The Toyota recalls over sticking accelerator pedals are causing quite a stir this week, one which has grown in volume, really, over months and years. The fallout may be severe for Toyota, depending on how long it takes to fully resolve the issues and whether or not an additional recall regarding the Prius brake system is also required--voluntary or not. The situation is particularly bad for a company that had built a personality based on reliability and safety. No doubt, they will be taken to task. No doubt, mistakes were made. Also no doubt, the media frenzy is turning an already difficult and serious recall situation into recall fever.

But, while the drama plays out on local and national news, and our hard-working Congresspeople ensure they publicly flog Toyota and get their two cents in and "keep us safe," there are real people with real questions. Toyota has some answers for customers, and we'd like to share them with you.

Follow the jump for Toyota's relatively thorough and clear FAQs, including information on both the accelerator pedal and floor mat recalls, and what to do in an emergency.

Continue reading "Toyota Recall Customer FAQs" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 6:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Luxury and Economy Cars Stand Out in Data from 32,000 Consumers

TUSTIN, Calif. (September 1, 2009) -- Three cars stand above the crowd of 2009 model year vehicles, as judged by owners participating in research firm AutoPacific's annual survey. Of the vehicles that earned honors in AutoPacific's 2009 awards, only the Lexus LS, Lexus ES and Honda Fit topped their segments in each contest: the Vehicle Satisfaction Award, the Ideal Vehicle Award, the Motorist Choice Award (presented jointly with IntelliChoice.com) and Owner Recommendations.

Data collected by AutoPacific from more than 32,000 new vehicle owners rated 2009 vehicles on 48 vehicle attributes related to satisfaction, value, comfort, styling, size, performance, reliability, fuel economy and more. The winning vehicles best met their owner's expectations.

"Winning one award is quite an achievement, and proof an automaker is able to meet its customers' needs," said George Peterson, President of AutoPacific. "But winning all four honors in a single year shows that Lexus and Honda are able to provide what their customers want in a reliable, satisfying vehicle; a single car owners are proud to recommend to their friends and family."

Continue reading "Trio Of Cars Make A Clean Sweep Of AutoPacific's 2009 Awards" »

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"For 2009, Lexus edged out Jaguar and Porsche to take top-rated brand honors in the Motorist Choice Awards. With remarkable consistency in outpacing the competition along with outstanding overall quality, longevity, and durability scores Lexus has earned its reputation as a top-ranked nameplate." - AutoPacific

"The Lexus brand has a strong history of excelling in ownership costs and 2009 was no exception. Lexus had four BOVY winners and was ranked the best brand value among the luxury brands." - IntelliChoice

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"The Lexus ES is back for accolades as it wins a Motorist Choice Award, after 2009 AutoPacific Ideal Vehicle, Vehicle Satisfaction, and Owner Recommendation Awards. Lexus ES earns top marks in the Mid-Size Luxury Car Segment by offering a sophisticated blend of luxury and smooth performance. A long-standing reputation as a quality vehicle from a dependable brand only bolstered ratings." - AutoPacific

"The Lexus ES has best-in-segment ownership costs and is second best in retained value and lowest in insurance and repair costs." - IntelliChoice

Owner Satisfaction Highlights
• Vehicle Reputation
• Brand Reputation
• Reliability / Dependability
• Feeling Safe While Driving
• Overall Quality

Cost-of-Ownership Strengths
• Best-in-Segment Ownership Costs
• Strong Retained Value
• Lowest Insurance Costs
• Lowest Repair Costs

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 7:30 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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"The Lexus LS wins the 2009 Motorist Choice Award for the third straight year. The LS has not been bashful about receiving awards, also taking AutoPacific's Owner Recommendation, Vehicle Satisfaction, and Ideal Vehicle Awards this year. Owners in the Premium Luxury Car segment keep placing the LS at pole position. Lexus comes through by consistently placing the ownership experience at the top of the priority list" - AutoPacific

"The Lexus LS was a 2009 BOVY Winner. The Lexus LS has best-in-segment ownership costs and by far the best retained value in the segment.." - IntelliChoice

Owner Satisfaction Highlights
• Ease of Getting in and Out
• Driver's Seat Comfort
• Image
• Vehicle and Brand Reputation
• Exterior and Interior Styling
• Power and Acceleration
• Reliable / Dependable
• Vehicle's Ride
• Safety Features and Feeling Safe While Driving

Cost-of-Ownership Strengths
• 2009 BOVY Winner
• Best-in-Segment Ownership Costs
• Best Retained Value

