2008 Lexus Rx 350 Navigation Luxury Value & Premium Plus Pkg & More! A Value 4u on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Production Lexus NX leaks online

The first photos of the new Lexus NX crossover have leaked onto the web over a week before its official debut at the Beijing Motor Show. These pictures are pretty blurry, but there is no mistaking that they show off the Japanese luxury brand's smaller, premium CUV.
While the teaser only gave us a glimpse at its pointed strip of LED running lights and angular grille, the new image proves that the CUV is definitely not afraid of sharp edges. However, compared to the original concept, it looks almost sedate. The production version drops the knife-like side mirrors for more conventional units, and the grille appears narrower. The vertical intakes at the edges of the front are dulled slightly but still present. The NX is indeed a polarizing vehicle - we'll be interested to see it in person. After all, we've grown to like the new IS after our first, shocking reaction. We should give Lexus some credit, too, for not following the premium CUV styling herd.
Seen elsewhere, these's an exterior photo that hints at a powertrain configuration. The bumper reads NX 300h, which likely indicates that there will be a hybrid version of the CUV. This is likely the same combined 220-horsepower system with a 2.5-liter Atkinson-cycle engine and electric motor found in the IS 300h in Europe. There is no word on whether that model will be sold here. It's rumored to be offered with a new 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder as well. More details about the new Lexus are expected in China later this month.

Xcar gets Lexus LFA serviced at TMG

Toyota has made all manner of vehicles, from sedans and hatchbacks to crossovers and pickup trucks. It's even done a handful of sports cars over the years. But it's only ever done one real supercar, and that was the Lexus LFA. The ten-cylinder supercar was built at the dedicated, purpose-built LFA Works, a facility within Toyota City in Japan that's since moved on to making everything from bicycles to hydrogen fuel cell vehicles. But if you were lucky enough to be among the 500 customers to get your hands on an LFA, you may not be inclined to send it back to the factory every time it needs servicing. Especially not if you live in, say, Europe. That's why Toyota Motorsport GmbH was tasked with handling service for the LFA for Europe. The facility in Cologne, Germany, was once home to the automaker's F1 team, now runs its championship-winning endurance racing team and will soon again serve as the home base for its renewed assault on the World Rally Championship. So it's just the type of facility that could handle whatever comes up with Lexus' high-strung exotic, from servicing the V10 engine to repairing the carbon-fiber chassis if need be. After checking out the underground collection in its last episode, the guys at Xcar popped their heads in at the LFA service center. There they spoke with TMG VP Rob Leupen, who seems convinced that Toyota should make a new hybrid supercar. We hope he turns out to be right.

Satisfaction with dealer service rises, Lexus and GMC are tops

During the economic downturn, many car dealerships counteracted their slowing income by focusing on things that would set them apart from competition - things like the quality of customer service they provide. When the economy picked up and more sales and service followed, many also first invested those funds back into the business, improving their dealership facilities and service centers.
It looks like those investments are paying off, as J.D. Power and Associates' latest Customer Service Index Study shows that overall consumer satisfaction with dealer service has increased to 797 (on a 1,000-point scale), up from 787 in 2012 and 29 points higher than the score in 2011. The study also finds that people are more satisfied with the service they get at dealerships compared to independent service providers, despite the much higher average out-of-pocket cost per visit ($118 vs. $44).
Note, however, that this study only looks at how people are treated by a dealer's service department during the first three years of ownership (the survey is based on responses from 91,000 owners and lessees of 2008 to 2012 model year vehicles), so we're talking about the experience had when bringing a car in for repair or maintenance work, most likely under warranty. In fact, maintenance work is increasing in share and accounted for 77 percent of service visits (up from 72 percent in 2012 and 63 percent in 2011). This helps explain why customer satisfaction has also risen, since a properly maintained car is one that's less likely to require a dealer visit for an unexpected repair.