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Satisfaction with dealer service rises, Lexus and GMC are tops

During the economic downturn, many car dealerships counteracted their slowing income by focusing on things that would set them apart from competition - things like the quality of customer service they provide. When the economy picked up and more sales and service followed, many also first invested those funds back into the business, improving their dealership facilities and service centers.
It looks like those investments are paying off, as J.D. Power and Associates' latest Customer Service Index Study shows that overall consumer satisfaction with dealer service has increased to 797 (on a 1,000-point scale), up from 787 in 2012 and 29 points higher than the score in 2011. The study also finds that people are more satisfied with the service they get at dealerships compared to independent service providers, despite the much higher average out-of-pocket cost per visit ($118 vs. $44).
Note, however, that this study only looks at how people are treated by a dealer's service department during the first three years of ownership (the survey is based on responses from 91,000 owners and lessees of 2008 to 2012 model year vehicles), so we're talking about the experience had when bringing a car in for repair or maintenance work, most likely under warranty. In fact, maintenance work is increasing in share and accounted for 77 percent of service visits (up from 72 percent in 2012 and 63 percent in 2011). This helps explain why customer satisfaction has also risen, since a properly maintained car is one that's less likely to require a dealer visit for an unexpected repair.

Award-winning Lexus Sport Yacht to get a production successor

Imagine driving along a coastal road in the evening sun, listening to Christopher Cross, Michael McDonald or some other very smooth singer usually associated with the tag "Yacht Rock". Perhaps a Lexus coupe could very well suit that soft rock mental imagery, with "Sailing" playing from its Mark Levinson audio as you cruise down the road in a laid-back fashion. But you could in fact be sailing in a Lexus-branded boat, too. Revealed a year ago, the Lexus Sport Yacht isn't just a badge-engineering job: it was created by Lexus Design, engineered by Toyota's Marine Division and built by the Wisconsin-based boat manufacturer Marquis-Larson Boat Group. The one existing example has just now been honored at the Yokohama International Boat Show, by Japan's Boat of the Year committee. As Toyota's Executive Vice President Shigeki Tomoyama accepted the award, he also announced production plans for a globally sold Lexus Yacht. "Based on our amazing experiences in engineering, building, testing and showing the Lexus Sport Yacht concept last year, we've decided to take the next bold step of producing an all-new larger yacht that builds on the advanced nature of the concept while adding more comfort and living space," Tomoyama said. "We plan to start sales in the U.S. in the latter half of 2019, with sales in Japan following in the spring of 2020." The new, 65-foot yacht will be built in partnership with Marquis-Larson, and more details of it will be revealed later. Related Video:

2022 Lexus NX First Drive Review | Believe us, it really is all new

The 2022 Lexus NX is at once a safe evolution of the product it replaces and a significant redesign with long-lasting implications. Its dimensions and styling are so similar to the outgoing NX that you'd be forgiven for thinking it's merely a mid-cycle refresh, but indeed, it's a ground-up re-do based on new underpinnings. Sure, they're shared with every front-wheel-drive Toyota group product introduced in the past four years, but then, that's part of the "safe evolution" bit.  Now, there's nothing inherently wrong with such an approach to a new model. Although the NX has never been considered a class leader since it was introduced for 2015, it nevertheless enjoyed strong sales – you know, just like the Lexus ES, RX and name-a-Toyota – vehicles that car enthusiasts might scoff at but everyone else appreciates for their build quality, dependability, resale value and general competence.  Although, if we're talking competence, it's at least worth pointing out one element of the Lexus formula that all those loyal buyers have somehow been putting up with: the Remote Touch tech interface and the infernal touchpad that's been in use, with a few exceptions, in every Lexus since it debuted in Â… that's right, the original NX. And here's where the long-lasting implications of the all-new 2022 NX come in: Remote Touch is gone and in its place the new "Human Machine Interface" touchscreen infotainment system will be making its way through the brand. This is a very big deal, because it means a very real and annoying reason for not buying a Lexus is about to go away Â… and isn't present at all in the new NX.  That said, the new touchscreen not only represents the most important change and improvement to the NX, but the most significant missed opportunity. WeÂ’ll cover that in-depth in a followup infotainment review, but in short, the system thinks too highly of voice commands and could really use the ability to show multiple sources of information at once. Otherwise, the two available touchscreens (a base 9.6-inch unit and a 14-inch widescreen upgrade) feature a UI that's quicker, prettier and easier to use. I was able to jump into the new NX and quickly figure it all out, which definitely can't be said of other luxury systems that continue to perplex after multiple uses, including MercedesÂ’ MBUX and Remote Touch. Those trims with the 14-inch screen also pair with a unique set of steering wheel buttons.