I acknowledge the fact that I have already posted a review of the Buick LaCrosse.  Recently, I found myself with another LaCrosse in my driveway – only this time I was about to drive a ton of miles and have a quite a bit of seat time in the car.  The vehicle was painted in a red jewel tintcoat with a cocoa/light cashmere leather interior.  This was a CXS model with the optional navigation system and upgraded audio system.  Riding on the optional 19″ 9-spoke painted alloy wheels the car is a looker. Without question, people told me the car was good looking.

Getting to that road trip I mentioned earlier –  I drove the car from Minneapolis, Minnesota to Kenosha, Wisconsin and then onto Elkhart Lake, WI for the spring MAMA rally.  Then, I went back to Minneapolis, only to turn around and head up north to my cabin.  Needless to say, this all equated to over 1,200 miles in a short period of time.  That is quite a bit of seat time in a car, and one gets to know things about that car spending that much time in it.

The first thing I noted was how quiet the LaCrosse was at speed.  With the cruise set  to over 70 mph, the interior was library quiet.  The ventilated seats were very easy to adjust and find a comfortable seating position.  I did find them to be a little flat after an entire day on the road, but regardless they were comfortable.  The two cup holders in the center console are the right size.  The second cup holder gets covered by the sliding arm rest, which is quite annoying because I had the arm rest slid out covering it.  The side mirrors are rather large and this makes it easy to see cars in your blind spot (when the mirrors are adjusted accordingly).  The A-pillars are literally ginormous.  You could (and I did) lose a biker at an intersection in those pillars, and it is a real safety hazard.  This is a huge oversight and I am not quite sure how someone in development did not say something.  I found that even though the belt line is rather high (the new trend) I was able to rest my arm on the window sill – but if I set it wrong it was quickly uncomfortable.  The short hood is very noticeable when driving on the highway and it did not bother me, but I took note of it.  I would also like to comment that I think that at least on the CXL (mid trim level) and CXS (highest trim level) model, projector headlights should be standard equipment.

The infotainment system worked terrifically, but I noted a few things.  The navigation system will not let you enter a destination while moving.  This is annoying – because what if you have a passenger that can do it safely while you are driving?  I hate this little safety feature.  Also, the navigation system would not let me enter certain addresses, so I had to resort to using my Google Maps on my iPhone.  I loved the Harman Kardon branded sound system – it sounded absolutely fantastic.  This is the upgraded system and it’s really worth it.  The touchscreen worked well and there are a ton of buttons if you would rather operate the system using them.

On the way up north to the cabin, both my mother and girlfriend noted that the LaCrosse rode nicer than another family members 2006 Lexus LS430.  After questioning them to find out more details, they noted the seats (specifically the rear seats) were more comfortable.

This LaCrosse was equipped with the 3.6 liter V-6, pushing the power to the front wheels.  The transmission was a six-speed automatic with manual shift capabilities and a sport mode.  While the car is rated at 17/27 mpg, I was able to average 28.9 mpg on the highway with the cruise set to 65 mph in Wisconsin.  Once pushed to 77 mph back in Minnesota, the mileage dropped down to a 27.2 mpg average.

After all the miles and discussion about the car with people, my conclusion is quite similar to my original review.  The car is a winner.  With a sticker price of $36,135 out the door, this is a real value for the money.  That said, it is not perfect and has a few flaws that need addressing.  However, no one can say the car is not competitive.

Full Disclosure- The review vehicle was provided by General Motors

Yup, that’s right, you are viewing the completely undisguised 2011 Hyundai Genesis.  Most changes are slight but still notable.  The front end has a new front bumper (see the lower air intakes) with updated headlights (reportedly LED’s), new front/rear/side skirts and rear bumper with Lexus LS460 looking exhaust outlets integrated nicely.  That new rumored eight speed transmission is obviously on board with the new BMW looking “shift knob.”  That eight speed transmission is probably hooked to the rumored 5.0 liter Tau V8 which is an update to the current 4.6 liter Tau V8.  Most likely the output will break the 400 hp barrier.  This engine will also probably be in the upcoming Equus.  Check out more spy shots at The Car Blogger.

You read correctly, the chief test driver and essentially the godfather of the LFA died behind the wheel of a special edition LFA today.  Colliding head on with two other test drivers who were in a BMW.  The two BMW drivers are in critical condition while Hiromu Naruse (67), the driver of the LFA died behind the wheel.  The LFA is the upcoming LFA Nurburgring Edition which was recently spotted on the Nurburgring for testing.  A moment of silence please.

Video of the scene is after the jump.

Source- AutoBlog

What you are looking at is the evolution of the Lexus LS series.  Lexus’s tagline is the pursuit of perfection.  These images illustrate the evolution of that pursuit.

