Tag: lexus

2021 Lexus IS Unveiled

Like, as in, it’s the new Lexus IS. It’s exciting that it IS unveiled, but it would be rude to shout about it. Or would it?

The 2021 Lexus IS has been unveiled and it looks good. At first glance it looks like an all-new car because there is a lot of new panel work to make the Lexus mid-size sedan a bit more grrr.

This isn’t an all-new, TNGA-based IS. The 2021 Lexus IS is a very heavy update of the N platform based car we already know and love.

Also on board for the new car is a few new safety features, new cabin technology and a choice of drivetrains. It’s an important car for Lexus – the IS is its top-selling non SUV.

2021 Lexus IS Exterior

And I reckon it has absolutely worked. The IS it replaces is a bit dumpy in places (but better than when it first launched), the new one is sharp. This iteration is a more coherent design although it does still have those weird front lights I thought Lexus was going away from.

The new front end gives even the basic car a really muscular down-the-road look. The big spindle grille makes it look lovely and wide and the lights integrate a lot better.

The profile is fairly familiar but the pumped rear guards remind you that it’s rear-wheel drive. I like all the new creasing along the car, too.

And I am absolutely on board with the new rear lights.

2021 Lexus IS Interior

The new cabin is fairly familiar buy there is lots of new stuff. Like the 10.3-inch touchscreen bucking the integration trend by sitting proud on the dashboard.

It looks typically Lexus, of course, which is to say tight as a drum but with too many buttons and that silly analogue clock.

I am really hoping those awesome seats are standard, they look brilliant. The colour isn’t standard, but part of the F Sport spec and is called Fire Red.

Lexus is keen for you to know that the new IS has funky new door trims.

Drivetrain and chassis

As before, the range starts with the 180kW IS300 (which used to be known as the IS200t) then moves to the 164kW IS300h hybrid.

The IS300h now has better throttle response, which is handy, because Lexus hybrids can be a bit doughy. It’s still a 2.5-litre naturally-aspirated four-cylinder paired with an integrated electric motor with a tiny battery. They’re called “self-charging” hybrids which never fails to amuse me.

And – thankfully – the 232kW 3.5-litre V6 continues with an eight-speed auto (and not a silly 12-speed or something similar).

Still no new IS F, though. Boo. But…US Lexus execs were at least willing to talk about the possibility of a V8 IS.

Lexus says the new car has a better chassis courtesy of a swathe of rigidity improvements, newly-available 19-inch alloys and some clever dampers.

There’s the new Shimoyama test track, too, part of the Lexus technical centre. Makes a nice change from a Nurburgring claim.

Lexus Safety System +

The new car scores five new safety functions over the outgoing car. Lane Trace Assist is an new stability system that helps keep you in your lane.

Driver Emergency Stop Assist will bring the car to a gentle stop if the driver doesn’t respond to warnings. If it thinks you’re out of it (say, having a medical episode), the car will place an emergency call.

Emergency Steering Assist will help you if the car thinks you’re overreacting or messing up.

Pre-collision Safety System adds Audi-style protection from driving into oncoming traffic when you make a courageous right turn.

And the clever Low Speed Acceleration control will stop the car if the system thinks you’ve hit the throttle instead of the brake.

How much is the 2021 Lexus IS and when can I have one?

No idea and later this year.

Well, “no idea” is probably a little silly. Prices will almost certainly rise but Lexus is unlikely to go nuts. It will still be competitive, cheap to run and have an okay warranty.

If the chassis updates are anything to go by, it should bring the car up to speed with the new 3 Series. While the IS has always oozed comfort and refinement, a bit more mongrel won’t go astray.

June 16, 2020
2020 Lexus RX300 Review

Lexus’ big SUV scores a styling and technical refresh to take it through the next few years and make it more attractive.

I used to regard the Lexus RX as a bit of a Yank Tank, perhaps unfairly. Big and soft with a distinctly Palm Springs vibe mixed with Lexus’ signature Japanese vibe.

It always had a brilliant interior. You may not have liked the look, but it was stunningly well-built, the whole car is.

The sheetmetal, though, had a sharp, angular look that just never gelled with me. It didn’t seem to stop buyers, of course, because the RX sells quite well, thanks very much.

But the 2020 update is quite appealing. A lot of the creases are gone, it’s less busy and the interior tech scores a couple of nice upgrades to get the Lexus back on the tail of the Germans.

How much is a 2020 Lexus RX300 and what do I get?

$71,920

One of the most puzzling things in the Australian car market – to me, anyway – is the enduring popularity of the Toyota Kluger. It’s not cheap, the interior is practical but boring and the 3.5-litre V6 either spins the front wheels and/or drinks fuel like oil is $20 a barrel.

Okay, that last bit might be true at the moment, but you get the picture.