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 7:26 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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"For the second year in a row, the Lexus RX is the Motorist Choice Award winning Luxury Crossover SUV. Not a first choice for serious off-roading, for what its buyers want and need, it is tops in class. It meets or exceeds its daily product requirements, looks good inside and out, and delivers reliable, trouble-free service." - AutoPacific

"The Lexus RX was a 2009 BOVY Winner. The RX has best-in-segment ownership costs and retained value." - IntelliChoice

Owner Satisfaction Highlights
• Overall Quality
• Reliable/Dependable
• Brand and Vehicle Reputation
• Safety Features/Feeling of Safety While Driving

Cost-of-Ownership Strengths
• 2009 BOVY Winner
• Best-in-Segment Ownership Costs
• Best Retained Value

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 7:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Awards Show Consumers Enjoy Luxury and Size
(August 11, 2009) -- Right brain, left brain; the practical versus the emotional -- an age-old dilemma often at the center of decision making when buying a new car or truck. The 2009 Motorist Choice Awards recognize new cars and trucks that give their owners both economic and emotional satisfaction, helping new-car buyers find vehicles that best satisfy all of their personal-transportation needs. The fourth annual Motorist Choice Awards survey, announced today, scores 196 cars, trucks, crossovers and SUVs. With the top overall scores in both owner satisfaction and value, the Lexus LS placed highest of any 2009 model year vehicle.

Large and luxury vehicles dominated this year's results. The top 34 ranked cars, and 106 of the top 107, are large cars, luxury cars, sport utility vehicles, crossover SUVs or minivans. Only one small car, the BMW 1-Series, scored in the top 100, landing in the 35th slot. Toyota Prius is the next-highest-scoring small car, coming in 107th.

Awards are given for top-scoring vehicles scoring in each of twenty-three segments, as well as for the top-scoring brand. Nine manufacturers earned segment wins, led by Toyota with nine awards (including three for Lexus), followed by General Motors with six (Chevrolet 4, Cadillac 2), Honda with three, and Chrysler with two (Dodge 1, Jeep 1). Audi, Ford, Hyundai, Nissan and Volkswagen took top honors in one segment each.

(And check out our video on YouTube.)

Continue reading "Motorist Choice Awards Reveal Vehicles That Please Both Hearts And Minds" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 5:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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In the battle for attention from car lovers, Lexus always seems to get beat up in the discussion of performance. Regardless of the numbers, Lexus' do not feel like BMWs. And they shouldn't. Certainly, Lexus' newest addition to the IS line will not get any better treatment from "true enthusiasts", but the folks at Lexus has thought this through. The new IS convertible delivers what the segment demands, and beats the competition on key metrics. Aren't those core Lexus Values?

Continue reading "2010 Lexus IS Convertible: Top Down Cruising" »

Posted by Dan Hall at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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"Lexus LS' win of AutoPacific's 2009 Ideal Vehicle Award for Premium Luxury Cars, combined with its win of the 2009 Vehicle Satisfaction Award, put the LS in a class of its own," said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, Inc. "Lexus LS owners are very satisfied with their vehicles and it is clear that Lexus designed and built a vehicle finely tuned to its target buyers." In a third measure of excellence, the Lexus LS was most highly recommended by its owners in the Premium Luxury Car class. Owners consider the LS as having near ideal:
* Exterior Size
* Level of Technology
* Interior Storage

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 7:27 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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"Lexus ES' win of AutoPacific's 2009 Ideal Vehicle Award, combined with its win of the 2009 Vehicle Satisfaction Award, put the Lexus atop the Luxury Mid-Size Car class," said George Peterson, president of AutoPacific, Inc. "Lexus has designed a car with a clearly defined target that they hit squarely. That the ES has won both AutoPacific's owner awards shows that Lexus ES buyers have purchased a car that is ideal for them." Idyllic qualities include:
* Passenger roominess and ride quality
* Level of technology
* Power and acceleration

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 7:23 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The idea of the small supersedan is nothing new, but as of late we've been seeing lots of contenders throwing their hats into the ring. It is generally accepted that BMW started it all with the M3 back in the 1980s, quickly followed by the Mercedes-Benz with the 190E 2.3-16. Audi played too with its own unique twist in the form of the AWD rally-inspired S2 (or, some might argue, some of the hotter Ur-Quattro models that preceded it). For quite some time, this space was the domain of the Germans, and each successive generation of Teutonic supersedan kept getting faster, better handling, and more desirable.

