i once *** German for their nomenclature and gave Lexus high marks for sticking to their numbers until the 5rx came out. Lol

 

It is all about refinement, especially in a luxury vehicle. This thing wont be cheap and the last thing I want is a buzzy turbo 4 after paying $70-80k for this thing. A turbo 4 in any configuration may be fine in the NX and RX, but once you start moving up the lux ladder, that won't fly.

 

People pay $70-80k for Mercedes GLEs with a terrible buzzy 4 cyl all the time, unfortunately.

I'd love to have that engine too but I just don't see it happening. Lexus needs an inline 6 for this vehicle but they don't have one and aren't going to develop one.

 

That truth is still hard to swallow. It used to be you paid more for a luxury car for a better engine than most.

 

Refinement didn't save the 8 cylinder, and it won't save the 6 cylinder either. Manufacturing efficiency and emissions is where it's at, and Volvo has demonstrated that an all-4 cylinder lineup will have no problem getting sales even at $80K.

 

That's why a person like me drives cars that weren't designed around that crap, at all. And yeah yeah, they're old I know.

But I'd rather have a sweet powertrain than the coolest Apple interface on the dash. 2.0ts are horrendous.

 

I totally don't get it for that application...

 

Huh? I just mean a sweet engine or choice was part of the deal when you bought expensive luxury cars in the past.

2nd gen GS is a good example, or W140 which went from a 3.2 I6 (underpowered car but still nice I-6 engine) all the way to a 6.0L V12 which was a monster.

 

I mean I don't get why people would buy the 4cyl in a vehicle like a GLE or E Class. We agree lol

 

There will always be people that buy things or maybe they just arent that informed? I really dont see why with all the engineering might of Toyota, they cant make the 3.5tt work. They made the 2GR work in the GS and IS and those are rear drive platforms. The LS500 has an AWD option so it really doesnt matter what orientation the engine is.

 

They absolutely can, they can do whatever they want, but they won't.

Engine orientation does matter because it goes back to how the vehicle itself is designed. You can't just put an engine longitudinally in a vehicle designed as a primarily FWD transverse layout. The LS500 being AWD has nothing to do with how the engine and transmission sit in the vehicle or how the vehicle is designed around the engine orientation. The TX is going to be based off of the Grand Highlander and thats a transverse FWD layout.

 

I think they can. The 2GR in the GS350 is the same engine in the Toyota Avalon.

 

The GS doesn't share anything with the Avalon, totally different platforms etc.

The unibody of the vehicle is designed as either transverse or longitudinal., thats what I'm saying.

 

They are NOT gonna put the LS500 engine in the grand Highlander. I agree. Makes no sense.

Their 2.4t hybrid with the 6 speed auto is the right the option of the Grand Highlander. The 3.5 is also twin turbo, the 2.4t is not a twin turbo.

 

It cannot possibly be the same engine. Avalons, being Camry-based, have a sideways (transverse) engine-mount and FWD. GS models are RWD and have a longitudinal (for/aft) engine-mount.

You are probably thinking of the ES350 (also Camry-based), not the GS....the ES shares a lot of components with the Avalon.