Consumer Reports Puts 2010 Lexus GX 460 On Don’t Buy List

For the first time since 2001, Consumer Report has indicated serious concerns of rollover for an SUV. This time, it is one of the most popular brands, the new Lexus GX 460. Three months and 5000 SUV sales later, Consumer Reports have cautioned users not to buy Lexus GX 460 SUV until Toyota (NYSE:TM) engineers are able to fix stability issue. According to Consumer Report experts, when they tested new SUV on track handling course, the vehicle nearly fell sideways due to a potential rollover problem. On sharp turns whenever test drivers took off their feet from accelerators, the SUV had tendency to veer off sideways due to high center of gravity. Although, electronic traction control takes over to keep Lexus GX 460 in an upright position but engineers found that the sudden impact was too quick even for computers to handle.

2010 Lexus IS 250C

2010 Lexus IS 250C

The IS 250C, from certain angles, is no exception. To provide ample space to stow the roof and still leave a little carry-on luggage room, the entire rear end often grows out of proportion to the rest of the car. The IS C's overall length grows a little more than two inches, and it shows. It's also impossible to hide the massive cut lines for the trunk lid, which only adds to the feeling of extra mass. Then you add 400 pounds to the curb weight, and that extra mass becomes a real issue, especially in car packing a 204-hp V6.

To be fair, the car looks sharp from the front three-quarter angle, and--like all good convertibles--is fine with the top down. It also is fitted with some damn nice equipment--the super-powerful and clean sound of the Mark Levinson audio system is worth the money, along with the strong navigation system and the adaptive headlights which both do a great job of helping guide and light the way forward.

If your tastes run to luxury and you're willing to forego serious power to get everything for less than $50,000, the IS 250C is a good option.

Lexus Hybrid Adds Economy To Luxury

The Lexus RX 450H shows just how far hybrids have come. It was the first luxury crossover SUV as well as the first luxury full-hybrid SUV, and it couldn’t be more different from the teeny Insight or even the first-generation Prius, which absolutely defined dorky in automotive terms.

The RX crossovers have been a huge success among upscale drivers, and with the RX 450H, they can have their luxury SUV steak with a side order of smug frugality. Instead of the non-hybrid RX 350 with its 18 city, 25 highway fuel mileage, RX 450H breaks out with 30 city and 29 highway.

That difference probably won’t pay back the $7,000 extra cost over the regular gas-powered car for a whole lotta years unless gas prices spike into the stratosphere, but there is the daily psychological benefit of driving lean and clean. Plus, those sublime interludes when the Lexus is cruising through city streets in near silence on electric power only.

The Lexus RS was completely restyled for 2010, with a sleeker exterior and a more luxurious interior for its third generation. For many people, the RX pushes all the right buttons for versatility, accommodations, refinement and luxury.
The ride is soft and cornering is accompanied by plenty of body roll from the hefty SUV. But what it may lack in drivability, RX makes up for in cushy comfort. If insulation from the rough edges of the outside world is what you desire, then here it is, in spades.

The hybrid drive is generally seamless, though there is some jerkiness as the RX shifts between the electric motor and the gas engine. At low speeds, electric power become the only motivation up to about 40 mph, when the gas engine cuts in. At traffic lights and other stops, the engine shuts down to save fuel.

In the city and suburbs is where you save the bulk of your gas money. On the highway, it is what it is, though on downhill grades the engine will turn itself off until it’s needed again. A nicely designed video graphic helps the driver monitor the hybrid functionality around town, and saving gas can become something of a game to see how well you can do.

Acceleration is decent, though if you go poking too hard on the throttle at start ups, you’ll foil the fuel savings. Throttle response is fairly languid, anyway. The continuously variable automatic transmission is designed to make the most of the hybrid’s functionality, but it sets up an annoying drone when the gas engine is running.

2010 Lexus IS F-Sport in UK

2010 Lexus IS F-Sport

New F-Sport grade
The new F-Sport grade, available for both 2010 Lexus IS F-Sport and 220d models, takes its cue from the high impact styling of the IS F and is positioned in the IS line-up between the established SE-I and SE-L models.

