2017 Lexus Gs F on 2040-cars

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2023 Lexus LS gets Lexus Interface infotainment and more USBs

The 2023 Lexus LS is headed to dealers shortly, bringing one very important update as well as a few detail touch-ups. The headliner is the Lexus Interface infotainment system replacing the trackpad-based setup noted for being fiddly at best. Lexus Interface is the luxury brand's version of the Toyota Audio Multimedia system that debuted at the end of 2021 before moving to the nicer part of town with its arrival in the refreshed Lexus NX last year. The high-res, anti-glare 12.3-inch touchscreen atop the instrument panel can be awakened with voice commands like "Hey Lexus." The detail revisions include wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay and more USB ports around the cabin — six in total. Sign up for a Drive Connect subscription and get cloud-based navigation with stress-relieving tech like live traffic and points-of-interest. The LS 500h alone comes with Lexus Teammate, the brand's Level 2 autonomous driving system. Teammate's Advanced Drive component will manage steering, braking, lane changes, traffic jams, and certain interchanges on limited-access highways, while Advanced Park can put the sedan into a chosen spot at the destination. Engines and trims don't change, but the steering, braking, 10-speed automatic, and suspension have been tweaked to provide an even more poised and compelling ride. The suspension's front and rear anti-roll bars are "optimized" in a way that tamps body roll in corners, so we'll guess the bars have been stiffened in some mysterious fashion. As for mills, every LS 500 is pulled along by a 3.4-liter twin-turbo V6 with 416 horsepower and 442 pound-feet of torque. The LS 500h uses a 3.5-liter V6 assisted by two electric motors and a lithium-ion battery pack, combined output coming to 354 hp. It's not as quick as the twin-turbo V6, but it gets around 20% better fuel economy. Comparing AWD models to keep it like-for-like, the LS 500 AWD gets 17 miles per gallon in the city, 27 on the highway, and 21 combined. The LS 500h AWD returns 22 miles per gallon in the city, 29 on the highway, and 25 combined. MSRPs are up a meager $285 over the 2022 figures. Sticker prices for the lineup after the $1,150 destination charge are: LS 500: $78,685 LS 500 F Sport: $82,285 LS 500 AWD: $81,835 LS 500 F Sport AWD: $85,535 LS 500h AWD: $114,585 Related video: This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. 2021 Lexus LC 500 Convertible Walkaround

Best new convertibles for 2024 and 2025

If you’re here, then youÂ’re already in the right mindset. Convertibles rule, and we have all the best convertibles listed for you further below. Driving around with the top off is an experience you need to live to fall in love with. When the weatherÂ’s right, youÂ’re on a proper bit of road, and the car youÂ’re in is a good one, few automotive experiences can top it. The experience is extra special when you have a musical exhaust note filtering directly into your ears and echoing off the landscape around you. And while rolling the windows down and opening a moonroof can get you part of the way there, it's nothing like feeling the wind wash over you with absolutely no roof overhead. The downsides can be just as harsh as the upsides when youÂ’re in the wrong conditions, though. Convertibles are typically worse to live with in cold climates, and driving around with the top up frequently means you might be subject to more road noise and worse visibility than an equivalent coupe. And when it comes to pure performance, convertibles are inherently compromised from a weight and structural rigidity perspective. All that said, we still think the upsides outweigh the compromises if your number one objective is to simply have fun. ItÂ’s a good thing then that there are a ton of great convertibles for sale these days. And no, the list of possibilities isnÂ’t as long as it used to be. Long-running standbys like the Mercedes-Benz E-Class and C-Class Convertibles are gone (replaced by the one CLE-Class). And so are others like the Audi TT Roadster, Fiat 124 Spider and Nissan Z Roadster. Nevertheless, opportunities abound from the ultra-cheap and fun, to physics-defying supercars and everything else in between. WeÂ’ll give you options for which new convertibles we think are the best below, so read on to find out.   Mazda MX-5 Miata Pros: Lightweight and compact; great engine and transmission combo; one of the most raw and pure driving experiences out thereCons: Not great for tall people; infotainment is dated; tiny trunk Read our Mazda MX-5 Miata Review Miata is always the answer, right? In this case, that rings even more true than usual. In fact, you could stop reading this list right here and go buy a Miata and youÂ’d likely be just as happy driving it around as you would be in any of the more expensive offerings that follow. ThatÂ’s just the magic of the MX-5.

US buyers show little interest in big hybrids

The idea of producing large, luxury-vehicle hybrids is turning into a "what were they thinking?" exercise in futility, USA Today reports. General Motors is discontinuing hybrid versions of the Cadillac Escalade, Chevrolet Tahoe and GMC Yukon SUVs, while Mercedes-Benz and Toyota's Lexus division are doing the same with their S-Class hybrid and LS hybrid sedans, respectively. The culprit? Big price increases for fuel economy improvements that border on the unimpressive. Granted, the Escalade hybrid gets 31 percent better fuel economy than the standard version, but that still maps out to a combined fuel-efficiency rating of just 21 miles per gallon. That can be seen as a worthwhile increase, if it didn't cost over $8,000 extra. The 2014 Escalade Hybrid, for example, starts at $74,425 while the non-hybrid can be had for $66,295. Meanwhile, the Lexus full-size hybrid costs $6,000 more than the regular version but only gets 1-2 mpg better combined fuel economy. The result of all these high costs? Low sales. Through April, GM sold 82 of its hybrid SUVs and pickups, down from 541 a year earlier. And the LS hybrid sales were in single-digit territory for April. That isn't stopping Lexus from promoting its hybrids as the right solution (with the wrong facts), though. There are still automakers giving big hybrid vehicles a shot, though. Nissan's Infiniti division is selling a hybrid version of its QX60 and says an impressive 10 percent of QX60 buyers choose the hybrid, which costs just $3,000 more. Looks like money talks. Featured Gallery 2015 Cadillac Escalade: First Drive View 35 Photos News Source: USA TodayImage Credit: Copyright 2014 Brandon Turkus / AOL Green Infiniti Lexus Mercedes-Benz Hybrid lexus ls gmc yukon mercedes-benz s-class infiniti qx60 chevrolet tahoe