MotorWeek

Hi, I'm John Davis and this is MotorWeek !

We'll take a spin in a sporty new Lexus hybrid, the RX500h... Next, it's time for a turbocharger checkup on "Your Drive..." We'll tread "Over the Edge" to see what it takes to really test tires... Then, electricity is in the air, that is, the Lucid Air!

So, come drive with us, next!

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First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

JOHN: For years now, the Lexus RX has epitomized the suburban luxury crossover.

Yet, underneath its skin it's full of high-tech, including a hybrid all-wheel-drive system that has powered the rear wheels with strictly electric motors way before that was fashionable.

Well now, they're taking the 5th generation RX to a whole new level of excitement with the RX500h F Sport Performance!

When it comes to luxury-minded utility vehicles, the Lexus RX is certainly among America's most desired, though this Radiant Crossover soft-roader has never been among the most thrilling to drive in its class.

Well, the RX is all-new for 2023, and looking to change that, primarily with this RX 500h F Sport Performance AWD.

Pulling the Performance is a 271 horsepower I4 turbo engine that feeds power to an old-school 6-speed automatic transmission.

While, in back is an 80 kilowatt eAxle that delivers instantaneous torque directly to the rear wheels.

All told, the DIRECT4 all-wheel-drive system rates 366 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque.

A 275 horsepower turbo-4 is the RX standard, while a 246 horsepower hybrid returns as well, soon to be joined by a first-time plug-in model.

Additional performance aspects of this Performance include 21 inch wheels, an Adaptive Variable Suspension, upgraded 6-piston F Sport brakes, and Dynamic Rear Steering.

On the road, it reacts fast and aggressive.

But unlike most hybrids, we didn't seem to spend much time running strictly on battery power.

So clearly, performance is the name of the game here, which of course we wanted to test to the fullest at our Mason Dixon track.

The 500h launches pretty hard, but not unusually harsh.

Grip was quite good, and the all-wheel-drive system well sorted, as we didn't really feel like we were being pushed or pulled; it was just a smooth and Lexus refined trip to 60 in 5.7 seconds.

We never felt a need for more gears, as the 6-speed automatic kept the power flowing effectively, shifting smoothly with just a hint of aggression.

Things were not so smooth in our braking test, but that's just because we were being hauled down from 60 very quickly in just 102 feet.

Still, a Camry-based chassis, the latest version is close to 200 pounds lighter than before, which gives the RX a livelier feel.

The rear suspension is also a new multi-link design that delivers more consistent response, along with more compact packaging.

Now admittedly, we probably didn't do ourselves any favors by letting our performance-minded selves take the wheel, choosing this 500h F Sport Performance as our first taste of this new gen RX.

It's clearly not quite the usual RX experience, as ride is rougher than typical for Lexus; though we have no doubt the rest of the lineup delivers a much posher familiarity.

F Sport seats have it feeling not quite as roomy as we remember, but not the case for back seat passengers, who get more legroom than before.

And there's more cargo space too, climbing to 29.6 cubic-feet with a max of 46.2; plus, a lower floor to make loading easier.

Elsewhere inside, F Sport Performance gets a unique steering wheel with paddle shifters, exclusive gauge displays, and aluminum trim.

The infotainment screen moves from the top of the dash to a housing in front of the dash with some manual controls at the bottom.

While, the signature analog clock is gone, we won't miss the fussy console touchpad controller.

Same overall length as before, but more than two additional inches of wheelbase, plus, a wider track, not only helps it feel more planted, but it looks more like a hatchback than ever.

F Sports get unique front and rear bumpers, along with added black trim.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the 500h haven't been finalized, but Lexus claims 27 for both City and Combined, 28-Highway; we averaged 26.6 miles per gallon of Premium.

RX pricing starts at $48,550, with the step up to the 500h not unreasonable, at $62,750.

Admittedly, this 2023 RX 500h F Sport Performance AWD is not very Lexus like, but that may be why we like it so much.

It's not that we don't like what the RX traditionally brings, it's just that we love seeing more and more of the performance side of Lexus emerging.

Rest assured, the 5th generation RX still delivers the extreme comfort and indulgence that helped it establish the midsize luxury SUV category in the first place.

There's just a whole lot more to like about the RX now.

When you go to a dealership to buy a new car, you get to take a test drive.

But when you go to buy new tires, chances are you won't be doing any testing before you buy them.

Well, this week our "Over the Edge" reporter Greg Carloss does the hard work for you.

GREG CARLOSS: At MotorWeek when we test cars, we're evaluating the sum of a whole lot of parts.

