Guys I think Lexus is back on their A-game honestly.

I'm already seeing serveral TXs a day.

When the GX comes out the won't be able to keep them on the lots... there will be a wait...guaranteed.

LX sucks sorta, but it's just how good the competition has become in that category. I see why Toyota won't change anything like size and wheelbase for the purists.

 

Can't be A Game without proper premium platforms. No matter how well the TX sells, its not a proper premium vehicle.

I have yet to see a TX here

 

what i've always found interesting is the official ratings for the 1999 LS put it at 25 mpg on the highway, and i've always wondered how did they get that number so low?!? from my own experience you need to be going like 85+ mph before the mpgs fall that far... anything below 70 mph is an easy 30+ mpg

 

I don't disagree, but that was the case with the RX too and didn't stop it.

 

I like a lot of the current Lexus products, but they no longer have a sedan I'd want. So if I were to need to replace my GS, there wouldn't be a Lexus offering in that department that I could consider. Though to be fair, there isn't currently a BMW, Mercedes, or Audi sedan that I like right now either. I seriously don't know what I would get.

 

What begins to come more into play with MPG at higher road-speeds, despite tall gearing in modern transmissions that keeps RPMs down, is air-resistance. True, modern cars move more slickly through the air than the squarish designs of yesteryear, but, even so, aside from a slick coat of wax on the paint, there generally isn't much you can do to keep air resistance down as you gain speed. You can, of course, control one's speed, and keep the air-resistance down by doing so. That's what I do...generally stay around 60 MPH or so (usually in the right lane to avoid tailgaters)...and get about 50% more MPG on the highway than what the EPA officially publishes.

Air temperature and humidity can also make a difference. All else equal, cold air and dry air means more dense air...and more air-resistance. Dry roads often give you better MPG than wet ones....the water on the pavement can put a drag on tires.

 

But the RX selling well doesn't make it a a true premium product. No Toyota derived transverse/FWD vehicle can really compete with the true luxury players

Lexus today is basically an Acura/Infiniti/Volvo competitor

 

actually, you can modify the exterior to simulate the surface of a golf ball!

 

Nah, Lexus is higher than them. Acura and Volvo have NOTHING like the LX or LC, or GX.. LX kinda sucks like I said, but it has cachet for sure. LC is the only car like that you can get a NA V8 engine with, not to mention it is one of the most gorgeous cars ever designed.

 

Those are very low volume cars…Acura made the NSX…

The IIHS crash test of the Grand Highlander is also out…surprisingly it didn’t do very well…TX will be the same.

 

Talk about a fumble in 2023.... can't believe they couldn't ace the small overlap.

 

It was very rare that I could get over 25 in my 92 LS400. And in the city it was worse than my truck.

I'd slot Lexus somewhere in between. It's not on the level of the Germans, but having some RWD based platforms puts them a notch above the other Japanese luxury brands.

 

Original LS400 was rated 23 HWY just FWIW.

 

I've owned both Acura and Lexus and in my experience, no, they are not on the same level.

I'd say the RDX is on level with the NX, and the MDX is on level with the RX/TX. I'm not quite sure there's an equivalent to the TLX, but the ES would be the closest. I'm not sure what to say about the Integra. But that's it. 4 vehicles in the Acura lineup.

So Acura has nothing to compete with:

the IS (maybe TLX?)
the LS
the UX
the LC
the LX
the RZ
the GX
the RC and especially the RC F

I actually really like Acura, but they are down to 4 models, and three out of 4 are on shared Honda platforms, no? Not sure about the TLX but I assume it's stand alone. Not a single RWD platform. Acura has had some great cars in the past, but this is not their "best of times."

A failed NSX doesn't bring them up to the same level.

Lexus has its issues, no doubt, but I think putting it on parallel with Acura is silly.

I'm with @BrettJacks in that they are somewhat of an in-betweener.

 

My GS is rated at 26 on the highway but it's not hard at all to exceed that on the highway. 29mpg at distance at 70-80 mph is easily achieved.

My Tundra generally falls below the EPA values (it's bad), and my Highlander Hybrid tends to hit it exactly (28 city, 27 highway).