Like other members who have pointed it out, I would really appreciate a turbocharged I4 with DI . That means, power of a V6=Mileage of a I4.

But I dont think Lexus will ever produce a Turbo engine again. They really work hard on making a car reliable. SO, I dont think a Turbo car would work for that equation.

Anyway, who knows. With the fuel prices going up, Lexus might do the unthinkable.......And follow BMW's road to producing fuel efficient Turbo (FI) engines

 

Chris that is inacurrate. Luxury car buyers do care what kind of engine it has. They don't know what Vanos, VVti, etc is, but they care its a V-6.

You can go into "Buddism' about "who cares about brand" but PEOPLE DO and they do EVERYWHERE, otherwise everyone would drive Corollas and go on with thier merry lives.

Bigger engine= more prestige, PERIOD. There are rare cases where that is not necessarily true.

As someone stated, lets wait for that I-4 Bentley then. Some of you are trying to reinvent the wheel.

 

Great post. Don't talk too much sense and reality here.


Not necessarily true, the M3 I-6 is a beast of an engine with HP but is on the low end with torque.

I-6 provides smoothness and balance.

I have (not the Audi) and econo car comes to mind. They were nice but you cannot hide a 4 cylinder, you just can't. ESPECIALLY as luxury vehicles are getting heavier and heavier.

If they were SO GREAT, wouldn't the MAJORITY of entry level luxury vehicles sold BE 4 cylinders?

When you think 4 cylinder do you think luxury car? Hell no. You think Toyota, Honda, Kia.

Again, there are some great 4 cylinder motors but they are not in luxury cars but sports cars.

 

Wasn't there an article that came out not too long ago where MB mentioned putting an I4 in their S-Class hybrid? Would that mean that the symbol of luxury for so many buyers in this market (the S-Class) would not be as luxurious because it's powered primarily by an I4?

As someone else mentioned, I think the game is changing here a bit. With rising fuel costs and buyers wanting to get more MPG and not depend as much on foreign oil, the desire for I4s are increasing. As long as the power is sufficient and the engine itself is refined and smooth, why would this be an issue? Just about 25-30% of us on here want to see Lexus offer 4 cylinder engines in their lineup. And we're enthusiasts. What about the buyers who want a reliable luxury car and have no need for the extra HP? Offering an I4 version of the ES for example would lower the price just a bit, be more fuel efficient, offer better MPG numbers and be just as luxurious and reliable as their V6 siblings. It doesn't cheapen the brand if done right. It gives more options, more choices. Luxury car buyers can be green and/or desire better fuel economy. I still fail to see the connection between I4 = cheap. Maybe someone can explain it to me without simply suggesting "that's the way it's always been". The game is changing and Lexus will need to change with it, otherwise they will sink. IMO, all options should be on the table at this point - I4s, diesels, hybrids, & EVs. To rely on old technology and old standards is to not progress into the future.

 

I stated, who knows "Maybe" things will change here. The Benz concept is a concept, more a styling exercise than anything (future Benzs will take its cues).

Lexus has invested in HYBRIDS, not I-4 cars. Lexus wants to make a distinction between Toyota and Lexus. I am not sure why anyone would argue looking at Lexus results, especially compared to the other 2 Japanese brands that offered 4 cylinder cars. Acura/Infiniti's image STILL HURTS from offering them.

You state what about buyers that don't care about power? Well there is a 204 hp IS 250 V-6 for them. If they want 4 cylinders, you can buy a Camry or Corolla.

Lexus will not sink, they have proven over and over they know what the market wants, which many times IS NOT what the enthusiast wants. Amazing that Acura offers smaller engines and they have sunk/sinking. Think about that.

I have studied this market and trends and car makers over and over. Everyone THINK about this.

Audi/Benz/BMW all sell about 1 mill vehicles a year. Included are tons of subcompacts and I-4 cars, mostly sold overseas.
1-series, A2, A3, A class, B-class, etc

Lexus is 4th in sales with nearly 500k.

They have 500k sales with ONE 4 cylinder, a very small selling IS 220d.

Think about that.


They are the best selling brand in America for what 8 years WITH NO 4 CYLINDER.

Think about that.

Lexus sold 330,000 Luxury vehicles in America and they ALL were V-6 or bigger. That is UNHEARD of.

Think about that.


Lexus management has purposely avoided the 4 cylinder gas market and the cute-ute market. Will that change b/c of gas prices? WHo knows it is possible.

I don't bet on it. They put too much trouble NOT offering 4 cylinders, to offer them now.

UNLESS maybe a smaller car than the IS debuts.

We are also talking about America. In Europe, you need small engines and diesels.

We Americans are pretty damn stubborn We are a country built on big roads, big cars and big engines!!!

Notice the IS 220d does not have dual exhausts.

 

will "think about that" be your slogan in the upcoming election?

 

Not sure....

I think I need to start a thread on my 2012 slogans.......

"You like sex, vote for 1SICKLEX"

 

Lexus should not go down to 4 cylinders, but they should put hybrid options in more of their cars like a 2.5 V6 hybrid, so it would have the power of the 3.5 V6 and still have good fuel efficency

 

If they bring 4 cylinder diesel which gets 50 miles a gallon, I'd get one for sure.

 

I have to disagree, any inline 6 that I have ever driven has always had a much more smoother response than any 4 cylinder engine. Don't get me wrong there are some smooth Inline four bangers, all in all Six cylinders does make a difference and NO Lexus should not include four cylinders into their line-up and NO Subaru is not a luxury car.

 

i think with the possiblity and probability of $5/gal. fuel in the near future, what we want in a luxury car and what is actually necessary will become greater considerations. a powerful v6 or v8 won't be as necessary if the fuel bill is $150/ wk. or more.

all the interior amenities and style can still be had with a 4 cyl. car and so can the power. the smooth feel of a v8 wont' be duplicable, but that's about the only difference; aside from the fuel economy.

only the super rich will be able to drive v8 cars in the not too distant future. i'm not holding my breath on the economy improving or gas prices dramtaically falling; if anything it will get worse.
a 4 cyl. option should be available at a lower price point to those of us who still wnat a nice well built luxury car without the huge fuel bills. no longer is fuel something that you take out of your "spending money" it's now a budget consideration for many people.

 

Uhhh, since when have turbo cars been unreliable?


Agreed. Sure people in Europe drive 6 and 8 cylinder engines. But their luxury cars also come in 4 cylinders too. So while it may be important for Toyota and Lexus to be different, with high gas prices at some point people will just hit up Toyota to save the fuel $$$$$.

 

Not cars, but turbo engines have been proven to be much, much, much less reliable that NA engines.

 

....okay. Well I've got some expirience with turbo cars and this is news to me.

Note: The Oldsmobile Tornado doesn't count because its a GM car.

 

yeah i've been driving turbo mitsubishi's since 01 and have never seen any reliability downside versus a non turbo similar engine.
want to know the most reliable engines on the road today? first hint: they have turbos...

diesel trucks.