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2014 Lexus GX 460

The Toyota 4Runner has always held a special place in my heart for its boxy styling and off-road prowess, but until now, I never had the chance to drive its more luxurious cousin, the Lexus GX 460. Granted, the GX actually has more in common with the foreign-market Land Cruiser Prado, but all three SUVs ride on the same body-on-frame platform.
Originally an answer to the luxury SUV craze from the early 2000s, the GX hasn't changed all that much since its introduction more than a decade ago. It's a big SUV with plenty of space and crammed with just about all the luxuriousness Lexus could fit into a 12-year-old vehicle, but, more importantly, it still has the chops to go places many vehicles in its segment wouldn't dare venture. And just for good measure, Lexus tacked on its new signature spindle grille in what has to be its most pronounced appearance yet.
I've had a chance to drive most of the latest Lexus products (including the IS, ES and GS) to see just how competitive Toyota's luxury arm has gotten in recent years, but after spending a week with the 2014 GX 460, it's refreshing that, for now, Lexus has resisted the urge to follow some of its rivals in replacing rugged, body-on-frame SUVs with softer, car-based crossovers.

2016 Lexus GS gets 2.0L turbo engine, updated styling

The Lexus GS gets a number of enhancements for the 2016 model year, and the updated sedan makes its official debut in California during Monterey Car Week. The usual mid-cycle refresh styling nip/tuck is evident, but the bigger story is the addition of a new, rear-wheel-drive GS 200t model. Lexus' IS sedan isn't the only one getting turbo-four power for 2016. The GS 200t uses that same 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine, good for 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. It's paired exclusively with an eight-speed automatic transmission and rear-wheel drive, and Lexus says the GS 200t should be able to achieve 33 miles per gallon on the highway. Not to be left out, the naturally aspirated GS 350 gets a small power bump for 2016. The 3.5-liter V6 now produces 311 hp and 280 lb-ft of torque, up from 306 and 277, respectively. The GS 450h hybrid carries over with its powertrain unchanged, as well as its 29/34 mpg city/highway rating. Other changes for 2016 include standard bi-LED headlamps as part of the reworked front fascia, and a host of technology upgrades. The 12.3-inch central display screen now has full-width map capability, and the controller gets some extra "enter" buttons. Lexus also gave its Enform system some updates, with a Service Connect system. The ever-important Apple CarPlay and Android Auto features are missing from this update, though it's not exactly surprising. Have a look at the updated GS 200t in the gallery above, and scroll down for the full press blast. Related Video: Mingling with the Classics: Lexus Introduces 2016 GS During Pebble Beach Concours Celebrations New GS 200t RWD Model With 2.0-Liter Turbo Engine - More Power and Torque for GS 350 - Restyled Front End With Standard Bi-LED Headlamps - New Available Lexus Safety System + - Upgraded Multimedia Technology and for GS 350/GS 450h Standard Navigation - New Available Lexus Enform Service Connect - New Interior Colors and Wood Trim Selections MONTEREY, Calif. – Aug. 13, 2015 – The Pebble Beach Concours d' Elegance, the premier concours event in the United States, is an appropriate setting for the 2016 Lexus GS models to be introduced. The GS enters 2016 with a bolder design, a new GS 200t rear-wheel drive model and new luxury finishes that match the refinement of Monterey. The Lexus GS continues to feature impressive agility and sporty handling for turns along California Highway 1, as well as comfortable ride quality for extended highway driving.

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.