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Junkyard Gem: 1991 Lexus ES 250

When the Lexus LS 400 first appeared here in late 1989 (as a 1990 model), sellers of German-made luxury sedans broke out in the shaky sweats and car shoppers flocked to see — and buy — this well-built statusmobile that retailed for about 60% of the price of the cheapest S-Class. Not attracting nearly as much attention at the time was the other introductory vehicle of the Lexus brand: the ES 250. Sold here for just the 1990 and 1991 model years, the first-generation ES was the most Camry-like of its kind and the hardest to find today. Here's a '91 in a San Francisco Bay Area yard. All of the ESs for the model's first couple of decades were based on the Camry, so they benefited from the Camry's famous reliability while suffering from its not-so-exciting image. Toyota made a good effort to make the 1990-1991 cars look something like their LS big brothers, but their Camry origins are quite obvious from most angles. Later ESs got more distinctive body panels and sales got stronger when that happened. Power came from this 2.5-liter V6, which was the hairiest engine available in the 1991 US-market Camry. 159 horsepower, which was pretty good for a car like this in the early 1990s. A five-speed manual transmission could be had in the ES 250 and ES 300 through the 1993 model year, but those early-1990s American car shoppers wishing for a midsize luxury sedan with three pedals generally opted for an Audi or BMW, with most of the rest settling on the Acura Legend. I'll keep looking out for a five-speed ES in a car graveyard, of course, but finding any first-gen ES has been a tough challenge in itself. This one got within 252 miles of the 200,000 mark, not bad for a typical 1991 car but also not especially impressive for a member of the Camry family. The interior was much nicer than what you got in any Camry, but junkyard shoppers have hit this one hard and its opulence no longer shines through. Toyotas had some variation of this switch from the late 1970s and into our current century. This version comes straight out of the Cressida. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. That Lexus noise-testing room sure is impressive! This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Good in the rain, too. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings.

2023 Lexus RZ 450e electric crossover unveiled with 225-mile range

Lexus, one of the pioneers of hybrid technology in the luxury segment, is ready to march into EV territory. It unveiled a battery-powered model called RZ 450e that was developed as an electric car from the ground-up and that blazes the path that several cars will follow. While the RZ isn't the first electric Lexus, that honor goes to the UX300e sold in Europe and in China, it's the first electric Lexus that was developed as a standalone model for global markets. There will not be a gasoline-burning or even a hybrid-powered RZ. The firm started with an EV-specific version of the e-TNGA platform developed by parent company Toyota and also found under the bZ4X, which explains why the crossover's proportions might look familiar. One of the most striking styling cues is that the Spindle Grille is gone: it has been replaced by a body-colored insert that Lexus named a Spindle Body. We're told that future EVs from Lexus will follow this design direction. The RZ stretches 189 inches long, 74.6 inches wide, and 64.4 inches tall, dimensions that make it about three inches shorter and 10 inches longer than the RX and exactly as wide. Its weight hasn't been released yet. It's also slightly longer, wider, and lower than the bZ4X. Inside, the RZ is characterized by a minimalist design that's elegant and inspired by elements of Japanese culture. Most of the few switches left in the cabin are grouped into two clusters on the steering wheel; they let the driver control features like the infotainment system and the optional head-up display. The center stack is dominated by a 14-inch touchscreen that the RZ borrows from the NX and the LX. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Drivers will be able to count on the Lexus Safety System+ 3.0 suit of electronic driving aids, which includes a lane departure warning system and adaptive cruise control, among other features. Remote-controlled parking will be optional, and radiant heaters located below the steering column and on the bottom of the passenger's side of the dashboard will help warm the cabin without drawing too much electricity. Power comes from a pair of electric motors linked to a 71.4-kilowatt-hour lithium-ion battery pack. The motor installed on the front axle develops 201 horsepower while the one assigned to the rear axle generates 107 horsepower. This configuration gives the RZ through-the-road all-wheel-drive.

Toyota to pay $17.35M federal fine for delayed Lexus RX recall

This summer, we brought you news that Lexus was recalling over 150,000 RX and RX hybrid crossovers tied to its massive pedal entrapment issue. An update to that story included word from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration that it was considering launching a federal investigation into potential delays by the automaker in notifying owners about the problem. Now comes news that parent company Toyota will pay a hefty $17.35 million in fines for delaying its recall of the 2010 Lexus RX 350 and RX 450h. According to The Detroit News, the Japanese automaker is being forced to pay the maximum fine for delaying recalls - and this isn't the first time. In fact, this is the fourth time since 2010 that Toyota has been required to do so, including paying $48.8M in civil penalties in 2010 for failing to recall vehicles in a timely manner - in three separate campaigns.
In addition to the fines, Toyota has agreed to restructure the way it handles quality control and review "safety-related issues." Though the Japanese automaker has not admitted any wrongdoing, Toyota has agreed to meet with NHTSA for six months on the matter and may extend the meetings another six months.
US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood says he is counting on Toyota to improve its ability to address such safety issues: "With today's announcement, I expect Toyota to rigorously reinforce its commitment to adhering to the United States safety regulations," he said in a statement.