Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Maybe you've been out of Lexus and in BMW so long now that you're out of touch. Only the now discontinued US LS600hL, and the GS450h are special order. You can find ESh, RXh, NXh, LCh everywhere.

In real world driving and experience, the ESh yields high 30's-40mpg. RXh, high 20's-30mpg, NXh high 20's-low 30'smpg, LCh high 20's-low 30's mpg. The ESh and NXh are tuned on Regular 87 as well.

The ESh is basically a $2K premium, which at 40mpg pays for itself very quickly. Same could be said of the NXh. RXh is more of a premium, but they made a new base model that is very attainable. LCh well yeah that one is expensive lol.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

since i believe they didn't make the wheelbase any longer than the regular rx it's hard to see how it could have come out any differently. bean counters: 1, customers: 0

RNM GS3

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

my local lexus dealer currently has 12 hybrids in stock, 8 ES and 4 RX. that's 12 out of 285 vehicles in stock.

RNM GS3

RNM GS3

Hoovey689

iTrader: (16)

Clearly not, as you stated:

Again, only the GSh and discontinued LSh are and were special order.

Not all are excuses. You said

A 3.5L TTV6 exists in the LS500

Would it be nice to have some of those things? Sure, but it's not necessity. Infinite choices are nice and that's what the Germans and say Samsung/Android are about. Lexus is more akin to say Apple in the sense that they have a limited amount of choices in color and trim, then the brand/reputation does the rest. Apple like Lexus is behind in many things but that doesn't stop people from buying iPhones or Lexus.

Part of your angst is that Lexus just doesn't make something you want right now. Hence you moved to the Germans. That's fine, they make some darn good cars, but plenty of people still buy Lexus which is why they're a top 3 selling luxury brand in the US.

Lexus has always been about the 'slow and steady', nothing you or I say will change that. Lexus could honestly care less about the Jonses, they love to march to the beat of their own drum. That beat and drum just bothers some people lol.

evident

They need new engines asap.

mmarshall

Why? Just for the sake of having something new? As I've said before, two reasons Lexus powerplants are so reliable are that, One, they don't replace or re-engineer them every couple of years trying to Keep Up With the Jones's (to use a term that some others have), and, Two, they don't over-stress them with too much power per liter.

Rhambler

That's kind of a poor argument in my opinion. Look at the old Toyota Supra engine: that thing was built like a tank, was fast and reliable. If Toyota isn't building better, faster engines because they're worried about reliability then they just don't know how to build engines anymore. I've stated that they've relied on third-parties for past engine development and it makes you wonder if they really do lack the knowledge these days.

I agree with some of others above: Toyota and Lexus are way behind in power trains and the ones they have coming out are all about efficiency: performance is an afterthought.

Trying to build less boring cars goes beyond styling. It's a two-part equation and they're forgetting an equally if not more important part of the equation: power trains.

MattyG

They're probably catering to the all show, no go crowd at this point. If that's what people want with ES or RX then have at it. The crowd that loves to talk about brands or image vs real cars and real driving.

But remember that there was a late 80s Supra turbo that could knock out sub-6 second 0-60 times in a handsome classic two door body that would have shocked any Mustang or Camaro driver. That's because it could corner and brake better than them. And it looked good doing it. There was the MR2 of course and it too had something about it. Now the marketers and brand image flaks are telling you it's all about image and demographic. Yet Mustang and Camaro still have cachet and image, and will whip any Toyota/Lexus product easily.

mmarshall

I had the non-turbo version of that old Supra 3.0L in-line six engine in my old IS300. Yes, built like a tank. It would get out of its own way, but was not particularly fast....between 7.1 and 7.5 seconds 0-60, depending on who did the testing. It made 215 HP and 218 ft-lbs. of torque.

coolsaber

They are, its just not at a pace that makes their new offerings seem like theyre new. 2L turbo in the NX, after everyone else, V6 TT, after everyone else. They have the apple philosophy in my mind, waiting for a tech to mature to the point before its outdated, but also not before the beta testers have complained and lived with problems. Introduce it, and then forget about it till the next big thing.

05ls430518

iTrader: (1)

I feel that lexus is confused with its own image it is trying to seperate itself from its older 40-70 demographic that nornally buys its vehicles and get the 20-30 demographic. The issue with that is that younger demographic is caring less and less about cars, as shown by the lack of young adults getting there licenses.

I enjoy the gsf, rcf, and isf naturally aspirated v-8's have a unique feeling and though they may be slower than the competition they are all part of the driving experience, that i feel is essential when purchasing a car. Just my opinion.

BrownPride

While Lexus did go a bit overboard on their styling, I do feel that overall vehicles are more attractive to the younger crowd than they used to be. It's something they had to do in order to position the brand well for the future.

"All show no go" is bad in theory, but if like the Germans Lexus were always opting for newer powertrains and the lot, their reliability would likely be compromised. My gripe is more with Lexus' sub-par interiors and with some of the uglier vehicles like....basically all their SUVs.