2000 Lexus Rx300 Base Sport Utility 4-door 3.0l on 2040-cars

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What does a million-mile car really tell us?

A million miles. Nearly every car brand and motor oil company plays the million-mile marketing racket at some point. The typical recipe is to take a car that experienced a ton of low-stress highway miles, and make it a rolling testament to the long-term qualities of whatever reputation you're trying to prop up. Saab, Lincoln, Toyota, Honda, Ford, Chrysler. It's a tired game that I would normally just consider one of the pointless ranking exercises of our time. But the truth is, when it comes to a car's longevity, it's almost always the owner that makes the real difference, not the brand. Like a pitcher at a baseball game, the owner mostly determines the victories and the defeats for his car. Some specific models are the basement dwellers of our time – I'm looking at you, Chrysler car with the 2.7-liter engine! But a lot of cars and trucks hit right around the average that is a powertrain whose longevity is mainly determined by that person who turns the key and hopefully learns that patient art of long-term ownership. The best owners are the ones who deserve the attention. So with that in mind, let me introduce you to Matt Farah's Million Mile Lexus. This content is hosted by a third party. To view it, please update your privacy preferences. Manage Settings. This Lexus could be written off as another cynical marketing exercise in this business, performed by those who didn't do the real driving in the past and have no plans at all on doing the bulk of the driving in the future. Matt's actually doing a few things that are genuinely cool, though. Letting other auto journalists and enthusiasts drive it along the way and giving Regular Car Reviews a crack at it. Focusing on the rare virtues of the first-generation Lexus, which, to be frank, can out-diesel a diesel. There is a great story to be had with this car. This isn't a car that was "going to the junkyard" and magically given the kiss of life. That story is far more vast than a guy who bought a high-mileage car in great overall condition. This isn't a car that was "going to the junkyard" and magically given the kiss of life so that it can endure the ages. This Lexus, like all other high-mileage models worthy of our love, has been given one hell of a good maintenance regimen by the prior owners. It was taken care of and primarily maintained at the dealership, where it probably received the best parts and service, thanks in enormous part to owners who were willing to pay that exorbitantly high bill.

Ford tumbles to second worst in Consumer Reports reliability survey, list dominated by Japanese [w/video]

It's no secret that MyFord Touch has had its share of problems since being introduced, but the most recent reliability survey from Consumer Reports shows just how much this infotainment system has affected Ford. Just two years ago, the automaker was in the top 10 for the institute's reliability rankings, but since then, it has tumbled to the second-lowest rung just above dead-last Jaguar. In addition to MyFord Touch, CR also attributes a handful of new products that have had issues right out of the gate.
Compiled from 1.2 million subscriber surveys, this year's auto reliability survey heavily favors Japanese automakers, with eight of the 10 spots hailing from Japan. Toyota brands grabbed the top three spots (Scion, Toyota and Lexus - in that order) with Mazda, Subaru, Honda and Acura filling the next four spots. The only non-Asian automaker cracking the top 10 was Audi at number eight.
Audi climbed a total of 18 spots from last year, and Cadillac and GMC round out this year's top gainers breaking into the top 15. Helping Cadillac's upward movement, the CTS Coupe was named the most reliable domestic car. Lincoln, Volvo and Chrysler join Ford on this year's biggest loser list.

Pontiac Aztek enjoys rebirth thanks to Millennials

Apparently, Millennials – those between 18 and 34 – aren't afraid to look different on the road, and they like performance, too. A new study by Edmunds is discovering some surprising vehicle choices by this group. Among them, the long-derided Pontiac Aztek is getting a new day in the sun with 25.5 percent its buyers coming from this generation in the first half of 2015. For comparison, Millennials represent an average of 16.8 percent of used car purchases. The Aztek is slowly shaking its reputation as a styling abomination, which seems tied to its appearance on Breaking Bad. The show premiered in 2008, and the Pontiac has been on this list for four of the past five years, according to Edmunds. It even led the pack in 2010. A recent Retro Review from MotorWeek also showed that the crossover wasn't always so hated. While it's still a shock to see the Aztek on any popularity list, the awkward-looking crossover only ranks sixth among Millennials. The vehicle with the biggest portion of buyers from the generation is the Dodge Magnum with 27.6 percent. According to Edmunds, the bluntly styled wagon is especially popular in Detroit and Chicago. The Chrysler Pacifica comes in a close second at 27.3 percent. When it comes to used cars, value and utility appear to trump just about anything else for many Millennial buyers," Edmunds analyst Jeremy Acevedo said in the report. Young buyers aren't afraid of sporty rides, either. The Subaru WRX has 26.4 percent Millennial buyers to rank third place on the list, and the Volkswagen R32 takes fifth at 25.7 percent. Just a few points lower in seventh place is the Nissan GT-R at 25.4 percent, and the final performance machine in 10th place is the Lexus IS-F with 24.7 percent. Related Video: