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Comments
There is no way that Pickler gal should still be left and Lisa Tucker gets canned!
And if I hear one more "amazing" out of Abdul!!
Can't she express herself without always resorting to that word?
I thought they were going to dump her and I see she just signed a new multi-year contract!
Amazing!
T
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
The value bestowed in this technology is worth it's asking price. Even some cars like my '06 A8 W-12 have the system as standard equipment. I like the fact that every carmaker is in the rush to improve nav systems, may it be picture clarity, road maps, street signs, et al. It keeps everything fresh.
And now, the race is on to eliminate the need for nav systems to incorporate HVAC/audio controls, even though the ever-present i-Drive/MMI/COMAND knob controlled variants are on the rise. And the technology is trickling down from the super-luxury cars of 5-6 years ago to Mazda 3's($16k car), VW Jetta's($20k), and upcoming Dodge Caliber to name a few. The technology as grown so fast and fierce that GM has announced that it will offer it as an option along with Onstar on every model it sells by 2010. I guess this is to offset the worries from the government earlier this week when they rolled out the new CAFE standards, with the H1,H2, and 2500 Surburban having to be included in the average mpg test for the first time ever.
Back to my point, navigation helps out in not having a fight with your better half because we are to "man" to stop and ask for directions. It also is a beneficial safety component in that you don't have to worry about getting lost somewhere you don't have clue of where it is.
Summation: Navigation- It's a life saver.
It seems you are far from alone-Ryan said she has a pretty big fan base.
At least you have demonstrated you have quite a few other words in your arsenal.
With Paula, I'm not so sure!
A reviewer I follow who is a real handling snob and has put down Hondas, Toyotas and Lexi for years recently reviewed the 2007 Camry and mildly raved about the noticeable improvement in handling.
I don't think it too much of a stretch, therefore, for one to expect to see a similar improvement in handling for the new LS.
2013 LX 570 2016 LS 460
I also have no doubts anymore as to whether or not she messed around with the Corey dude (who just got kicked off the Surreal Life too due to a lack of talent) from a few seasons back. She was basically going down the same path with Ace the other night.
M
Here's a video of what the IS350 can do with VDIM turned off: http://www.autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=6841&categoryId=23
Wonder what she drives?
Maybe that's why Ace has lost his fan base.
While it is probably true, why do many folks keep dwelling on such an unrealistic assessment of these vehicles?
When pushed to the limits, the IS has some understeer.
Most folks would probably never know.
One of my neighbors just got a white SC430. Now there's a looker! Wow!
If that isn't the best looking Lexus out there, I must not be paying attention.
"One of my neighbors just got a white SC430. Now there's a looker! Wow! If that isn't the best looking Lexus out there, I must not be paying attention."
Ok, you lost me on that one. In my opinion, the SC430 is the worst looking Lexus out there, from its slab sided, tubby profile to its pizza dish wheels, which are made even worse by the available pseudo five-spoke plastic bit that they introduced I believe for '05. While they did a great job with the interior (mostly by liberally copying the XK8) I thought the exterior was a huge letdown compared to the SC400, and the car is about as much fun to drive as an ES330. I hope who ever thought this was a good design no longer has a job at Lexus.
I think it’s somewhat of a cult car; you sure do see plenty of them around. What kind of cult? I don’t know, probably the same cult that feels a little too good about knowing how to fold the WSJ while reading it, and orders banana daiquiris at the 19th hole while discussing their stocks for all the world to hear.
Lexusguy, what are you doing with your Jag keeping it, moving on, undecided?
M
I still have the Jag. Its got about 55K miles on it, but it has held up surprisingly well, and I dont see any reason to trade for one of the newer MYs, since nothing about the car really changed. I flirted with the idea of a Carrera S Cabrio, but I think I'm just going to wait and buy an '07 XK8 perhaps in '09. (That is unless Lexus knocks my socks off with the SC460) If there are any major issues I'll probably just sell and wait, but thusfar its been a very reliable Jaguar.
I totally agree with you on this, Lexusguy.
The Lexus SC430 is a design tragedy, and it's a major shame to the marque, because this is usually the model niche where a marque makes its very best sporting statement. The Mercedes SL and the Jaguar XK are among the very best examples of this.
