Does anyone else think that Lexus and Toyota styling is reminding you of the land yachts of the late 70s and early 80s from Detroit?

I think the LX cars from Chrysler has upped the level for anyone. The HEMI and "largness" of the car can make other competitors look slow and bulky. I'm just hoping GM and Ford get with the program. Nothing makes a "luxury" import vehical look pathedic then being under powered and over priced compared to the domestics.

 

I agree with Threxx on this point. Toyota/Lexus made the Altezza lights popular for aftermarket and factory cars. They're everywhere from '90 Civics to new Altimas. Doesnt mean Lexus has to change that styling element IMO. They're being copied, not the other way around. Same with the styling of the new car. If it continues the styling theme of the model, they're not copying anybody, they're continuing what they started.

I think Mercedes handled the copycat thing the best. Kia designed their one luxury model's (cant remember the name) front end to be somewhat similar to the ones found on Mercedes. So Mercedes made it public they were copying and threatened legal action over it. Dont know what came out of it but now whenever I see that Kia, I think of "the car that copied Mercedes".

 

yea KIA and Hyundai Both do that... the 05 sonota looked like a jag, that kia Optimum or whatever lookes like a mercedes, more of their cars do that, but if a law suit is possible, do it... copy cats suck

 

I agree with you. If the F-body came back tomorrow and CR bashed it everyone would be saying that they weren't an automotive magazine and didnt know what they were talking about. However, when GM High Tech Performance or Muscle Mustangs and Fast Fords hires a professional driver, ices down the intake and lowers the tire pressure and clicks off a 12.7 quater mile everyone would be bowing down.

I'm just using extreme examples to illustrate my point, but truth of the matter is, I'd give this review a lot more merit if it came from an automotive based source. Car and Driver, Road & Track, Motor Trend... any of them.

 

Pretty much all of the pro reviews have said more or less the following:
It's an amazing car inside and out, but we'll never know the true limits of its handling because there's so many undefeatable electronic nannies lying underneath.

And I do see their point... the new GS has an absolute alphabet soup of electronic aids ready to do the driving for you if you can't keep it under control.

Would automotive enthusiasts get annoyed with this? Most definitely yes unless of course they were driving in slick conditions or really did lose control and were praying for a miracle.

Would the other 95% of the world that enjoys a dynamic yet comfortable car but doesn't really care to slide the rear end out on a canyon pass care? Hell no... if anything, they'd appreciate it.

Here's an interesting factoid: the GS430 w/ VDIM is actually said to be a more predictable and easier to drive car in the snow than the GS300 w/ AWD and no VDIM. So basically the 'nannies' have managed to turn a RWD car into a car capable of outperforming an AWD car when it comes to your average ordinary driver.

 

For a tiny moment, the sun came out in our neighborhood. Birds tweeted. The summer wind rustled thru the trees. I got a hopeful thought. What? A positive-on-GM post by Redzed? Could it be... his deep cynicism and disgust of GM has subsided? ....Nah.

Dated? You mean, the cross-drilled rotors and forged 18" wheels? Wide front fenders and 255 tires? HUD, three folding seats in the antiquated interior? Good grief

 

I'll read CR when I'm picking out a new dish washer.

 

See now I'm just the opposite! All you have to do is mention those rags, and I immediately am suspicious of anything they print! And lower tire pressure, and ice on the intake is not a mod IMHO.

 

LOL! Like these folks?

http://beaterz.com/one_liners/0201/i...te-o-death.jpg

http://beaterz.com/one_liners/0201/i...mp_marquis.jpg

http://beaterz.com/one_liners/0201/images/japvan.jpg

http://beaterz.com/one_liners/0201/i...rd_icharus.jpg

http://beaterz.com/one_liners/0201/images/lincoln.jpg

http://beaterz.com/reviews/0100/p42_...right_back.jpg

http://beaterz.com/reviews/1199/p26_...corde_full.jpg



- pix courtesy www.beaterz.com -

 

man some of those look like they are straight out of the rose parrade

 

WOW

Those are some........strange.......creations on that site.....

 

Lexus is just a glorified Camry. Get a loaded Camry and you have the same thing less a few useless options (heated seats ).

*** cars are good quality, but they're starting to get overpriced for what you get, and if you wreck anything they're pricey on parts.

Just get a Chev for crying out loud.

 

Do you have any idea how vastly uneducated of a statement you've just made is? You've obviously put about a thumbnails worth of effort into the 'facts' that you stated above, so I'm not even going to bother correcting you. You can find out for yourself if you care.

 

Well, he's not too far off w.r.t. the ES, and it's kinda true with the RX vs. the Highlander. And we all know the LX470 is practically a rebadged Land Cruiser...

But yeah, beyond that (IS, GS, LS, GX, SC...), not so much. They are certainly more than just "glorified Camrys"...

 

True... the ES is very closely related to the Camry. However you do have to realize that option for option as closely as possible the ES330 is only about 12% more expensive. And with that you get Lexus dealer service, a longer more comprehensive warranty, noticably improved build quality, a vastly improved interior, better paint, a more powerful motor, a more luxury tuned trans, slightly stiffened chassis with more luxury-tuned suspension, an overall 3-4dB reduction in sound entering the cabin due to various sound deadening additions, much nicer leather, a much better stereo, rain wicking glass, additional airbags, auto up/down windows and sunroof, and all sorts of other small neat little features like windows and sunroof that open via remote control with the push of a button on a hot day, larger wheels, better tires, etc.

For a 12% increase in price I'm not saying it is definitely the obvious choice over a loaded Camry (it would be for me if those were my only two options, though... the interior alone on the ES is pure sex... on the Camry is horribly bland), but it certainly is say that for a marginal increase in price and all the added features and changes from the Camry XLE V6, that Lexus is trying to pull the wool over any consumer's eyes and sell a "Camry + heated seats" for a whole bunch more money... (which are available on the Camry anyway, FWIW... the current ES doesn't have them standard either, though they're also cooled and ventilated on the ES if you equip them).

If you still beleive that to be the case I challenge you to drive the Camry and then the ES. If you still personally feel they're too similar for the price difference and still think that all Lexus models are just rebadged Toyotas, go drive one of the many completely unique models such as the LS430, GS430, or SC430 and then tell me what Toyota you think it's similar to. You'll be at a loss for words.