Does Reliability Affect Luxury-Car Sales?

Luxury cars have moved past the days of the ignition-challenged Jaguars in AMC's "Mad Men," but many still have faults. The Mercedes-Benz M-Class and Buick LaCrosse rate below average in Consumer Reports' reliability surveys; the Lincoln MKX, BMW X3, BMW 7 Series and Buick Verano rate even worse. Then there's Jaguar, which earned low marks in J.D. Power and Associates' predicted reliability ratings for its entire 2012 crop. Sibling brand Land Rover fared little better.

Does it matter? Not as much as you think.

It seems luxury-car shoppers care for reliability as much as Don Draper cares for self-restraint. Through April, Jaguar and Land Rover sales are up 12.7%. The Verano outsold Buick's Regal and Encore combined. M-Class sales are down, but it's still Mercedes' best-selling SUV. The MKX is Lincoln's best-selling car. Period.

Are luxury cars unreliable on the whole? The jury's still out. Luxury brands took top honors in J.D. Power's latest Initial Quality and Vehicle Dependability studies, but they spanned the gamut in Consumer Reports' reliability surveys. That's why Jake Fisher, the magazine's director of auto testing, sees little correlation between luxury and reliability.

2013 Lexus LS 460: Family Checklist

It was only a couple of years ago that some said Lexus' aging lineup lacked luster and contributed to its diminishing sales. Lexus graciously listened to the criticism, made some changes and now boasts a lineup that is modern and more fun than ever.

The new 2013 Lexus LS 460 is a great example of this: This full-size sedan handles beautifully, has plenty of power and can even work for many families if — and that's a big if — you're willing to let your mess makers loose in the luxurious, expensive five-seater.

When it came time for a new look, Lexus opted to give the LS 460 a face-lift. Its new spindle grille looks fresh and ready for action. The car also seems to have realized that it's never too late to develop some muscle. A new 4.6-liter V-8 engine is matched to a smooth eight-speed transmission and provides 360 horsepower worth of muscle. I was easily able to blow by everyone on the road en route to the mountains for spring break.

2014 Lexus IS: Track Tested

With the redesigned 2014 IS sport sedan, Lexus is trying hard to appeal to buyers intent on getting a compact luxury car that's not only luxurious and well put-together, but also fun to drive. So focused is Lexus on this goal that it's holding regional media drive events at racetracks around the country for journalists to sample the IS' current variations on closed road courses.

We already reviewed the new 2014 IS earlier this year at its launch in Austin, Texas, but we're not going to pass up the opportunity to drive sport sedans around a track. So I trekked out to the media gathering Lexus held at Michigan International Speedway in Brooklyn, Mich., a track familiar to NASCAR Sprint Cup fans as the home of the Pure Michigan 400 and other races.

The course laid out for us took us onto an infield road course before dumping the cars onto the front stretch of the oval track and then back into the infield course at the end of pit lane. It was a relatively simple course, but it provided a good opportunity to see just how well Lexus has tuned the new IS as an enthusiast's option.

Bigger Than Average: Check Out This Owner's Manual

Pop quiz: What weighs 5 pounds, is twice as long as the King James Bible and can be yours for about $51,000? It is indeed a special book, but you won't find it at any rare bookstore: It's the owner's manual for the 2013 Lexus RX 350 F Sport.

A recent sampling of Lexus' latest take on a sporty crossover (comfortable, well appointed, attractive, but with artificially heavy "sport" steering and throttle response that's far too aggressive) revealed a surprise when I opened the glove box. Inside was the most massive owner's manual I've ever seen, taking up nearly half of the available space. Stuffed into a leather protective jacket are the owner's manual, navigation system manual, lemon law guide and a "quick start" booklet.

Lexus Prices 2014 IS

When the redesigned-for-2014 Lexus IS arrives at dealerships this summer, the luxury sedan will offer a number of newly standard features at a 2% discount from last year's price for IS 350 buyers, the automaker announced today. The rear-wheel-drive IS 250 will start at $36,845 and $39,380 for all-wheel drive; the IS 350 will start at $40,360 for rear-wheel drive and $42,595 for all-wheel drive (all prices include an $895 destination fee).

The IS 250 has a 2.5-liter V-6 good for 204 horsepower and 185 pounds-feet of torque, while the 350 has a 3.5-liter V-6 that produces 306 horsepower. Both the rear-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive versions of the 250 come with a six-speed automatic transmission, as does the all-wheel-drive 350; the rear-wheel-drive model gets an eight-speed automatic.

