of the Decade.

Now we’re onto something. Anybody can rule the day, or the week, or even the year, but to rule a decade truly means something, and this honor isn’t one that Auto Express bestowed upon Lexus lightly.

They made their decision partly because 7 out of 10 yearly victories speak for themselves, but more so because Lexus has achieved the highest satisfaction rate of any automaker in the world over the course of the last ten years. When 88.3% of the magazine’s 300,000 polled readers give Lexus a satisfactory vote, you know you’re onto something special, and as any Essex County Lexus dealer will tell you, the vehicles they sell are most certainly special, as well.

The second-gen hybrid RX, for example, took third place in Auto Express’s Cars of the Decade race, and Lexus’s commitment to hybrid technology (while maintaining luxury and superior drivability) is a huge reason why they were named the top manufacturer of the last ten years.

“Their supreme comfort and great build quality are regularly praised, and this is backed up by aftersales service which is unmatched in the industry,” said Graham Hope, Auto Express’s deputy editor. “Lexus is a thoroughly deserving winner of our Manufacturer of the Decade award, and will no doubt continue its success in the years ahead.”

It’s hard to argue with that, especially considering the fact that Lexus was only introduced to the UK in 1990. With that market growing and Lexus committed to further excellence, it wouldn’t be surprising if they ended up King for a Century someday.