HI, I'M JOHN DAVIS AND THIS IS MOTORWEEK .

JOIN US, FOR AN ADRENALINE RUSH IN ONE SERIOUSLY SPORTY AUDI, THE TT RS... PAT GOSS ENLIGHTENS US ON GIVING OLDER BEAMS A MODERN SHINE... BRIAN ROBINSON GOES TWO WHEELIN' ON A BIG BAVARIAN BAGGER... AND MORE STYLE AND STRENGTH STREAMS FROM THE LUXURIOUS LINES OF THE LEXUS LS.

SO COME DRIVE WITH US, NEXT!

CLOSED CAPTIONING PROVIDED BY MARYLAND PUBLIC TELEVISION.

* Announcer: MOTORWEEK , TELEVISION'S ORIGINAL AUTOMOTIVE MAGAZINE.

BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

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Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A... TAKE A LOOK.

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STATE FARM IS PROUD TO SUPPORT MOTORWEEK .

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John: IT SEEMS THAT EVER SINCE THE AUDI TT DEBUTED, IT'S BEEN TRYING TO BREAK FREE FROM A CUTE AND CUDDLY STEREOTYPE IMAGE.

INDEED, AUDI HAS PUT A LOT OF EFFORT INTO MAKING THE TT A LEGITIMATE SPORTS CAR, ADDING SUPERCAR ELEMENTS FROM THE R8 ALONG THE WAY.

SO WE MIGHT EVEN CALL THE LATEST TT AN R4!

BUT AUDI WENT WITH TT RS.

REGARDLESS, IT'S THE MOST POWERFUL PRODUCTION TT YET.

[TIRES SCREECH] THE 3RD GENERATION AUDI TT ARRIVED FOR 2016, ON VOLKSWAGEN'S THEN NEW MQB ARCHITECTURE.

IT WAS UNDENIABLY MORE FUN THAN EVER, YET STILL MORE OF A GOLF COUPE WITH ALL OF THE TRIMMINGS THAN AN OUTRIGHT PERFORMANCE CAR.

AND WHILE WE CAN STILL SEE SHADES OF BEETLE CUTENESS, THERE IS EVER MORE HIGH-PERFORMANCE MENACE LURKING BENEATH ALL OF THE RS'S STILL ADORABLE CURVES.

EXTERIOR RS ADD-ONS ARE RELATIVELY MINOR, BUT VERY NOTICEABLE; INCLUDING OVAL EXHAUST OUTLETS, A BIG FIXED REAR WING, RED BRAKE CALIPERS, AND MATTE ALUMINUM OPTIC TRIM; UNLESS OF COURSE YOU CHOOSE TO REPLACE IT WITH OUR CAR'S GLOSS BLACK TRIM.

[ENGINE STARTING] THE SMOOTH-RUNNING 2.5-LITER TURBO UNDER THE HOOD IS TECHNICALLY NOT A NEW DESIGN, BUT IT DOES FEATURE AN ALUMINUM BLOCK NOW.

THUS, THE 5-CYLINDER WEIGHS LESS AND OUTPUTS MORE; 400-HORSEPOWER AND 354 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE.

WE'LL STOP SHORT OF SAYING IT SOUNDS AWESOME, BUT WITH THE AVAILABLE SPORT EXHAUST SYSTEM, IT TRULY HAS A UNIQUE ROAR THAT IS MOSTLY PLEASING TO THE EARS.

[ENGINE REVS] NO MANUAL TRANSMISSION IS AVAILABLE, BUT THE 7-SPEED S TRONIC DCT COMES WITH PADDLE SHIFTERS ON THE WHEEL, AND WORKS WELL ENOUGH TO KEEP US FROM COMPLAINING ABOUT THAT TOO MUCH.

THE TT RS' HALDEX ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE SYSTEM IS SIMILAR TO THE ONE FOUND IN VOLKSWAGEN'S GOLF R, WHICH MEANS LESS FRONT BIAS AND LESS TENDENCY TO UNDERSTEER.

IN SOMEWHAT OF A REVERSAL OF THE NORM, IT'S THE MAGNETIC RIDE DAMPERS THAT ARE STANDARD; THE DYNAMIC PLUS UPGRADE DOES AWAY WITH THEM, GOING BACK TO CONVENTIONAL SHOCKS WITH FIXED-RATE SPRINGS.

I GUESS AUDI WANTS TO MAKE SURE YOU'RE UP FOR THE LOWER RIDE HEIGHT AND STIFFER RIDE THAT COMES WITH THE IMPROVED HANDLING ASPECTS.

19 OR 20-INCH WHEELS DON'T REALLY HELP THE COMFORT CAUSE EITHER.

EVEN CERAMIC BRAKES ARE AVAILABLE.

OUR CAR WASN'T SO EQUIPPED, BUT STILL BROUGHT US TO A HALT FROM 60 IN 112-FEET, WITH LASER-LIKE STABILITY.

WE COULD HAVE USED A LITTLE MORE FEEDBACK TROUGH THE PEDAL, AS WELL AS FROM THE FRONT END WHEN WE TOOK TO OUR CONE COURSE.

HERE, IT STAYS NOTICEABLY FLATTER THAN THE TTS, AND IS PERHAPS A LITTLE MORE EAGER TO TURN IN; UNDERSTEER HAS BEEN ELIMINATED, BUT OTHERWISE NOT A VASTLY DIFFERENT TT EXPERIENCE.

[ENGINE PURRS] [TIRES SCREECH] WHAT DOES SET IT APART, IS THE ADDITIONAL POWER.

A FLAWLESS PORSCHE-LIKE LAUNCH MODE HAD US EFFORTLESSLY HITTING LOW THREE SECOND 0-60S ALL DAY WITHOUT BREAKING A SWEAT; INCLUDING A BEST RUN OF 3.2.

FIRM, ALL-BUSINESS GEAR TRANSACTIONS RESULT IN NON-STOP TORQUE DELIVERY UNTIL YOU FINISH THE QUARTER MILE IN 11.7-SECONDS AT 118 MILES-PER-HOUR.

AND YOU DON'T HAVE TO BE GUNS-A-BLAZIN' FOR IT TO PUT A SMILE ON YOUR FACE, ANY QUICK BREAK IN TRAFFIC CAN DO THAT; AND WHILE FIRM, THE RIDE IS CERTAINLY NOT A TEETH JARRING ONE.

THERE IS PLENTY OF AUDI AWESOMENESS INSIDE TO APPRECIATE.

BESIDES THE USUAL VIRTUAL COCKPIT, CLIMATE CONTROLS INTEGRATED INTO THE CIRCULAR VENTS, AND QUILTED SEATS; YOU'LL FIND A NEW FLAT-BOTTOM STEERING WHEEL WITH THE START BUTTON AND DRIVE SELECT MOUNTED RIGHT ON IT, CARBON-FIBER TRIM, AND RED ACCENTS.

ONE SMALL GRIPE, WITH THE BACKUP CAMERA DISPLAY LOCATED IN THE GAUGE CLUSTER, IT TENDS TO GET BLOCKED WHEN YOU'RE WORKING THE WHEEL.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS ARE 19-CITY, 29-HIGHWAY, AND 22-COMBINED; SO OUR 25.9 MILES-PER-GALLON AVERAGE ON PREMIUM WAS NOT BAD AT ALL.

THOUGH THERE'S A SLIGHTLY BELOW AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 15.0-BARRELS OF ANNUAL PETROLEUM CONSUMPTION, WITH 6.5-TONS OF CO2 EMITTED.

THE TT RS COUPE IS TOTAL FUN, UNTIL YOU REALIZE THAT YOU CAN GET A MID-ENGINE PORSCHE CAYMAN S FOR ABOUT THE SAME BASE STICKER OF $65,875.

SO SORRY AUDI, WE THINK THE CAYMAN'S EVEN MORE FUN.

AND THAT MAY NOT BE A COINCIDENCE, AS BOTH COMPANIES DO COME UNDER THE SAME CORPORATE UMBRELLA, AND PERHAPS THEY DON'T WANT AN AUDI OVERSHADOWING A PORSCHE.

AND IT'S NOT ONLY THE CAYMAN THEY HAVE TO DEAL WITH, AS THERE'S A WIDE VARIETY OF OTHER PERFORMANCE CARS NEAR ITS PRICE POINT.

BUT, NO DOUBT THE 2018 TT RS IS A MORE SERIOUS CAR THAN BEFORE, AND CLEARLY BELONGS IN ANY SPORTS CAR CONVERSATION.

John: BMW HAS BEEN MAKING MOTORCYCLES FOR A LONG TIME.

AND IF THERE'S ONE THING THEY KNOW HOW TO DO, IT'S CREATE BIKES THAT MAKES ANYONE WHO RIDES THEM WANT TO HIT THE BACK ROADS AND NEVER LOOK BACK.