Well...today, I'm going to narrow my focus to the most important part of any car: the tires.

As I spend a day in the life of a professional tire tester.

Buying tires online is fast and easy.

But researching all the options is slow and stressful.

Thankfully, tire testers can alleviate that stress.

WOODY ROGERS: We test tires, so consumers don't have to.

We want to share the information and let the consumer decide what's most important to them and they can pick the right tire for their needs.

GREG: Given our shared interest in evaluating automotive products, we were invited to South Bend, Indiana, to review some ultra-high-performance all-season tires at a dedicated tire testing facility.

WOODY: So, we know that not all tires perform the same, so we're on a dedicated test track that evaluates how tires will perform in an emergency avoidance maneuver-type situation.

We also, evaluate tires out on the road because their ride and their noise comfort, and handling, and steering feel are also not all the same.

So, we evaluate all of those things between the road and here on the test track.

GREG: For the most accurate results, variables must be limited.

So, before they hit the test track, each tire being tested gets mounted on the same exact wheel, filled to the same exact PSI and installed on the same exact vehicle.

With that all squared away, we hit the road.

TJ CAMPBELL: For the road ride evaluation we're really just kind of determining what a customer is going to experience or a driver is going to experience in their everyday life.

GREG: What are you feeling now and taking note of in this car?

TJ: Well, this portion of our route-- it's interesting that you'd ask right now.

This is the absolute loudest section of road on our entire route, so I'm listening to the change in tone.

I'm listening to the frequencies.

Also, I'll do a little bit of just kind of, you know, very slight steering inputs for high speed responsiveness.

GREG: Once, we get a feel for how the tires behave on the street, it's back to the track where we start with a braking test.

Now, I feel like I'm at home.

After logging the stopping distance from 50 miles per hour for each tire, we head over to the skid pad to find the limits of lateral grip.

And I've already hit like, three cones.

TJ: You hit fewer than I did and I'm supposed to be the one who does this all the time.

Alright you're good.

GREG: Alright, unloading.

Tire number one feels predictable with good grip, so let's try tire number 2.

I feel like I'm having-- I have less traction.

TJ: You do.

That is...that is an accurate assessment.

You're pushing wider... GREG: Yeah, I keep pushing out, I can't stay in.

And me being the aggressive driver, I refuse to slow down, so... (TJ laughs) Wasting no time, we move onto the full circuit where we'll combine braking and handling.

Again, it feels like, tire number 1 out performs tire number 2.

And when we stop to compare lap times, the numbers don't lie.

TJ: So, you were, again, very, very consistent.

I just want to get that on camera.

Greg is an excellent tire tester.

GREG: Mom, I'm consistent!

TJ: Point one-four seconds between your two laps, but your first tires were a 30.9 and a 31.0.

GREG: That's a pretty big difference.

TJ: Yes, yes.

Almost, 2.0 seconds in the dry around a tiny little 30 second track.

GREG: Wow.

TJ: Yeah, hugh.

GREG: So, now that we've done the dry, there's only one option left.

TJ: Turn on the sprinklers.

And make it rain.

(laughs) GREG: For tires, rain can be the great equalizer.

And once, the track is thoroughly soaked, we run all three tests again.

Unsurprisingly, the slick surface leads to longer braking distances.

Yep, never gonna stop.

TJ: Nope.

(car stops) GREG: Less lateral grip... (tire noise) TJ: You good?

GREG: And slower lap times... That was miserable.

But fun.

But that time is not good.

With the actual testing done, their findings are published online including the objective performance numbers as well as the subjective impressions which they use to generate a numeric score.

This allows customers to make a comprehensive and true apple to apples comparison for every tire tested.

So, all in all, being a tire tester for a day turned out to be a lot of fun.

And now, when I'm testing cars, I think I'll pay a little more attention to the rubber they ride on.

JOHN: "There's no replacement for displacement;" a phrase now being constantly challenged by smaller engines aided by a helping hand: turbochargers.

Well, they can only take care of you, if you take care of them, so here's Logan McCombs with vital turbocharger tech tips in this week's, "Your Drive."

LOGAN McCOMBS: Turbochargers have come a long way.

When they first came out, they were the performance upgrade you needed to have.

But, they had a lot of negatives and drawbacks to them, one of those being how they were actually cooled.

A turbo is cooled by having oil flow through it and lubricate those bearings, but when you would turn your car off there was no oil flowing throughout your system.

