2013 Doesn't Pass Muster

[ls4guy]

i've had 3 gs4s, and 2 ls460's the latest being a new '12. i wanted to buy a '13 but it so disappointed. hell, the es makes better use of the so-called spindle grill than the ls. so let me be specific.

among other things, there was way too much focus on the spindle grill. it’s cosmetic for pete’s sake and not at all earth shattering! lexus blew it. i mean no disrespect to the fans that express their views on these blogs (old term but that's what this is) but lex needs to focus on who buys an ls. the wanna bees r just that - wanna bees. as they age, their tastes chg as did mine. i was there b4 i could afford or desire this type of car (ls) and now i'm on my 2nd. i was a gs fan until lex screwed that up in '06 - 07 mods. great looks but less head room. the latest gs has better handling but bland looks - what gives w u ppl? what pulled me in was lex / toy quality or the 7 series would've had me. mind u, i don't need the extra power of the 7, i need function and frankly both lex and bmw have failed.

re the '13, in the interest of saving $$, u guys have taken the display head too far. when using the radio and wanting to chg channels or modes, i prefer a button push on the dash. so those am/fm/sat/usb/sat buttons are important. a simple glance and a touch and boom i'm there, like fast actin' tinactin. the station knob could use a bit more "feel" when tuning for another channel.

the engineers may be happy with the savings but as i've mentioned in the surveys, it was taken too far. function now follows form - bad news. sure the cool factor is large and that's what the wanna bees comment on, but most of them don’t buy and from a practical pov it's more effort and multiple actions to accomplish the same simple tasks. have u forgotten that we’re drivers 1st? as drivers, our primary focus needs to b on the road, not the toys and accessories. that said, the pointing device w haptics is well done, frankly, i prefer the rx450h implementation best if i had to choose 1 over the '12 ls i just bought. still, until the car drives itself, all other activities are secondary to looking out the windshield and mirriors. u may be a bit too ahead of yourselves. it's a car not a video game.

the interior on the '13 ls beautiful but bland. the straight dash reminds me of an old 70's buick - trust me i know. i also prefer the touch screen on the previous mods by far. overall, the '07 - '12 ls series feels more cozy and inviting - completely lost in the stark '13 interior. let me add, while i may not b in your preferred / targeted age group, i correctly predicted the demise of the hs, when my younger dealer thought it would be a hit. more on the '13.

u lex guys did a great job on the '13 body – stunning except for the nose. regrettably, u completely screwed up the nose with that dark band that splits the grill – the badge needs to b smaller as well. if anything it needs to be more like the es which was very well done. u guys tout that spindle but u fail to tell us that we'll be ok when the car is parked and those park-by-sound ppl bump that nose - scary. i don't need a car that has to live in the shop because it wants to be cute instead of practical. yet another example of function following form.

i don’t know how u guys get your feedback, granted that we’re not your customers, the dealers r but if we don’t buy from them, u lose $$. the ls has fallen in sales. it’s a good lookin’ car but lacks performance when compared to its comp. that said, I don’t need more 0 – 60 perf when u offer me a beast that gets 30 mpg hwy at 75 – 80 mph. i’ll beat all the comp when they’re filling up. no, with 14s in the qtr, the power is just fine! the handling is likely better in the ’13. i drove one and it was very sluggish from 0 – 30 and i'm being kind when i say sluggish. with esc off and in sports mode, it couldn’t even “kick” a wheel. when u boast more hp, u better let me feel like it has some kick not less. other than the nose, everything else on the ’13 ext is lovely. great tail lights and fogs. ok, i have to ask, did u really need to put those tennesee-go-faster fins on the sideviews and tail lights? i mean c'mon.

i suggest u guys get a better focus group, it doesn’t have to be car & driver or road & track ppl, which I’ve been reading since the 60’s. u need ppl that understand performance / function and find drivers who can drift a curve if need be but r ready for something more sedate. my other ride is a “pushed” 280zx turbo – no where near as fast by any measure, but it has a huge fun quotient. know that i’m impressed w the ’12. i didn’t need nor ever used advanced parking but at this price range, I expected it - poof in the ’13, yet another bad move. don't do take aways. I also liked the rip mode in the ’07. cds may be fading but many of us have a collection. don’t force us to abandon that media to save a $ esp on ml cars. ml is a must have for me. yes, i can use usb / "i" media but that's not the point. in a top of the line lux vehicle, more is expected.

sorry for the long post but this was for those at lex that may give a damn. they got the ’13 very wrong and when one buys an 80k top of the line car, I’d think they’d wanna get it right.

while i'm at it, bring back black sapphire and we need more allocation of awd 450h vehicles with hud in the se (nc, sc, ga)

[SW03ES]

Sounds to me like you should hang onto your 2012.