AT LEAST THAT'S THE EXCUSE OUR RESIDENT TWO WHEELER BRIAN ROBINSON HAD, AFTER A RECENT DISAPPEARING ACT ON ONE OF BMW'S LATEST.

Brian Robinson AT THEIR ESSENCE, MOTORCYCLES ARE ESSENTIALLY AN ENGINE, WITH A FRAME AND WHEELS ATTACHED, TO GET IT AND YOU DOWN THE ROAD.

BUT, IF YOU WANT TO GET REALLY FAR DOWN THAT ROAD, AND MINIMALISM IS NOT YOUR THING, THEN BMW HAS A BIKE FOR YOU.

* TO CREATE THE K 1600 B, BMW ESSENTIALLY TOOK THEIR K 1600 GT SPORT-TOURER AND SPRINKLED SOME "CRUISER DUST" ON IT, TO MAKE IT MORE APPEALING TO AMERICAN RIDERS.

NOW BEFORE YOU R1200C FANS THAT ARE OUT THERE GET ALL EXCITED, THIS IS NOT A CRUISER CLONE; HERE, BMW IS MORE LOOKING TO CAPITALIZE ON THE CURRENT CUSTOM BAGGER TREND.

BASICALLY, BMW HAS GRAFTED A NEW BACK END ONTO THE K 1600 THAT NOT ONLY LOOKS A LOT MORE STYLISH, BUT BRINGS THE REAR SEAT AND PASSENGER SIGNIFICANTLY LOWER; MORE LIKE A TRADITIONAL CRUISER.

EXHAUST PIPES ARE REROUTED, STAYING LOW TO THE GROUND; AND EXPELLING EXHAUST THROUGH A PAIR OF HUGE MUFFLERS.

UP FRONT, THE ADJUSTABLE WINDSCREEN IS ALSO LOWER AND THERE'S A TRADITIONAL-APPEARING, THOUGH FAR FROM NORMAL TUBULAR HANDLEBAR.

THE 1649CC INLINE-6 IS BEYOND SMOOTH, MAKING 160-HORSEPOWER AND 129 POUND-FEET OF TORQUE, AS IS THE REST OF THE BIKE WRAPPED AROUND IT.

YET IT'S ALSO FAST AND SOLID FEELING; ALL LEADING UP TO A RIDING EXPERIENCE THAT'S MORE SPORT-TOURER THAN CRUISER.

CRACKING OPEN THIS 6-PACK CAN INDEED BE EXHILARATING.

MOST THINGS WILL BE FAMILIAR IF YOU'VE SPENT ANY TIME ON ONE OF BMW'S OTHER K BIKES; INCLUDING THE GENERALLY INTUITIVE MULTI-CONTROLLER ON THE LEFT HANDGRIP THAT CONTROLS A MULTITUDE OF FUNCTIONS INCLUDING RIDING MODES, ADJUSTABLE SUSPENSION, HEATED GRIPS AND SEAT, AS WELL AS ALL OF THE USUAL TRIP METER DISPLAYS.

WITH BMW'S OPTIONAL KEYLESS RIDE, NO NEED TO TAKE THE KEY OUT OF YOUR POCKET, JUST HIT THE IGNITION BUTTON, THUMB THE STARTER; AND YOU'RE GOOD TO GO.

SIDE-OPENING SADDLEBAGS ARE LONGER AND LOWER THAN THE GT'S, YET HOLD A DECENT 37-LITERS WORTH OF GEAR EACH.

BIG GRAB HANDLES INBOARD, MAKE STRAPPING ON A DUFFEL A SIMPLE AFFAIR.

7.0-GALLONS IN THE TANK, EASILY GIVES YOU MORE THAN 250 MILES OF RIDE TIME BEFORE A REFUEL, AND THE SEAT IS JUST COMFORTABLE ENOUGH TO MAKE AN EASY CHORE OF IT.

THE ONLY TIME YOU REALLY FEEL ITS 740 POUNDS OF WEIGHT IS IN REALLY SLOW MANEUVERS; OTHERWISE AT SPEED, THE K1600 B TENDS TO SHED WEIGHT AS QUICKLY AS IT EATS UP MILES.

IF YOU DO FIND THE WEIGHT TOO MUCH TO DEAL WITH, THE GTL'S REVERSE ASSISTANT IS AVAILABLE.

