5 luxury cars to avoid – you have been warned
Lexus, Audi, Aston Martin, Infiniti and Acura fall short in a world full of wild and crazy supercars, coupes and SUVs, writes Hannah Elliott
Drivers who buy new cars today usually don’t have to worry about whether the car will break an axle on the side of the road, or whether its brakes will give out on a steep hill. We can expect to get air-conditioning and heated front seats as standard items, and we can expect that the technology inside the car will work intuitively and will enhance, rather than inhibit, the driving experience.
That doesn’t mean all modern luxury cars are created equal. Far from it. Some have shoddy interior materials lining their walls, others lack the power and torque to rival competitors. Others are just plain boring. In today’s world of wild and crazy supercars, coupes, and SUVs, there is no excuse for that. I won’t be rushing to drive these five vehicles again.
Lexus LC 500
My quibble with the Lexus LC 500 isn’t about how it looks on the outside. I like its swooped body, big wheels, and low, smooth roofline. If I had to buy a Lexus, it might even be this one. It’s the most exciting of that family. Unfortunately, that isn’t saying much.
No, my problem with the LC 500 is twofold: For one thing, it doesn’t compete, performance- and craftsmanship-wise, with others of its type and price point. Compare it to the Acura NSX and the Porsche 911, and you’ll find each of those a much more pleasurable and emotional experience to drive. They’re precise and immediate when you turn the steering wheel and when you press the brakes. They’re quick and sharp to drive: It’s as if they anticipate what you want to do. The LC 500, by contrast, takes a beat to digest your request and then, maybe, it’ll get back to you. It doesn’t have the visceral feel of guts under that bonnet or aggression in its gears to help it go fast. It’s lukewarm.
Second, and more annoying, the interior of the LC 500 feels plastic and lightweight. The screen and technology system is so bad it equals those of the Cadillac line-up, which is terrible. The Range Rover Velar contains the most exceptional example on the market today – yes, even beating out Tesla – while the screen controls and performance in Lexus’s LC 500 feel light years behind the times. The “touchpad” at the bottom of the centre console and the vertically oriented design will annoy. Have you ever heard anyone say: “I’d like to have to use a semi-responsive, tiny, black flat screen set near my knee when I drive?” Doubtful.
The technology is imprecise at best. And certainly not intuitive. In fact, the one from this Lexus made our Bloomberg Businessweek story about the best and worst car touch screens on the market today.