Wednesday, November 28, 2012 .......................................................................................... AUTOPREVIEW2013 .......................................................................................................................... 7
>>>> Lexus LS series
>>>> Lexus ES
Lexus has always positioned itself as the pinnacle of refined luxury, meaning slightly boring products that are quiet and reliable. The LS stands at the pinnacle of the Lexus hierarchy, at least in terms of four-door sedans, and is actually regarded by its legions of loyal customers as an absolute bargain in its class. But Lexus finally decided that its offerings were a little soulless, and promised to bring some life back into the mix. The result is the 2013 LS, which isn’t a completely new car, but a thorough refresh designed to appeal more to younger buyers. The most obvious change happens outside where the new front end features the wild full-height grille with gobs of aggression. Even more dramatic is the new F Sport, a hotrod limousine aimed at the Mercedes-Benz S-Class and Audi A8. It’s distinguished mechanically by having a lowered and sport-tuned air suspension, a limited-slip rear differential, bigger Brembobrand brakes and special 19-inch wheels with stickier tires. The F Sport uses the same allaluminum 380-horsepower 4.6-liter V-8 in regular LS models, which makes enough thrust, says Lexus, to push the 4,240-pound LS to 60 mph from rest in less than 5.5 seconds. No doubt part of the credit goes to an eight-speed automatic transmission whose 1:1 drive ratio arrives in sixth gear (most others 1:1 ratio arrives in fourth) while two overdrive gears aid highway fuel economy (a respectable 16/24 mpg city/highway). Engine technology includes dual fuel-injection systems (both port and direct injection) for improved efficiency. Transporting the rich and famous is the responsibility of the LS 460 L with its nearly-fiveinch stretch in wheelbase and associated accoutrement such as optional massaging/reclining rear seat with center console. All-wheel-drive is on the LS 460/LS 460 L options sheet, although it does limit power to 357 horses. An extended-body-length hybrid gas/electric LS 600h L automatically comes with all-wheel-drive, a continuously variable transmission and 438 horsepower, and straight-line performance is comparable to the LS 460 while in-city fuel economy is about 25 percent better. That is not bad when you consider that the LS 600h L weighs 700 pounds more than the extended-length LS 460 L. The interior has been reworked to include a much larger main display taken from the new GS, along with more comfortable front seats and extra sound deadening to make the cabin quieter. Eye-popping features include an optional 19-speaker Mark Levinson audio system that includes a 30-gigabyte music hard drive and a CD/DVD changer. As well, an optional system will actually parallel-park the LS once a big enough space is found. The only thing you do is work the brakes.
The Toyota Camry-based ES is Lexus’s go-to entryluxury model, even though the sportier IS is less expensive. In this league, size counts for plenty and the longer, wider and roomier ES beats the pants off the IS in the space race. For 2013, interior volume has increased with the addition of nearly two inches between the front and rear wheels. That makes the ES more livable, especially for rear-seat riders, but it’s the car’s attractive appearance is bound to make it more likeable. Considerable sparkle has been added to what had been a design that for years was unnecessarily understated. That’s certainly not the case with the reshaped dashboard and control panel layout. The control panel is a busy spot, with numerous minute knobs and buttons handling ventilation, audio and communications tasks. Fortunately, the console-mounted Remote Touch Interface can manipulate many of the car’s systems in a relatively uncomplicated manner and with minimal driver distraction. The 268-horsepower 3.5-liter V6 and six-speed automatic transmission carry over virtually unchanged from the 2012 edition, but what’s really new is the ES 300h hybrid with its 156-horsepower 2.5-liter four-cylinder gas engine that combines with a 141-horsepower electric motor to generate 200 net horsepower. Both function through a continuously variable transmission. The hybrid borrows its powertrain from the Toyota Camry hybrid and represents a natural extension of the ES brand, especially since the recent demise of the Toyota Prius-based HS 250h sedan. The ES 300h’s 40-mpg city and 39-highway values rival the Camry hybrid’s 43/39 rating and clobbers the ES 350’s 21/31 results. All ES 350s include climate control, power moonroof, 10-way adjustable power front seats, backup monitor, push-button start and an eight-speaker auto system. There’s also a Drive Mode selector with Normal, Eco, or Sport settings for the powertrain and steering system. From that point you can load up the ES with heated seats and steering wheel, voice-activated navigation, 15-speaker Mark Levinson-brand sound system and genuine wood trim. There are also a variety of safety items designed to keep you in the correct lane, alert to traffic approaching in adjacent lanes, assist you when backing out from a parking spot and summon help in the event of a crash.