Lexus could have and should have done better, IMO.
TagMan
Thanks,
Chintan Talati
Corporate Communications
Edmunds.com
I have too agree on this with you, however when it comes to sporting, lets not leave out the edgy but tasteful/unique Cadillac XLR or the uber-sport 911, all of the SC's direct comp.
IMO, Lexus should have stayed at the drawing board a lot longer as this is one of the brands most tasteless and uninspiring models to date, if not the only one. I figure Lexus became tiresome of the public and critics calling their styling "conservative" or "bland/vanilla" and tried to break out of the box only to fail miserably.
Were not asking Lexus to create an Aston Martin, but please give the next gen SC a more forgiving and inspiring design. Maybe the L-Finesse styling will work out best with this car like the Art and Science styling has done so on the XLR.
I like the Cadillac design language, but all of their executions are poor IMO. They nailed it with Cien but couldn’t keep it at that level with the production cars which are poorly proportioned and shy of such language.
One thing about Cadillac, they seem to have achieved their objective of breaking out of the old fogy mold. Too bad Cien or a similar vehicle never made it to market. I think it would have been hot and is one of the best auto designs ever. The “aggressive” looks of BMWs are a joke by comparison. Cien is what I call aggressive.
BMW was aggressive with one particular concept (among others), but that too didn’t make it to market. In my opinion it was ugly, but still managed a language that I thought was fairly sophisticated. Anyone know which car I’m talking about? Hint: it is the vehicle that introduced “flame surfacing” about six years ago.
Lexusguy, once again I agree with you. Designman's pic would have been better for Caddy, IMO, although not a slam dunk.
My big concern about Cadillac is where do they go from here . . . can they keep it alive? The XLR shows me that they may not fully understand what they have had thus far.
TagMan
We'll see.
The interior is not cheap looking, in fact the current XK has a much more drab interior than it does, despite the "wood veneers". Have you actually gone over the interior and looked at it closely? I say this as there are some marques with hugely more undeserving interiors that cost twice it's "$75k sticker". I am a interior fanatic, as this is the place you have to be in order to operate the vehicle. The XLR has a very nice ambience to it that is lacking in a lot of other cars. And to boot, the XLR-v($100k) is an absolute value over the overpriced SL55($125k)
I am in no way taking up for the XLR, as I don't typically like American cars (300C, Corvette Z06 withholding), but I believe if someone is going to give a description of a car, it needs to be truthful and meaningful. THe XLR is a key player that gets thrown out like last night's trash because it has a wreath and crest on the hood instead of the mainstream 5 others. That's truthful.
http://i19.ebayimg.com/04/i/06/8b/1f/62_3.JPG
http://i9.ebayimg.com/02/i/06/82/fa/de_3.JPG
Is higher quality than this. Considering that the Jag's interior design is 10 years old, I'd say it looks quite good.
http://photos.ebizautos.com/3620/866682_17.jpg
http://photos.ebizautos.com/3620/866682_28.jpg
No doubt about it. Credit where credit's due. The Jag's interior design concept may be a little old in the tooth, but it is incredibly well mastered and timeless.
TagMan
I guess I referred to the XCoupe as being sophisticated because of the use of asymmetry and it reminds me of a Picasso, specifically Le Demoiselles d'Avignon . But wow, this thing is ugly. It also looks like a Cabbage Patch doll. Well we didn’t get the XCoupe, but we got the Z4 and the other pile of styling disasters.
Are you talking about another update, a new model, or just a complete redesign?
Also, it's only been out since 2002. BMW isn't known for four-year life cycles.
I hope that the new A8 is released in one to two years- I can't wait to see it with D'Silva's sexy new design language. (Think Nuvolari concept, LeMans, Pikes Peak)
I completely agree with you! I'm happy to say that autospies does not accept my password, so I can't post there. I scan what those people are saying, and it's just bias, after bias, after bias.
I think that, although awkward looking, the SC430's design ages well. I see a couple here and there, and every time I see it it still looks fresh. However, with the new "L-Finesse" designs, Lexus should be able to make it look edgier (and better), like the new IS and GS.
(New ES350 is a major disappointment- for some reason I think the interior is the most boring Lexus interior to date)
At least it's cheap (relatively).
I'm saying from people I have talked to at BMW, the 2007 750 Li may be released in June.