MID-MOUNTED PEGS ARE STANDARD FOR A RELAXED RIDING POSITION, WITH THE LEFT-SIDE SHIFTER WORKING THE 6-SPEED GEARBOX SEAMLESSLY.

FRONT MOUNTED FLOORBOARDS ARE AN OPTION IF YOU LIKE TO STRETCH YOUR LEGS WHILE STILL IN THE SADDLE.

PRICING STARTS RIGHT AT 20-GRAND, AND YOU CAN GET CLOSER TO 25 WITH AVAILABLE PREMIUM AND TOURING PACKAGES.

AS FOR WHO THE 2018 BMW K 1600 B IS MOST LIKELY TO APPEAL TO; WELL UNLIKE THE R1200C, IT'S NOT REALLY MEANT TO WIN OVER THE V-TWIN CROWD.

MORE REALISTICALLY, IT GIVES SPORT TOURING RIDERS AND PARTICULARLY BMW BUYERS A HIGHLY STYLISH OPTION TO SATISFY THEIR WANDERLUST TOURING NEEDS.

John: IF YOU HAVE AN OLDER CAR AND YOU WANT TO MAKE IT MORE UP TO DATE, WE HAVE JUST THE PERSON TO TALK TO.

PAT GOSS.

AND, HE SAYS THERE'S A LOT TO CONSIDER.

Pat Goss: FOR DECADES, HEADLIGHTS ON CARS AND TRUCKS HAVE BEEN LIKE THESE: INCANDESCENT LIGHTS.

WELL AS TIME HAS GONE ON, THEY HAVE MOVED FROM INCANDESCENT TO H.I.D.

AND NOW WE'RE SEEING MOST CARS WITH L.E.D.S.

ALRIGHT NOW, WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE HERE?

WELL THE DIFFERENCE PRIMARILY IS GOING TO BE THAT THE COLOR OF THESE NEW LIGHTS IS BRIGHTER AND THE DURABILITY MAY BE BETTER.

BUT ONE OF THE THINGS YOU HAVE TO KEEP IN MIND IS THAT WELL YOU CAN MAKE CONVERSIONS TO THESE THINGS.

LIKE HERE WE HAVE AN H.I.D.

CONVERSION.

TAKE THIS COVER OFF OF HERE AND WE CAN SEE THAT WE HAVE H.I.D.

BULBS IN THERE.

IT COMES WITH THE VARIOUS UH, TRANSFORMERS AND EVERYTHING LIKE THAT, BUT YOU HAVE TO MAKE SURE IF YOU ARE GONNA DO ONE OF THESE CONVERSIONS, THAT YOU GET QUALITY PARTS, BECAUSE SOME OF THESE PARTS ARE EXPENSIVE IF THEY ARE GOING TO LAST AND BE RELIABLE.

OVER HERE WE HAVE AN L.E.D.

CONVERSION AND WE LOOK IN THE BOTTOM OF THIS ONE AND BELIEVE IT OR NOT, WE HAVE A TEENY LITTLE FAN IN THERE THAT KEEPS THE BULB COOL.

SO SOME OF 'EM WILL HAVE HEAT SINKS, SOME WILL HAVE FANS AND SO ON.

YOU HAVE TO RESEARCH THESE THINGS, MAKE SURE THAT THEY HAVE THE PROPER COOLING AND THAT THEY HAVE THE PROPER ATTACHMENTS FOR YOUR CAR.

ALRIGHT NOW, HERE IS THE RUB WITH ALL OF THIS, YOU SEE CHANGING TO ONE OF THESE SYSTEMS, WELL IT MAY MAKE THE LIGHT WHITER OR MORE BLUE, BUT IT MAY NOT GIVE YOU MORE LIGHT ON THE ROAD, BECAUSE THAT IS CONTROLLED BY A NUMBER OF DIFFERENT FACTORS.

NUMBER ONE IS THE DESIGN OF THE REFLECTOR, WHICH MATCHES THE WAY THE LIGHT COMES OUT OF THE BULB.

THE OTHER THING IS, ESPECIALLY IF YOU HAVE A PICKUP TRUCK OR AN SUV OR SOMETHING THAT SITS TALLER, IN ORDER TO KEEP THE LIGHT FROM BLINDING ONCOMING PASSENGERS, THEY'RE DESIGNED SO THAT THEY'RE TILTED DOWN A LITTLE BIT AND THAT MEANS THE LIGHT DOESN'T GO OUT AS FAR.