>>>> DETAILS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Base price (incl. destination): $68,100; $113,000 (LS 600h L, 2012) >>> Type: Fourdoor sedan >>> Base engine (hp): 4.6-liter DOHC V8 (380) >>> Optional engine (hp): 5.0-liter DOHC V-8 and electric motor (438, hybrid) >>> Layout: Front-engine, rear- / all-wheel-drive >>> Transmission: Eight-speed automatic >>> MPG (city/hwy): 16/24 (4.6) >>> Safety: Front airbags; front side-impact airbags; side-curtain airbags; rear sideimpact airbags (opt.); front knee airbags; anti-lock brakes; traction control; stability control >>> Weight (lb.): 4,350
(New for 2013)
>>>> DETAILS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Base price (incl. destination): $37,000 >>> Type: Four-door sedan >>> Base engine (hp): 3.5-liter DOHC V6 (268) >>> Optional engine (hp): 2.5-liter DOHC I4 with electric motor (200, net) >>> Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel-drive >>> Transmission: Sixspeed automatic; continuously variable (hybrid) >>> MPG (city/hwy): 21/31 (3.5) >>> Safety: Front airbags; side-impact airbags; side-curtain airbags; driver and passenger knee airbags; rear side-impact airbags; anti-lock brakes; traction control; stability control >>> Weight (lb.): 3,550
>>>> Lexus RX series It seems like every manufacturer has taken a shot, but no one has managed to beat the sophisticated, safe, comfortable and efficient Lexus RX as a purveyor of people and stuff. It remains the company’s best-selling model, but to keep everyone guessing, Lexus is messing with the formula a bit in 2013. If the exterior used to be a study in restraint, the face-lifted version will surprise some with its sculpted GS-esque nose, flowing grille and aggressive demeanor. The recipe changes even more with the new F Sport model that attempts to make the RX exciting to drive. It has all the right bits including a sportier suspension, 19-inch wheels, an eight-speed automatic transmission (normal RX’s get six-speeds) with paddle shifters and more supportive seats. Visually, it gets its own more aggressive grille and lower bumper, along with black leather with white stitching covering the seats. Normal RX models also get a redesigned center console and dash that now incorporates the muchimproved wide-screen infotainment system. Otherwise, the dashboard flows dramatically across the control panel as if it was left in the sun too long. It’s visually arresting and totally unexpected in a Lexus. The body structure rests on a reworked platform highlighted by an independent rear suspension that, Lexus claims, makes the RX more comfortable and agile and provides an enlarged cargo area. Keeping the base RX 350 on pace is a 3.5-liter V-6 that produces 275 horsepower, while the six-speed “Multi-Mode” automatic transmission helps fuel economy. The gasoline-electric RX 450h functions with its own 245-horsepower version of the 3.5 V-6, but combines with up to three motor generators to produce 295 horsepower. So, the hybrid equates to more power than the gas-only RX 350 and a 32-mpg city rating, which is about 28 percent better than the RX 350. The eight-speed automatic in the F Sport also improves fuel mileage on the highway relative to “regular” models (26 mpg versus 25). All-wheel-drive is also on the menu for the RX 350; its electronically controlled system sends 100 percent of the power to the front wheels under optimal road conditions and directs up to 50 percent of the torque to the rear wheels when needed. Wall-to-wall convenience items include keyless access with push-button start. Available up-level content ranges from leather seats, moonroof and voice-activated navigation to a premium sound system and a heads-up windshield display for speedometer and other key functions.
>>>> DETAILS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Base price (incl. destination): $40,800 (RX 350); $46,700 (RX 450h) >>> Type: Four-door, front- /all-wheel-drive five-passenger sport-utility vehicle >>> Base engine (hp): 3.5-liter DOHC V-6 (275) >>> Optional engine (hp): 3.5-liter DOHC V-6 with electric assist (295) >>> Layout: Front engine, front- /all-wheel-drive >>> Transmissions: Six-speed automatic (RX 350); eight-speed automatic (F Sport); continuously variable (RX 450h) >>> MPG (city/ hwy): 18/25 (RX 350, FWD) >>> Safety: Front airbags; front and rear side-impact airbags; side-curtain airbags; front knee airbags; anti-lock brakes; traction control; stability control >>> Weight (lb.): 4,340
>>>> Lexus GS
(New for 2013)
The 2013 GS is helping lead Lexus out of the design doldrums where, along with many of its stable mates, the car has resided for the past number of years. Nothing overly radical, mind you, since it shares many physical and mechanical components with its 2012 counterparts. But at both front and rear ends the revisions are obvious. The reshaped nosepiece now displays a large air intake below the grille, with additional side intakes that also serve as fog light housings. The confluence of shapes and angles at the business end might not rank as an artistic tour de force, but it’s certainly character building and that will definitely get the GS noticed. What will likely go unnoticed is the lack of a V-8 option, which leaves the GS 350 and its gasoline-electric hybrid GS 450h as the only available models. The F Sport upgrade uses the same carryover 306-horsepower 3.5-liter V-8 as the standard GS 350. Both feature a six-speed automatic transmission that blips the throttle for smoother downshifts (called rev matching). However an extra level on the standard driver-selectable operating mode has been added that firms up the suspension and sharpens the steering for an overall sportier feel. Lexus confirms that the GS 350 can scoot to 60 mph from a standing start in 5.7 seconds, which happens to be a mere 0.1 of a second slower than the gasoline-electric GS 450h, the undisputed hot rod in the bunch. On the surface it appears that the hybrid’s 3.5-liter V-8 with 338 net combined horsepower is also a carryover, but the powertrain’s 29 mpg city and 34 highway fuel consumption (compared to the previous GS hybrid’s 22/25) tell a different tale. In fact, the engine has been converted to a higher compression Atkinson Cycle motor that’s designed to burn fuel more efficiently. It also features direct injection whereby fuel is metered straight into the combustion chambers as well as through the intake manifold, for further fuel savings. The F Sport and the GS 450h are offered in rear-wheel-drive only. An optional all-wheel-drive system for the GS 350 varies the torque split from its standard 50:50 setting, up to a front-to-rear 30:70 split, depending on surface conditions.
>>>> DETAILS >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> Base price (incl. destination): $47,800 >>> Type: Four-door sedan >>> Base engine (hp): 3.5-liter DOHC V-6 (306) >>> Optional engine (hp): 3.5-liter DOHC V-6 combined with electric motor (338) >>> Layout: Front-engine, front- /all-wheel-drive >>> Transmission: Six-speed automatic; continuously variable (GS 450h) >>> MPG (city/hwy): 19/28 (base V-6) >>> Safety: Front airbags; side-impact airbags; side-curtain airbags; driver and passenger knee airbags; rear side-impact airbags; anti-lock brakes; traction control; stability control >>> Weight (lb.): 4,190