The luxury vehicles earned the brand a score of 79, with Consumer Reports having looked at Lexus models specifically instead of looking at all Toyota brands and giving a combined score. It did this across the board, with Subaru and Mazda coming in at second and third place. Competition included all the big names and many more, including Chrysler, GM, Ford, Honda, and Nissan.

Both Subaru and Mazda came in tied with a score of 76, just a tad below Lexus’ score. Subaru scored some points for the “sportiness” of some of its vehicles, while Mazda was ranked as having some of the most reliable cars available. Both brands were reported as offering good fuel economy, handling, and versatility wrapped up in a package with decent price tags.

Not surprisingly, 80-percent of the top ten brands are Japanese, with Honda’s Civic being noted amongst them for its refreshed design, but it didn’t do as well as some of its competition due to the CR-Z and Insight, both of which scored low. Among the lowest of the top Japanese brands was Nissan, with both its trucks and SUVs receiving low scores for being unreliable. Its Altima and Infinti, however, helped keep the brand afloat.

[via Consumer Reports]

The IS 250 will have a 2.5-liter V6 gas engine, while the IS 360 will have a 3.5-liter V6 gas engine; select international markets – including Europe and Japan – will get the IS 300h, which will pair a 2.5-liter engine with electric motors. The IS 350 RWD borrows the IS F’s eight-speed sports auto shifter, while the whole range gets a Sport mode with “G force Artificial Intelligence” (G-AI) to pick the best gear and downshift pattern depending on the G forces the car is under while cornering.

Of course, serious drivers will be eyeing Lexus’ F SPORT variants, which will be offered across the 2014 IS range. In addition to changes in styling details both inside and out, the F SPORT models will get special suspension and steering tuning, and a Variable Gear Ratio Steering option on the IS 350 F SPORT specifically. 18-inch wheels of an exclusive design, and a sturdier gearbox round out the key changes.

Inside, the 3-inch longer wheelbase adds up to extra space for passengers and more room in the trunk; by slimming the front seats, too, Lexus has given those in the rear an extra 3-inches for their knees. Those rear seats also fold with a 60/40 split. As for the dash, that has touch-sensitive keys for HVAC, and touchscreen infotainment with real-time traffic and weather information, while the steering wheel gets controls for both the driver’s display and the center console screen.

As for safety, there are ten airbags, lane-departure alerts, blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and more, some of which are standard and others cost-options. Lexus isn’t talking pricing for the 2014 IS at this stage, with the promise of numbers closer to the launch midway through the year.

The IS 350 F SPORT model takes that grille one step further, with a higher waistline that maximizes potential air-intake. Both regular and F SPORT models have a rising beltline and chunky rear three-quarters – Lexus says that’s to emphasize the large rear wheels – while L-shaped daytime running lamps get their own place on the front lighting cluster.

Inside, meanwhile, there’s more room for people in the rear seats, since the IS is now wider and has a longer wheelbase; Lexus has also used svelter front seats to give those in the back space for their knees. 60/40 split seats add to the load capacity.

Electrostatic, touch-sensitive switchgear for the HVAC system, and an eye-catching analog clock dominate the dashboard, while the wheel is lower and has more adjustability than the outgoing model. F SPORT models get more driving-centric data in the cluster, as well as perforated leather on the wheel and shifter, metal trim, and aluminum pedals.

We’ll have to wait until next week to find out all the details, such as powerplants, pricing, and release dates.

The vehicle is designed to “explore the use of autonomous technologies and high-level driver assistance systems” that pertain to Toyota’s Integrated Safety Management Concept. The video is little more than a 5-second tease, but gives us a nice glimpse of the vehicle in all its decked-out charm driving down the road.

Judging by the looks of things, the vehicle is adorned with an autonomous driving system, congruent with the company’s plans to show off that autonomous technology next week. The equipment allows the car to be aware of its surroundings, such as the guard rail seen in the video, and operate accordingly. The vehicle upon which the contraptions are perched is the Lexus LS 600h.

More details will be available on Monday, when Lexus’s Vice President and General Manager Mark Templin will introduce the technology, research, and other information we can’t wait to hear. We’ll be covering CES 2013 next week, and will certainly keep an eye out for the latest information on Toyota’s system. Be sure to check back regularly for the latest updates.

In fact, the TMG Sports 650 is expected to do the 0-60mph dash in 3.9s, and go all the way to 200mph if you have sufficient road. To do that, it pushes 650PS (641HP) through an 8-speed gearbox (with manual override) courtesy of twin turbos, sufficient to get what’s a 2,050kg, 5.1m long “heavily modified” barge to the limits.

Brembo carbon ceramic brakes help rein things in when you run out of tarmac, clamping down on special lightweight 20-inch wheels, and there’s multi-link suspension with coil springs and Sachs dampers. TMG isn’t talking pricing yet, but tells Motor Authority that production of the TS-650 could get the green light if there’s sufficient interest.

If that does happen, it would mark TMG’s transition into a performance tuning industry dominated by German marques. BMW’s M division and Mercedes’ AMG team are well known for turning the luxury car company’s more expensive models into autobahn beasts, though Lexus has dabbled with F-branded sports variants, and Jaguar is expected to reveal a super-cat of its own at the LA Auto Show this week.

The actual mechanics of it all is very simple – the light from the tablet’s display shines through, and makes the print graphics look like they’re moving – but the end result is mightily impressive. Most importantly, it gets you looking at both the print and digital versions, and for adverts getting viewers to pay attention is the key thing.

The potential for CinePrint arguably goes beyond advertising. We could also see the system being used for children’s books – where the printed copy is a standalone book in its own right, but can be augmented with animation when there’s a tablet available – or even instruction manuals, walking through more complex processes with video explanations.

We can’t see the Lexus app in the App Store yet, and it’s not clear which magazines the company will be printing the companion physical page in. If you’re impatient, you can find more details on the 2013 Lexus ES here, a four-door sedan priced from $36,100 for the gas version and $38,850 for the hybrid.

[via Robert Haslam]

The broad low fenders here on the LF-CC are shaped in a way that’s aerodynamically sound, made to manage the flow of air to the engine bay and front brakes. The convex curve of the bonnet works with a roofline that peaks toward the rear of the cabin, all of this made to keep wind emphasis on the vehicle’s rear-wheel drive powertrain. This vehicle’s whole body is pronounced much up front much more than the rear, here “reinforcing the concentration of vehicle weight over the driven wheels”, as Lexus notes, for maximum traction.

Airflow fins regulate the flow from the underside of the car and upwards through the rear wheel arch. The fin merges with the falling roofline together in a the spoiler on the back, this “fusing” design and aerodynamic elements in a lovely display of power. The entire vehicle is finished in a Fluid Titanium color with metallic finish.

This vehicle works with an all-new 2.5 litre hybrid powertrain, mind you, with low CO2 emissions aimed at below 100 g/km. This powertrain will bring on no more than 2 hp produced per gram of CO2, and works with a new smooth 2.5 litre 4-cylinder petrol engine with a high-output water-cooled permanent magnet electric motor. This new hybrid powertrain will indeed be appearing in Lexus’ future model range quite soon, too.

Inside the vehicle you’ve got a dashboard with an upper Display Zone and a lower Operation Zone. The first zone shows a multi-display screen for at-a-glance viewing while the second allows access to a shift lever and touch tracer display – just what you always wanted. Stick around here on SlashGear for more on this lovely vehicle as it continues Lexus’ legacy of lovely concepts through the future.

[via Lexus]

At fault, Toyota says, is the rear suspension arm, and the way it is fixed together. Some of the nuts may not have been tightened “following the proper procedure” for torque specification, among other things, following a rear-wheel alignment, they may exhibit undue movement around the threads.

If that happens, rust could form and the threaded section itself wear out, eventually leaving the arm to separate. “If the rear tie rod has become loose the driver may notice an abnormal noise from the rear of the vehicle” Toyota told owners in a statement. “If a driver hears an abnormal noise from the rear of the vehicle the driver should contact any authorized Toyota dealer for diagnosis.”

However, those dealers may not know what to do to fix the problem yet. The company is “currently developing a remedy” it says and “will send a notification letter by first class mail advising owners to make an appointment with an authorized Toyota or Lexus dealer to have the remedy performed at no charge” when it has figured out a repair. Model years 2006 to early 2011 for the RAV4 and 2010 for the HS 250h are affected, and those who have independently paid for repairs will be reimbursed.

This latest recall is not the only Toyota embarrassment of late. The company was forced to call back 144,000 2010 Lexus SUVs after they were found to potential suffer from stuck-accelerator problems that could lead the driver to be unable to control the speed of the vehicle.

To me the most interesting of the new models is the LS 460 F Sport that offers a more aggressive exterior and a unique sport interior with special F Sports seats that feature larger bolsters and a leather-wrapped steering wheel. Behind the leather, steering wheel are paddle shifters for the transmission and lots of genuine aluminum trim. The F Sport also has a sport tuned air suspension lowered 0.4 inches and has a Torsen limited slip rear differential on rear-wheel drive versions of the car.

The F Sport is also fitted with Brembo six-piston brake calipers and 19-inch forged wheels shod in summer or all-season tires. On the outside and the car has a very attractive design, but the interior of the car is where you can tell Lexus spent a lot of its design effort. The interior is very beautiful. The 2013 LS series has increased body rigidity, which enhances the car stability and offers a more comfortable ride. The car also has new pitch and bounce control in the suspension for flatter cornering stability.

The car also features new safety equipment, including Pre-Collision Safety system with Collision Avoidance Assist. The system will brake the LS series to a stop at speeds lower than 24 mph to help avoid accidents. Inside the car, the navigation system gets a 12.3-inch split screen high-resolution multimedia display that can display a large map and other vehicle functions at the same time. Pricing and availability for the 2013 LS line is unannounced at this time.

Featured: Okay, so Google I/O may technically be over, but we’re still pouring over analysis and impressions of the event. We’re going to start with this piece that you’ve all been waiting for – it’s our official Android 4.1 Jelly Bean review. And another review for something that came to light this week – Chrome for iOS review.

Lexus, Comcast, & Mayans: So it’s time to wrap up this last evening wrap-up of the week. We do that by checking into the other big stories of the day. Starting with this – 144K Lexus recall adds to Toyota’s stuck accelerator woes. And moving along to cable news – Boxee and Comcast reveal cable encryption workaround. And finally, as always we end the week with something out of the ordinary – Newly discovered Mayan text says 2012 is the end of the calendar, not the world.

The 2010 Lexus RX 350 and the 2010 Lexus RX 450h – amounting to approximately 131,800 vehicles and 22,200 vehicles respectively – are the cars in question. Owners should expect a safety recall notification by first class mail in early August 2012, Toyota says.

This latest batch of cars adds to hundreds of thousands of existing Lexus recalls for the same floor mat accelerator issue. Back in February 2011, Toyota voluntarily recalled around 20,000 2006 and early 2007 GS 300 and GS 350 AWD sedans so as to modify the plastic pad set into the carpet around the accelerator.

At the same time, it also recalled around 760,000 earlier RX models, and added a further 1.4m cars from its Lexus and Toyota stables – including RAV4 and 4Runner models – to a 2009 recall for a similar mat issue.

Toyota says that, if Lexus owners experience a problem with a stuck accelerator before the recall amendments can be made, drivers should brake and guide the car to the side of the road, putting it into neutral.

Lexus dealerships have begun looking to firms with a reputation for clear, understandable advice such as Apple for their in-showroom staff, one dealer tells the WSJ. Its in-house “technology specialist” – previously an Apple Store employee – talks through new owners in dedicated handover sessions, helping them hook up their phones, set up voice dialing, personalize navigation and sync multimedia.

Mercedes, meanwhile, has 11,000 trained employees across the US, equipped with 1,300 specially purchased iPads, that pull the exact specifications of each new car from the VIN (vehicle identification number) and create custom tutorial guides. As well as the expert advice, there are videos showing some of Mercedes’ more technical features; by tailoring the content based on what standard and optional features the car has been outfitted with, there’s no confusion around aspects being missed out or incorrectly mentioned.

Cadillac CUE iPad app demo:

Cadillac will offer OnStar drivers technical advice for their in-car systems at the touch of a button, and will fly 25 newly-trained specialists around to bring showroom staff up to speed. The CUE app for iPad is a free download [iTunes link], though you’ll need an access ID and password for GM Global Connect to actually use it.