The long awaited 2014 Lexus IS is gearing up to hit the dealers this summer and Lexus announced the pricing to start at $35,950, minus the $895 destination fee. That goes for the standard rear wheel drive version. There are tons of options though to make sure your Lexus is built precisely how you want it to be though, although the price goes up with everything you pick and choose through. For example, if you want that standard model to have all wheel drive, it will cost you $38,485.

Both the rear wheel drive and all wheel drive standard versions of the 2014 Lexus IS 2.5 liter V6 engine. That will give you 204 horsepower, which, while not as powerful as some of the other luxury sedans coming out isn’t screaming fast, it will get you where you want to go assertively enough. Now, if you want to make sure to get some additional power you can opt for the IS350. That model will give you a 3.5 liter V6 that has 306 horsepower. The cost for that is $39,465 for the rear wheel drive model and $14,800 for all wheel drive.

2014 Lexus IS Standard Features:

• HID headlamps
• LED daytime running lamps
• Dual zone climate control
• Drive Mode Select
• Paddle shifters
• Remote Touch Interface
• Display Audio
• Color 4.2 inch TFT multi-information display
• Ten airbags
• An all-new multimedia system  that delivers real-time traffic and weather information without a subscription.

There is also a Premium Package, Luxury Package and F Sport Trim Package you can add on and all sorts of other options that will help you create pretty much any type of luxury Lexus that you put your mind to. All the standard Lexus color options will be available as well including red, gray, black, silver and white.

The 2013 Lexus LS460 F-Sport AWD is about as brand new as you can get because it’s been almost completely refreshed. It had to be. This luxury sedan is going up against the likes of the world class, award winning Cadillac, Mercedes-Benz and BMW. You can’t forget the Audi A8 or the Jaguar XJ either. They are all vying for the Best Seller title and each one of them are serious about dominating the competition. Lexus has made sure that the LS460 F-Sport is a viable contender.

The engine in the 2013 Lexus LS460 F-Sport AWD is the same 4.6 liter V8 that shows up in the rear wheel drive, but it loses a little over 20 horses which really isn’t a big deal at all in the grand scheme of things. For the all wheel drive version you can expect 360 horsepower and 347 pound feet of torque and that power will give you an impressively assertive performance. In fact you have to be careful in this sedan because it is so smooth and quiet that you can quickly get into the higher 80 and 90 mile per hour range without even noticing it.

The interior of the 2013 Lexus LS460 F-Sport AWD has been refreshed, but isn’t quite as exciting as how the exterior was upgraded for a more powerful appearance. The interior is nice and comfortable, but is so understated that some critics are calling it “dull”. It has a nice 12.3 inch display that’s operated with the Lexus’ joy stick which is turning out to be a love or hate proposition for many drivers. The audio is fantastic though. There is a 19 speaker Mark Levinson audio system that will delight even the most hard core audiophile.

We find it doubtful that the 2013 Lexus LS460 F-Sport AWD will be able to take the crown from the Cadillac XTS, but it might just give it a little bit more run for the money. You can learn more in the video:

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The 2013 Ward’s 10 Best Interiors list was just released and it looks as if the Asian automakers get to do the Happy, Happy Joy dance for building what it takes to make the Top Ten. General Motors also seems to know what will keep drivers and passengers comfy and cozy for their drives as well in order to make the list. For drivers, it gives us something to keep in mind when we are wondering what the next best commuter vehicle will be to plant our butts in.

WardsAuto World Editor-in-Chief, Drew Winter, comments, “This year’s batch of winners really drives home the point that auto interiors are vital in the battle for consumers’ hearts and minds. It wasn’t uncommon all that long ago for auto makers to view interiors as the best place to take cost out of a vehicle program. They eventually figured out that’s a big mistake because people spend a lot more time looking at the inside of their car than the outside.”

The winners are determined by being time tested and driven during routine commutes and scored for “materials, ergonomics, comfort safety, value, fit-and-finish and overall design.” According to Ward’s Auto, they are also scored for how driver friendly they are to use in regard to using the technology and accessing vehicle information.

This year’s 2013 Ward’s 10 Best Interiors winners:

• Acura RDX – Honda Motor Co. Ltd.
• Cadillac XTS – General Motors Co.
• Chevrolet Spark – General Motors Co.
• Hyundai Santa Fe Sport – Hyundai Motor Co. Ltd.
• Kia Forte – Kia Motors Corp.
• Lexus GS 450h – Toyota Motor Corp.
• Mazda6 – Mazda Motor Corp.
• Nissan Pathfinder – Nissan Motor Co. Ltd.
• Ram 1500 Laramie Longhorn – Chrysler Group LLC
• Toyota Avalon – Toyota Motor Corp.

