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Auto blog

Tesla says Model 3 is best-selling midsize premium sedan in America

Auto sales figures are sort of fuzzy numbers, no matter how you slice them and no matter which manufacturer you're talking about. Unless you're specifically tracking vehicle registrations, automakers generally self-report the figures. So, you have to trust that they aren't doing anything too tricky. Plus, not every sale is equal, as some are logged as dealership loaners or demo models, some go to fleets (like to a rental car agency), and still others are, of course, bought by traditional customers looking for a new daily driver. With that preamble out of the way, when we saw a tweet from Tesla claiming that the all-electric Model 3 is the best-selling midsize premium sedan in America, our interest was piqued. According to Tesla, market share of the Model 3 has just surpassed the Mercedes-Benz C-Class, which had up until now led the Audi A4, BMW 3 Series, and Lexus IS as the best-selling sedan in its class. Note that the graph from Tesla below is, we think, specific to four-door models. So, is it true? Judging by the numbers we can find, including some from Bloomberg, which has a running chart to track Model 3 registrations, the answer is... probably. We don't know exactly how many Model 3 sedans Tesla is currently cranking out, but Bloomberg estimates production at about 2,560 units per week, and total sales for 2018 at 34,414. We know the number is increasing regularly, though, and Elon Musk has said most recently production sits around 500 units per day, which, on a seven-day cycle, would be 3,500 per week. We looked up Mercedes' sales figures for the month of May, 2018, and found that the German brand sold 5,419 C-Class models last month, for a total of 23,917 for the year (incidentally, that's down more than 30 percent from the year prior). While the bulk of those sales would surely be made up of sedans, it would also include a small percentage of coupes. Either way, it's likely that Tesla is currently producing and selling more Model 3s than Mercedes is C-Classes. Now, it's also worth considering if the C-Class is the only vehicle from Mercedes that directly competes with the Model 3. We'd guess customers may also cross-shop the CLA sedan with the Tesla, and if that's the case, you might decide it's worth adding in Mercedes' 2,527 CLA-Class sales last month and 9,622 so far for the year. The same argument could be made for certain versions of the BMW 2 and 4 Series.

Lexus teases 2022 LX 600 flagship SUV

Like so many things at the moment, the Lexus LX debut got pushed back, but it's nearly upon us. Toyota's luxury brand began the teaser campaign for the 2022 Lexus LX 600 today, in preparation for an online debut October 13 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern at the same time the vehicle is unveiled live in the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia. We can glean a few things from the teaser, the first being the same Lexus design language we recently saw on the 2022 NX transferred to what will be the automaker's flagship SUV. That means an LED light bar connecting two hockey-stick taillamps above a spelled-out "LEXUS" instead of the Lexus logo. The chrome accents of the LX 570 are history, the rear license plate placed in an unadorned trapezoidal recess. The rear bumper is now nearly flush with the tailgate and loses its stanchions at the edges.    And then there's that LX 600 badge, officially signaling that numbers aren't about engine displacement. Depending on market, the LX is expected to get the twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 that launched with the 300-Series Toyota Land Cruiser in June and puts out 409 horsepower and 479 pound-feet of torque in that model. Japanese outlet Creative Trend says this mill will eventually get hybrid assistance to create an LX 750h trim with 480 hp and 642 lb-ft. of total system output. The 3.3-liter diesel V6 with 305 hp and 516 lb-ft. could end up in places like Japan and Australia, and it's possible a base version with the naturally aspirated V6 finds its way to market.  Toyota said putting the new Land Cruiser on its TNGA-F platform saved about 440 pounds. We won't be surprised if the Lexus loses some weight as well, but we also expect a lot of new tech in the LX 600, and luxury is heavy. Features like the Multi-Terrain Select system and Multi-Terrain Monitor seem like shoo-ins, as does the 360-degree camera system. An option for fingerprint authentication to start the vehicle might bow as well. We'll know next week when the 2022 LX livestream kicks off. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

Toyota recalls 337,000 RAV4s and HS250h models for tie rod failure

UPDATE: The post has been updated with additional information from NHTSA. The Basics: Toyota is recalling 337,000 2006-2011 model year Toyota RAV4 crossovers built between October 31, 2005 and September 7, 2010 as well as 2010 model year Lexus HS250h cars built between July 6, 2009 and August 26, 2010. The Problem: When either an affected RAV4 or HS250h is given an alignment and the tie rod adjustment nut on the rear control arm isn't tightened properly, the threads on the tie rod can start to rust. If this happens, the nut may break off and throw off the alignment drastically and suddenly. This isn't a case of the car simply pulling to one side, either. This would seriously upset the balance of the car and could cause the driver to lose control and crash. This is also the third time these vehicles have been recalled for the same issue. Injuries/Deaths: It's unknown if this control arm issue has resulted in any injuries or deaths. Autoblog reached out to Toyota for more information, but a company representative told us that the company isn't able to discuss injuries or deaths caused by this issue (if any) at this time. Based on information from NHTSA documents, it does not appear that any crashes, injuries or deaths have been attributed to the defect addressed in the current recall. The Fix: The dealer will completely replace the rear suspension assemblies at no cost to the owner. The tie rods and nuts will also be coated in epoxy to prevent future rusting from occurring. According to Car and Driver, the previous recalls involved tightening nuts, coating decent tie rods in epoxy and completely replacing rusted ones. The car magazine reports that further complaints were filed and the company is now replacing all components regardless of condition. If you own one: Toyota will notify owners of affected cars by mail. Owners can also check whether their cars are affected by entering the VIN at safercar.gov/vin. Owners with questions can also reach Toyota customer service at 1-800-331-4331 or Lexus customer service at 1-800-255-3987. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2012 Toyota RAV4 View 16 Photos News Source: Car and Driver, Toyota, National Highway Traffic Safety AdministrationImage Credit: Toyota Recalls Lexus Toyota Safety lexus hs 250h lexus hs250h