2010 Lexus Gs 350 on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Consumer Reports says infotainment systems 'growing first-year reliability plague'

The Consumer Reports Annual Auto Reliability Survey (right) is out, and the top two spots look much the same as last year's list with Lexus and Toyota in first and second place, respectively. However, there are some major shakeups for 2014, with Acura plunging eight spots from third in 2013 to 11th this year, and Mazda replaces it on the lowest step of the podium. Honda and Audi round out the top five. This year's list includes six Japanese brands in the top 10, two Europeans, one America and one Korean.
Acura isn't the only one taking a tumble, though. Infiniti is the biggest loser this year by dropping 14 spots to 20th place. Other big losses come from Mercedes-Benz with an 11-place fall to 24th, and GMC, which declines 10 positions to 19th.
Perhaps unsurprisingly, it's not traditional mechanical bugs hauling down these automaker's reliability scores. Instead, pesky problems with infotainment systems are taking a series toll on the rankings. According to Consumer Reports, complaints about "in-car electronics" were the most grumbled about element in new cars. Problem areas included things like unresponsive touchscreens, issues pairing phones and multi-use controllers that refused to work right.

Google Test Car Crash Footage | Autoblog Minute

Recently surfaced footage from Valley Transportation Authority in California gives us a fresh perspective on the February crash between a city bus and a Google self-driving car. Google Lexus Autoblog Minute Videos Original Video viral video google car lexus rx 450h

Lexus files to copyright LC 500 nameplates [UPDATE]

UPDATE: Reached for comment, Lexus told Autoblog that it "cannot offer comment on the potential naming of a production version of the LF-LC concept" and pointed out that automakers trademark nameplates as a matter of course. Some automakers already slap a production-ready name on their concepts, but not Lexus. The Japanese automaker typically labels its show cars with the letters LF-XX. So when we heard that Toyota had green-lit the LF-LC concept for production, we naturally started wondering what name the production version would carry. But if the latest intel is any indication, we can stop wondering. According to Lexus Enthusiast, the automaker has filed to trademark the names LC 500 and LC 500h in a variety of markets – including the United States, Canada and Australia. The application tells us a number of things: first of all, that the LF-LC will retain that second set of letters along the road to production (like the NX but unlike other recent Lexus concepts). And secondly, it indicates what engines we can expect to find under the hood. The 500 designation would seem to suggest that the base version of Lexus' upcoming halo sports car will pack the 5.0-liter V8 from the RC F. The bigger question mark is over the hybrid version. Current gasoline-electric models in the company's lineup include the RX 450h (based on a 3.5-liter V6) and the LS 600h (with a 5.0-liter V8). For the LC 500h, Lexus could be planning a more potent electric motor to mate to the 3.5L V6, or planning a new powertrain altogether.