The dedicated 2010 Lexus IS F-Sport exterior features include lowered suspension (IS 250 only), exclusive 18-inch wheels and an IS F-style front grille and rear bootlid spoiler. In the cabin there are aluminium sports pedals, IS F-style sports seats, steering wheel and (on the IS 250 automatic) gear lever. The seats are finished in a combination of Alcantara upholstery with leather side bolsters.

A black-on-black interior colour scheme is complimented by a black headlining and grey stitching detail on the front seats and steering wheel.

F-Sport models share a number of premium equipment features with SE-L grade, including rain-sensing wipers, HID headlights with AFS, 13-speaker audio system and memory settings for the front seats and door mirrors.
Lexus IS prices, insurance and VED

MODEL OTR PRICE INSURANCE
50 group VED BAND
IS 220d SE £24,350 27 F
IS 250 SE manual £24,625 29 L
IS 250 SE automatic £25,285 29 K
IS 220d SE-I £26,610 28 F
IS 250 SE-I manual £26,885 29 L
IS 250 SE-I automatic £27,545 29 K
IS 220d F-Sport £28.290 TBA F
IS 250 F-Sport automatic £29,365 TBA K
IS 220d SE-L £29,075 29 F
IS 250 SE-L automatic £30.150 30 K

Option prices

HDD navigation £2,350
Multimedia package £3,120
ACC/PCS (250 SE-L only) £2,640
DAB audio £360
18-inch Hoshi wheels £1,425
18-inch Baransu wheels £1,425
18-inch Tsuki wheels £1,550
Metallic/mica paint £595

Best overall: Lexus 460L

Lexus 460L
Price: $70,925

Mileage: 24 Hwy, 16 City

Parent company Toyota has been taking its lumps lately, but the carmaker and its luxury division Lexus still makes some very good vehicles. Case in point: the Lexus LS full-size luxury sedan scores a near-flawless 99 on Consumer Reports 100-point scale.

Toyota's recall mess has caused some problems, though. Toyota would have had four cars in this Top 10 list instead of just two. Two vehicles -- the Rav4 and Highlander SUVs -- have had their recommendations suspended as a result of recalls that resulted in "stop sale" orders by the carmaker.

Lexus Planning Wagon For Next-Gen IS

Some of you will remember that from 2001 to 2005, Lexus sold a wagon variant of the IS, dubbed SportCross. Unfortunately, relatively dismal sales numbers didn't really make a business case for keeping that car alive, and Lexus canned it when the second-generation IS debuted in 2006. However, all hope of seeing a SportCross redux has not been lost – Autocar is reporting that the third-generation IS, set to arrive in 2011, could spawn a wagon variant once again.

Now, let's be realistic. If Lexus does build an IS SportCross again, it probably won't make it to American soil. Why? In Europe, wagons are hot sellers, with the BMW 3 Series Touring and Audi A4 Avant leading the pack. Lexus even admits that not offering a wagon in Europe has hurt overall sales of the car. Mercedes-Benz made a similar decision with the current-generation C-Class to only offer the wagon version in Europe, while in previous years, the C-Class Estate could be found at American dealerships as well.

Lexus CT 200h Hybrid Hatchback Planned for the US

The Lexus CT 200h Hybrid hatchback is planned to coming to the U.S. market, and will have a starting price under $40K.

When Toyota debuted the production version of its Lexus CT 200h compact hybrid late last month, it was almost certainly destined to be a European-only vehicle. European buyers love smaller vehicles and hatchbacks in general, and the vehicle didn’t seem likely to appeal to the buying tastes of traditional U.S. Lexus buyers.

However, that doesn’t appear to be the case now. Following the success of its midsize Lexus HS 250h hybrid which slots in below ES 350, Toyota has confirmed that the compact CT 200h will come to the U.S. in 2011. According to Edmunds Inside Line, Lexus officials in the U.S. practically had to beg the execs in Japan to get the sporty vehicle to appeal to a younger clientele.

BMW has the 1-Series, Audi has the A3, and the U.S. officials too wanted a vehicle in the same mold. With the exception of the IS range and the ultra-exotic LFA, Lexus doesn’t have anything in its lineup that would exactly raise the pulse of many younger buyers.