The 2013 Lexus GS450h is surprisingly is one of the highest performing sedans in the new Lexus lineup. For a hybrid, that is a pretty impressive feat to accomplish. Whether it’s the fact that hybrid technology is finally starting to grow up, or that the engineers worked some extra type of magic, this is a hybrid that you won’t be able to tell is anything other than pure luxury. From the whisper quiet drive, to the assertive handling, this Lexus is a dreamboat.

Lift the hood of the 2013 Lexus GS450h and you’ll find an Atkinson 3.5 liter V6 teamed up with a water cooled electric motor. This pair will work separately and together to give you a more than pleasant 338 horsepower. That is broken down into 286 horsepower and 254 pound feet of torque coming out of the direct engine engine, and the electric engine that will give you 200 horsepower when it’s running on its own, which isn’t bad in the side by side comparison of other hybrid sedans. That will play out to about 29 city miles per gallon and 34 for the highway. Combined Eco mode will bring you about 30 combined miles per hour. All that and you can still go from 0 to 60 in about 5.6 seconds.

While you wrap your head around the performance, you can’t forget that the 2013 Lexus GS450h is built for luxury and that is something you’ll realize instantly when you find yourself in the driver’s seat.  The spacious cabin is elegant with matte bamboo trim, carpeted door panels and dash and aluminum accents. Or course the touchscreen infotainment center and Remote Touch center console mounted mouse and button system is cutting edge technology as you would expect.

Overall, the 2013 Lexus GS450h is a great car for those who want to drive large and in charge. You can check out the video for more details:

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You haven’t driven a Lexus until you drive a 2013 Lexus ES300h. This popular sedan has been given the whole makeover by Lexus and is the first hybrid coming out for this collection of luxury liners. Since the last versions of this model have proven to remain tops in sales for the Lexus brand, they are confident that the reworked ES300h is going to be the icing on the cake, especially for those who are looking for a gas and electric powered high quality ride to drive home every day.

The 2013 Lexus ES300h shares its underpinning with the Toyota Avalon and that required creating a bit longer version for the ES300h, not that anyone is complaining. There is a sleek elegant quality that comes with the additional length that is sure to be a head turner. While the underpinnings came from the Avalon, the Hybrid Synergy Drive system came from the Toyota Camry Hybrid version. So what you can expect is a 2.5 Atkinson cycle engine and electric motor that will give you 200 horsepower. While that isn’t smoking hot, it offers an assertive drive. Plus, you get to enjoy fuel efficiency ratings that work out to around 40 city miles per gallon and 39 highway miles per gallon. For this you give up a little of the smoothness that you are used to in non-hybrid Lexus versions, but who cares when you can save the cash at the fuel pumps?

The interior of the 2013 Lexus ES300h is super comfortable as you would expect from a Lexus, but the center console just looks unfortunate with too many cutlines that show the assembly instead of a nice smooth console to match the nice smooth stylings throughout the rest of the car. If they can fix that up a little bit and create a more streamlined feel to the additional tech options, Lexus just might have a new best seller.

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It wasn’t that long ago that Lexus fans were getting all hot and bothered about the 2012 Lexus GS model. Even the critics were all warm and fuzzy about the GS with comments about how it was everything wonderful and possibly the best Lexus sedan to come out in quite some time. Of course that’s old news today and Lexus is stating that the GS was designed in order for them to make an even more perfect sedan, hence, the 2014 Lexus IS. Of course this car is still under heavy wraps, and doesn’t that build anticipation? Of course it is Lexus though, so we can expect that they are stating the truth when they say their priority is to build the perfect mobile product for their drivers to have performance and luxury that pushes the envelope in “best in class”.

Of course, and as with any automaker they are going to be hard pressed to gain the edge on their competition, especially when the competition comes from world class automakers such as BMW. The Lexus GS failed to compete with the BMW 3 Series and while the 2014 Lexus IS promises to close the gap, the BMW 3 Series is going by way of the dinosaur with the making of the BMW 4 Series which all ready promises to eclipse the 3 Series in owner satisfaction. It will be interesting to see how Lexus chooses to compete with that, or how possible it even is.

The power information about the 2014 Lexus IS isn’t being released at this time, but a few who have been able to sneak a preliminary test drive state that it sounds faster than it actually is. Of course it’s not game day yet, so Lexus may pull out some last minute surprises in regard to exactly what will be going on under the hood.