2019 lexus crossover series#

The RX is Lexus's midsize luxury crossover. Some have likened the shape to the mouth of the villain from the Predator films.

Spindle Grille: Lexus uses large, distinctive grilles on the front of vehicles extending to the bottom of the car.

LF: This is the designation used for concept cars, such as the LF-1.

They do not receive an enhanced powertrain as true “F” cars do. They include modest performance enhancements and interior/exterior styling upgrades.

F Sport: “F Sport” cars are sportier trims of standard Lexus models.

The “F” comes from Fuji International Speedway, the track where Lexus develops those cars.

F: “F” designates a car produced by Lexus’ high-performance division, the equivalent of AMG at Mercedes or M at BMW.

To alleviate the confusion, here’s a reference guide: Lexus Terminology And on some models, the same three-digit number can be used with entirely different engines. The three-digit number no longer tracks engine displacement directly. The model letters - U,L,I,N,G,E,R - have no real meaning and don't follow alphabetical order for price or status. An 'h' after the three-digit number indicates a hybrid powertrain.

The three-digit number denotes the engine displacement (a 2.0-liter engine becomes “200,” 3.0 liters equals “300,” et cetera). The second letter gives you the body style (S for sedan, C for coupe, X for SUV). On the surface, Lexus employs a simple alphanumeric naming system. And the brand has cache: Hip-hop and country music lyrics frequently reference Lexus due to the cars’ status as a wealth signifier, the name’s alliterative value, and the handy fact that Lexus rhymes with Texas. Lexus durability, however, is legendary in one famous example, a 1996 LS 400 crossed the million-mile mark in February 2019. Lexus can also get eccentric and polarizing with its style the brand’s current penchant for oversized “spindle grilles” is a prime example. Lexus can be more conservative than its competitors, being slower to react to rends and less frequent with its model upgrades. Lexus is very much part of Toyota, with all that entails. Main rivals include German heavyweights Mercedes-Benz, Audi, and BMW, as well as its Japanese-market foes Infiniti and Acura and American rivals Cadillac and Lincoln. Lexus started out with the LS and ES sedans before expanding to SUVs, coupes, convertibles and even the occasional supercar. Toyota created the marque in 1989 to have a more exclusive brand for its premium cars in foreign markets. Lexus is Toyota's luxury car division based out of Nagoya, Japan.

2019 lexus crossover series#

Don’t get me wrong, you won’t be abandoning the wife and kids on a Sunday afternoon to thread it down a B-road, but it’s entirely as good as a car of this type needs to be, if not quite the class dynamic benchmark.Welcome to Brand Breakdown, a series of comprehensive yet easy-to-digest guides to your favorite companies, with insights and information you won’t find on the average About page. The steering feels direct and consistently weighted, combining with reasonable grip levels and tidy body control for a two tonne-plus SUV.

Handling is a bit more incisive now, too. While this might ring alarm bells, the ride hasn’t become choppy as a result: unlike its lumpy riding NX sibling, this is still a surpremely comfortable way of moving about the place. New hardware including stiffer anti-roll bars and new shock absorbers combine with body rigidity improvemens and an optional, roll-reducing Active Cornering assist system. You’ll therefore find yourself interacting more with the screen which, although bigger and clearer than before and now moved closer to the driver, still requires that you lean right in and take your attention off the road to prod. The infamous Lexus trackpad (replacing the horrid old mouse-style controller) doesn’t solve that - it’s still far trickier to operate on the move than a rotary click wheel, a la BMW.įrankly, it all feels a bit old-school if you’ve spent time in any equivalent plug-in hybrids, especially when you find yourself winding up other motorists by crawling away from junctions in a desperate attempt to keep it in electric mode. But, with no need to charge it up, this is at least a zero-faff hybrid that delivers consistent MPG.Įlsewhere, though, the RX is more dynamically capable. Yet this is not the antidote to fiddly touchscreens that some might be looking for. Yes, there’s lots of buttons, but most are for the heating and climate functions (including controls for the heated and ventilated seats). It’s not exciting or particularly on-trend, but exemplary build quality and plush materials make it feel special. Clinical minimalism isn't the theme here the architecture is complex and there are buttons for everything, everywhere.

That doesn't necessarily have to be the a bad thing, though. Step inside and, if you gloss over the giant infotainment screen plonked on top of the dash, the RX looks and feels a generation behind the Germans.