So, what most people ended up doing is they ended up using a turbo timer, a device that would keep your car running for a certain amount of time after you would turn it off to allow oil to continue to flow through the system, to cool off your turbo.

Another issue that they had was something called "turbo lag."

It's when you step on your pedal, but there was no throttle response until a certain point or once the turbo built up enough pressure.

Looking at it, a turbo is two halves put together with a shaft that goes throughout the entire turbo.

On one side, you have something that is called your "hot side" or "exhaust side."

And what happens is you have air or hot exhaust gases that flow up into the hot side of the turbine housing, and that spins a turbine.

As that turbine spins, on the other side of your turbo, or the front side, is your cold side, where air is pulled in and the turbine wheel spins and helps to compress that air because as the compressed air is pushed into your engine, that allows for better combustion to make the power and efficiency gains that you're looking for.

One of the things with turbo technology that has improved vastly over the years is how we actually cool these turbo's down.

No more are the days with turbo timers and having to let your car run because we still kept the oil to cool off those bearings, but we also added water ports, so that we can have water flowing throughout your turbo to help cool it even when the car is off.

Because with most modern applications, you have an electric water pump that will continue to pump water throughout the system once the car has been turned off.

One benefit that a lot of manufacturers have seen is adding a turbocharger onto a smaller displacement engine for better performance and increased efficiency, opposed to using a larger motor like a V6 or a V8.

Adding a turbocharger to a smaller displacement engine will allow us to get closer, if not better performance out of the smaller engine than we would with a larger engine.

A turbo is a great way to get well-rounded performance.

If you have a question or comment, drop us a line, right here at MotorWeek !

JOHN: Well, when we have the key FOBs you know what that means.

Time for another QuickSpin!

JESSICA RAY: 2023 ushers in a new era for the Toyota Prius.

Most obviously, this hybrid hero received a head-turning redesign, but we'll come back to the dashing new looks; first, we need to talk about what's underneath.

The new Prius introduces a 5th generation hybrid system: battery-driven motors coupled to a larger 2.0 liter 4-cylinder engine, producing 194 horsepower on front-wheel-drive models and 196 horsepower with available all-wheel-drive.

That's a 60 percent increase over the outgoing generation.

But even more impressive, a Toyota-estimated 57 miles per gallon combined on the base front-wheel LE model-- the best ever for a Prius.

But the improvements don't stop there.

It's built on the 2nd generation TNGA-C platform, offering a lower center of gravity and more rigidity while reducing weight, noticeable and enjoyable during our California First Drive.

I love the amount of power this Prius has.

It is more than enough to comfortably merge on the highway.

And yes, if you push it hard enough you're going to hear the CVT whine but highway driving is very comfortable.

These seats are very comfortable.

I could really feel the lower center of gravity when I was driving on some of the back roads earlier and I was actually having a lot of fun managing on some twisty and curvy roads.

So, the new Prius feels as good as it looks; the redesign is modern and aerodynamic, including an aggressive windshield rake and a roofline that's 2.0 inches lower than the previous model.

All three grades-- LE, XLE, and Limited-- benefit from an equally-progressive cabin.

The gauge cluster now, for the first time, sits behind the steering wheel.

The standard 8.0 inch and available 12.3 inch infotainment screens now sit high and horizontal, eliminating any gripes we had with last-gen's vertical display.

Overall, this interior is a solid step up.

Thankfully, the price is only a small step up, starting under $29,000 and maxing out near $37,000.

The 2023 Prius will be available in January, and the plug-in Prius PRIME will return closer to the Spring 2023.

Stay tuned for our Road Test of the new Prius and plenty more QuickSpins, soon!

STEPHANIE HART: New photos show the future Ford Mustang will soon enter its bronze age.

For 2024, Mustang will offer an all-new Bronze Design Series Appearance Package.

It will include bronze badging on the grille and rear decklid; and on the GT, the "5.0" fender badges also match.

The wheels see a similar treatment, like these multi-spoke Performance Package rims.

The bronze option is available on both EcoBoost and GT models, with or without the Performance Package.

If you ask us, this Bronze Package makes the 7th gen Mustang look incredible.

JOHN: One thing that's truly exciting about the emergence of electric vehicles is the new car makers that are arriving along with them, much like the dawn of the automobile when anyone with a decent design and some financial backing could get a car on the road.

And that brings us to California's Lucid Motors and their eye-popping first effort, the Lucid Air.

You could say that this all-new 2022 Lucid Air dropped onto the automotive landscape out of thin air, but that wouldn't exactly be true; as the atmosphere from which this luxury sedan has emerged is quite dense with technology and performance.