SO JUST CHANGING THE BULBS, YOU'RE STILL GONNA HAVE THE SAME ADJUSTMENT, THE SAME CHARACTERISTICS, YOU'RE JUST GOING TO HAVE A MORE WHITISH OR BLUISH COLORED LIGHT.

SO DO YOUR RESEARCH BEFORE YOU SPEND MONEY ON AN UPGRADE KIT BECAUSE YOU MAY NOT BE HAPPY WITH THE RESULTS.

AND IF YOU HAVE A QUESTION OR COMMENT, DROP ME A LINE RIGHT HERE AT MOTORWEEK .

* John: YET ANOTHER LONG-TERM IS MAKING ITS FINAL TREK DOWN OUR DRIVEWAY.

THIS TIME IT'S OUR BMW X1, AND WE'LL MISS THIS ENTRY-LEVEL SPORTS ACTIVITY VEHICLE A LOT.

FINAL TALLIES ARE 25,179 MILES OVER 12 MONTHS, AVERAGING 28.8 MILES-PER-GALLON, WELL OVER THE GOVERNMENT'S COMBINED RATING OF 25.

THAT'S PERHAPS MOST SURPRISING AS WE WEREN'T ESPECIALLY GENTLE WITH IT, MOSTLY DRIVING IT THE WAY BMW INTENDED.

IT'S NOT THE BEST LOOKING UTILITY OUT THERE, AND THE INTERIOR IS CERTAINLY MORE BASIC THAN LUXURY; BUT WHEN IT COMES TO DRIVING, FEW CROSSOVERS CAN HANG WITH THE X1.

WE HAD NO MECHANICAL FAULTS, AND NO TRIPS TO THE DEALER THAT WEREN'T SCHEDULED MAINTENANCE RELATED; MAKING OUR TIME WITH THE X1 AS STRESS FREE AS IT WAS FUN.

WE'RE SAD TO SEE OUR X1 GO, BUT AS PROMISED A FEW WEEKS AGO, OUR NEW SUBARU CROSSTREK HAS JUST ARRIVED; WE'LL FIND OUT OVER THE NEXT YEAR IF WE LOVE IT AS MUCH AS THE ORIGINAL.

BUT BEFORE THAT, IT'S A LOOK AT THE VOLKSWAGEN BEETLE CONVERTIBLE ON OUR NEXT MOTORWEEK LONG-TERM ROAD TEST UPDATE!

John: THERE'S NOT TOO MUCH BETTER THAN A NEW CAR, AND A WIDE OPEN ROAD.

AND WE'VE GOT BOTH FOR THIS WEEK'S QUICK SPIN.

THE ALL-NEW 2019 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA MARKS A BIG STEP FORWARD FOR ONE OF VW'S BEST SELLERS.

17.5 MILLION HAVE BEEN SOLD WORLDWIDE SINCE 1979.

THE 7TH GEN JETTA GOES EVEN FURTHER TO SHAKE OFF THE BOXY "GOLF WITH A TRUNK" REPUTATION.

THE MODULAR YET STIFFER MQB ARCHITECTURE GETS A LOT OF THE CREDIT.

THE JETTA IS LONGER, WIDER AND TALLER, ALLOWING DESIGNERS TO CREATE A SLEEK COUPISH PROFILE.

THE FRONT FASCIA, WHILE CLEARLY VW, REFLECTS FUTURE ASPIRATIONS AS WELL.

ENGINEERS ADDED MORE GEARS, ONE MORE MAKES FOR A STANDARD 6-SPEED MANUAL.

TWO MORE FOR THE 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC, THAT HANDLES ITS DUTIES WITH EASE AND SEEMS WELL MATCHED WITH THE 1.4-LITER TURBOCHARGED IN-LINE FOUR PRODUCING 147-HORSEPOWER.

THE LOW END TORQUE IS VERY PLEASING AS WE PUSHED THE PEDAL HARD DURING OUR DRIVE IN NORTH CAROLINA.

INSIDE IS JETTA'S BIGGEST DEPARTURE FROM THE PAST.

FAR LESS CONSERVATIVE AND FAR MORE DRIVER CENTRIC WITH THE CENTER CONSOLE BIASED TOWARDS THE ONE BEHIND THE WHEEL.

YET FOR ALL THESE UPGRADES, A TORSION BEAM RETURNS TO THE REAR, WITH COIL SPRINGS AND TELESCOPIC DAMPERS.

WE'VE SEEN THAT BEFORE AND ON ANY OTHER CAR BUT A VW IT WOULD BE A TURNOFF.

THE CHALLENGE FOR VW IS CREATING A JETTA COMFORTABLE ENOUGH FOR AMERICANS...

WITHOUT LEAVING THE EUROPEAN DRIVING DYNAMICS BEHIND.

OUR FIRST IMPRESSION IS THEY'VE DONE JUST THAT.

THE 2019 VOLKSWAGEN JETTA GOES ON SALE THIS SPRING STARTING UNDER $19,000.

THE REDESIGNED 2019 TOYOTA AVALON IS STILL AN "ATTAINABLE PREMIUM" SEDAN, BUT AT A LOFTIER LEVEL AS CORPORATE COUSIN LEXUS MOVES UP MARKET.

NOW IN ITS 5TH GENERATION, TOYOTA'S FLAGSHIP ONCE AGAIN SHARES ITS CHASSIS WITH THE CAMRY, ONLY NOW IT'S TOYOTA'S NEW GLOBAL ARCHITECTURE.

THAT ADAPTABLE UNDERPINNING ALLOWS FOR A LONGER, WIDER YET LOWER AVALON.

MORE POWER IS SERVED UP BY A 210-HORSEPOWER 3.5-LITER V6, OR 215 HORSEPOWER HYBRID.

THE TRANSITION FROM THE ELECTRIC MOTOR TO THE 2.5-LITER I4 IS APPARENT, BUT NOT ABRUPT.

STILL THE V6 DELIVERS SMOOTHER POWER.

THE HYBRID WORKS WITH A CVT, A NEW 8-SPEED AUTOMATIC SEAMLESSLY SENDS THE RUSH FROM THE V6 TO THE FRONT WHEELS.

Garick Zikan: NO MATTER WHICH AVALON YOU DRIVE YOU GET A CHOICE OF DRIVE MODES: ECO, NORMAL, AND SPORT EVEN IN THE HYBRID.

THIS TOURING WE'RE NOW DRIVING BRINGS SPORT+ AND CUSTOM TO THE MIX.

GOING FROM NORMAL TO SPORT AND SPORT PLUS THERE'S A NOTICEABLE DIFFERENCE IN THE THROTTLE RESPONSE AND THE SHIFTS.

THE ADAPTIVE VARIABLE SUSPENSION THAT'S NOW STANDARD ON THIS TOURING AVALON FOR THE FIRST TIME ALSO BECOMES MORE DYNAMIC BUT THIS IS STILL A VERY COMFORTABLE RIDE.

John: A NEW MULTI-LINK REAR SUSPENSION ADDS TO THE PREMIUM RIDE TOO.

INSIDE THE QUIET CABIN, TECH NOW INCLUDES APPLE CARPLAY, AND TOYOTA REMOTE CONNECT WITH SMARTWATCH AND AMAZON ALEXA CONNECTIVITY.

SO THE 2019 TOYOTA AVALON STILL DELIVERS BIG-SEDAN COMFORT, BUT NOW WITH A LEXUS LOOK AND EVEN MORE AMENITIES.

ARRIVING AT DEALERS IN MAY THE PRICE STARTS AT JUST OVER $35,000.

AND WE'LL HAVE MORE QUICK SPINS SOON.

John: WE ALL KNOW THE LEXUS LS STORY.

NOT ONLY DID IT KICK OFF TOYOTA'S NEW LUXURY BRAND FOR 1990.

BUT IT USHERED IN AN ENTIRE NEW SEGMENT OF PRESTIGIOUS ASIAN-BUILT SEDANS.

WELL NOW A 5TH GENERATION LS ARRIVES TO TEMPT US WITH EVEN MORE LUXURY AND TECHNOLOGY.

MORE THAN WE'VE EVER SEEN BEFORE FROM A JAPANESE FLAGSHIP.

LOOKS LIKE WE'RE IN FOR A REAL TREAT!

* John: WHILE FOR THE MOST PART, LEXUS HAS BEEN ON A FULL COURT PRESS TO CHANGE THEIR STAID AND SOFT IMAGE OVER THE LAST FEW YEARS; WHEN IT COMES TO THE 2018 LS 500 SEDAN, THE MISSION IS A DIFFERENT ONE, CONVINCING PEOPLE TO BUY THE ALL-NEW 5TH GENERATION OF THEIR LUXURY FLAGSHIP SEDAN INSTEAD OF THE HIGH-ZOOT SUV THEY LIKELY CAME LOOKING FOR AT THE DEALERSHIP.

ONE THING THE LS CLEARLY HAS GOING FOR IT; IT REMAINS QUITE PLEASANT TO DRIVE, EVEN WITH THE IMPROVED DYNAMICS THAT COME FROM NOW RIDING ON A STRETCHED VERSION OF THE LC COUPE'S PLATFORM.

BUT AS IN MOST THINGS LEXUS, IT'S MOSTLY DUE TO ALL OF THE ELECTRONIC AIDS THAT ARE IN PLAY, MANY OF WHICH ARE INTEGRATED INTO THE VDIM, OR VEHICLE DYNAMICS INTEGRATED MANAGEMENT.

IT'S STILL A HEAVY BEAST, ABOUT 5,000 POUNDS DEPENDING ON FITMENT, BUT THE UPDATED ADAPTIVE VARIABLE SUSPENSION HELPS TO CONTROL THE TRANSFER OF IT.

CRUISING DOWN THE HIGHWAY, YOU'LL FIND EVERYTHING YOU EXPECT IN A LEXUS AND MORE, MEANING NEAR-TOTAL ISOLATION FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD AND OODLES OF LUXURY.

[ENGINE STARTS] MOST NOTABLY, THIS LS TRADES IN ITS V8 FOR A TWIN-TURBO V6.

BUT NOT TO WORRY, THE 3.4-LITER DELIVERS MORE POWER THAN THE V8, AND FEELS MUCH BETTER WHEN DELIVERING IT; AND THE MAJORITY OF THE LS OWNERS WILL NEVER LIFT THE HOOD ANYWAY TO KNOW THE DIFFERENCE.

HORSEPOWER IS NOW 416; TORQUE AT 442 POUND-FEET.

IT RUNS THROUGH A 10-SPEED AUTOMATIC TRANSMISSION FOR BOTH REAR AND ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE, AND WE FOUND ITS OPERATION VERY QUICK FOR A LUXURY RIDE.

AND SPEAKING OF QUICK, THE AVAILABLE F-SPORT PACKAGE PROVIDES THE BEST DRIVING EXPERIENCE, AND IT'S QUITE A GOOD ONE; THOUGH, YOU'RE NOT FOOLED INTO THINKING YOUR DRIVING SKILLS ARE DELIVERING THE MECHANICAL PRECISION.

IT'S MORE ALONG THE LINES OF, THE CAR KNOWS WHAT TO DO, SO JUST PUT THINGS INTO MOTION, AND ENJOY THE INCREASED CLIP THROUGH THE CORNER.

AND THINGS HELD UP REALLY WELL WHEN WE PUSHED EVEN HARDER AT OUR TEST TRACK.

DESPITE ITS HEFT AND LARGE FOOTPRINT, OUR ALL-WHEEL-DRIVER STAYED COMMENDABLY FLAT, AND PROCEEDS CONFIDENTLY WHEREVER YOU POINT IT.

KEEP IT POINTED STRAIGHT AND IT PULLS HARD AND RELENTLESSLY.

POWER BUILDS RAPIDLY RIGHT FROM THE GET GO, AND IT RIFLES THROUGH GEARS ALMOST AS QUICKLY.

WE HIT 60 IN JUST 5.2-SECONDS AND CLEARED THE QUARTER IN 13.6-SECONDS AT 103 MILES-PER-HOUR.

YEAH, YOU DEFINITELY WON'T MISS THE V8.

* WE'LL GO OUT ON A LIMB AND SAY YOU WON'T MISS THE PREVIOUS GEN'S BORING EXTERIOR EITHER.

THE NEW LS IS LONGER; BUT THERE ARE ALSO MORE SERIOUSLY SPORTY LINES TO GO ALONG WITH THOSE DYNAMIC CREDENTIALS.

THERE'S A COUPE-LIKE ROOF LINE NATURALLY, ALONG WITH EXAGGERATED FENDERS; AND WHETHER YOU LIKE OR NOT, THE FRONT END IS DOMINATED BY THEIR INFAMOUS SPINDLE GRILLE, WHICH WE THINK WORKS WELL HERE.

INSIDE, THINGS ARE NOT QUITE AS APPEALING AS THE LC COUPE.

THE LINEAR DASH IS HERE, ALONG WITH MANY UNIQUE SHAPES AND MATERIALS; BUT THE OVERALL THEME IS A LITTLE HARDER TO DETERMINE.

MATERIAL QUALITY IS QUITE GOOD, AS YOU'D EXPECT; BUT THERE ARE PUZZLING ASPECTS LIKE THE IMPRECISE AND FRUSTRATING TOUCH PANEL CONTROLLER, AND THE DIGITAL GAUGE CLUSTER THAT PROVIDES A WEALTH OF INFORMATION, YET SEEMS TO LEAVE A LOT OF EMPTY SPACE IN THE I.P.

GOVERNMENT FUEL ECONOMY RATINGS WITH ALL-WHEEL-DRIVE ARE 18-CITY, 27-HIGHWAY, AND 21-COMBINED, AND WE AVERAGED A FINE 23.9 MILES-PER-GALLON ON PREMIUM.

STILL, THAT'S A SLIGHTLY WORSE THAN AVERAGE ENERGY IMPACT SCORE OF 15.7-BARRELS OF YEARLY OIL USE, WITH CO2 EMISSIONS OF 6.9-TONS.

A HYBRID LS VERSION REMAINS AVAILABLE, AND WILL GET YOU UP TO 33-MPG IN THE CITY.

THE BIGGEST LS TRADITION OF ALL, IS OFFERING AN AMAZING AMOUNT OF LUXURY AND COMFORT FOR NOT A WHOLE LOT OF MONEY.

FORTUNATELY, THAT CONTINUES WITH BASE PRICING OF $75,995.

THE LS OF COURSE, LAUNCHED THE LEXUS BRAND, AND OVER THE LAST 28-YEARS, THEY'VE CERTAINLY GAINED GROUND ON THE GERMAN LUXURY BRANDS THEY WERE OH SO OBVIOUSLY COPYING.

BUT WITH THE 2018 LS 500, LEXUS SEEMS TO HAVE ABANDONED THAT APPROACH, NOW CARVING OUT A NICHE THAT IS ALL THEIR OWN MAKING.

WE APPLAUD THAT STRATEGY AND THINK IT WILL LEAD TO BIGGER THINGS FOR THE LS, AND LEXUS.

John: WELL THAT'S OUR SHOW, I HOPE YOU ENJOYED IT.

NOW FOR MORE MOTORWEEK ; INCLUDING DAILY NEWS UPDATES, PODCASTS, AND EVEN COMPLETE EPISODES, WHY NOT CRUISE ON OVER TO PBS.ORG/MOTORWEEK.

AND I HOPE YOU'LL JOIN US NEXT TIME, WHEN WE TEST THE ELECTRIFIED HYPE OF THE TESLA MODEL 3 AND A MID-SIZE UTILITY WRAPPED IN SWEDISH LUXURY, THE VOLVO XC60.

PAT GOSS WITH SLICK ADVICE ON KEEPING YOUR ENGINE HUMMING.

ZACH MASKELL SHOWS US BRITISH UTES BECOMING SOMETHING SPECIAL.

'TIL 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 MOTORWEEK HAS BEEN BROUGHT TO YOU BY... Announcer: YOU'RE SHOPPING FOR TIRES ONLINE AND YOU HAVE QUESTIONS.

Man 1: I DO.

Announcer: WE'RE TIRERACK.COM, AND WE HAVE ANSWERS AND TOOLS TO HELP.

Man 2: LIKE OUR TIRE DECISION GUIDE.

IT'S A... TAKE A LOOK.

Man 1: OH.

Announcer: TIRERACK.COM.

WEATHERTECH DIGITAL FIT FLOOR LINERS AND CARGO LINERS OFFER LASER MEASURED, DIGITAL FIT PROTECTION FOR YOUR VEHICLE'S FLOORS.

WEATHERTECH.

MADE IN AMERICA.

HUM IS THE CONNECTED CAR SYSTEM THAT ASSISTS AND EMPOWERS DRIVERS TO HELP THEM BE PREPARED FOR THE ROAD AHEAD, SO THEY CAN GET WHERE THEY'RE GOING.

ROCKAUTO HAS AUTO PARTS FROM HUNDREDS OF MANUFACTURERS, OFFERING A VARIETY OF BRANDS, PRICES AND SPECIFICATIONS.

ROCKAUTO.COM, ALL THE PARTS YOUR CAR WILL EVER NEED.

AUTOTEMPEST.COM, WHERE YOU CAN COMPARE USED CAR LISTINGS FROM SITES ACROSS THE WEB.

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[SOUND OF CAR ENGINE REVVING] *