Electric Cars
Noisy, windy and with turbo lag. The newest crossover Lexus TX 2024 passed its first test drive a few weeks before the start of sales
Introduced in the US this summer, the 2024 Lexus TX large crossover will go on sale locally this fall. It is not surprising that the Japanese have already conducted the first test drive of the new product for local journalists – they must “prepare the ground” before the start of sales. True, they chose a strange place for testing – the track of the Fuji Speedway race track: this is a completely alien “habitat” for a heavy family seven-seater car with a length of 5.16 meters.
We didn’t manage to drive much – only 15 laps, but this was enough to understand that the car’s sound insulation is not good (perhaps Lexus will still improve this point, since they brought prototypes for a test drive), there is strong understeer, and turbo lag is still noticeable (although not pronounced).
On the other side of the scale, there is a very spacious interior with seats in the third row that are suitable not only for children, but also for adults. And at the same time there is still enough space for small bags in the back. Another interesting point: despite the fact that prototypes were tested, the interior was very well put together.
In general, a sports car from a large crossover is so-so, but as a family car, the Lexus TX 2024 fully justified itself. Despite the fact that sales will start soon, retail prices have not yet been announced. The estimated price of the basic version is 54 thousand dollars, but top-end copies will be much more expensive. Journalists were given a Lexus TX 350 AWD with a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine producing 275 hp for a test drive, but there will be more interesting versions: the hybrid TX 500h with 366 hp. and the TX 550h+ plug-in hybrid with a 3.5 liter V6 engine and 406 hp.
Electric Cars
A large study has shown that electric cars break down much more often than cars with internal combustion engines.
Consumer Reports decided to evaluate modern cars in terms of reliability, dividing them into different categories and separately evaluating electric cars. The result was a large and informative report.
So, if we talk about reliability in general, Lexus leads the overall brand ranking with 79 points, followed by Toyota, Mini, Acura and Honda. At the bottom of the list are Chrysler, Mercedes-Benz, Rivian, Volkswagen and Jeep. The report’s authors say they, as always, asked people about problems they had with their vehicles over the previous 12 months. This year, data was collected on more than 330,000 vehicles from model years 2000 to 2023, including several previously introduced 2024 models.
If we talk about the number of problem areas in certain categories of cars, then electric cars perform best: they have only 12 problem areas. The indicators for other classes are similar: 17 zones for cars with internal combustion engines, 19 zones for hybrids and 20 zones for rechargeable hybrids. But these are just types of problems that have nothing to do with the reliability of specific machines.
More indicative is the chart below, showing the number of specific problems on average for cars of a given class in comparison with cars with internal combustion engines.
As you can see, conventional hybrids perform best, while plug-in hybrids and electric vehicles perform much worse. These two classes break down on average twice as often as cars with internal combustion engines.
Yesterday we talked about the Toyota Tacoma 2024, which entered the US market, and today details appeared about its simplest version – the SR. It turned out that with a one and a half cabin there are no more seats in the back. At all.
The current Tacoma with the exact same body has seats. Even though they are folding, they are there. The Takoma 2024 doesn’t even have reclining seats: all the space behind the seats can only be used for transporting things. But this solution looks rather strange for a one and a half cabin.
At the same time, the Tacoma SR 2024 received an improved media system with an 8-inch screen and support for wireless (!) Apple CarPlay and Android Auto protocols, and the database already has a set of security systems Toyota Safety Sense 3.0 (for comparison, for its analogue in Chevrolet Colorado has to pay almost 2.5 thousand dollars extra).
The most important innovation is under the hood: replacing the 2.7-liter naturally aspirated engine with 159 hp. came a 2.4-liter turbocharged engine with 228 hp. The dynamics have become better, but you will have to operate the manual transmission: in the basic version it is a manual transmission.
Prices in the USA range from 33 to 38.5 thousand dollars. The top-of-the-line 2024 Tacoma SR will have a full cab with a back seat, all-wheel drive, and even a 270-horsepower engine. (still the same 2.4-liter), but the gearbox is still manual.
Electric Cars
This is the BMW X3 2025 with different nostrils. The new product was shown in high-quality images
The German automaker has been criticized for the design of its cars in recent years, and according to spy photos of the 2025 BMW X3 that surfaced this fall, the manufacturer has changed some elements.
The following images were created by Sugar Design based on photos of the prototype. There are fewer lines visible on the body of the new model, and the handles are located flush with the body.
The front grille may be perceived differently by fans. The nostrils will become larger, and they will abandon the traditional vertical slats in favor of glossy black plastic. The fenders and headlights have changed, which are similar in shape to the headlights of the X1 and the new 5 Series.
A test prototype has revealed that the new X3 will feature LED taillights that are radically different from the current model’s taillights, and Sugar Design has shown what they could look like.
Powered by petrol and diesel engines (for markets outside North America), as well as hybrid powertrains, the model is rumored to continue using an updated version of the current CLAR architecture. The all-electric iX3 is expected to ride on BMW’s Neue Klasse platform.
The next-generation X3 is expected to be unveiled in mid-2024.
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