"Well thought out" was the first thing that came to mind when sliding behind the wheel.

Rather than just plunk a big tablet on the dash and call it a day, the interior features a more traditional looking layout, and even some actual controls, though many of them are touch sensitive.

But, as techy as it is, it doesn't feel overly so; as its 34 inch dash-top display blends in well, and the infotainment touchscreen is low-mounted in the center stack.

But with items like the enormous windshield that blends into the roof, you can tell they spent a lot of time thinking of how to make the interior experience familiar but better.

Most things are well put together, though a few creaks and rattles do appear when you start driving it hard, and more adjustment to the steering wheel would be nice.

The rear seat is not the easiest to access, but once you get settled, there is a crazy amount of space inside this 5-seater.

Lucid began their journey as a battery manufacturer, so you know their power packs are well-sorted and capable of delivering enough juice to power more than 1,000 horsepower and sub-three, 0 to 60s; not to mention the longest range of any EV yet, 520 miles.

And it does more with less, as its 118 kilowatt hour battery is not much bigger than rivals.

Dream editions are dual motor all-wheel-drive.

The standard range model has 933 horsepower with that 520 mile range.

The Performance model with 1,111 horsepower has a lower 471 mile range.

Like, many startups, key Lucid players are defectors from other more established automotive brands including a former Head of Design at Mazda.

So, they've created a unique looking sedan big on style.

Its smooth front, with tucked in headlights, is probably its least attractive angle, as it looks much more elegant from all others; and extremely aero-efficient without looking like it.

It's similar in size to Tesla's Model S, but stands out a little more from the traditional sedan with a bustle-back style clamshell trunk lid.

Like, most EVs in its lofty price range, it's so smooth and so fast, the driving experience quickly becomes intoxicating; and that "just one time" you push the throttle full becomes a regular occurrence, and you forget all about saving range.

We found regen braking to be very easy to get used to, but not as smooth as most when blended with the traditional friction brakes.

On back roads, it gets through corners okay; but really, blasting to the next one as fast as possible is the real treat here.

Suspension tuning is an ongoing process even for well-established brands much less startups, so not all Dreams have the same exact ride; but driven aggressively through our handling course at Mason Dixon Dragway, the Dream lived up to its name.

There's well over 5,000 pounds of weight to deal with, but it sure didn't feel like it, as the Dream delivered plenty of grip and very little body roll.

"Quite European" passed through our minds here.

But, straight-line runs were the highlight.

With optional 21 inch wheels, our Range model blast to 60 in just 2.6 seconds.

Quarter-mile: 10.5 seconds at 133 miles per hour.

As mentioned, a limited-production luxury sedan with this much technology and performance naturally comes with a hefty price tag.

The Air Dream Edition goes for $170,500.

But, there's better news on the way, as soon the base rear-wheel drive Pure will arrive, starting at about half that, $88,900.

You could say the Tesla Model S was a look to the future, but the 2022 Lucid Air Dream Edition does a better job of actually delivering it, with the longest range of any EV yet.

America is still full of wide-open spaces; and in similar fashion, the dawn of EVs has opened the automotive landscape wider than it's been in some time.

Will the Arizona-built Lucid have staying power or will it eventually fall victim to its own Grand Canyon-sized hype?

We think the odds are definitely in its favor!

Well, that's our show, I hope you enjoyed it.

Now, for more MotorWeek , including daily news updates, podcasts, and even complete episodes, cruise on over to PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

And I hope you'll join us next time.

We're sinking into the luxurious lap of the new Genesis G90, followed by a ready to work rig with a softer side: Toyota's Tundra Capstone.

Until then, I'm John Davis.

We'll see you right here on MotorWeek !

ANNOUNCER: To learn more about MotorWeek , television's original automotive magazine, visit... To order a DVD of this program, call... MotorWeek has been brought to you by... ANNOUNCER: For more than 30 years Lucas Oil products has helped people tackle mechanical problems in the automotive, marine, and industrial fields.

From our original four core products... Lucas Oil has developed over 400 custom products to help both professionals and do it yourselfers.

To learn more visit Lucasoil.com.

Lucas oil, keep that engine alive!

MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper To Bumper, featuring major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast.

Learn more at AutoValue.com and BumperToBumper.com.

TireRack.Com is proud to support MotorWeek .

First, there was the wheel.

Then, the tire.

"We'll call it Tire Rack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

This program was produced by Maryland Public Television, which is solely responsible for its content.

(car engine revving) You're watching PBS.