I don't see it. IMHO the 2013 LS is a big upgrade to the 2012 in style and amenities. Higher end finishes and trim inside, I like the look of the spindle grill on the LS, I think its the most attractive application. The remote touch controller is a big improvement over the touchscreen once you get the hang of it.

The "fins" on the tailights and sideview mirrors are airfoils to further reduce wind noise.

and we need more allocation of awd 450h vehicles with hud in the se (nc, sc, ga)

There is no such vehicle as a LS450h.

[ls4guy]

2 things + a f-up. clearly, i mistyped with ls 450h. i would hope that most would see it that way since i've owned 4 in the last decade and have guided at least a dozen more to the brand. still, it was a typo and i appreciate u pointing that out.

i fully recognize the fins are there to improve cof. in my view, it's a poor design. it appears like an after-thought; very much like the initial intro of the center-mounted brake light, years ago which came across just as it was – a gov’t mandated fix. compromises must be made and i'm not sure what u drive or your prefs, but at this price range i feel it's gotta flow. if that design improved mpg / nov by 20%, i'm certain they would've let us know; anything less should be relegated to the less expensive mods. mind u, i know that can sound elitist – not my intent. i look down on no one since i’ve come from very humble roots. but it is what it is. let me be clear, i have high expectations of a manufacturer. toy has made some errors of errors of late. my fear is that they have succumbed to their own success and are being swept up by the sweet rewards of capitalism. i hope i’m wrong.

on another note, don't know what u know but i've driven several 450hs. it's an amazingly quiet cuv. personally, i can't hear the diff betw it and the ls – it may be age but that view is shared by many. yes, i recognize tire noise but all things being equal, nov / db may even be less with the rx. i’ve felt some vibration thru the stick on both ls cars. since the ls is < 2 mos old, u can be assured i'll hold on to it for awhile. in the meantime, we're looking at a 450h for my bride. she's thrifty, so it's likely to b used but if i get too impatient. . .

i will close by saying i respect your opinions, esp on the grill. u know, cosmetics are subjective. at this point, that redesign does not seem to have improved sales in my local market - and yes, i'm purposely being vague.

. . . appreciate your comments and will assume "mgmt" refers to this blog and not lex.

[SW03ES]

I'm sorry...but I absolutely cannot understand half of what you're trying to say...

[lenore]

Ha Ha Ha, I get him, somewhere between English, car talk, and Texting....I agree everyone has jumped on the band wagon with the grill look, If I were 20 something, I would probably say cool, (oh is that like to old a term), but Now that everyone has that look, well sorry Audi, you were copied....

[ls4guy]

Sounds to me like you should hang onto your 2012.

I don't see it. IMHO the 2013 LS is a big upgrade to the 2012 in style and amenities. Higher end finishes and trim inside, I like the look of the spindle grill on the LS, I think its the most attractive application. The remote touch controller is a big improvement over the touchscreen once you get the hang of it.

The "fins" on the tailights and sideview mirrors are airfoils to further reduce wind noise.

and we need more allocation of awd 450h vehicles with hud in the se (nc, sc, ga)

There is no such vehicle as a LS450h.

ok, my bad here. i NEVER wrote ls 450h. i'm not sure who u are but u seem outta touch. as i initially wrote, my post was for LEXUS mgmt, not ppl who just like to read their own posts online or have personal probs where their online life supersedes their real life. i realize u meant no harm and want to help. if u dont' work for lexus developmet, u can't help, i wrote to be "heard" by lexus since some do review these blogs. i don't use this as an extension of fb (and u have to ask what fb is, i suggest u hang-up now).

btw, when i referred to a 450h, i wouldn't think that i'd needed to prefix it with rx for readers on a LEXUS blog. c'mon now - r u kiddin' me?!! hell i'm in my 60's and while i don't text i'm conversant in it. again, i suspect u mean well and want to hlep. i appreciate it but u may wanna exist this post with grace. amoing other things, u got the 450h confused and u advised that i keep my '12. well, u completely missed the ENTIRE point of the post. i suggest u quit with grace, while u're not too far behind. lenore certainly got it.

hne (happy new year)

[SW03ES]

Riiight...

This is a discussion forum, this is not owned by Lexus, and its not yours to use as a conduit for your thoughts without accepting the viewpoints of others. If you want to say something to Lexus...and not start a discussion where other people join in and share their opinions...send them an email. However if you want to be taken seriously by Lexus or anyone else I would suggest you work on your typing and writing skills beforehand. And save your opinions about what the forum should and should not be used for to those of us who have spent the last decade building it.

A blog is an online publication of one persons thoughts. This is not a blog, it's a discussion forum.

Thread closed.