Continue reading "Lexus IS-F: Diagnosis - Split Personality...And All the Better For It" »

Posted by Ed Kim at 8:48 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Lexus ES wins the Vehicle Satisfaction Award for the Mid-Size Luxury Car segment, collecting high marks for attributes we have come to expect from the Lexus brand. In its fifth generation, ES owners still report solid satisfaction with their vehicles. This is the second year in a row for the Lexus ES to take home a VSA. Of the 48 measurements included in AutoPacific's vehicle satisfaction calculations, the ES won 23 outright.

• Vehicle and brand reputation
• Overall quality, durability, reliability and dependability
• Vehicle's ride along with interior controls with a quality feel/operation
• Feel of fabrics and materials along with top marks for driver's seat comfort
• Anticipated resale value

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 7:59 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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We all know Lexus products as being paragons of quality and refinement, but many younger enthusiast drivers have long passed over the brand in favor of established performance names like BMW and Audi. No surprise there; Lexus products tend to be amazingly refined and quiet, providing a driving experience akin to manning a hyperbaric chamber. Given Lexus' 20 past years of wresting away market share from the Germans and the fact that they've been the best-selling luxury brand in the US for years, we'd have to say they've got the American luxury buyer licked. The majority of American luxury buyers really do want to waft along in utter silence, and no one does that better than Lexus.

The coveted entry luxury buyer (who represents a long-term opportunity to retain and move up through the brand), however, is younger and often wants a more engaging drive. And to those buyers, the BMW 3-Series has long been the default choice. There's good reason: in addition to looking great and possessing a really aspirational badge, the 3-Series has been generally peerless in terms of handling, steering, and that elusive "feel" that makes the car so wonderful to drive. No pretender, in my opinion, has ever really been able to mix those components into a cocktail quite as tasty as the BMW.

Continue reading "2009 Lexus IS250: A Wonderful Sports Sedan Grooming the Next Generation of Lexus Loyalists" »

Posted by Ed Kim at 2:56 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The March 23 Los Angeles Times editorial 'You can depend on Detroit" hits the mark; today's auto industry is a tremendously competitive place. Consumers can now choose cars and trucks from domestic (Detroit) automakers that match the quality and reliability of vehicles from Japanese or European makers. So why won't Americans buy American cars?

Buyers have long memories. In the late '70s through the early '90s American manufacturers dropped the ball in product quality, reliability and customer service. While those problems have largely been corrected, the stark reality is that many people were burned during those years and they will forever be biased against the Detroit Big Three. Parents have influenced their children. Friends have influenced neighbors. Worrisome for the domestic makers, many Americans today have never, never owned an American car. They have no point of reference or familiarity with today's domestic offerings.

During the auto industry bailout testimony by the Detroit Big Three, Senator after Congressman castigated the DB3 management for selling vehicles Americans did not want to buy. Based on AutoPacific research, it is the government officials who are out of touch with today's reality, not the U.S. automakers. In fact, in AutoPacific's most recent research with owners of new cars and trucks, and echoed by other automotive researchers, both General Motors and Ford Motor Company products won more than their fair share of awards for satisfying their customers and developing vehicles ideal for their target customers.

Lexus builds outstanding vehicles supported by a great dealership experience. But its position atop durability studies is not unassailable. Today, American consumers have terrific choices - foreign AND domestic.

Posted by George Peterson at 4:12 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific: Owners made the Lexus LS the winner of the 2008 Motorist Choice Award® for premium luxury car by providing the LS with top ratings where it counts: Power, braking, handling and being fun to drive. Owners also applauded the ease of getting in and out of the LS, as well as its exterior styling.
IntelliChoice: While the Lexus LS was not the best in either ownership costs or the AutoPacific survey, it took second place in both. The LS has excellent retained value and repair costs.

Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 6:17 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific: Even though the number of competitors in the crossover SUV segment keeps going up, one of the category’s pioneers won the 2008 Motorist Choice Award®. Lexus RX owners claimed victory with high ratings for ingress/egress and reliability. RX also tops the charts in vehicle reputation and overall satisfaction.
IntelliChoice: The Lexus RX was a 2008 BOVY Winner and a 2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Award winner. The Lexus RX has best-in-class retained value and much better than expected insurance costs.

Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 6:08 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific: Owners are more comfortable in the driver’s seat of a Lexus ES than in any other vehicle in the segment. This – in addition to highly rated instrumentation, controls and ride – earned ES a 2008 Motorist Choice Award®. Also adding to the victory were high marks for ride and innovative technology and overall experience.
IntelliChoice: The Lexus ES was a 2008 BOVY Winner, a 2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Award winner, and it has best-in-class ownership costs. In addition, the Lexus ES has the best-in-class retained value, repairs and insurance costs.

Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 9:07 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific: Call it ‘entry-level luxury’, ‘compact executive’, or ‘aspirational luxury,’ but owners are simply calling it a winner. They rate Lexus’ brand reputation and Lexus dealerships as significant contributors toward the brand’s 2008 Motorist Choice Award® win. With segment-leading overall satisfaction, the Lexus IS scored extremely well with owners in durability, reliability and overall quality. Owners also gave the IS high marks for quality materials, instrumentation, controls and comfy seats.
IntelliChoice: The Lexus IS has the Best in Class ownership costs, best retained value and strong fuel and repair costs.

Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 2:43 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Each year AutoPacific identifies the Brand and individual vehicles that top all others in vehicle satisfaction: The Vehicle Satisfaction Awards. AutoPacific’s Vehicle Satisfaction Award (VSA) is an industry benchmark for objectively measuring how satisfied an owner is with their new passenger car or light truck. Owner satisfaction is measured across 46 specific areas related to a vehicle's operation, comfort, safety and the overall purchase/lease experience. The 2008 ratings reflect input from 33,500 buyers and lessees of new vehicles acquired September through December 2007.

2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Award top brand honors went to Cadillac, while other luxury brands such as Lexus, Mercedes-Benz and Porsche also had strong showings. But what does it mean to have a top brand? Though calculations single out one brand as having the highest overall score, each individual attribute also has its own top scorer. Sometimes the detail underneath it all can have just as much, if not more, meaning than the final outcome.

Continue reading "Top Brands in Vehicle Satisfaction for 2008" »

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Posted by Katrina Ohlemacher at 10:52 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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Tustin, California, May 29, 2008 - A study released today by noted automotive consulting firm AutoPacific, Inc. summarizes the results of its 2008 model year vehicle satisfaction research. AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award (VSA) is an industry benchmark for objectively measuring how satisfied an owner is with their new passenger car or light truck.

In a year that promises to be the toughest in a decade, owner-based awards like AutoPacific's Vehicle Satisfaction Award will help customers make their purchase decisions.

The brand with the highest satisfaction rating is Cadillac. The vehicle - car or truck - registering highest overall satisfaction in 2008 is the new-for-2008 Toyota Sequoia Large Sport Utility Vehicle. The passenger car with the highest overall satisfaction score is the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.

There are twenty-eight Vehicle Satisfaction Award categories. At the manufacturer level, multiple top ranked award winners include: General Motors (eleven categories), Toyota (nine categories), Ford (six categories), Volkswagen (four categories), Honda (three categories) and Hyundai (two categories).

"Cadillac wins the Vehicle Satisfaction Award as the top brand in a close race. Strong satisfaction performance by Cadillac cars and trucks has Cadillac winning over other leading luxury marques including Lexus, Mercedes-Benz, and BMW says AutoPacific president George Peterson. "Top ranked finishes by Cadillac's Escalade, CTS and DTS helped cement their industry topping position."

Peterson continues, "Vehicles that are all new received top rankings in several categories: Cadillac CTS, Honda Accord, Mitsubishi Lancer, Scion xD, Toyota Sequoia, Audi Q7, Buick Enclave, Hyundai Veracruz, GMC Acadia, Saturn Vue and Nissan Rogue. These new-for-2008 vehicles were strongly rated by their owners showing that the industry continues to improve as new vehicles are added to the hotly contested American car and light truck markets."

From a vehicle type perspective, Traditional Sport Utility Vehicles received the highest ratings as a class closely followed by Crossover Sport Utility Vehicles. Peterson says, "Clearly, SUVs continue to be one of the most popular and satisfying vehicle types available in the USA today. Even with skyrocketing gas prices, SUVs are attractive and Crossover SUVs fill the bill for most SUV buyers with better fuel economy." Cars scored slightly below industry average followed by minivans and pickup trucks.

Continue reading "AutoPacific Announces 2008 Vehicle Satisfaction Awards" »

Posted by Stephanie Brinley at 2:42 PM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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According to AutoPacific's annual survey of new car and light truck acquirers, the BMW 3-Series, Acura MDX, Lexus RX, Honda Accord, and Infiniti QX56 attract the most tech savvy buyers. Tech savvy consumers made up approximately 5% of the new car buying population in 2007, up from just 2% in 2006. As Gen Y matures and enters the new vehicle market in greater numbers, AutoPacific expects these numbers to continue their growth. Tech savvy car buyers were defined utilizing a collection of data filters from AutoPacific’s Research Suite® database.

