Lexus UX 250 & 2024 Ford Mustang

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

We'll spend drive-time in a pony car reimagined, the new Ford Mustang... Then, it's a black trim affair on "Your Drive."

We'll celebrate the 75th anniversary of a rare post-war Torpedo...

Closing out with a small but spiffy new Ute, the Lexus UX 250h...

So, come drive with us, next!

Closed Captioning provided by Maryland Public Television.

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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: By now you no doubt have heard the great news, that there's an all-new Ford Mustang for the 2024 model year.

And while a new 'Stang usually means more style and definitely more power, let's see what Ford has delivered with the 7th generation of America's original pony car!

♪ ♪ (tires screeching) The all-new 2024 Ford Mustang is hitting the streets and we're just back from Southern California where we got plenty of saddle time to give you the low down.

Part of the Mustang's appeal has always revolved around its everyday usability, not just muscle car performance.

Which means you can buy anything from a base 'Stang to the ultimate GT and have crazy amounts of fun with it on back roads.

Yet, still have plenty of comfort, space, not to mention tech, to make it great on date night, and even run a few errands.

So, as before, base models will come with a turbo-4, and GT's pack a V8.

We got to spend quality time in both.

GREG CARLOSS: This is the GT Coupe which is the V8; this is the Mustang that everybody thinks of... JESSICA RAY: Yeah!

GREG: ...a V8 engine now up to, up to 486 horsepower, still, out of a 5.0 liter but Ford is saying it's an all-new engine, they're calling it an all-new engine and it's naturally aspirated, so it's just beautifully linear.

JOHN: This new generation of Coyote V8 is still one of the best-sounding 8-cylinders out there, even if it is enhanced.

It now delivers up to 418 pound-feet of torque with an active exhaust, thanks to increased airflow and upgraded dual throttle bodies.

The 2.3 liter EcoBoost returns as well, but is also updated, delivering five additional standard horsepower at 315, along with 350 pound-feet of torque.

If, like us, you still prefer the manual, good news, the rev-matching 6-speed returns, bad news, it's now only available in the GT, the EcoBoost going 10-speed automatic only.

There are six drive modes that adjust power delivery, suspension settings, stability control, and steering response; along with shift times for the automatic.

Performance Pack is available with either engine, and includes a shock tower brace, limited slip rear, wider wheels, and bigger brakes, as well as a Performance Electronic Parking Brake.

JESSICA RAY: And I had the EcoBoost to test out arguably one of the coolest new features on the new Mustang, the electronic drift brake.

Ford had a small course set up for us to test it out; it's super simple to use, no buttons, just pull up and hold to engage the brake and lock the rear wheels.

It wasn't long before I got the hang of things, and drifting was a breeze.

JOHN: While, this is a new generation of Mustang, it rides on an updated version of the previous chassis; and the ride remains firm but far from abusive and seems just about right for a Mustang; but as we found out, this is surely not the same old 'Stang.

The cockpit is supposedly inspired by jet fighters, but something tells me American's finest pilots don't get this much screen time, with a highly configurable 12.4 inch digital instrument cluster flowing seamlessly into a 13.2 inch central screen.

A convertible remains available right from the get-go, and fans will find improved one-touch top activation, and more compact storage of the fabric top to maximize trunk space.

It all works well with the Mustang's overall sharper demeanor and carved up look.

More prominent hips are in place to further accentuate the wide stance.

And of course, front and rear lights, love 'em or hate 'em, come in the power of 3.

For this generation there's a bit more distinction between base EcoBoost and GT models, with unique fascias and hood; wheel sizes ranging from 17 to 20 inches.

Government Fuel Economy Ratings for the EcoBoost 4 are 22-City, 33-Highway, and 26-Combined; the manual GT V8 at 14-City, 23-Highway, and 17-Combined.

Pricing starts with a base Coupe at $32,515, ranging to GT Premium at $48,610.

The Ford Mustang has existed for 60 years now, and for 2024, it's the last actual car remaining in Ford's lineup.

Truth be told we weren't sure exactly what we'd get, after Mustang went all-electric SUV with the Mach E. But it turns out we got a real deal rear-wheel-drive 2-door pony car packed with performance, muscle car style, and modern tech.

It's clear it is a better Mustang, and the best yet!

♪ ♪ JESSICA: Did you know...that while modern vehicles are more durable than ever, mostly gas-powered cars still have a suggested break-in period?

