Review: Lexus RX350

Every luxury carmaker has one, and I really can’t stand the bloody things, they drive me mad. They take the drivers concentration away from the road so you can adjust the climate to a sane level, or turn the music down, or look at a map to find out just where the hell you are. I’m talking about the on-board computer. The large computer screen in the middle of the dash that has a dictatorship over all the on-board systems, which includes some annoying puck, disc knob or lever to actuate through the maze of menu options and controls.

 

Guess what Lexus is showing off in the new RX350? You guessed it, another electronic dash dictator. But this one is different. While other systems use some foreign knob or lever that requires a weeks training to coming to terms with, Lexus has designed something that’s already familiar to your hand and mind - a computer mouse. While its not exactly the same as the one connected to your PC, it is somewhat familiar, making it easier to get the job done. And while this system is a great step forward from the old confusing way of navigating the Lexus dash, and it is one of the simplest systems out there, I still can’t but wonder what was ever wrong with knobs and dials.

Not to get on a rant lets continue with the rest of the interior. The RX offers the typical luxury appointments that will keep five adults pleasantly happy and comfortable. An optional Pre-Collision System (PCS) with Dynamic Radar Cruise Control can be used to maintain a set distance from vehicles ahead and can detect obstacles, warning the driver whether a collision is highly possible. These are the good tech goodies that I do like.

 

Open the hood and all you’re going to see is two large plastic engine covers. Now this is usually a let down because I open the hood for a reason, to get a gander at the oily bits. I don’t want to look at a sheet of plastic; I want to see the heart of the vehicle. However, in Lexus’ defense, the engine covers do serve a greater purpose, as they act as noise insulation, keeping the cabin quiet. And for those in the market for an RX350, this is a good thing… I guess. In fact, Lexus has gone to great lengths to make the cabin as quiet and peaceful as possible, even finding ways to make the intake quieter. I didn’t know intake manifolds made that much noise?

 

One surprise I found with this luxury-classed vehicle was the amount of off-road oriented features. First thing you notice when looking down at the center consol (other than the mouse) is a button to lock the new Active Torque Control AWD. That’s much beefier than the viscous units found on most luxury crossovers. Couple this with advertised approach and departure angles, and suspension that feels more multi-purpose than sports oriented, and one would start to think Lexus had visions of the back woods when completing the design engineering. And while the RX may not be trail rated so to say, this shiny collection of metallic paint and chrome can handle itself quite fine in just about everything minus a full 4WD trail.

 

Although, with this terrain versatility, comes a mushy ride, with increased body roll in the corners. While just about every other vehicle in this class boasts about their sportscar like handling, the RX’s softness can’t match the same claims. One thing it can hold its head high for however, is its silky smooth ride. This is a trait that is engineered into every Lexus that comes off the line, and the RX is no different. Along with the silence inside the cabin, the ride feels absolutely divine; proving this is what Lexus excels at.

Specs:

MSRP: $46,900

Price as tested: $62,200

Layout: Front Engine – All Wheel Drive

Engine: 3.5L V-6

Transmission: 6-Speed Automatic with manual shift

HP: 275

Torque: 257

Brakes: Four wheel ventilated discs

Curb Weight: 1,970 kg

Towing Capacity: 1,587 kg

0-100 km/h: 7.4 sec

Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 11.6/8.2L/100km

Review: Lexus IS-F

The BMW M3. Back in the late 80’s it was the pioneer of the high-performance luxury sedan. It was the Hulk of the automotive world. A regular E30 3-Series was a sporty, good looking, fun to drive vehicle. However, someone ticked off the 3-Series and muscles tore out of its body, wings sprouted out, and a screaming 2.3L struck fear into anyone within earshot. Building such a beast could not go without retaliation however. Soon after, Mercedes introduced the 190E Evolution, also a muscle bound animal. The two locked horns in battle on streets, circuts and stages around the world.

 

Fast forward 20 years. BMW and Mercedes are still at each others throats, although they now have some competition. Audi’s manic RS4 can also be added to the list of horrifically fast saloons. As of late, Lexus has been competing with BMW’s several different levels although have never really stepped up to the plate with a truly high performace machine to rival the M3. Well those days are long gone. Let me introduce the IS-F, the bad boy of the IS series.

 

Like the original M3, Lexus has designed the IS-F to demand authority. Clear identifications that this is not just a IS-250, or 350 are clearly announced with an aggressive low and wide stance, massive wheels, and a pair of badass flare vents on the front fenders to offer extra cooling for the massive V8 shoehorned into the engine bay. There is no doubt about it, this car looks the business. But is its bit as bad as its bark.

 

Yes! With BMW, Mercedes and Audi all having large high revving V8’s, this can be a hard act to follow. No problem for Lexus, they stepped forward with a 5.0L high revver of their own, which slots in nicely between the Audi and Merc. Squeezed into the IS body, this mill propels the car forward with extreme violence. With TC off, be prepare to fight to keep everything straight, as gearshifts from 1^st to 2^nd and 2^nd to 3^rd will have the rear end waving to those you just left far behind. Even with the massive 20-inch rims wraped with 375/30 super sticky Michelin Pilot Sports.

In the handling department, this is a super tight car. The chassis, steering, shifting, suspension, brakes, everything about this car feels tight and firm like an athletes body conditioned for competition. Couple this with excellent seat positioning, the IS-F is extremely good at talking to the driver. The driver can feel every bit of what the car is doing through touch alone.

