Toyota also has TNGA-N, which is in the Toyota Crown, and that's a RWD longitudinal setup that has a shorter wheelbase than GA-L. This is just a case of Lexus wanting to become Toyota+, and only have a few select real Lexus vehicles (LC, LS) while the rest of the lineup are just rebadged Toyotas.

 

In Japan the LC500h powertrain is available on the Crown. Here is an acceleration clip.

 

Same here. I just need Apple CarPlay to be available. I'd like a refreshed interior though (newer style steering wheel and infotainment layout). I'm dying to get rid of my 328i!

 

Apple Car Play is extremely overhyped.

Not directing this to you in any way but people act like they literally can't buy a car without 'ApPle CaR PLaY' and have a fit and rant when a car isn't equipped with it.

That crap is free in my BMW now, for all 2019 and up models. I have never even bothered to use it, nor do I give 2 s**ts about it.

 

Agreed. The only things I use the infotainment for is music and maps. Everything else is wasted on me tbh, even though I bought the 10' screen as an upgrade. Lol

 

😂😂😂 Thank u .

 

carplay, heads up display, remote touchpad as NX / RX / RC

 

I like being able to utilize Google Maps/Apple Maps and Waze as well as listening to and replying to texts. Is it a "must"? Not necessarily. But if you invest in the entire Apple ecosystem, it is a +++. I think more and more manufacturers will have this as an option. Including the Android version.

 

As "moisture" indicated, thank you for saying what many of us feel inside. Don't get me wrong, I don't mind some tech in a vehicle but I watch car reviews and they knock a car down despite everything else going for it because it doesn't have it (or android auto). I must admit that I was not familiar with android at first, I used in my Hyundai Elantra and was like "this is what people fuss about?!?!" - Now I know that for some, it is important and I respect that, but for me, I removed the app from my phone because that is how irrelevant it was for me.

I wish car companies would focus their efforts on building FUN and ENGAGING cars with manual transmissions rather than trying to impress is with gadgets and technology for people that want to put their makeup, have their lattee or read the paper while driving - All these self driving technology that are more irritants than anything....If people would stop texting and checking their facebook account to see if anyone "likes" their post and would focus on driving safely, we wouldn't be in the mess we are in today! ** RANT OVER **

 

Never used it before and i own an Android too. Do you use google maps on it? How is the experience? Google map is all i care for, but i know that will probably never come default in any car anytime soon.

 

Honestly don't care that much about infotainment as long as it can play music, has good sound quality and can display a map if required. 3rd gen IS has one of the best contemporary interiors in my view because I don't have some big stupid display obstructing my line of sight and it's not a major area of focus on the interior. Is it disappointing there's no Android Auto or Carplay by default? Slightly, but not that big a deal because I don't make car purchases based on tech.

Modern interior car design from some makes is hilarious. Let's tack a 10+ inch infotainment display smack in the middle of the dash and integrate all our HVAC controls with it. Genius. Now I have to physically look at this crap to adjust my heating/cooling and it's in my face because the manufacturer couldn't be bothered to spend a little extra time and money integrating the thing into the dashboard properly so it's not in my line of sight out of the windshield.

 

Hey man, would you mind going somewhat in depth and comparing the chassis of your BMW to Lexus? Do you think Lexus did a good job striking that "balance" between stability and comfort? How is it on the highway relative to maneuvering around town? Did they get the steering and overall handling right? The BMW probably feels more tailhappy, right?

Bottom-line, if there was a market for cars like this, there is absolutely no reason why manufacturers would need to stop building them. The average consumer doesn't care about any of that stuff in today's market.

This is why my 2015 Mazda 6 appeals to me so much. For a "new" car, it has a lot going for it in terms of "organic" driving/steering feel and a lack of fancy electronic gizmos. The more driver focused a car is, the more it appeals to me. I would choose this car over many heavier, more expensive luxury cars just for that reason.

 

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are a definite must these days on cars because auto manufacturers do not know how to make a proper UI and infotainment setup. That's why I did what I had to do to put Apple CarPlay in my IS. This is also why it's a deal breaker for many.

 

It's getting out of hand, just give me a fun and engaging car as you stated, i just want to DRIVE. Cars are coming with active cruise control, lane departure assist, news apps in the infotainment, etc etc... Obviously these things aren't completely meant to be used for self driving, but people are becoming more comfortable in using tech to let it drive for them.

I use my navigation system in the car. That's why I got navigation, so I don't have any needs to use maps from my phone. I can either enter in the address, or in my case I just speak to it and say 'take me to *say address, POI whatever'. Works like a champ. Traffic alerts and all show up on navigation. It is automatically updated via OTA as well if there are map updates.

Not sure why anyone would prefer Google Maps over the navigation? Literally the same, unless you're buying an older car where the maps aren't updated?

 

I think I've said this before, but for me the main reason to avoid using the in-car nav would be entering destinations. Sometimes the search is finnicky, and of course anything other than voice commands is painfully slow. I'd rather pre-load the destination using Enform and then get it from my presets in my car. That literally takes less time than entering the destination in the car. When Destination Search actually works, though, it's fine.