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2019 Lexus LX 570 Drivers' Notes Review | Long in the tooth

Body-on-frame SUVs like the 2019 Lexus LX 570 might have ruled the market a couple decades ago, but the old-school form factor has given way to smaller, more efficient car-based crossovers. That said, there's still a big market for models like this. Just take a look at the success of the Toyota 4Runner or other luxury SUVs like the Cadillac Escalade or the Ford F-150-based Lincoln Navigator. Crossovers may be more popular, but nothing beats an old-school SUV's chops when it comes to going off-road or towing big cargo. The Lexus LX is available in two flavors: a five-passenger two-row model and a seven-passenger three-row model. We had a chance to drive both, the first in Michigan and the latter in Oregon. There's a $5,000 difference between the base price on the two models. Both models had the $1,190 Luxury Package (upgraded leather, heated and ventilated front seats, heated second row and LX puddle lights). The three-row came with quite a few more options, including a heads-up display, a cool box in the console, a Mark Levinson audio system and a dual-screen rear entertainment system. All in, our two-row tester came out to $88,195 while the three-row would set you back $99,710. Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: I like the design of the LX, and I can even overlook the giant spindle grille. I love the behemoth's boxy proportions, rounded out just ever so slightly, though I do think Toyota's version looks even better, and the Lincoln's Navigator even better yet. Inside, the LX is comfortable and roomy, with really nice materials everywhere you look and touch. It's still got that mousey Remote Touch interface for the infotainment system, though, which leaves much to be desired. On the road, I noticed immediately that its adaptive air suspension is better than the more conventional setup in the Toyota Land Cruiser. It's just slightly less eager to see-saw when coming to a measured stop. Coming to a measured stop, though, is the problem. The brakes in this thing are super touchy, like an on/off switch. It makes every stop feel like an emergency, whether you mean to or not. Then, no amount of suspension tuning can keep a beast like this from taking a nosedive. The amount of concentration it takes to keep this thing from panicking any time you use the brakes is mentally exhausting over time. I'm just glad I didn't have anyone in the passenger seat. Lastly, this thing guzzles premium fuel.

The refreshed 2018 Lexus NX looks just like a baby RX

The refreshed 2018 Lexus NX compact crossover debuted this week at the Shanghai Motor Show. Most of the changes are visual, and it should keep the NX fresh for the next few years until more extensive changes come. Power and performance remain the same, but Lexus claims its smallest SUV is quieter and more refined thanks to some updates under the skin. As the automaker's third best-selling vehicle in 2016, behind the venerable RX crossover and ES sedan, the NX has been a huge hit for Lexus in every market. Up front, the love it or hate it spindle grille remains, though it has received a few modifications. The upper portions of the grille and fenders have been reworked to flow better into the hood and doors. In addition to the sleeker visuals, it should help improve aerodynamics. New headlights with three projectors are similar to those on the new Lexus LC sport coupe. The bottom portion of the bumper has been pulled forward a bit, making the NX look both less pointy and more like a small RX than ever. In the rear, the bumper is redesigned, adding in design elements that draw influence from the spindle grille. Like the headlights, the taillights have been updated with a shape that's similar to those on the LC. Other changes include reshaped exhaust tips, new 18-inch wheels, and a kick sensor that opens the rear hatch if you make a motion under the rear bumper. Like the exterior, the changes to the interior are small but notable. The infotainment screen has grown from 7 inches to 10.3 inches. The controls for both the infotainment and HVAC system have been updated. Nearly all of the control knobs and switches have what Lexus is calling a metallic satin finish, essentially a silver-gray looking matte coloring. Like with many other Toyota and Lexus products, the automaker's Lexus Safety System + now comes standard on all models. This includes emergency braking, radar cruise control, lane departure warnings, and automatic high beams. The turbocharged 2.0-liter inline four carries over unchanged, though the model is now known as the NX 300 (formerly the NX 200t). Likewise, the hybrid system in the NX 300h is unchanged. There have been some updates to the suspension, adding in a modified version of the adaptive variable suspension system from the LC. Lexus claims this should improve both ride and handling. No word on pricing or a release date, so look for more news some time in the next few months.

Did Lexus make a BMW? Or did BMW make a Lexus? This and other 2017 surprises

It's that time of year again. The calendar is about to reach its end, Star Trek Cats 2018 is about to take its place, and I'm reflecting about all the cars that graced my driveway this year or summoned me to exotic places. You know, like Stuttgart or Phoenix. In 2017, I drove at least 57, and as I perused the list of them, I started to notice a common refrain: "This car surprised me." Most were pleasant surprises, but there were a few head scratchers and facepalms for good measure. In both cases, it was generally the result of car companies seemingly trying to break out of an existing mold. Nowhere was that more apparent than the pair of Lexuses slathered in Infrared paint: The LS 500 that left me this week and the LC 500 that was my favorite car of 2017. Though Lexus has been trying to shake its crusty, gold-packaged reputation for some time now, its efforts always seemed like an old man choosing Hollister to redo his wardrobe after realizing it hasn't been updated since 1987. I fell in love with the LC, genuinely floored by its near-perfect take on the GT. It's characterful in sound, appearance and tactility. It was at home in the city, in the mountain and on the open road. It was both comfortable and thrilling, and after driving the mechanically related LS 500, I can report that the LC's talents aren't an outlier. The LS 500's turbo V6 may make different noises than the LC's naturally aspirated V8, but it nevertheless invigorates the cabin when the car is placed in Sport+ mode. The steering is truly communicative, body motions are kept in miraculous check, and I absolutely forgot I was in an enormous luxury limo ... and a Lexus one at that. It was everything that the BMW 530e was not. I drove that on the exact same roads and was utterly bored the entire time. Generally doughy, lifeless steering, more distant than Planet 9. And no, the plug-in hybrid powertrain had nothing to do with that. At least it shouldn't. The Porsche Panamera S e-Hybrid I also drove this year proves that, as do the Hyundai Ioniqs, which are surprisingly adept and fun little cars regardless of what powers their wheels (Hyundai + hybrid = fun really blew me away). I would drive that Lexus LS F Sport over the BMW 5 Series any day of the week, which seems like a shocking thing to say in relation to either car. While Lexus is seemingly breaking out of its old crusty mold, BMW seems to be climbing into one.