2001 Lexus Ls430 **immaculate Condition** Extremely Clean With No Accidents !!! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Lexus RX Luggage Test (2016-2022): How much cargo space?

This post has been updated from its original version to reflect new information provided by Lexus engineers. There's something seemingly funky going on with the Lexus RX spec sheet, or at least with the cargo capacity measuring method used to populate it with an official cubic-foot number. Basically, the specs say it has 16.0 cubic feet behind its raised back seat. That would be less than a Toyota C-HR, which is a notably cramped subcompact SUV. All you need are eyes to know something's fishy about that. Doing these luggage tests has revealed other car companies also report cargo capacity figures that sell their SUVs short relative competitors, but this is a new low, so to speak.  After a few back-and-forths with Lexus (and several months), plus a revealing glance at the extended length RX L's spec sheet, I came upon the answer: the 16.0 cubic-feet indicated is a measurement of the cargo floor to the cargo cover. The industry norm is cargo floor to the roof. Both numbers are provided for the RX L: 15.26 cubic-feet to the cargo cover and 23.03 to the roof. That's still not a lot for a midsize SUV, but assuming the regular RX is in the same numerical ballpark, it would make a lot more sense given how much stuff you can actually fit inside.  Speaking of which, let's see just how much stuff you can fit inside. It's definitely more than a C-HR. This is a wide, deep space. However, the current RX has a more radically raked roofline than its predecessors, which almost achieves a crossover coupe look. The result is less overall cargo space (and likely a less-than-stellar floor-to-ceiling cargo spec), but losing greenhouse usually effects versatility more. Basically, you can carry a comparable number of bags, but that 52-inch TV will be a tough get.  To begin, I left the cargo cover in place. As in every luggage test I do, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D). Fitting only the four biggest bags isn't great, but it's also the result of keeping the cargo cover in place (I do this to replicate a situation where you can't just leave it behind in your garage). It also pretty much confirms that 16.0-cubic-foot number.

Lexus prices the new 2021 IS below most of its main rivals

As an outlier in a shrinking segment, the 2021 Lexus IS faces an uphill battle. Product planners know this, so they've priced the new model below most of its main rivals without compromising on content or performance. Unveiled in June 2020, the 2021 IS range consists of the entry-level 300 and the sportier 350 F-Sport, and each is offered with rear- or all-wheel drive. Pricing for the rear-wheel drive IS 300 starts at $40,025 including a mandatory $1,025 destination charge, which represents a mere $440 increase over the outgoing 2020 model. Adding all-wheel drive raises that figure to $42,025. Motorists who step up to the 350 F-Sport will need to pay $43,925 if they want power sent to the rear axle, or $45,925 if they want it channeled to the four wheels. The list of standard features includes 18-inch wheels (an inch bigger than before), numerous electronic driving aids, power-adjustable front seats (10-way for the driver; eight-way for the front passenger), dual-zone automatic climate control, and an eight-inch touchscreen that's nearly five and a half inches closer to the driver than the outgoing model's. Motorists can pay extra for 19-inch wheels, a power-operated moonroof, and a 10.3-inch touchscreen. And, at last, the IS is available with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto connectivity. Lexus shuffled its trim hierarchy for 2021, so the F Sport package is no longer available on the IS 300, but it's fitted to every IS 350 built for the American market. It bundles a cold-air intake, a specific exhaust system, a sound generator, 19-inch wheels, a sprinkling of F Sport badges, plus a body kit that adds bits like a rear spoiler and a diffuser integrated into the rear bumper. Heated and ventilated front seats are included, too. 2021 Lexus IS View 25 Photos Power for the rear-wheel drive IS 300 comes from a turbocharged, 2.0-liter four-cylinder engine, which develops 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It's bolted to an eight-speed automatic transmission. While you'd assume the all-wheel drive model simply gains a pair of driven wheels, the transformation is more complex. It also receives a 3.5-liter V6 with 260 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque on tap, plus a six-speed automatic transmission. Lexus notes the system can send up to 50% of the engine's output to the front axles. Selecting the IS 350 brings an evolution of the 3.5-liter six that's rated at 311 horses and 280 pound-feet of twist.

TMG Lexus LS Sports 650 destined for production after 2015?

There's little question that Lexus has succeeded in challenging its German rivals in the luxury marketplace. And with the LFA, it has proven that Japan can build a world-class supercar. What's left blank is the space in between.
Toyota Motorsport GmbH came up with a compelling answer in the form of the Sports 650 prototype, a Lexus LS with a 5.0-liter twin-turbo V8 producing 641 horsepower and other go-fast components to challenge the likes of the Mercedes-Benz S63 AMG and Audi S8. Toyota boss Akio Toyoda was reportedly so impressed with the project that he initially ordered TMG to build ten examples - one for him and each of his nine best friends. But since the model on which the project was based has since been replaced, questions remain over the project's fate.
Georg Kacher - European correspondent for Automobile and Car magazines - recently drove the prototype and reports that "the project will now likely be transferred to the new model out in 2015." That could come down purely to speculation, but Kacher tends to get the inside line on industry news, so this particular bowl of gossip soup might not requite the usual grain of salt we otherwise might add.