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2019 Lexus GX 460 Drivers' Notes Review | An ancient, yet luxurious SUV

The 2019 Lexus GX 460 is an old-school SUV with luxury draped all over it. Body-on-frame SUVs are the exception these days, as unibody crossovers lead the way forward. There are plenty of great reasons for this, but the GX marches on as a unabashedly truck-like SUV. Nothing about the price screams truck, though. At $70,840 as-tested, anybody who buys a new GX 460 is going to be left with a sizable hole in their wallet. However, it’s not without a bevy of luxury features. Being the high-zoot “Luxury” trim level, ours comes standard with an adaptive suspension, semi-aniline leather interior, a power-folding third row, mahogany wood accents and three-zone climate control. That said, Lexus still managed to tack on a decent number of options. A $2,340 Driver Support package added the Mark Levinson audio system and a suite of driver assistance systems. Our tester also had a $1,970 rear seat entertainment system and a $1,950 Sport Design Package. The package includes 18-inch gunmetal wheels, heated second-row captainÂ’s chairs and a sizable list of exterior changes like front and rear bumper spoilers and scarlet taillights. The powertrain is also stuck in a older time period. Whereas most large crossovers now use downsized turbocharged engines, this Lexus sticks with a 4.6-liter V8 good for ... wait for it ... 301 horsepower. The V6-powered ES 350 makes 302. Worse, the GX gets poor fuel economy and doesnÂ’t exactly rocket up to speed with much excitement, either. At least it's proven from a reliability standpoint. Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: We try to talk about a specific element of the vehicles we test in Drivers' Notes, but indulge me today. IÂ’m going to talk about the Lexus GX 460Â’s ethos. By that I mean itÂ’s an old-school SUV that looks and feels the part. Wrapped in LexusÂ’ sharp, spindly styling, itÂ’s classy yet also kind of hulking. The steering is light and the vague brakes have little bite at first and then a lot as the pedal travel increases, making for challenging inputs for the driver. Still, I like it. The GX 460 captures the ethos of an old-school SUV perfectly. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: For a three-row SUV, the GX feels pretty small inside. The second row is decent, but I know Greg had to do a little moving of seats in order to fit a rear-facing child seat back there.

2018 Lexus LS has a livelier look and new twin-turbo V6

When considering that the Lexus LC 500 made it to production virtually unchanged from concept form, it was reasonable to think that the LS would similarly follow suit. Especially when the LS shares the LC's GA-L platform. Unfortunately, it didn't pan out that way. It is possible to spot cues inspired by the LF-FC concept, such as the lower contour of the windows, the crease in the metal leading up to the rear wheel, and of course the lights and spindle grille. But they're overshadowed by the fact that this LS has a significant amount more girth. View 14 Photos Just because it doesn't live up to the concept doesn't mean it's a bad looking car. It's far more interesting to look at than the dated, upright LS currently on dealer lots. It also sits quite low and the wheels and tires fill the wells nicely, which gives it a road-hugging stance. There are some nifty design details, too, such as the glass that is completely flush with the pillars. View 28 Photos As already mentioned, the new body is wrapped around a stretched version of the LC's platform, and it also uses its 10-speed automatic. Surprisingly, though, the LS doesn't use the LC's powertrain. Under the hood is a completely new twin-turbocharged 3.5-liter V6 that pumps out 415 horsepower and 442 lb-ft of torque. That puts it down on power, but ahead in torque compared with the LC's V8. It's also significantly more than the previous LS' V8, and Lexus predicts it will be capable of a 0-60 mph time of 4.5 seconds with rear-wheel drive. A Lexus PR representative also said the LS is only being released with the V6. We doubt it would be hard to drop one in later though if Lexus saw demand. Inside, the LS is more interesting than the outside would suggest. The dash is clearly inspired by the LC 500, utilizing a similar gauge pod with traction control and drive mode selectors protruding from each side. The dash is also dominated by a wide, dark section that houses the 12.3-inch infotainment display. Just below that, is an attractive strip of slats that follow the contours of the dash and house the air vents. Back seat passengers also will have a pleasant environment thanks to the fact that the LS will only be available in a long wheelbase form, so leg room will never be in short supply. They also will have access to available reclining seats, ottoman, and Shiatsu massage functionality. According to a spokesman, the Japanese-style of massage function is a first for the LS.

2019 Lexus ES is first mass-produced car to replace side mirrors with cameras

Concept cars have been trying to replace side mirrors with cameras for decades, and now Lexus is actually going to do it on a production car. There's one important caveat though: It's only for Japan. First implemented for the recently redesigned (and recently reviewed) 2019 Lexus ES, the side mirrors are being replaced with small, aerodynamic camera stalks. Those small cameras tucked into the stalks provide a constant video feed to five-inch screens placed at the base of the car's A-pillars. The biggest reason manufacturers are pushing this kind of tech is to improve aerodynamics. Swapping those side mirrors out for something much smaller creates less drag, and ultimately, better fuel economy. Lexus says there are a couple other advantages for going digital here too. For one, the camera modules are able to resist the accumulation of raindrops and snow due to their design. There's also less wind noise since the mirrors cut through the air so well. This will become even more important as silent electric cars trickle their way onto the market. The actual visibility is supposed to be better as well. Lexus says that the view is "enhanced" when you activate a turn signal, and helps provide better rearward vision when put into reverse — think Honda LaneWatch, but way cooler. We won't be seeing this futuristic-looking side mirror technology in the U.S. for some time, because it's still not legal here. The technology is legal to use in Europe, but Lexus says it'll only be offered in Japan for the time being. Audi, though, will be bringing its side camera mirror technology to Europe by the end of the year with the E-Tron. There's still no release date on the electric SUV, but it might be the first to market with the tech on that continent. Audi wants to bring side mirror camera technology to the U.S. in its E-Tron, but the regulations still need to be changed to allow that here - the E-Tron is expected to be for sale in the U.S. sometime in 2019. Buyers in Japan will be able to scoop a Lexus ES with the tech this October. Related Video: