2008 Lexus Ls460 1 Owner Leather Navigation Heated & Cool Seats Bluetooth Camera on 2040-cars

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Best and worst car brands of 2022 according to Consumer Reports

It's that time again, Consumer Reports this morning lifting the curtain on its 2022 Annual Car Brand rankings and its 10 Top Picks in the car, crossover, and truck category. Drumroll, please: This year, Subaru climbs two spots to claim the winner's circle, having come third the last two years. Last year, Mazda climbed three spots from 2020 to take the crown. This year, Mazda slipped to second, BMW taking the last spot on the podium, also a one-spot drop from 2021. Six automakers in the top 10 hailed from Japan, which is one more than last year, and five luxury makers occupied the top 10, which is two more than last year. And South Korean representation didn't crack the top this year, after Hyundai managed tenth last year. The seven makes after BMW are: Honda, Lexus, Audi, Porsche, Mini, Toyota, and Infiniti.  The magazine and testing concern says its Brand Report Card "[reveals] which automakers are producing the most well-performing, safe, and reliable vehicles based on CR’s independent testing and member surveys," and that "Brands that rise to the top tend to have the most consistent performance across their model lineups." The domestics also took steps back among the 32 OEMs ranked on the 2022 card. Chrysler and Buick were the domestic carmakers who made last year's top 10 in eighth and ninth, respectively. This year, Buick dropped to eleventh, Chrysler to thirteenth. Dodge went from fourteenth to sixteenth. CR continues to ding Tesla's yoke steerer, the not-exactly-natural handhold responsible for the electric carmaker going from sixteenth last year to twenty-third this year.

The refreshed 2018 Lexus NX looks just like a baby RX

The refreshed 2018 Lexus NX compact crossover debuted this week at the Shanghai Motor Show. Most of the changes are visual, and it should keep the NX fresh for the next few years until more extensive changes come. Power and performance remain the same, but Lexus claims its smallest SUV is quieter and more refined thanks to some updates under the skin. As the automaker's third best-selling vehicle in 2016, behind the venerable RX crossover and ES sedan, the NX has been a huge hit for Lexus in every market. Up front, the love it or hate it spindle grille remains, though it has received a few modifications. The upper portions of the grille and fenders have been reworked to flow better into the hood and doors. In addition to the sleeker visuals, it should help improve aerodynamics. New headlights with three projectors are similar to those on the new Lexus LC sport coupe. The bottom portion of the bumper has been pulled forward a bit, making the NX look both less pointy and more like a small RX than ever. In the rear, the bumper is redesigned, adding in design elements that draw influence from the spindle grille. Like the headlights, the taillights have been updated with a shape that's similar to those on the LC. Other changes include reshaped exhaust tips, new 18-inch wheels, and a kick sensor that opens the rear hatch if you make a motion under the rear bumper. Like the exterior, the changes to the interior are small but notable. The infotainment screen has grown from 7 inches to 10.3 inches. The controls for both the infotainment and HVAC system have been updated. Nearly all of the control knobs and switches have what Lexus is calling a metallic satin finish, essentially a silver-gray looking matte coloring. Like with many other Toyota and Lexus products, the automaker's Lexus Safety System + now comes standard on all models. This includes emergency braking, radar cruise control, lane departure warnings, and automatic high beams. The turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four carries over unchanged, though the model is now known as the NX 300 (formerly the NX 200t). Likewise, the hybrid system in the NX 300h is unchanged. There have been some updates to the suspension, adding in a modified version of the adaptive variable suspension system from the LC. Lexus claims this should improve both ride and handling. No word on pricing or a release date, so look for more news some time in the next few months.

Toyota's 'green bond' an industry first, quickly rises to $1.75 billion

Toyota is greasing the skids for more green car purchases with the announcement of a $1.75-billion bond designed to finance the purchase of high-efficiency Toyota and Lexus models. The Asset-Backed Green Bond is a first for the automotive industry and is making a lot of money available to buy or lease the following vehicles: any of the four Prius variants, Camry Hybrid, Avalon Hybrid, RAV4 EV, Lexus CT 200h and Lexus ES 300h. Originally, the bond was set at $1.25 billion, but Justin Leach, manager of public relations for Toyota Financial Services (TFS), told AutoblogGreen that demand was high and it was quickly oversubscribed. TFS has been looking at more ways to diversify its portfolio after a Diversity & Inclusion Bond that was announced in early 2013 and, with the new Green Bond, TFS is offering something for the "number of investors out there who are looking for investment opportunities in green." The way the money from the bond is used, basically, is that TFS takes the $1.75 billion and uses it to finance the purchase or lease of the nine vehicles listed above. As of right now, all the eligible vehicles are plug-in or hybrids, but the rules simply say that the cars in the program have to meet certain "powertrain, fuel efficiency and emissions" criteria. That means: Minimum EPA estimated MPG (or MPG equivalent for alternative fuel vehicles) of 35 city / 35 highway California Low-Emission Vehicle II (LEV II) certification of super ultra-low emission vehicles (SULEVs) or higher, which would include partial zero emissions vehicles (PZEVs) and zero emissions vehicles (ZEVs). TFS raises plenty of billions in other ways for the rest of the lineup, and got into asset backed securities in 2010, Leach said. Given the success of this first Green Bond, Leach said he expects TFS to keep this idea in its arsenal. "This one was so well received, I would be surprised if we didn't see it again," he said. "If anyone was going to do it, it should be Toyota, right?" Toyota Financial Services (TFS) Issues Auto Industry's First-Ever Asset-Backed Green Bond Bond Proceeds to Fund Consumer Loans and Leases for Toyota's Leading Portfolio of Green Vehicles TORRANCE, Calif., (March 24, 2014) – Toyota Financial Services (TFS) issued the auto industry's first-ever Asset-Backed Green Bond in the amount of $1.75 billion.