Vladi

I never believed that premium driving experience must be utilized on RWD platform. Whole RWD thing was more of follow the Germans than anything else really. RWD in car like LS doesn't bring any more to the table than FWD or AWD, if chassis and drivetrain is made just right you could never tell the difference in two tone car if it's RWD or FWD. Now if we are talking about spirited driving experience then yes RWD is in 90% cases better than FWD but still not as good as torque vectored AWD. Once EVs get independent motors for each wheel then we will reach another point in spirited sports driving that we could never achieve in ICE vehicles. And in some cases FWD cars can give you more enjoyment than RWD cars, like how current Honda Civic Type-R is a lot more composed, precise and exciting machine than Camaro, Charger or Mustang in the same price range but that is not the issue here.

My point is that premium driving experience can be delivered in FWD as we can see in Audi's case. A6 rides better than 5 series and sure as hell rides better than stiff and clunky E-class which sold in tens of thousands for some reason, RLX drives better than E-class. Lexus RX is very close to that premium driving experience with FWD compared to Toyota counterpart but it's still missing few bits and pieces to get there. It's CT, NX and ES to a degree that completely miss out on providing different experience than Toyota and that is where I see the problem with Lexus FWD product. Not only do they drive like Toyota Avensis, RAV-4 and Camry but they smell like them too. Lexus engineers can claim they replaced hundreds of parts on chassis but that doesn't mean they drive any better cause they don't. Lexus remedy for such thing is obviously more affordable price and that is completely OK, there is market for such vehicles. But they are still far away from even RX driving experience, let alone GS experience.

Again it's not because GS is RWD so it must provide better experience, rather its dedicated custom made chassis for Lexus requirements that does that. If Lexus ever engineers its own FWD chassis I sure bet it would drive hundred times better than any FWD Toyota out there, but since that is not happening I also vote for Lexus to build new SUVs on their new Global Platform. There is room for some sporty oriented large utility that would be direct competitor to RR Sport or Cayenne.

SW17LS

Don't agree about RWD not having a benefit in a car like the LS vs FWD. The RWD layout changes the whole look and feel of the vehicle.

Audis are not traditional FWD cars, they don't have a transverse layout, essentially they are longitudinal RWD biased AWD cars.

Toys4RJill

No worries, no need to get this side tracked. I was just wondering.

Come on seriously? Smell like them. The lower end Lexus smell fine. So do Toyota products.

mmarshall

Kia doesn't make "crapbasket" products anymore....those days went out 10-15 years ago. If you don't take our word for it, go check some of them out for yourself. I think you will be pleasantly surprised.

dseag2

Agreed that there are some FWD cars that are a blast to drive. My '04 Acura TL was one of them, although torque steer can become an issue with high-output engines. Re: Audi, the ride is most definitely better with FWD, but the driving experience is better with Quattro AWD.

peteharvey

IS/GS platform isn't just RWD , it is also aluminium bonnet & aluminum suspension with double wishbone front & multilink rear to keep tires more perpendicular to road to maximise grip, plus engine behind front axle for near 50/50 weight distribution.

IS/GS also have better leather & plastics.

IMO, Jill is right, Lexus is deliberately basing NX/RX off Toyota platforms only because they can get away with it through hot sales.
If sales plummeted, they'd move to rear drive platforms...

mmarshall

It's not a question of "getting away with it". Car-based crossovers are what a lot of customers want these days....at least for small and mid-size models. If automakers still did small and medium sized SUVs off of truck-based, BOF platforms (like the former ones from Suzuki, for instance), even though BOFs are usually better of-road, customers would complain about the ride comfort, handling, and general road manners. Very few owners of SUVs these days (the Jeep Wrangler is one of the few exceptions) actually go off-road with any kind of regularity, anyway.

SW17LS

The issue is not the car based crossover, it's what car platform they choose to base them off of. Many enthusiasts like me want to buy cars based off of premium platforms that aren't transverse FWD layouts or based on mainstream models. For us, there is no Lexus crossover option. Does Lexus care? I think ultimately they should.

Toys4RJill

I don't agree with you that if sales plummet then they would switch over to RWD. The $40K-$50K cross-over segment is where everyone wants to be if you are a mainstream luxury brand. BMW X5 starts at $58K whereas the Lexus RX is running at $43K. The prices would go up if they moved to RWD.

BrownPride

Aside from the GLC, Merc's SUVs are pretty outdated and inferior to the competition IMO. From the interiors to the driving dynamics, they are out of date despite the recent refresh.

SW17LS

I agree 100%, overall unimpressive.

mmarshall

The Mercedes G-Wagon (Gelandewagen) will probably never be outdated. Though the design goes back more than 35 years (as a German/Austrian military vehicle), it is built like a tank, and still sells today.

If you have never seen how this vehicle is built, go check one out for yourself.....it is literally like a bank-vault.

TangoRed

They're solid SUV's with attractive deals, which is why they still sell. The styling just looks bleh compared to the rest of the newer lineup and the competition though, I agree. I actually still really like the exterior styling of the GLS and GLE coupe.

2018 will bring us the unveil of the new GLE and G, with the new GLS coming in 2019.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

revisiting this... when did you drive one? the srt8 has adaptive dampers and much upgraded suspension over a regular GC.
according to this (otherwise dreadful lol) road test video - they say it achieves .9G in cornering which is amazing.

SW17LS

Its been since the WK2 first came out in 2011.