Standard features include high-intensity discharge headlights, L-shaped LED running lights, drive mode select, paddle shifters, dual-zone climate control, a new touch-screen multimedia system with 4.2-inch color display, 10 airbags, and real-time traffic and weather information without a subscription. Lexus said the previously optional equipment totals $1,400.

Why Luxury Sales Could Thrive in 2013

Leather-clad luxury cars may seem the domain of an affluent few. After all, this year's best-selling luxury car through March — the Mercedes-Benz C-Class — ranked 51st among all cars. But the group may be poised for a comeback. Total sales improved 12.3% in the first three months of 2013, outpacing the industry's 6.4% gain. By year's end, one in every 7.5 new cars sold in 2013 could be a luxury model.

That would buck a trend several years in the making. Luxury cars, including Buick, hovered around 13% of the new-car market from 2005 to 2010. In 2011 that share slid to 12.9%, and in 2012 it tumbled to 12.6%.

It seemed counterintuitive, given the wealthy are alive and well.

Cars.com Family Reviews the 2013 Lexus RX 450h

Parents are often in search of a little tranquility, and the 2013 Lexus RX 450h delivers it, says Cars.com Family reviewer Courtney Messenbaugh. Of course, silence is golden, so you'll have to pay a premium for this hybrid crossover, which starts at $47,205. The RX seats five, but it was a squeeze for Courtney to fit her three kids and their child-safety seats into the backseat.

2013 Lexus RX 450h Family Review

When a Hybrid Doesn't Outperform at the Pump

Luxury and hybrid don't necessarily go together in the car world. Buyers who can afford an expensive luxury car typically can afford an expensive stop at the gas station. Why even consider a hybrid version?

There are entry-level models that return excellent mileage resulting in significant savings at the pump, and savings are savings. Then there is a different breed of hybrid where the electric-assisted powertrain is designed to deliver a better driving experience — or more power — without the drain at the pump more power typically demands.

Lexus was the first luxury car maker to offer a hybrid model in its lineup: the RX 400h back in 2006. Today it makes entry-level hybrids like the ES 300h and CT 200h. Both start at less than $40,000 and return an impressive EPA rating of at least 40 mpg combined.

Then there's the LS 600h L, a full-size luxury flagship that sports a unique hybrid system that teams a 5.0-liter V-8 engine with a 165-kwh electric motor and 288-volt nickel-metal-hydride battery to make a grand 438 combined horsepower. It also starts at $120,805 (including destination of $895).

We decided to see how the mileage of this uber-hybrid really shook out in the real world, driving it and a non-hybrid LS 460 on a nearly 200-mile round-trip commute. We were a bit surprised at the results.

Toyota to Build First Lexus in the U.S.

Toyota launched its Lexus division in September 1989 with two 1990 models at opposite ends of the spectrum: the LS 400, a rear-drive V-8 flagship, and the ES 250, a front-drive cousin to the plebian Camry. In their first month, the two cars combined for 4,135 sales. Fast-forward nearly 25 years and Toyota has sold 4,397,799 Lexus cars and SUVs in America. Lexus led all luxury-brand sales from 2000 to 2010.

All without building a single car here.

That's right. Toyota, whose Kentucky- and Indiana-built Camry has led Cars.com's American-Made Index for four years in a row, imports its Lexus cars from Japan and Canada.

That's about to change, however. The automaker announced today it will build the ES 350 — five generations past the 1990 original — in Georgetown, Ky., to the tune of about $360 million invested. Toyota's 1,300-acre plant, its largest in North America, already assembles the Camry, Avalon and Venza, not to mention various four-cylinder and V-6 engines and other components. It employs 6,600 and builds some 500,000 cars a year; the ES will add 750 jobs and another 50,000 cars to the plant's annual capacity.

2013 Lexus LS 600h L Video

The 2013 Lexus LS 600h L challenges conventional wisdom about what a hybrid should be. As Cars.com reviewer Joe Wiesenfelder notes, this luxury hybrid is EPA rated at an unimpressive 19/23 mpg city/highway — only 2 mpg better than its non-hybrid counterpart, the much cheaper LS 460 L. However, not only does the hybrid far outweigh the 460, it packs beefier horsepower and quickness. It also boasts one of the softest rides around, an enormous backseat and a host of over-the-top features like a power ottoman and massaging seat that could shame Sharper Image. In other words, it's totally awesome and awesomely impractical.

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