2008 Lexus Lx570 Base Sport Utility 4-door 5.7l on 2040-cars

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Car owners getting more irritated with their repair experiences, study says

The J.D. Power U.S. Customer Service Index Study (CSI) is a barometer of a vehicle owner's happiness with the service experience. While it wasn't all bad in the 2023 study, the overall owner satisfaction score dropped. This year's tally of 846 out of 1,000 is two points down from 2022, the 43-year-old study's first decline in more than 28 years, and one point down from 2021. However, the overall score remains well up from the pre-pandemic scores of 821 in 2018 and 837 in 2020. The study claims the stumbling block is the horde of BEV launches. The flood into the new energy space has created a recall rate among EVs that's more than double the rate for ICE vehicles. Furthermore, dealership service department knowledge of EVs isn't on par with internal combustion engine expertise, leaving EV owners less satisfied with service advisors compared to ICE owners. Chris Sutton, VP of automotive retail at J.D. Power, said, "As training programs for service advisors and technicians evolve, EV service quality and customer experience must address both the vehicle and the unique customer needs. The EV segment has the potential to spur massive convenience improvements in how customers service their vehicles — but weÂ’re not seeing the benefits yet." Matters are slightly worse for all owners, though, with labor and parts shortages contributing to longer wait times for service appointments. The CSI study surveys owners and lessees of one- to three-year-old vehicles to gauge their happiness with service at franchised dealer or aftermarket service facilities for maintenance or repair work. The criteria in order of importance are service quality (32%); service advisor (19%); vehicle pick-up (19%); service facility (15%); and service initiation (15%). Lexus retains the top spot for luxury brands, giving it three wins in four years. The Japanese automaker won in 2020 as well, its run interrupted by Porsche in 2021. Cadillac, Infiniti and Acura complete the luxury top 5.  For mass-market cars, Mitsubishi wins again after a victory in 2021 and falling to fourth last year. It's followed by Mazda, Buick, Subaru and Mini.  Considering the different service needs and service experience of different body styles, the study has broken results out by segment for the first time. Lexus earned a second victory thanks to winning the premium SUV segment, and Mitsubishi earned a second victory by winning the mass-market SUV/minivan category.

Lincoln MKC crossover adopts the Continental's grille

The last vestiges of the controversial split Lincoln grille are slowly being removed as the company revamps its lineup. It started with the MKZ and Continental, with the most recent rhinoplasty recipient being the Navigator. Now, based on spy shots, it looks like the MKC crossover will be the fourth to get the new corporate grille. Under the heavy vinyl coverings, we can clearly see the proud Continental-inspired grille. We can also see that it will feature the same chrome mesh with Lincoln badge-shaped openings found on other cars with the grille design. We can also assume that the headlights will receive a substantial refresh, but the lower bumper doesn't look particularly different. The rest of this prototype MKC looks the same as the existing model. The back is covered, which indicates that the taillights may be updated. We wouldn't expect a radically different look, since the MKC already has a full-width taillight treatment. We also noticed that the wheels appear to be inspired by the cool turbine wheels of the Navigator. Whatever the other changes are, we'll probably see them soon. This is clearly just a refresh, and so there's a good chance we'll see the production model revealed by the end of the year, or early next year at the latest. Related Video:

Next Lexus LX 600 and LX 750h specs reportedly leaked

Specs for the next Lexus LX appear to have been leaked to a Japanese blog. The flagship luxury SUV will reportedly come in two flavors, and offer greater differentiation from its Land Cruiser cousin than ever before. One of those variants is, for the first time, a hybrid version. The Japanese site Creative Trend reported on the 300-series Land Cruiser specs before most, and aside from some small discrepancies in horsepower and torque numbers, was surprisingly accurate. They even called the existence of a GR Sport performance trim level. Now, they've turned their focus to the LX. As translated by Lexus Enthusiast, the entry spec will be called the LX 600, and will likely feature the Land Cruiser's 3.5-liter twin-turbo V6. That should be good for an identical 415 horsepower and 480 pound-feet of torque. Creative Trend adds that in the Middle East, the entry model will be called LX 500d, implying it'll be equipped with the Land Cruiser's turbodiesel 3.3-liter V6 generating 309 horses and 516 lb-ft.  The flagship model, however, is said to be the LX 750h, which adds a hybrid-electric system to the 3.5-liter petrol V6. Together, they'd make a potent 480 horsepower and 642 lb-ft of torque. This powertrain is not available on the Land Cruiser. In addition, the LX will have a more luxurious and high-tech interior, with a rumored version of the new Lexus Interface that appeared on the new Lexus NX. However, whereas the NX sports a 14-inch version of the screen, the LX will reportedly receive a 17-inch version. Incidentally, it seems the LX may have already been seen in the NX's reveal video, albeit under a white cloth. Additionally, we have it on good authority from friends in Japanese media that both the Land Cruiser and Lexus LX will, in Japan, feature a fingerprint recognition system on the engine start button. The off-roaders routinely top the stolen vehicles list in Japan, with about 5 out of every 100 registered vehicles stolen every year and rates increasing. Most of them end up being shipped overseas where Land Cruisers and Lexus LXes are seen as tough status symbols. Lastly, the report says Lexus Japan will start accepting pre-orders in September, with the LX itself debuting in December. While we are sadly not privy to the new Land Cruiser, it's likely the Lexus LX will arrive stateside. Whether these specs carry over remains to be seen. Related Video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences.