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2014 Infiniti Q50, Lexus IS 250 fail to achieve Consumer Reports 'Recommended' rating

Infiniti and Lexus might be a little concerned now that both of their new luxury sedans, the Q50 and IS250, were unable to net Consumer Reports vaunted "Recommended" rating during their first year on the market. In fact, not only did the two fail to earn a "Recommended" rating, they finished behind the vast majority of the competition after testing, including the BMW 328i, Mercedes-Benz C250, Lincoln MKZ and Volvo S60 T5.
The Q50 managed to snag a "Very Good" rating overall, but CR criticized it's road manners for not being as thrilling as the car it (sort of) replaces, the G37. The mag called the handling mundane and the steering dull, while also remarking on the poor controls. According to CR, the interior quality is "nothing special." Shade was also thrown at the Q50's reportedly poor ride.
Compared to the IS, though, the Q50 got off easy. CR called it "neither sporty nor luxurious," while criticizing the 2.5-liter V6's lack of oomph and poor fuel economy. The mag then went on to lambaste the IS's handling, steering, interior, cabin space and infotainment system.

Are you the Lexus GS F?

It's been a while since we've heard rumors of the fabled high-performance Lexus GS F, but thanks to our eager spy photographers, this looks to be our first real proof of the machine's existence. We don't have the usual brace of photos from all angles to work with this time around, our spies saying that every time Lexus' garage door opened, engineers jumped in front of the cameras to prevent the car from being photographed.
Even so, we have a pretty clear glimpse at some significant changes to this GS sedan, including the same staggered, quad-pipe exhaust found on the Lexus IS F. There's also an air diffuser panel nestled between the exhaust outlets, as well as a larger lip spoiler and unique wheels (matching those of the RC coupe) wrapped in high-performance tires.
Last time we heard rumors of the GS F's existence, sources predicted that the M5-fighting sedan would use a tuned version of Lexus' 5.0-liter V8, producing something like 465 horsepower. We have also heard that the automaker plans to reduce weight wherever possible, and that the final curb weight will be something like 3,700 pounds.

J.D. Power: Vehicle dependability at all-time high, Lexus and Porsche lead

Each year, J.D. Power and Associates surveys original owners of three-year-old vehicles to find out what kinds of problems they have had experienced over the last 12 months, and then it uses this data to create its annual Vehicle Dependability Study. This means that the models in the 2013 study are 2010 model year vehicles, and J.D. Power rates each make as well as the top individual models based on how many problems were experienced per 100 vehicles (PP100).
Debunking the idea that carryover models are more dependable than new or updated models, the 2013 study found that the average carryover model experienced 133 PP100, while all-new or redesigned vehicles for the 2010 model year had 116 PP100; vehicles that received minor changes fared the best with just 111 PP100. The overall average for all makes was 126 PP100, which is the lowest figure since the findings were first issued in 1989.