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2019 Lexus ES 350 starts at just $550 more than outgoing model

Lexus wants you to pay attention to the 2019 ES. The all-new, seventh-generation midsize sedan that Lexus benchmarked against the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and Audi A6 gets a base price that just a few hundred over the old car. The entry-level ES 350 starts at $39,500; after $1,025 for destination and handling, that's $40,525 out the door and $550 more Washingtons than the 2018 model required. The mid-level ES 300h starts at $43,310, or $44,335 out the door. That saves $510 compared to the 2018 version, and it gets better fuel economy. The all-new ES 350 F Sport starts at $44,035, for $45,060 out the door. Every model rides on the Toyota New Global Architecture, known as GA-K here. The lighter, stiffer body hides improved mechanicals like rack-mounted electric power steering, and a new multilink rear suspension that encouraged fun driving during our recent review. The updated Lexus Safety System+ 2.0 comes standard on all models, and incorporates new features like daytime bicyclist detection and low light pedestrian detection. The ES 350 and ES 350 F Sport get a 3.5-liter V6 with 302 horsepower and 267 pound-feet of torque, 34 hp and 19 lb-ft over the former sedan, working through a new eight-speed transmission. The F trim makes itself known with 19-inch wheels, rear spoiler, and retuned suspension. EPA ratings for the ES 350 come in at 22 mpg city, 33 mpg highway and 26 mpg combined, an increase of two more miles per gallon on the combined cycle. The ES 350 F Sport is rated at 22 mpg city, 31 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined. The ES 350h uses a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder with fourth-generation Hybrid Drive. The 215 total horsepower from the ICE and electric motor returns 43 mpg city, 45 mpg highway, and 44 mpg combined. Lexus says this makes it the most frugal luxury car out there that doesn't have a plug. The ES is also the first Lexus to offer Apple CarPlay, on top of being able to use Amazon Alexa to communicate between the sedan and the home. The 2019 Lexus ES goes on sale in September. Related Video:

Autoblog fan favorite car ads from Super Bowl XLIX

Super Bowl XLIX is in the books, and the New England Patriots emerged victorious. Of course, if you're like us, the big game wasn't so much about the battle between the east coast and west, so much as a fight between the world's automotive advertisers. We collected and collated all of last night's new ads and put them together for you to vote on. And yes, we're limiting this year's contest to last night's new features. That's why you aren't seeing Dodge's epic Wisdom among our collection of commercials, and it's a similar story with Chevrolet's Truck Guy Focus Group series, which highlights the new Colorado. You can still vote for your favorites. We won't be closing the voting on our Super Bowl page, so while the winners and losers are correct as of this writing, it's entirely possible that there could be some changes in the rankings as time goes on. So, without any further ado, here are the winning ads based on your voting. Nissan: With Dad Fiat: Ready For Action Jeep: Beautiful Lands BMW: Newfangled Idea Mercedes-Benz: Fable NASCAR: America Start Your Engines As for those ads that failed to impact you, loyal readers, Toyota was the absolute, undisputed loser. The Japanese brand ran four ads in total – two for Toyota and two for Lexus – and all of them have negative tallies as of this writing. Lexus' Make Some Noise and Lets Play and Toyota's One Bold Choice and My Bold Dad both had very weak showings among the commercials that aired, although they weren't alone. Neither Mazda nor Kia scored particularly well, despite featuring celebrity magic act Penn and Teller and former James Bond, Pierce Brosnan, respectively. Chevrolet was the winner of the losers, as of our writing, recording the fewest downvotes for its audience-punking The Big Game ad. If you want to take a second look at the losing ads, you can head back to our Super Bowl page for the complete collection. But for now, head into Comments and let us know what you think of the results.

Lexus LS spied wearing googly-eyed mask [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Judging by this mule's dash-to-axle ratio, we think it's probably an LS sedan, not an ES as previously identified. The text below has been updated. Wow. Take a good look at those headlights! As you can see from the images in the gallery above, Lexus is hard at work on the next generation of its luxurious LS sedan. The massive appendages affixed to the front of this mule make us wonder what's going on behind those fake headlights – we'd expect some fancy LED units on the production model. Ditto for the rear, where those equally tacked-on taillights will be replaced with a fancier set with upward-sweeping light bars. Getting past the crazy eyeballs, it seems that Lexus will continue refining its current styling language with the next LS. There's sure to be a pinched Spindle grille, and a long wheelbase ought to offer plenty of space for four adult-size occupants. Whereas the IS and larger GS carry the brand's sportier aspirations, going up against the likes of BMW and Mercedes-Benz, the LS will continue to be aimed at a more relaxed luxury buyer. Interestingly, our spy shooters were quick to point out that Lexus brought along 5 Series and 7 Series sedans to compare with its next LS. In any case, we wouldn't expect any significant changes to excite the enthusiast crowd. Related Video: