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Lexus gets top brand marks from Consumer Reports; Ford, Jeep hit hard

Consumer Reports has released its 2014 Car Brand Report Cards, with Lexus again reigning at the top and doing so with the same industry-topping score of 79 that it registered in last year's Report Cards. This year, the institute credited its lineup for being "usually quiet, comfortable, and fuel-efficient," noting it's the only brand on the list "to achieve an excellent average overall reliability score." The Car Brand Report Cars list is meant to rank the best all-around vehicles based on CR testing and reliability results tallied by subscribers it surveyed. Each brand included must have sufficient test and reliability data for at least three models, a standard which left out 11 marques including Fiat, Jaguar, Land Rover and Porsche.
This 2014 Brand Report Cars edition is the first of a new format in which sub-brands have been broken out from their parent brands, with Acura using this year to move up the leaderboard into second place with a score of 75 for its "reliable, well-finished and somewhat sporty models." The top three was rounded out by Audi, climbing from eighth to third by scoring a 74 for "well-crafted interiors, nice handling and good gas mileage." Audi scored highest in the road-test portion, its improved reliability aiding its rise. The top nine was completed by Subaru, Toyota, Mazda, Honda, Infiniti and Mercedes-Benz.
Ford and Jeep weighed in at the other end of the rankings, Jeep taking the lowest overall score in the road tests and hampered by "a mix of spotty reliability." Ford was sunk by reliability issues with its MyFord Touch infotainment system which consumers found troublesome enough to negate its cars earning "solid test scores" for being "very nice to drive." Perhaps the rumored switch from Microsoft to Blackberry's QNX for the next generation SYNC will help them out. Cadillac's score also took a hit for infotainment reasons after it was the leading US brand last year, the CUE system in the XTS dragging Cadillac to the bottom of all General Motors brands.

Lexus LC 500 gets customized at SEMA before it even goes on sale

We still have to wait until next year for Lexus to start delivering the gorgeous new LC 500 to dealer showrooms, but that little fact didn't stop Lexus from letting people modify it for SEMA. The first LC coupe to get the custom treatment is this bright yellow example modified by Gordon Ting and Beyond Marketing. Prospective LC 500 buyers who want to modify their rides won't have to wait long do start adding these parts to their cars. Because Lexus let these companies develop parts this far in advance, the parts should be available around the same time as the car. On the outside, the LC 500 gets a new Artisan Spirit body kit that consists of a front diffuser, fender flares, side skirts, rear diffuser and rear spoiler. The car also has a lower stance thanks to a kit developed by KW Suspension. It features adjustable springs for ride height, plus a hydraulic lift system to keep the custom body work from scraping. The Lexus rolls on HRE P101 wheels that are stopped by Brembo brakes. The other highlight of this custom Lexus is under the hood. The LC 500 comes with a 471-horsepower 5.0-liter V8 that's also found in the RC F and GS F. However, the engine development team at Hard Media, Inc. and D SPORT Magazine had the engine rebuilt with CP pistons and Carrillo connecting rods, and it was given new cylinder sleeves from LA Sleeves to increase bore-size. The end result is a 5.6-liter engine making 525 horsepower. According to Lexus, 525 horsepower is far from the limit of this engine, saying that its capabilities could be, and in fact "have been more than doubled." If anyone at Lexus is reading this, we don't doubt the claim, but we'd also be more than happy to see this capability proven. Perhaps at next year's SEMA show? Related Video: Featured Gallery Customized Lexus LC 500: SEMA 2016 View 9 Photos Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2016 Drew Phillips / Autoblog Aftermarket SEMA Show Lexus Coupe Luxury lexus lc 500 SEMA 2016

Optimistic Lexus bumps US sales target higher

Last year Lexus sold 244,166 cars in the US, slotting into third place in the luxury segment behind BMW and Mercedes-Benz. Earlier this year Lexus said its target was 260,000 units in the US (which would still put it behind BMW's and Mercedes' numbers from last year), but Automotive News reports that it has raised its upper outlook to 270,000 cars.
The half-year pace hasn't been enough to make either number, but Lexus is gunning for a 15-percent gain in IS sales behind the arrival of the 2014 model, and this is also the first full year of sales of the new ES and LS. Lexus will most likely end the year in third place in the luxury segment behind BMW and Mercedes again, even if it does sell 270,000 units, but has said its prime directive is "good, steady growth."