Source- The Lexus Enthusiast

I have read all the brochures and online materials, I have seen all the pictures – and the reality is none of that does the Fisker Karma justice.  I could sit here and list all of its specifications, but I won’t.  Mainly because that is not what this post is about.  Many of you have not had the opportunity (yet) to see the Fisker Karma in person.  When you do, you will remember it.  The lines and curves on this car are just gorgeous.

Lets back up a minute.  What the heck is a Fisker and what is the Karma?  Funny you should ask.  Fisker Automotive is a new car brand founded by Henrik Fisker, who is also the current CEO (funny how that works).  He was previously known for being the design director for Aston Martin and the president and CEO of BMW’s Designworks USA.  Maybe that does not mean much to you, but it equates to this: he is responsible for cars such as the BMW Z8 (one hot piece of metal), Aston Martin DB9 and the V8 Vantage (also both hot pieces of metal).  Needless to say, he has a sense of style when it comes to designing a car.

The Karma is the first car from Fisker Automotive.  With demo cars arriving at the end of the year, production should (if it stays on track) start in the very beginning of next year.  The car will be built overseas in Finland initially.  In fact, it will be built in the same factory as some Porsche’s and other vehicles.  In 2012 production will move to the Wilmington Assembly plant in Wilmington, Delaware.  This plant was recently purchased by Fisker from General Motors.  With the plant already up to date with tooling and a local trainable workforce, it is an ideal location.  The plant was previously producing the Saturn Sky, Pontiac Solstice and Opel GT.

One last thing before we get to the actual Karma –  If you have not seen pictures I will tell you that this the car is a saloon.  It will fit two sets of golf clubs in the trunk, but getting in and out of the rear seat isn’t exactly graceful.  Another car is coming in 2012 from Fisker, and it will be a more mainstream, higher volume vehicle.  Currently the project is code named Nina and it will be a midsize sedan.  I was informed it will be about the size of the BMW 5 Series, but with much more usable interior space (read really practical).  The Nina should come in somewhere around $45-48k.  Also coming sometime between the 2012 Nina and 2011 Karma is the Karma Sunset.  The Karma Sunset is essentially a convertible version of the Karma, featuring a retractable hard top.

Upon seeing the Karma in person, I really was stunned.  Yes, from the front it looks somewhat like the Joker from Batman.  It still looks great though.  Some of the design cues from the front translate to the rear and interior.  This gives the car an overall cohesive design.  Each rear fender has a “fuel” door.  On the passenger side is the gasoline, while on the driver side is the plug-in for the rechargeable lithium ion battery pack.  The front headlights feature LED running lights, while the rear tail lights are also LED.  The roof features a full length solar panel to help charge the car and provide cooling for the interior cabin while the car is parked.  I remember the early 2000′s Audi A8s had this as an option on their sunroof.  The wheels are 22 inches (!) and are made from a  lightweight alloy.  The brakes are the same Brembo setup used in the Cadillac CTS-V.  The door handles have a electronic push pad under each handle that you merely push and the door opens.  This is similar in concept to the Chevrolet Corvette and new Cadillac CTS Coupe.  As you can see in pictures, the exterior is just gorgeous.  Some might say breathtaking.  I do suppose some could say it is controversial but I am in the “it is definitely gorgeous camp.”

Ok, I can understand how someone might be mixed on the exterior of this car, but the interior is simply stunning.  This is a whole new take on luxury.  This interior feels so different from all the other luxury sedans out there.  When I think of high end luxury cars (we are not talking small volume cars like the Rolls Royce Phantom), I think of cars like the Audi A8, Lexus LS 460 and many others.  This car is completely different inside.  To be honest, when I got inside of the Karma I felt like I had just stepped inside one of the older Chris Craft boats.  With rich thick leather and real wood, the interior just felt so natural and polished, yet elegant.  Keep in mind this was a pre pre-production car.  The 10.2″ center touch screen, which controls most of the cars functions (A/C, Radio, etc) was stuck in a black loading screen (I’m guessing the software was not ready) and the car could not turn on, though the gauges were lit up and the windshield wipers worked (I checked).  Oh something to note, the engine in the Karma is being sourced from GM – though that is not the only thing.  I noticed both the turn signal/cruise control stalk and the windshield wiper control stalk were both parts bin GM.  In fact, I am 99% sure they are the very same stalks in the Cadillac STS.  Whether these are the exact stalks found in the production sedan is yet to be seen.  Also, the rear view mirror is GM sourced too.  The gear shift level (if you could call it that) has a button on the left that I assume starts the car due to it’s power symbol and the lack of any other power button on the console or near the steering wheel.  The right hand part of the gear shift level is actually a switch that gets flipped into different positions to select your gear (PRND).  Down the center of the interior is the battery pack, but it is packaged beautifully behind glass and leather.  The front seats are downright sporty, comfy and are terrific.  The rear is awkward to get in and out of, but once in the car, the seats are comfortable.  Leg room is acceptable but not amazing.  The roof line does cut into rear headroom.  Overall, the interior is stunning.