The properly-loaded RX300 is $71,920 is at the high-end of the Kluger range but is in every way a better car.

You get a 12-speaker stereo, 18-inch alloy wheels, dual-zone climate control, reversing camera, sat nav, keyless entry and start, front and rear parking sensors, active cruise control, electric front seats, powered tailgate, wireless charging pad, auto LED headlights, auto wipers, fake leather interior and a space-saver spare.

There’s a massive screen running Lexus’ largely terrible (but vastly better than the dog in the Kluger) entertainment system. It is slightly better these days but when you factor in the lovely implementation of Apple CarPlay and (I presume equally good) Android Auto, everything is alright. The 12-speaker stereo is really rather good and it’s a lovely screen. It looks terrific, has a lovely clear resolution and the hardware is fast.

Safety – 5 Stars (ANCAP, January 2016)

The RX300 ships with ten airbags (including knee airbags for both front passengers), ABS, stability and traction controls, blind-spot monitoring, forward and rear collision warning, forward AEB with pedestrian detection, reverse AEB, reverse cross-traffic alert, lane departure warning, lane keep assist and speed-zone recognition.

The RX300 scored five ANCAP stars in January 2016 and I reckon would breeze through another test now with all the extra gear.

Warranty and Servicing

4 years/100,000km
Capped-price servicing

Lexus buyers automatically score entry in to the Encore program. Lexus is rightfully proud of this scheme because it’s really quite good. The warranty length is suddenly under pressure from both sides, though, given parent company Toyota and premium rival Mercedes have both shifted to five years. Encore includs a pretty hefty roadside assist package, too.

The capped-price servicing regime runs for four years but the website currently throws a page not found for the pricing. From past experience, though, it’s competitive. And when you talk to owners, nothing goes wrong.

When you’ve booked a service, Lexus will either come and get the car from you or will give you a loan car for the day.

You also get access to a some pretty on-brand luxury events that mostly include food and wine type stuff but there are also track days where you might score a ride in the arse-kicking LF-A.

You also score benefits at places like Jackalope and One and Only Wolgan Valley (aka Emirates Wolgan Valley), including a free airport transfer, late checkout, that sort of thing.

Look and Feel

The changes aren’t huge, but I think they’re enough to soften the sometimes overbearingly sharp lines of the original. This fourth-generation RX has been around since 2015 and has always been a bit in-yer-face. I really like the new headlights and the interplay with the grille. I like the spindle grille, others don’t but yeah, whatever.

The profile disguises its considerable bulk and I quite like the creasing in the doors, particularly along the base of the doors. Not sure I’m hugely onboard with all of the detailing, including the black piece that makes the rear part of the roof “float”. But it’s nicer than before and the fourth-gen was already much better than anything before it.

It’s very Lexus in here, which means beautifully built and nicely finished. Even though the leather is fake it doesn’t matter because it all feels really nice. Lexus dashboards are a bit imposing and still feature that naff analogue clock, but you just know that all of it will age really well. There are still too many buttons, though.

Storage

It’s roomy, has plenty of space for four passengers (the base model is not a seven-seater) and can cope with five. Boot space starts at a reasonable (if conservative) 453 litres rising to – again – a very conservative-sounding 924 litres with the rear seats folded away. You get cupholders front and rear and a big centre console bin. The storage space under the centre stack also contains the wireless charging pad.

Chassis and Drivetrain

Under that high bonnet is the 300’s 8AR-FTS 2.0-litre turbocharged four-cylinder. Spinning up 175kW and 350Nm, it seems an unlikely engine for such a big fella. Big in that it’s long (4.89 metres) and weighs 1995kg.

The engine drives the front wheels via six-speed automatic, which seems perfectly suited to the job.

The updated RX features a few tricky engineering bits – there’s a whole bunch of new body adhesive and 36 new weld points to increase body rigidity. The front suspension member features a dynamic damper to reduce vibration and there is a Friction Control Device fitted to each shock absorber to reduce high frequency vibrations.

There are heaps of other detailed changes to the suspension and steering. The difference to the earlier versions of the car is subtle but noticeable.

The RX 300 rolls on 18-inch wheels and Dunlop SP Sport Maxx rubber measuring 235/65.

Driving

When you saddle up in a Lexus, you know exactly what you’re going to get. If it doesn’t have a solitary F (as opposed to F Sport), expect super-smooth everything.

The RX used to be a six-cylinder or hybrid proposition only and I bet I know why – Lexus customers are sticklers for the brand’s known attributes, chief among them is super-smooth progress. The RX300 absolutely delivers.

I was quite impressed with the way the 2.0-litre turbo shifts the hefty SUV and the six-speed was more than enough for the time we had it. It was frugal, too, which you can’t always say for Toyota products without electric assistance.

