re: 2024 Lexus GX 550 Overtrail

quote:

---

Talk about losing their way. This is supposed to be a top-of-the-line S-Class?! Even this “toned-down” version is a huge let down for such a flagship vehicle. Who designed this shat, with the pinstripes?! And those air vents are atrocious here. They need to take note from Tesla interior & how they blend in their vents with the dash.

---

Mercedes has no appeal to me anymore. They got blingy and stopped focusing on quality. And they seem to be the car of choice for people who aren't rich but want to pretend that they are rich.

The 1980s W126 was an amazing vehicle that represented the best Mercedes could do with almost no regard for price/costs. Every iteration of the S class has gotten worse since then.

Lexus used to know that you didn't have to have the most blingy design. A well engineered vehicle can be considered a luxury in of itself. The original Lexus LS was a great representation of that. But for some reason the Germans in particular lost their way by the mid 1990s. I wouldn't touch a BWM out of warranty right now.

In theory a car like the Lexus GX should fit the original Lexus ethos perfectly. And it might do that had it not been for their choice of engine. The V35A is turning out to be a rare fail for Toyota. They put effort into designing a good motor, but they are clearly having manufacturing issues - and you can see under the hood that they are using a lot of cheaper plastic connections like the Tundra but (surprisingly) not in the Tacoma.