2005 Lexus Es 330 on 2040-cars

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Mercedes, Infiniti, Lexus rank tops with mystery shoppers

If you want the best experience possible when buying a new car, then you'd better head down to your local Mercedes-Benz, Infiniti, or Lexus showroom. According a mystery shopper study conducted by the Pied Piper Prospect Satisfaction Index, those three luxury brands ranked highest among the 33 makes surveyed. The highest scoring mainstream brands included GMC, Hyundai, Kia, and Ford.
The study asked 5,203 mystery shoppers about the tactics used by salespeople during their most recent automotive purchases, and found a few interesting parallels along the way. For example, dealers at Infiniti, Land Rover, and Smart leaned heavily on vehicle walk-arounds with potential customers, while Jaguar, Volvo, and Audi were quick to point out exclusive features.
This study contrasts with a similar study conducted by JD Power in 2012. Its Sales Satisfaction Survey listed Mini as the top scorer, while Pied Piper's mystery shoppers ranked the BMW-owned brand below the industry average. Lexus scored highly on both surveys, as did Infiniti and GMC.

Lexus teases new F Sport engine cover

Lexus has teased a new F Sport model by revealing just the engine cover. It could point to a new performance version of the 2021 Lexus IS, and a potential successor to the dearly departed IS F. The image was obtained by Lexus Enthusiast, which pointed out that the carbon-fiber pattern cover is exactly the same shape as the one found shrouding the 5.0-liter V8 that powers the GS F and RC F. Good for 467 horsepower and 389 lb-ft of torque and a symphonic revving sound, the 2UR-GSE has traditionally been the heart of Lexus's F performance line. The teased cover, however, shows an "F Sport" badge where the GS F and RC F's "F" badge once resided. That implies a car with stiffer sport suspension along with some of the styling of a full-blown F model, but not the full stable of horses under the hood. Recently, Best Car magazine reported that Lexus was about to come out with a trio of F models. We think this engine cover is unlikely to preview an LC F, as the LC 500 is already powered by the 2UR-GSE, and wears a completely different engine cover. Also, an LC F would likely be turbocharged and thus don a different cover altogether. While it's possible that Lexus would drop the more powerful 2UR-GSE into the LS to give it a 73-horsepower bump over its current 394, that would imply an LS F model, not a simple F Sport. And besides, the LS already has an F Sport variant. The Best Car report also indicated that the LS F in the works, if it happens at all — and that's a big "if" — would be propelled by a twin-turbo V8.  That leaves the new IS, which in its most powerful guise has a 3.5-liter V6 generating 311 horses and 280 lb-ft of torque. It's possible that rather the teased engine cover is foreshadowing an IS 500, a conclusion that Lexus Enthusiast also draws, albeit with slightly different reasoning. An IS 500 would be one way for Lexus to squeeze as much use out of its marvelous 2UR-GSE before the V8 goes the way of the dodo, but without having to develop an all-out F model. The original IS F had, among other things, wider body panels, six-pot front brake calipers with cross-drilled rotors, and a Torsen LSD. By not calling an IS F, Lexus could be lowering expectations for enthusiasts of the original who would expect those performance features. Or, if the V8 gods are listening, perhaps Lexus is saving the true F badge for an IS with the rumored twin-turbo powering the LC F. One can hope, right? Related Video:

PSA: Toyota wants to save your life, needs an hour of your time

Toyota wrote Autoblog to ask if we could spread the word about the Takata airbag inflator recall. Defective inflators remain installed in tens of millions of cars made by 19 carmakers, with manufacture dates that go back to the year 2000. Each inflator compounds the risk of serious injury or death in an airbag-activating crash. With a new ad campaign called "in about an hour," Toyota wants to make sure that unaware owners, or overly busy owners, know they can get their Toyota, Lexus, and Scion vehicles repaired free of charge in about the time it takes to do a load of laundry. The campaign focuses on cities in three so-called Zone A states where hot, humid climates worsen the threat of the ruptured inflators: Los Angeles, Dallas, and Miami. However, every owner everywhere who cares about his life, or his child's life, should at least check to see if his car is affected. All it takes is a quick VIN entry at the dedicated recall site at Toyota.com/Recall. The results will let you know if your car is affected and, if so, locate a local dealer for the free fix. The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration said the Takata affair has become "the largest and most complex safety recall in U.S. history." The numbers so far suggest the recall covers more than 42 million vehicles and more than 60 million airbags. Autoweek keeps an updated list of Takata information, including every make and model on the recall list. Consumer Reports published a list of frequently asked questions covering issues directly related and tangential to the recall. The 19 automakers maintain pages dedicated to the issue; Fiat Chrysler lists every relevant model and how it prioritizes repairs by Zone, Honda says it offers a free rental car while owner cars are repaired, Daimler vans says its fix only takes about an hour. And of course NHTSA serves all owners with its own VIN lookup site. We encourage you to check your vehicle — the life you save could be your own. Related Video: