2000 Lexus LS Reviews

Lexus has confirmed that a convertible version of its flagship LC coupe revealed at Goodwood will go into production, and Lexus’ Australian arm is keen to make it available locally.

Lexus Australia has released special-edition variants of the NX and RX SUVs, dubbed Crafted, that add several features inside and out over their respective Luxury grades.The mid-size crossover is available in 175kW/350Nm turbo-petrol NX300 form

Lexus' rollout of Apple CarPlay technology will go further this year, with the UX SUV the next model to get the phone-mirroring technology as standard.We know already that the RX SUV, which will arrive in Australia before the end of 2019, will get Apple C

Lexus has revealed a facelifted version of its GX460, which is the more expensive US-market Lexus twin to the Toyota Prado.The GX460 occupies the luxury off-road eight-seater SUV spot in the Lexus North American line-up sitting above the RX SUV but below the LX off roader. More of a mild update than an all-new car, the GX460 ushers in the latest version of the Lexus ‘spindle’ corporate grille, as well as new headlights with LED internals. The rear of the GX460 appears to be unchanged, and is the strongest stylistic link to the Prado as they look almost identical.The interior of the GX460 has remained fairly unchanged as well, with changes limited to new trim choices, new aluminum inserts and new colour choices. The 4.6-litre petrol V8 drivetrain is unchanged, but a new optional Off-Road Package gives the GX460 equipment available on higher-spec local Prados including a 360-degree camera system, a transmission cooler, crawl control mode, fuel tank protection, multi-terrain monitoring and multi-terrain select, which allows drivers to select the terrain they’re driving on and the car will tailor its stability control and four-wheel drive system to suit.The GX460’s active safety tech has been given a big boost with the addition of auto emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, auto high beam and adaptive cruise control. The suite of safety tech is standard on all GX460 models. The GX460 remains off the cards for Australia as it’s made solely in left-hand drive with markets such as North America, Russia and the Middle East in mind, though some of the car's updates could filter through to a future version of the Prado.

Purchase price is only half the battle in ownership — these are the champions come trade-in time. Buying the right new car can save you thousands of dollars. With depreciation tearing the largest chunk out of any motoring budget, easily beating the costs of fuel or servicing or insurance, it pays to go with a

Toyota will reportedly borrow Mazda’s upcoming SkyActiv rear-wheel drive platform and inline-six engines for future products - if the automotive rumour mill is to be believed.As reported by Japan’s Best Car magazine, ‘several’ new rear-wheel drive Toyota and Lexus products will use Mazda’s platform after the upcoming next-generation cars are due to be replaced in around 2026. The immediate replacements for these cars will use Toyota’s TNGA platform, though will switch to Mazda’s new platform after.Mazda’s new rear- or all-wheel drive SkyActiv platform is rumoured to launch between 2020 and 2025. The first Mazda product it will sit under is the next generation Mazda6 in around 2022, while other products are due to also share it, including a new large SUV above the CX-9. The next Lexus RC - also due in 2022 - will be reportedly the first Toyota Lexus product based on Mazda’s platform, as well as the IS, Toyota Mark X and a new Lexus 'coupe' that will sit between the RC and LC and compete with the Audi A7.The petrol straight-six engine at the centre of the new products will displace 3.0-litres, and will employ both supercharging and 48V mild-hybrid technology to improve fuel economy. Mazda is also reportedly developing a plug-in hybrid version of the engine to further increase efficiency.This not the first time that Mazda and Toyota have worked together for product development. The previous-generation Japanese market Mazda3 hybrid used Toyota’s hybrid system and the US-market Yaris - which is different to the Australian model - is based on the Mazda2. The two manufacturers have also committed to building a new $1.6 billion factory in America that will initially build the US Corolla, as well as a new large Mazda SUV that is reportedly in development.Local Mazda and Toyota executives declined to comment on the platform and engine sharing.

Lexus Australia has bolstered the safety systems in its top-selling NX mid-size SUV, expanding the functionality of its advanced driver-assist systems (ADAS) for a modest bump in price.

The Lexus RX has been revealed ahead of its Q4 arrival in Australia, with the five- or seven-seat SUV getting a cabin-tech overhaul with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to make their brand debut.

Lexus Australia has announced drive-away pricing for its volume selling SUVs and IS sedan in a bid to pump up sales before the end of the financial year.First cab off the rank is the UX200 Luxury small SUV, which is priced from $49,888 drive-away (a saving of $1173). The UX200 has a 126kW 2.0-litre four-cylinder petrol engine with a CVT auto, as well as AEB, radar cruise control, heated and electrically-adjustable front seats, satellite navigation and a power-adjustable steering column.The NX300 Luxury is now available for $59,888 drive-away (a saving of $2073). Powered by a 175kW 2.0-litre turbo-petrol engine and a six-speed automatic transmission, the NX300 Luxury also includes a 10.3-inch multimedia screen, heated and powered front seats and DAB+ digital radio.Above the NX sits the RX SUV at $69,888 drive-away which offers the biggest saving to consumers of $12,685. The RX300 is powered by the same 175kW 2.0L turbo-petrol engine as the NX, and includes kit such as wireless phone charging, full leather upholstery and a 12-speaker sound system.The brand’s IS300 Luxury sedan is also on sale for $57,888 drive-away, which is a saving of $8809. The IS300 is powered by the same 2.0-litre turbo-petrol as the NX and RX, though it develops more power at 180kW and features heated/cooled front seats, leather upholstery and a 10.3-inch multimedia screen.Lexus sales in 2019 so far are down by 1.6 per cent to 2978 units, though some models are enjoying healthy increases including the LX SUV (163 units, up 55.2 per cent on 2018) and the ES sedan (219 units, up 242.2 per cent). The new UX is also selling well in its first year on sale, with 584 units sold in 2019 so far.The EOFY campaign runs until June 30. 

The Lexus LC500 is superb, and we absolutely recommend you run out and buy one. But there are a couple of things you should know first...