Continue reading "What Are The Top Vehicles Purchased by Tech Savvy Buyers?" »

Posted by Dan Hall at 10:57 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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The reigning king of the Luxury SUV hill is probably the Range Rover. High priced at $77,175. Features most couldn't conceive of in an off-road environment. Extremely competent off road. The top of the Land Rover line has established a tremendous reputation and following as THE aspirational Luxury SUV. Range Rover is not the best selling Luxury SUV, but it casts a wide shadow. And has since the early 1970s. VehicleVoice was on hand at The Grand Del Mar Hotel for the media preview of the Lexus LX570. Priced at $73,800, LX570 undercuts the Rangie, but is no less competent.

LX570 - 3rd Generation Lexus LX

Lexus entered the upper end of the Luxury SUV market in 1996 with a facelifted and upgraded Toyota Land Cruiser - the Lexus LX450. The 1st Gen LX was replaced in 1999 by the LX470 which was freshened in 2002 and 2005. So, after a ten year run, it is time for Lexus to bring its latest LX to the market - the LX570.

The first two LX generations did not set the world on fire from a sales standpoint. They were functional-looking SUVs loaded with features. Not head-turners. Not something to make your blood rush. They did, however, bring a very interesting clientele to Lexus. Younger, highly affluent, not wanting to make a strong statement with their vehicle. Confident, not having to show off their wealth. The 3rd Gen LX follows the same formula and hopes to attract the same type of buyer for slightly under 10,000 units per year or 3.5 LX570s per month for each of Lexus' 223 dealers.

Continue reading "2009 Lexus LX570 - Luxurious Anonymity" »

Posted by George Peterson at 2:25 PM | Permalink | Comments (2)

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The Motorist Choice Award is in its second year and is a collaboration between AutoPacific and IntelliChoice.com. AutoPacific, widely known for its industry expertise and research, and IntelliChoice, known for its comprehensive cost of ownership information, designed the Motorist Choice Award to help consumers identify the most satisfying cars and trucks that are also the least expensive to own.

Using data from AutoPacific's national Vehicle Satisfaction research and the IntelliChoice Best Overall Value information, AutoPacific and IntelliChoice have developed a unique tool that can be used by consumers to help them sort through the myriad of choices in today's automotive marketplace.

Here are the 2007 Winners of the 25 individual segment awards:

SEGMENT - Winner

Aspirational Luxury Car - Lexus IS
Compact Car - Mazda3
Compact Crossover SUV - Chevrolet HHR
Compact Pickup - Toyota Tacoma
Compact Sport Utility/ORV - Toyota Tacoma
Economy Car - Honda Fit
Image Compact Car - Volkswagen GTi
Large Car - Toyota Avalon
Large Heavy Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado HD
Large Light Duty Pickup - Chevrolet Silverado 1500
Large Luxury Car - Cadillac DTS
Large Sport Utility - GMC Yukon XL
Luxury Crossover SUV - Acura MDX
Luxury Mid-Size Car - Nissan Maxima
Luxury Sport Utility - Land Rover Range Rover Sport
Mid-Size Car - Volkswagen Jetta
Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Honda CR-V
Mid-Size Sport Utility - Toyota 4Runner
Minivan - Honda Odyssey
Premium Luxury Car - Lexus LS
Premium Mid-Size Car - Nissan Altima
Premium Mid-Size Crossover SUV - Nissan Murano
Premium Sports Car - Lexus SC
Sports Car - Porsche Boxster
Sporty Car - Scion tC

The press release can be found below the fold.

Continue reading "2007 Motorist Choice Awards Announced" »

Posted by George Peterson at 8:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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AutoPacific Take on Lexus SC Win – For the second consecutive year the Lexus SC wins the Premium Sports Car class, bringing home yet another Motorist Choice Award®. Owners still rate the interior and exterior styling as strongly satisfying. Its comfortable exterior size, easy ingress/egress and driver’s seat comfort make it easy for owners to put the SC430 on top. Owners rate the brand’s reputation, vehicle’s reputation and overall quality as best in class. With a smooth retractable hardtop, great audio system, and superior overall quality, SC owners have chosen the Lexus SC as the benchmark.

IntelliChoice take on Lexus SC win - The Lexus SC performs well in this class by having best in class maintenance costs and repair costs along with low insurance costs.

Posted by Keagan Patrick at 12:00 AM | Permalink | Comments (0)

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