 

Coming into a corner at speed, (something hard not to do with this car) the IS-F turns in with an incredible amount of frontal grip. This car just will not understeer, however if you get too aggressive with it, be ready to catch the oversteer that will come barreling at you once the rear grip becomes too much.

 

Unfortunetly the flappy paddle gearbox takes away from the drivers envolvement in this car. Lexus see’s this gearbox as a crowning achievement of the IS-F, although I see things a little different. Now before all you statisticians out there email in with your hate mail, yes, a dual clutch automatic gearbox is faster than a manual. Specing out a dream car on paper will have this car looking quite attractive. However, for a true driving enthusiast who is actually going to get behind the wheel, it can be a bit of a handicap. Truth is, it does take control away from the driver, as well as the joy of a perfectly produced downshift. Eight speeds help fuel efficiency and allow you to always be in a good cornering gear, but its easy to get lost in the maze. More than a couple times I’ve come flying into corners and had to look down at the dash to see what gear I was currently at in the sequence of six downshifts. I’ve never really liked paddle shifters, and as this is the only option available for the IS-F, its left the first bad taste in my mouth.

 

The interior is quite civilized when compared to its muscle bound competition. The seats are not as aggressive, but still hold the driver in place nicely. The dash is pleasing to both the eye and the fingers as many functions are not as complicated as the Germans. Even the rear seats prvide a comfortable environment for terror striken passengers.

 

So at the end of the day, does the IS-F match up to its highly competitive rivals? This group of car are so evenly matched, that choosing a favourite is hard enough as it is, and now Lexus throws in a wild card. Well let me tell you that Lexus got it right, in a big way. It slots nicely in with the entire crowd and holds position like it has been there the whole time.

 

 

Specifications:

Engine: 5.0L V8

Power: 414 hp, 375 lb.ft.

Weight: 1,750 kg

Transmission: 8-Speed Dual Clutch Automatic with manual shift

Price: $66,450

Competition: BMW M3, Mercedes C63 AMG, Audi RS4, Infiniti G37 Sedan, Cadillac CTS V

Review: Lexus LS600h

So we’ve covered nearly the whole array of hybrids now. The Insight representing the hybrid purist, the Fusion mid-sized family saloon and an SUV. Now we come to a hybrid segment not well known, that of the luxury flagship hybrid. It’s a strange breed this one, almost an oxymoron in of itself as one tends to think of a luxury flagship as a massive road going land yacht, overflowing at the seams with techno goodies to please their wealthy owners. Not you’re average tree huggers mode of transportation.

 

Well, that’s precisely what we have in the Lexus LS600 h. A very large, long wheelbase executive sedan armed with a large V-8, plus the worlds top technology and luxury. And what a ride, the first thing any driver will notice about a Lexus is the silky smooth ride. But there is also two electric motors hidden in with all these items of significance. Which raises the question, why would wealthy limo driving people want a hybrid? Well the answer is that large 

amounts of people with means have been found on Toyota’s showroom floor dropping cash for the Prius. With the Prius leaving showrooms as fast as they come in, Toyota thought, why not let the little guy have the much cheaper Prius, and let the wealthy keep their luxury, power hungry needs with the addition of an eco responsibility badge pasted on the back to help them sleep better at night.

 

And so you have it, the 5.0L V-8 powered, 2,290 kg techno filled, AWD beast can be had with electric assist. Now your wondering, can a little electric motor actually make this car environmentally responsible? Well no, it still uses a good amount of fuel, and therefore still emits a fair amount of pollution. However, what this hybrid system does, is take away a rather large chunk out of the possible harm this car could do, without upsetting the luxuries people come to expect with such a car. Despite being able to heave its massive weight forward at a rate of 5.5sec for 0-96 km/h, the LS600 h has the power of a very large V-8, yet gets the fuel efficiency of a mid-sized V-6, while being able to run on full electric power during low speeds.

 

Then there’s the techno goodies, something Lexus pride themselves on immensely. Personally I’m not a big fan of the tech thing, but an impressive list of self parking technology, Hard Drive based SatNav system, multi-wave radar Cruise system and collision avoidance system, and enough airbags to make a throw pillow junky jealous, puts the LS600 h at the top of its class. Then there is the rear passenger area that features heated, A/C and shiatsu massaging rear seats that recline with foot rest. A personal cooler and work table along with a LCD screen on which to play your favourite DVD’s. Seems like the back is the place to be right. Well yes it is, because the entire week that I had the car, I wasn’t able to get back there once, because a greedy friend of family member wanting a taste of the good life always occupied it.

 

The week I had the car also just happened to fall on the Christmas holidays, which meant I was a big hit at family and business parties, but the most impressive and rewarding feature this car had for me was that little hybrid logo on the rear deck. While looking for a parking spot in an IKEA parking lot, three days before Christmas, the chaos of the situation was, as you’d expect. Long lines of cars stretching out the lot and down the road, all trying to find a parking spot. I figured I’d take a chance and try my luck in front of the entrance. Long and behold, there was two open parking sports right up front with “Hybrid Only Parking” signs protecting them. SCORE! While the LS600 h isn’t exactly a Prius, it is a hybrid nonetheless.

 

 

Specs:

MSRP: $118,700

Price as tested: $142,842

Layout: Front Engine – All Wheel Drive

Engine: 5.0L V-8 with two electric assist motors

Transmission: Electronic Continuously Variable Transmission

HP: 438

Torque: 385

Brakes: Four-wheel ventilated Disc

Curb Weight: 2,290 kg

Towing Capacity: NA

0-100 km/h: 5.5 sec

Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 10.6/9.1L/100km