(As I was writing this, someone informed me that orders will be taken in September for October delivery, but who knows? It wouldn't be the first time a dealer may be misinforming a potential buyer.)
Perhaps my use of the word "incredible" to describe the 7 series led you to this assumption.
You'll have to excuse me, because speaking as a man of truth, I must wax ecstatic about BMW vehicles. It just comes naturally to me.
As for the Lexus SC430, I saw it for a fraction of a second as I was passing by my neighbor's house.
It turned my head.
I'm sure if I looked at it long enough, I would find things to criticize.
I have yet to find any vehicle that I am 100% in agreement with, style-wise, not even my sleek, aggressive, sexy 545 (although my 1969 Cougar with those sequentially-blinking tail-lights came close).
Now thats interesting, because the ES350 follows the same L-Finesse interior design theme that started with the GS, IS, and now the LS and ES. While there's significantly less wood trim in the car compared to the previous ES300\330, I think the overall design is much more modern and generally more attractive.
Also, the way Lexus integrated the audio\NAV controls in the previous car seemed like a last-minute hack job (its basically a big hole in the middle of the dash), very unlike their usually expertly done center stack layouts. The new car is 1000% superior in that regard.
The old:
http://www.autospies.com/images/uploads/medium/2005_ES330_21.jpg?undefined
The new:
http://shows.autospies.com/gallery/AS/es350-interior-vegas-lg/ee.jpg?undefined
But Merc nails a Lexus accessment (For once :P )! Good Job!
It is a LS 2-door, with a trick top, and some extra bling inside.
A clear success, in selling over 35000 in less than 3 years, and is still around while the XLR, quietly, quickly, is carried into Retirement Village, on a stretcher of GM incentives.
Can't drive as poorly as everyone says, or else it wouldn't sell so much. People who jump on it's ride haven't driven it, period.
I'm pretty sure it's against Corporate Policy for Lexus to produce a car without a
silken ride on the majority of US roads.
I'm expecting a more chiseled face when it is redesigned for '09. Sport pkg., por favor?
The IS is better looking (by a margin) than the 3, but is still behind as a sports sedan (by a margin).
The ES face doesn't work for me, but the design language is much crisper, and more masculine, if nothing else.
And the LS takes a nice step forward, ahead of My Humps S-Class (eyesore the new commercial, they look like saddlebags in Silver!).
Maybe it's like a Wild West motif? No?
DrFill
Rav4 and Sienna are outselling CR-V and Odyssey, YTD.
DrFill
Lexus does not have product with 70K+ MSRP which can provide high margin bliss.
Lexus is content to be a high volume, low margin luxury player. May be they find happiness and deep satisfaction with low margins and hate high-margin as it might result in too much happiness and uncontrollable emotional surge leading to acid reflux and heart attack.
BTW, Lexus just set a new monthly sales record.
http://autospies.com/article/index.asp?articleId=6945&categoryId=9
So I think Lexus is doing pretty well--quite "content to be a high volume, low margin luxury player."
And with the LS600h, they won't have any problems selling them, for sticker! And a V10 sportscar is coming.
Toyota could buy, and sell, any maker, probably twice.
Why don't you pick a genuine target, like the French, Paula Abdul, or Les Moonves?
DrFill
Or may be stones made of wool.
French are imploding, Paula is growing old/messy, les moonves, forget that.
Lexus has high volume passion, not high margin.
Mercedes: High margin, high volume Love.
Lexus: low margin, high volume Love.
Lexus does not want high-margin bliss, thats my reading!
Now if you want to visit the worst lux business in the US then talk Audi - low volume and low margin.
So current profitability of Toyota is not the internal target - It is way higher.
No one wants to attack Lexus/Toyota. We all want to Love.
Lexus is in line with what I think, not opposite. Because, we both love margins. Only problem is Lexus needs to get more ambitious than just cutting costs and improving quality.
They should shun cut-rate pricing and compete head-to-head with Sultans of Sindelfingen.
Interesting that you would compare to the XLR of all things. I guess if you compare a loser to a bigger loser it makes the first loser look good?
The IS is better looking (by a margin) than the 3
In your dreams. The IS looks decent, but, sorry, it's no 3. No way.
TagMan