2012 Lexus Rx450h Base Sport Utility 4-door 3.5l on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Is your new-car warranty good at the race track?

We've all heard the horror stories. Your buddy knows a girl that was dating a guy whose best friend's brother once broke his brand-new, recently purchased performance car while making runs at a drag strip or laps at a track day, and the manufacturer wouldn't cover the repair under warranty. True story? Urban legend? Complete crap? Yes, no, maybe. One thing's for sure: Automotive warranties have always come with caveats. In 1908, an ad in the Trenton Evening Times clearly stated: "All Ford Cars Guaranteed for One Year." Although it changed over time, by 1925 the Ford New Car Guarantee only covered 90 days on material and 30 days on labor, and it clearly stated that that there was "No guarantee whatever on Fan Belts, Glass, Bulbs, Wiring, Transmission, Bands, Hose Connections, Commutator Shells, Rollers, Spark Plugs or Gaskets." Whether or not Ol' Henry would pay to fix your Model T if you broke it shaving a tenth off your lap time at the local board track seems to be lost to history. We're guessing no. But what about today? Do new-car warranties in 2017 cover cars when they are driven on race tracks? We researched the warranties of 14 auto brands to find out, and the answer is yes, no, maybe, depending on the brand, in some cases the model, and whether or not your car is modified from stock. Acura has been out of the high-performance car game for a number of years, but jumps back into the party in 2017 with its hybrid-powered $173,000 NSX supercar. And Acura's warranty, as well as Honda's, clearly states that it does not cover "the use of the vehicle in competition or racing events." View 33 Photos So we asked Sage Marie, Senior Manager of Public Relations for Honda and Acura. "If the car is stock, the warranty covers it on a track just as it does on the street. No question," he told us. "However, if the car is modified, say with slick tires or other components that would put higher stresses on the vehicle's parts and systems, then we would have to investigate the circumstances further." Marie went on to say the same would be true for any Acura model or Honda vehicle, including the new 2017 Honda Civic Si. This became a common theme. Chevrolet actually started this practice with the fifth-generation Camaro on the high-performance ZL1 and Z/28 models.

The 2016 Lexus RX is more of everything [w/video]

Both literally and symbolically, the RX is Lexus. The crossover accounts for more than a third of the brand's overall sales. Last year Lexus moved 107,490 RX 350s, almost as much as every BMW SUV combined. The first-generation RX 300 was such a hit it forced other luxury automakers to follow suit. And the outgoing third-gen model epitomizes the current challenge Lexus faces: it's comfortable, but boring – exactly like the reputation the brand wants to shed. The new 2016 Lexus RX, then, is the Lexus weathervane. In short: more style, space, and technology while retaining the plushness that keeps current owners happy. As is current Lexus tradition, the RX gets a massive spindle grille. And while there are more creases and character lines than before, the overall styling is softer than the angular NX. The conservative approach shows that Lexus took a cautious approach to its cash cow, while using lower-volume models like the RC coupe to push boundaries. Still, Lexus has made an honest attempt at sporting up the RX. The RX 350 retains the 3.5-liter V6 but gets a 30-horsepower boost to 300 hp, and the RX 450h now makes 300 ponies as well. In all-wheel-drive guise, both models can be had in F Sport trim, which brings exterior tweaks like 20-inch wheels and a unique instrument cluster. F Sport models also include an active stabilizer system to minimize roll in corners. All RX models also come with dampers and steering that automatically adjust to the driving situation. Inside, the new RX is loaded up with features, like a standard 12.3-inch infotainment screen and an optional color head-up display. A list of electronic safety features is too long to mention, but includes collision mitigation, lane-keeping assist, and automatic high beams. See the press release below for the full rundown, or just trust us when we say you can get the RX with almost every driving aid out there. The rear seats now feature a power-fold feature, and when the seats are up second row passengers are treated to more leg- and knee-room. That extra interior space comes from an overall stretching of the RX. Wheelbase grows 1.9 inches, while length is up almost five inches. What the new RX doesn't yet have, but we're told is on the way, is a third row of seats. The added versatility of a seven-passenger version should broaden the appeal of the RX to a wider audience. Expect to see the RX 350 and RX 450h in showrooms by the end of the year, with the three-row version coming sometime in 2016.

2016 Lexus RC 200t Quick Spin

Cars like the BMW 4 Series, Cadillac ATS coupe, and Audi A5 exist not as volume cars, but as aspirational products designed to draw in the young and the young at heart. The humble four-cylinder turbo, offered in each car listed above, provides an accessible point of entry for lifestyle buyers that want the statement of a sporty coupe without the eagerness, fuel inefficiency, or cost of a big six-cylinder engine. Now, Lexus is throwing its hat in the ring with a turbocharged version of its polarizing RC coupe. We took the new RC 200t out for a day on the winding roads of the Pines to Palms Highway near Palm Springs, CA, and found that while Lexus' new engine will draw new customers, they probably won't like what they find. Driving Notes The RC joins the IS, GS, and NX as members of Lexus' four-cylinder turbo clan. There's 241 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque on offer here, numbers that compare favorably with the BMW 428i (240 hp and 260 lb-ft) and Audi A5 (220 hp and 258 lb-ft). None of that matters, though, because the turbocharged RC is easily the slowest car in its class. You'll struggle to keep pace with stuff like the Hyundai Veloster Turbo. The RC 200t somehow takes 7.3 seconds to get to 60 miles per hour. That's a second slower than the A5, and over half a second slower than the 4 Series or Cadillac ATS. You can't drive a car that looks as wild as this and take that long to get to 60. Blame it on the RC's 3,737-pound weight. Lexus only saved 11 pounds by switching out a 3.5-liter V6 for the 2.0-liter turbo. The BMW and Cadillac both weigh well under 3,500 pounds. Even the RC's four-door fraternal twin, the IS 200t, is 150 pounds lighter (and only takes 6.9 seconds to get to 60). The RC needs a diet, plain and simple. If Lexus truly wants to compete against the Germans and Cadillac, a snappier transmission is in order. Like the GS we talked about yesterday, the Aisin eight-speed is fine on upshifts – it's still not as fast as the 4 Series' ZF eight-speed auto – but it suffers when it's time to change down. Around town, it's less of a problem, but on the twisty mountain roads outside of Palm Springs and on the freeways, the RC's gearbox kept tripping over itself. We'd love to see what the 2.0-liter turbo engine could do in a lighter car, because it's a real charmer. The broad 1,650-to-4,400-rpm torque peak gives drivers a lot of space to play, although the RC does feel flat-footed as you crest 5,000 rpm.