The power will come from a battery pack with a 50 mile range.  Beyond that 50 mile range, the 2.0 liter turbo range extender engine kicks in and produces 260 horsepower.  This motor is sourced from GM and is the same engine used in the Saturn Sky Redline and the Pontiac Solstice GXP.  The total range between the battery and the gasoline engine is 300 miles.  You can forget range anxiety –  this is a series hybrid just like the upcoming Chevrolet Volt.  That means the gas engine is in no way driving the wheels. Rather, the engine is connected to the battery which powers the two electric motors connected to the rear wheels.  We will get into all the technical stuff in another post some other time.

The cars sticker price before tax rebates is $89,000 and change.  I know there is a government tax rebate and certain states (I think Minnesota does) also has tax rebates on qualifying vehicles.  The dealership here, which is the one and only one for the state of Minnesota has pre-sold and took deposits for 3 Karmas.  I was told varying numbers for how many total cars the dealership has pre-sold, but the most common number I heard was 17.  Not bad at all.

So what are my final initial impressions?  Well, I can not wait to get my hands on a production model.  Considering I did not get to drive or start this one, and the infotainment system did not work, I cannot give a full impression post.  I can say it does not feel “kit car” in anyway.  The interior is just ridiculous (in an amazingly good way).  The exterior I love, but some will not.  This is for sure a legitimate automobile with a company that I frankly hope succeeds in many ways.  As for the Karma, I’ll see you soon!

What you are looking at might quite possibly be a slightly refreshed 2011 Lexus IS sedan.  Tweeks apparent in from pictures include-

• LED daytime running lights at the bottom of the headlights
• Adaptive cruise control option
• Update steering wheel
• New wheel pattern
• New fog light design
• New tail lights

The IS was last retouched in 2009 which would mean that a these minor tweeks would carry the current generation over until 2012 when a full refresh will probably take place.

For more pictures and information check out the Lexus Enthusiast.

Everyone has a cell phone and each has a ringtone.  The question is what is your ringtone?  If you are into cars Lexus wants to offer you a few select ringtones for free.  These are not just any ringtones rather they are sounds from the LFA engine.

You can choose from-

• LFA Accelerating
• LFA Downshifting
• LFA Engine Starting
• LFA Full Flight

Regardless of how you feel about the LFA it is worth the free download to listen and decide for yourself what you think.  They are providing both .mp4 for iPhones and .mp3 for all other phones.  Quite nice of them.  I just doubled clicked on the .mp4′s once onto my computer and they instantly showed up in iTunes under the Ringtones tab.  Upon syncing to my iPhone3Gs I had and instant LFA soundtrack for my ringtone should I choose to keep it.

Head over here and click on digital premium.

Source- Lexus

The Lexus RX350 is the class leader, the segment champion, it is what all others are measured against.  You get the idea.  Without question the competition is trying to knock this vehicle off its podium.  Most “car guys” hate the RX350 and for one reason, it is the essence of beige.  What’s beige you ask.  Beige is boring, bland, not dynamic, uninspiring and overall just blah.  Yet that seems to resonate with the general public in the U.S.

The RX350 is a cross-over utility vehicle that is front-wheel-drive based with optional all-wheel-drive.  The 2010 is the third generation of the RX cross-over.  The second generation RX was very evolutionary while the third generation is a slightly more drastic change, but still in many regards evolutionary.  Though, being evolutionary is not a bad thing, when you are the segment leader.  Lexus is doing something right with the RX and rightfully would like to keep the sales momentum going.  Losing market share over a huge redesign would be a nightmare.  So what is the reason this vehicle sells so well?

The entire experience of both riding and driving the third generation Lexus RX is easy.  Everything is easy: from the ingress into the vehicle, to the light steering, to the simple yet good-looking gauge cluster.  Things seem intuitive and easy to operate.  Everything has a buttery smooth feeling while operating the RX.  The transmission is smooth and never seems to have a rough spot, while the powertrain is refined. The ride is never harsh either.  The dual pane windows make the RX especially quiet as well.  The leather is soft and supple while at the same time the seats are supportive.  The family will definitely be very comfy cruising to the coffee shop in this cross-over.

