Toyota announced Tuesday evening that it would temporarily stop selling the Lexus GX 460 while it conducts its own testing of the sport utility vehicle. Earlier in the day, Consumer Reports magazine had said that the GX carried an unusually high risk of a rollover accident during certain types of turns and issued a rare “don’t buy” warning, citing a handling problem that could lead to a rollover and possibly “serious injury or death.”A “don’t buy” warning is rare for the magazine, but there was no doubt it was necessary, said David Champion, the senior director of the Consumer Reports auto test division. The litmus test was whether the testers would want their families in the vehicle. The answer was no, he said, so “I wouldn’t want anybody else in it.”The handling problem arises if the driver takes his foot off the gas pedal while driving quickly through a sharp turn. That causes the rear end of the vehicle to slide toward the outside of the turn, a condition known as “trailing-throttle” or “lift-throttle oversteer.” On dozens of other S.U.V.’s tested by the magazine, the vehicles’ electronic stability control system detected and quickly stopped the slide. But the stability control didn’t stop the GX 460 until it was almost sideways, Mr. Champion said.“This is the first time we have seen it in an S.U.V. with E.S.C.” he said, referring to electronic stability control. Consumer Reports said it was “rare” for the magazine to “judge a vehicle’s performance not acceptable.” The last instance was with the 2001 Mitsubishi Montero Limited in 2001.
Surprising, since most reviewers carp that the ESC on most Lexus' is too intrusive. At any rate, this is a simple software fix if Lexus' chooses to do so.
Most drivers who drive this type of vehicle won't be racing around any corners...
Quote from: 2hondas on April 13, 2010, 11:57:13 pmMost drivers who drive this type of vehicle won't be racing around any corners...You've never had an over-aggressive luxury SUV tailgate you on an off-ramp? That's exactly what this decreasing-radius lift-throttle test simulates.
Quote from: Mitlov on April 14, 2010, 12:00:47 amQuote from: 2hondas on April 13, 2010, 11:57:13 pmMost drivers who drive this type of vehicle won't be racing around any corners...You've never had an over-aggressive luxury SUV tailgate you on an off-ramp? That's exactly what this decreasing-radius lift-throttle test simulates.Must be an American thing....
Quote from: Mitlov on April 14, 2010, 12:00:47 amQuote from: 2hondas on April 13, 2010, 11:57:13 pmMost drivers who drive this type of vehicle won't be racing around any corners...You've never had an over-aggressive luxury SUV tailgate you on an off-ramp? That's exactly what this decreasing-radius lift-throttle test simulates.Seen the VID have you As Peter Munk of Barrick Gold once said, "Americans really play hardball".26 coal miners die in a famously unsafe mine, whose safety violations are as long as a roll of toilet paper, and nobody gives a sh*t.Americans test a Lexus in a high speed maneuver and declare it a "Safety Risk" which they know will be reported in the media as "Lexus SUVs unsafe to drive, more safety problems at Toyota".The internal numbers at Government Motors must be terrible.
Quote from: articsteve on April 14, 2010, 01:23:47 amQuote from: Mitlov on April 14, 2010, 12:00:47 amQuote from: 2hondas on April 13, 2010, 11:57:13 pmMost drivers who drive this type of vehicle won't be racing around any corners...You've never had an over-aggressive luxury SUV tailgate you on an off-ramp? That's exactly what this decreasing-radius lift-throttle test simulates.Seen the VID have you As Peter Munk of Barrick Gold once said, "Americans really play hardball".26 coal miners die in a famously unsafe mine, whose safety violations are as long as a roll of toilet paper, and nobody gives a sh*t.Americans test a Lexus in a high speed maneuver and declare it a "Safety Risk" which they know will be reported in the media as "Lexus SUVs unsafe to drive, more safety problems at Toyota".The internal numbers at Government Motors must be terrible.Oh puhleeze. Take the tinfoil hat off already. It was Consumer Reports, not government, that did the test and made the declaration. It was privately-owned media such as CNN and the New York Times, not the government, that ran articles about the Consumer Reports test. Even if Obama IS the Toyota-hating anti-Christ, he had nothing whatsoever to do with this.
The handling problem arises if the driver takes his foot off the gas pedal while driving quickly through a sharp turn. That causes the rear end of the vehicle to slide toward the outside of the turn, a condition known as “trailing-throttle” or “lift-throttle oversteer.”
OMFG, you mean I can't overcook a corner like crazy in a top heavy behemoth, chop the throttle like a moran and not come out looking like an F1 pilot?10km/h governors for all vehicles, please, in the interest of safety. No, make that 5km/h. Think of the soccer moms, please, think of them!
wow Toyota you suck!whats next - gas pedals that don't work?
...aren't you a bit concerned...
