http://reviews.cnet.com/coupe-hatchback/2009-nissan-gt-r/4505-10867_7-33108986.html?tag=contentMain;contentBody

Note, I don’t work for Cnet, I just offer these as other examples of video reviews that appeal to dorks and mainstream consumers alike. My girlfriend can even sit through these when she sees them on my TiVo.

1. The Aux back: Why is it there? So you can leave an Ipod there all the time w/o cabin clutter?
2. The amount of room. It’s an SUV so I assume people buy them for either room for people or stuff. Comments about that?

Lastly, I thought the window bit was a bit long, sure, but it was a good choice. It was a nice specific detail and it gave a sense of the attention to detail. So again, good job.

That’s what I’ve always heard too, so it’s not just a problem with not being a native speaker.

I always thought it was continuously variable transmission, which seems to make more sense to me. But then I’m not a native speaker and may have gotten that backwards.

http://www.swotti.com/tmp/swotti/cacheDG95B3RHIHNVBGFYYQ==/imgToyota%20Solara2.jpg

That is one of the details I was specifically thinking about when I made my post. I’ve driven BMW, Cadillac, etc, and none left that unexpected “oh, goodness, this is pleasant” feeling I got just from shutting the RX350 door.

As far as the transmission, it is actually a planetary geartrain, from my recollection, but it still acts continuously variable. The setup seems much more clever than a belt style CVT.

Same difference. A CVT doesn’t have to be a belt-type system only. CVT stands for constant variable transmission, and Toyota’s Hybrid Synergy Drive is just that, in a different form.

If I’m being picky I’d say in terms of handling the steering feel is over-boosted, as with many of the other Lexus models aimed at more of the luxury car buyer market.

The ride is well damped with surprisingly little body roll for a pretty tall SUV. It almost feels, dare I say, German. Harsh bumps upset the otherwise smooth ride and intrude with an unwelcome surprise.

The brakes are grabby and like many of Toyota’s hybrids—a bit clunky when they return power back to the battery.

I spent time talking about the windows because I think that’s the secret sauce that makes Lexus so successful. Unlike any other car builder I believe Lexus really sweats the details.

For instance the inside door handle is padded with a sublime cushy soft material. It is like sticking your hand in a lamb skin clove when you open or close the door.

You combine all of those tiny little details and you get a something that is much more than the sum of all the wood, leather, metal, plastic that makes up a typical car.

Does that that mean that the RXh has a personality of a fine Swiss watch or a refrigerator?

That’s an entire different conversation.

ohsnapback : The new RX is worse than the last gen, also.

Interior styling, exterior styling, drivetrain, engine, economy, ergonomics, handling, AWD power transfer, cost of new 2010 vs. used 2009? That is a pretty vague, blanket statement.

I personally prefer the exterior styling of the 2009, but otherwise, I think the 2010 has better interior materials, much better and more modern interior styling, far cooler gadgets (the mouse controller is wicked), and the 6AT plus the updated 3.5L V6 are welcome changes that should return better fuel economy. The 2010 feels much more luxurious than the previous generation.

Petrolhead – I didn’t dig down into the console so much when I was driving, but I think the idea is that you can hide all the cables down in the console so you don’t have cables strewn all about the interior. That is one of my major complaints on the power points on my GTI. It is in the change tray so you have to keep the tray lid open in order to have anything plugged in. Being the neat freak that I am, it drives my OCD up the wall to have the lid open for my ipod or phone charger.

They need to up their game big time in terms of exterior design, interior design and content and value if they wish to avoid slipping more.

The new RX is worse than the last gen, also.

Start with the steering (and remember weighting is not the same as feel!). Is it sloppy with a lot of play on-center? Does it weight up with speed or during tight cornering? Does it give you any indication of what the front tires are up to?

Is the throttle overly hesitant, too aggressive, or linear? Same for the brakes. Since this is a CVT transmission response is going to be different than a typical autobox, but you can still tell whether the transmission feels like it’s asleep at the switch or not.

Specific criticisms to this video: considering its so short, some 25 seconds is far too long to demonstrate how nicely the window closes. When you’re talking about Lexus’ new mouse controller, we can’t actually see it. We can just see you talking about something off screen. If you want some pointers, CNET does in car tech demonstrations better than anyone.

Since you made it a big point to talk about the aux plugs – what kind are they? If I don’t know if it’s a plug I might actually want to use, then I don’t know whether or not I should care about it being hard to reach.

I agree that my driving impressions were vague and cliche at best.

I’ll work on it, but I’m not sure in America I could get away with saying stuff like “biblically bad” like Clarkson used to describe the new Honda insight.

Perhaps “seismically bad” might fly, but I have yet to test drive the new insight ;-)

Looking forward to the next video reviews!

TrueDelta has no real-world fuel economy data on the 2010 yet. For earlier years:

http://www.truedelta.com/fuel_economy.php?stage=pt&bd=Lexus&mc=164

Note: the posted horsepower figure for hybrid powertrains varies by whether or not the electric motor’s output is included. Toyota/Lexus isn’t consistent from year to year, so I’m afraid neither are we.

shaker — I wouldn’t base much on official interior specs. There are many ways to finesse them that the only reliable way to evaluate roominess is to sit in the vehicle yourself.

43k! (well, cheaper than the Challenger).

I await one of your reviews (or TTAC’s) of the 2010 Equinox (4 cyl, please). Consumer Reports has one “In Testing” right now – but they have the front seat legroom listed at 43″ – exactly what I need (I’ll be shopping next year).