As I mentioned above the exterior on the RX continues as an evolutionary design.  The styling is called “L-Finesse design” by Lexus and is used across the whole brand.  Highlighted by soft curves and flowing lines the CUV is not “sharp” like the Cadillac SRX styling.  Instead, it’s soft and inoffensive.  The whole front end of the RX does have more sculpting overall then the previous generation.  From the side view, the front fenders have a shoulder like line that continues down the side of the CUV to meet the rear taillights continuing into the rear bumper.  The rear has an integrated rear spoiler, which hides the rear wiper when not in use.  In my opinion, the exterior overall is improved from the last generation mainly due to more sculpting and more character lines that flow into each other.

The interior of the new RX has had a complete overhaul.  The center stack now has a swoosh starting in the center stack that goes across the front passenger seat onto the dash.  The center stack has a LCD screen in the upper brow that shows the radio and climate control information.  The materials all feel terrific with soft touch pieces placed almost over the entire cabin.

There was however, one piece of plastic that felt particularly out place.  This piece felt so out of place I wanted to make a point to talk about it.  The piece of plastic on the center console right to the left of the gearshift and it runs down into the center console between the seats.  This is the lone piece of plastic that felt ridiculously cheap and it was very hard.  It was out of place next to the soft touch dash materials.

Note The Ridiculously Cheap Feeling/Looking Piece Of Plastic

The gauge cluster had a cool blue hue that bled down from the top of the cluster.  The rear seats slid fore and aft to either increase rear seat legroom or rear cargo room depending on preference.  The seats also fold flat at the pull of a handle.  This is a feature I noted on the new Chevy Equinox and GMC Terrain that I thought was especially clever.  This feature is notably absent from the new Cadillac SRX.

The powertrain as I mentioned was very smooth.  The sole engine choice in the RX350 is a 3.5L V6 putting out 275 hp and 257 ft-lb to either the front wheels while all wheel drive is optional.  The power it channeled through the six-speed automatic with manual shifting capabilities.  Rated at 18/25 mpg in front wheel drive I saw an average of 18.5 mpg.  There is an eco indicator that comes on when you are driving gently.  The RX350 I drove was front-wheel-drive and exhibited little to no torque steer (tugging of the steering wheel under hard acceleration).  Going around corners the suspension is soft and you will feel some body roll.  This is not a sports car or even a sporty CUV, though it makes no such claims.

The RX350 I had was equipped with both packaged and standalone options.  The premium package costs $2,400 and added things such as: USB audio connectivity, front seat memory, moonroof, power rear hatch and auto dimming mirrors.  Standalone options included: the integrated back up camera system which tied into the rear view mirror for $350, wood and leather steering wheel and shit knob for $330, heated and ventilated front seats for $640.  The total sticker price after destination came to $42,220.

Personally I never loved the last generation Rx350. Admittedly I liked it more then the first generation.  I somewhat feel the same way about the new third generation.  I am not in love with it but it is better then the second generation.  Clearly, I am not the correct demographic for this vehicle.  This makes sense as it would not be high on my personal list of vehicles to own.  All that said, I would have absolutely no hesitation recommending this vehicle to someone looking for a luxurious crossover to get from point A to point B.

Would it be my top recommendation in the competitive luxury CUV segment?  Only if the RX is what the person already wants to buy because really I have no reason to say it is a bad vehicle.  I just wish there was more engagement to the driving dynamics.

In the end, I can see why this is the class leader in the segment. With this third generation the Lexus RX has the goods to continue holding the sales segment title.  If I were to use cooking as a metaphor for the RX: the third generation has certainly had a bit of spice added for additional flavor, but the chef has not deviated too far from the winning recipe that made it the sales success it has enjoyed.

Full Disclosure- Vehicle was from a local Lexus dealership.

Episode 24 starts with introductions including Justin Loyear from Cheers and Gears and this weeks guest William Maley also known as realmudmonster on Twitter.  Moving into the garage we talk about the Jeep Wrangler Unlimited Rubicon I was in for the past week along with the Chevrolet Equinox Colin was in.  We then move along to the major news of the week segment.  This week included-

• New Fuel Economy Standards Still Use Old EPA Test
• Consumer Reports Flags 2010 Lexus GX 460
• Toyota Recalls 600,000 Sienna Minivans
• Saab had to foot the bill for the BLS
• Marchionne’s Chrysler may not survive as it exists today, analyst says

We then proceed to the clip of the week segment.  This week we featured a Toyota Avalon plane TV commercial. (Link)

Next came our main topic which was discussing ideas you would like to see on a Ford?

Last we discuss the past week on our respective blogs, Cheers and Gears,  AutoBird Blog and Accelerate Mpls.  The week in review included- my editorial on negativity in the auto industry and my review of the 2010 Chevrolet Silverado.  Cheers and Gears had a post on a new Subaru Legacy commercial.  Colin had a post about by the numbers in Germany.

Download this episode (right click and save)