4dr Sport Sd 2.5l Cd Power Windows Power Door Locks Tilt Wheel Cruise Control on 2040-cars

Auto blog

J.D. Power study sees new car dependability problems increase for first time since 1998

For the first time since 1998, J.D. Power and Associates says its data shows that the average number of problems per 100 cars has increased. The finding is the result of the firm's much-touted annual Vehicle Dependability Study, which charts incidents of problems in new vehicle purchases over three years from 41,000 respondents.
Looking at first-owner cars from the 2011 model year, the study found an average of 133 problems per 100 cars (PP100, for short), up 6 percent from 126 PP100 in last year's study, which covered 2010 model-year vehicles. Disturbingly, the bulk of the increase is being attributed to engine and transmission problems, with a 6 PP100 boost.
Interestingly, JDP notes that "the decline in quality is particularly acute for vehicles with four-cylinder engines, where problem levels increase by nearly 10 PP100." Its findings also noticed that large diesel engines also tended to be more problematic than most five- and six-cylinder engines.

2020 Lexus LC 500 Luggage Test | Hey, why not?

I will admit that I initially did this as a joke. A seemingly endless parade of SUVs had been passing through Autoblog Portland HQ, each of which was subjected to my luggage test. Then the 2020 Lexus LC 500 showed up resplendent in metallic Flare Yellow, a shade that attracted gazes like it was on fire. A couple stopped in front of my house and just chatted about it for a while. A little girl exclaimed, "Look, Mom, a fancy car! The yellow is so pretty!" Indeed, little girl, indeed. So really, I had the car, I had the luggage, I'd been doing the tests every week, so hey, what the hell? Turns out I was about to learn something. First thing's first: Open the trunk. It's a fobless process like nearly everything nowadays, but finding the button can be tricky. It's not adjacent to the license plate, rather, it's encased within the right taillight. Once found, you appreciate that it's both hidden and easily accessible.  Once open, there's 5.4 cubic feet of space in this V8-powered LC 500. The 500h hybrid has 4.7 cubes, which would be the same as a Porsche 911's frunk. However, when talking about such small volumes, the shape of the trunk counts for so much more than it would in trunks of larger numerical value. In fact, it can easily matter more than the cubic-foot total, as we're about to see. As a reminder, I use two midsize roller suitcases that would need to be checked in at the airport (26 inches long, 16 wide, 11 deep), two roll-aboard suitcases that just barely fit in the overhead (24L x 15W x 10D), and one smaller roll-aboard that fits easily (23L x 15W x 10D). I also include my wife's fancy overnight bag just to spruce things up a bit (21L x 12W x 12D).  Holy crap! That's the biggest bag and the biggest medium-sized bag. They fit easily and there's some room to spare for some odds and ends. I tried fitting that same big bag in my 1998 BMW Z3, which has a 5.0-cubic-foot trunk. That biggest bag doesn't come close to fitting, going to show the importance of trunk shape, which is particularly deep and wide in the LC, if fairly shallow. It could also fit two of the medium-sized bags and my wife's fancy bag. Quite frankly, this is exceptional for a two-door GT car like the Lexus LC. I started to wonder at this point how a Porsche 911's frunk would do. Thankfully, as it turns out, I did a variation of this test back in 2013 with the previous-generation 911. And to think I was impressed by that.

2021 Lexus IS debuts with new styling and greater emphasis on handling

The reveals keep on coming today. Lexus just took the wraps off the 2021 Lexus IS sport sedan, the fourth generation of its small, sporty four-door. It may not look all that different on the outside, but Lexus is making heady claims that the driving experience is going to be the real head turner. We’ll start with the looks, though. Lexus has only revealed the 2021 IS in F Sport trim, which is the most aggressive of all the models. The spindle grille again sits proudly in front. (Apparently, even non F Sport models have mini spindles within the grille design, so we hope you like spindles.) YouÂ’ll also see a new air intake below that grille. ItÂ’s meant to direct air to the brakes and assist in cooling. The slimmer headlights with a new LED pattern look sharp. Along the side, Lexus has implemented new rocker panels that kick up into the rear fender for a more aggressive stance. The view from the rear offers up the most noticeable change. Lexus has gone with the full-width taillight design, stretching the red element from one side of the trunk to the other. Those taillights feature more intricate sculpting, and the rear valance is finished in a glossy black. Lexus changed the exhaust tip look, too, opting for ovals this time. But, onwards to the performance. The powertrain lineup hasnÂ’t changed a bit. A Lexus IS 300 with rear-wheel drive continues to be powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder. It makes the same 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque as before, and is mated to an eight-speed automatic transmission only. However, Lexus says itÂ’s been updated for “adaptive transmission control” that is better at choosing the appropriate gear for the driving situation. An all-wheel-drive IS 300 is also available, but itÂ’s equipped with the 3.5-liter V6 that makes 260 horsepower and 236 pound-feet of torque. The all-wheel-drive IS 300 is also continuing to send the power through a six-speed automatic transmission exclusively. The system can send as much as 50% of torque to the front axle. The tip-top IS is the IS 350. ItÂ’s equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 that makes 311 horsepower and 280 pound-feet of torque. With rear-wheel drive, itÂ’s equipped with an eight-speed automatic, but the all-wheel-drive version is equipped with a six-speed auto. Lexus says the rear-drive IS 350 will get to 60 mph in 5.6 seconds, while the all-wheel-drive car gets there in 5.7 seconds.