This is not a straight swap for a German SUV, though. Don’t think you’re going to get the kind of dynamic poise you get in an X5. This car is skewed heavily towards isolation and comfort. It’s deathly quiet inside, the chunky body keeping out noise from around and underneath. The steering is light and the suspension is spookily absorbent.

You pay for it with a bit of body roll, but I’d much rather be at the wheel of this than a top-spec, wallowing Kluger Highlander. While that car is smooth and quiet, the RX brings cabin sophistication, reasonable fuel consumption and a very much more stylish exterior.

I’d love it if Lexus could sort out the software and controls for the media system but one of my former complaints – too much obviously Toyota switchgear – is now much more muted. While I generally don’t care when big car companies share the bits around, those horrible block Toyota switches are crap in a Yaris let alone a luxury SUV.

Competition

It’s a large SUV, no question about it. If you were looking to Germany, you’d see the choice of X3 and X5 from BMW, the RX sitting neatly between them for size but is quite a bit cheaper on price. As I’ve already said, the dynamic nature of the other car’s might be what pushes you to the Lexus. The after-sales package and legendary reliability might keep you there. I’d still have the BMW – at this price, it’s an X3 xDrive 30i with less stuff but AWD drivetrain.

Mercedes doesn’t have a large SUV within cooee of this price point.

Audi’s Q5 is substantially smaller than the RX but you can have a Quattro 45 TFSI for a few grand less than the Lexus. You won’t get near the Q7, which starts at over $100,000.

There’s a Genesis coming soon, but we don’t know enough about it yet.

Redline Recommendation

A Lexus on the drive is a fine thing indeed. They’re not the most dynamic cars (GS F and RC F excluded, obviously) but they’re sharply-priced, stacked full of gear and super safety-conscious to boot.

I liked the RX300 more than I expected I would. It’s calm, cool and collected and so much nicer than its under-the-skin relative, the Kluger. Stop whining about the lack of third row – you never use it unless you forgot to stop breeding.

The RX will serve you well for as long as you want it to, will carry you mile after mile in near-silent comfort and deliver you relaxed and fresh. It’s a lovely machine.

May 11, 2020
Tarmac Rallying: “Racing” a Lexus GS F
You did what in what?

The haggard figure you see in that video is me nearing the end of two hard but incredibly rewarding days. I got a phone call during February asking if I would like to join the Tour section of the Mount Baw Baw Sprint round of the Australian Tarmac Rally Championship. My ever-patient wife said yes, and so did I. It was for a good cause – Drive Against Depression. How could I say no?

By the way, you can still donate to DAD – either directly (fine by me) or through the Gofundme I set up.

The Tour section of a tarmac rally is something I had never heard of until two years ago when I ran a BMW i8 for three days of Targa Tasmania.

Lexus Australia came on board with vehicles for rally officials – as well as for me. We’d initially talked about running the LC500 but then we hit upon an idea. I hadn’t yet had the chance to drive a GS F and was curious. Everyone who had driven one said it was amazing for such a big car, so why not?

Lexus GS F Drivetrain

The GS F is the closest thing you can get to the much-lamented IS F. It’s a much bigger car than the IS, far closer to BMW’s 5 Series than the 3 Series-sized IS.

What is the same is the approach as the IS – take a competent but boring, sometimes hybrid-powered executive sedan from Japan and stuff it full of Yamaha’s amazing 5.0-litre V8. That’s a pretty good start. In the GS F, you can call up 351kW (477PS) at 7100rpm, with 530Nm available between 4800 and 5600rpm.

Power goes to the rear wheels via an eight-speed auto and a torque vectoring rear diff. Lexus says the transmission talks to a G-sensor which tells the transmission to shift up, down or hold depending on conditions. You can also shift with the paddles.

Chassis

Lexus calls its chassis package VDIM – Vehicle Dynamics Integrated Management. That silly acronym takes in suspension, engine, transmission, traction and stability and steering settings.

You’ve got four engine/transmission/suspension modes to choose from – Eco, Comfort, Sport and Sport+. Let’s not worry about the first two, because I didn’t (they’re fine for tooling about and, er, saving a tiny amount of fuel).

A separate button marked TVD – Torque Vectoring Differential – is critical to the way the car handles. Three modes – Normal, Slalom and Race – offer three very different handling characteristics and as I discovered on the RC F, Slalom is hilarious.

Stopping power comes from a set of very attractive Brembos, with six-pot calipers at the front and four-pots at the rear. The big slotted discs look terrific behind the 19-inch alloys. The GS F I drove was the 10th Anniversary model, which meant the calipers were a lairy orange colour.

GS F – “Not a track car.”

So, uh, if you Google this car, there’s lots of “you would never track this car” or “The sports sedan you will never race.”

Get stuffed. Half the internet thinks its the greatest judge of handling prowess and what constitutes a track car. Some wallies will tell you it has to be a 911 GT3 or GTFO. You can take whatever you want to the track and what makes it fun is if you enjoy it. Yeah, you. Not what some jerk on the internet thinks and sometiems, that jerk might be me.

Tarmac rallying is kind of like taking a car to the track and I will put my hand up to thinking that the GS F was a bit of a boat to take this on. I had forgotten two things:
1. Lexus’ F engineers are complete hoons.
2. I mean, total hoons. Seriously.
Let’s find out how wrong I was about the rest of it.

Driving

I guess I was a little bit justified in thinking the GS F wasn’t the car for this. It’s nearly two tonnes (1865kg kerb weight) and was definitely two tonnes with me, a full tank of fuel and my co-driver on board.

The big advantage of the GS F on this even was that with so much headroom, the roof didn’t get in the way of my helmet. Very solid start. On the minus side, the seats are really wide – like, American-In-N-Out-every-day bum wide – so I was going to have to find a way to wedge myself in a bit.

I drove the car from Melbourne to Mt Baw, a three-hour odyssey made longer by my terrible navigation skills and a short detour to look at something shiny. The GS F was amazingly comfortable – quiet, composed and with very little tyre noise, it made the journey very pleasant. The sound system is great, as they are on all Lexuses.

Because I’m an idiot, I didn’t fill up where I should have, so took the GS F straight up. The traffic thinned out, and I was on roads I kind of knew. They’re good ones. Turns out, the last 30-odd km (20 miles) were the competitive stages.

The next day on the stages, the GS F revealed itself to me. While I started off fairly tamely, the car came to me very quickly. The V8 is so strong and a keen revver, the sound amplified in the cabin by the stereo. The only thing holding the car back was the traction control and my lack of experience. The way the GS F piles on speed had my co-driver – a keen motorbiker – telling me if felt super-fast.

I was worried about the brakes but not once did I feel like they were going to give out. The stages, particularly the ones closer to the mountain, are tight and twisty, with a lot of braking from 100km/h-plus speeds. I’m not a hard braker – I prefer smooth, early braking – but sometimes a corner needed a bit more and it was always there.

The suspension coped beautifully with a road that was not built for this – and that’s the point of tarmac rallying. Patchwork roads, depressions, high crowns, big cambers, hairpins, water on the road, it was all coming at me. The GS F never once felt out of its depth.

The steering. Oh, the steering.

The biggest surprise was the way this thing can turn in. The torque vectoring diff makes a huge difference in the corners, the front of the car diving into corners unerringly and sometimes unnervingly. The enthusiasm the GS F has for corners is mind-blowing.

While the wheel itself isn’t chock-full of feel, the weighting was perfect and I knew all I need to know about what was going on under the Michelin Pilot 4Ses. Those tyres were massively grippy and copped an absolute pounding but completely failed to fall apart. Once warm they stuck to the road like an Australian politician clings to a bad idea.

The GS F’s resistance to understeer only began to fail as I grew more confident, so that was clearly the car’s fault *cough*. For such a big beast, its limits are extraordinarily high. Composed, fast and glorious to listen to, I would drive this thing in a tarmac rally again in a heartbeat. We understood each other and it let me build up to a point where I was going comfortably quicker than when I first started. It also helped that a very good friend jumped in on Sunday morning and told me what I was doing wrong.

The transmission

Eight-speed automatics aren’t your obvious go-to for a rally car, but like ZF’s excellent eight-speed, this thing can shift (sorry). Well, it does most of the time.

The city/motorway stuff, it was close to perfect as expected. And really, for most of the time it was being hammered, it was also perfect. Unfortunately, there was a thing it did that, in this case didn’t matter too much, but it did it.

Foot flat in second gear, it would occasionally just run into the limiter and keep doing it. That was kind of silly and annoying but a gentle lift on the throttle would remind the box to change up. It ignore the paddles when that was happening. Luckily, the redline in second was

The paddles were good to use but didn’t really work for me in the heat of a stage so I just let the transmission do its own thing. And you know what? That’s the best way.

The G-sensor does its job. Hammer the brake pedal and the first chance it gets, the gearbox grabs a lower gear and blips the throttle so you don’t get a fright. It became uncannily good at getting it right and let me get on with the job of going fast.

Redline Recommendation

Both on road and rally stage, the GS F is brilliant. We’ve come to expect this kind of breadth of ability from BMW M, but the GS F was unexpected. It gained the nickname, “That bloody big Lexus” – it stayed with machinery built specifically for tarmac rallying, monstering all before it. What’s more – and what’s amazing – is how kind it was to me.

Tarmac rallying is tiring work but the GS F looked after me – kept me cool and fresh as we hared through the Australian bush, whooping and laughing as I went.

Consider the GS F. It’s a belter. Solid recommend.
March 8, 2019