Usually during the first 1,500 miles you put on the odometer, manufacturers will recommend to avoid driving at high speeds, heavy braking, not to exceed certain RPMs or tow anything, and mostly just to take it easy.

This is typically done to protect the drivetrain, and extend the life of your engine.

So, make sure to consult your owner's manual before you go zipping off the dealer lot!

♪ ♪ JOHN: 2023 marks the 75th Anniversary of one of the most iconic, and rarest, automobiles of the 20th Century, the Tucker Torpedo.

Now, Preston Tucker's descendants are celebrating the milestone in many different ways, including dreaming of what might have been.

Stephanie Hart tells us more.

♪ ♪ STEPHANIE HART: Meet Tucker Number 44.

One of only 50 Tucker Torpedo's produced by automotive entrepreneur Preston Tucker in 1948.

This innovative design, known internally as Tucker Model 48, was advertised as the first modern car in post-World War II.

PRESTON TUCKER: This is our new automobile, the first completely new car in 50 years STEPHANIE: Seventy-five years later, we're taking it out for a drive.

A Franklin helicopter engine is powering this rare car worth 3-million dollars.

It's pretty surreal to be in Tucker 44 cruising around Morganville, NJ.

I'm here with Preston Tucker's great grandson Sean Tucker.

Sean, you tell me this car is pretty difficult to drive, not that easy.

I asked to drive it, but no.

SEAN TUCKER: (laughs) It can be a little nuanced, if you have never driven a Tucker.

STEPHANIE: Blame that on its pre-selector shifting system which adds to driving anxiety behind this one of a kind Tucker.

SEAN: It's an honor, but in the moment you're really more just nervous (laughs) more than anything else.

STEPHANIE: In 2017, car collector Howard Kroplick bought it at auction.

It was his dream to own a Tucker.

HOWARD KROPLICK: I buy these cars, really, to expose people to the history of the car.

And this car, when you bring it onto a field, the looks are amazing.

You know, that-- "Wow, what is that car?"

STEPHANIE: There are no seatbelts in this car, so if we were in an accident what would I do?

SEAN: (laughs) Well, there is a crash compartment that's in front of you.

And this is-- this is one of the Tucker safety features, but the idea is that you would see an oncoming, you know, accident about to happen and you would dive into this chamber that's in front of you and in an accident it would protect you.

STEPHANIE: Your reflexes would have to be almost supernatural.

Some of the safety features are a little hokey, but make you think.

Others set the standard for today's automobiles.

Innovations such as aerodynamic styling.

When Howard bought Tucker Number 44, it needed a full restoration.

He teamed up with the Tucker twins and restoration expert, Rob Ida, to restore Tucker 44 in only eight months just in time for Pebble Beach.

ROB IDA: Usually, when we restore an old car, we're dealing with rust or damage and its usually a condition problem.

With a Tucker it's more of a build quality problem.

MIKE TUCKER: It took hours and hours and hours of research trying to figure out exactly what are we restoring back to and, when those parts weren't available, could we find them?

And if we couldn't, that's when my brother would get involved and we would make them.

STEPHANIE: Using old blueprints, the Tucker team produced the most accurate Tucker in existence today, Tucker number 44.

It was awarded "Second in Class" at the 2018 Pebble Beach Tour d'Elegance.

From the beginning, the Tucker brand was more than just cars.

It was about daring to dream and pushing the boundaries of what was possible.

Seventy-five years later, the Tucker team is fully embracing that mantra by tackling two new big projects: A full-on restoration of Tucker Number 29 which was Preston Tucker's personal test car.

While simultaneously, using old renderings from 1955 to build the first Tucker sports car, the Carioca!

It was Preston Tucker's dream to create a unique sports car with steerable fenders!

A dream that is still very much alive today!

JOHN: Making a car shine like new isn't just about buffing the paint or applying a fresh coat of wax.

It's the little things that can make all the difference, so Dan Maffett stopped by to show us how to make that faded black trim look factory fresh in MotorWeek's "Your Drive!"

♪ ♪ DAN MAFFETT: Any automotive owner that has plastic trim on their car knows that it can be the bane of your existence.

When it sits in the sun, the sun can bake the plastic and turn it colors.

It can go grey, it can even, like this vehicle, pick up tones of that paint onto the plastic and dye the plastic, but it never looks good.

There's a lot of options out there - some snake oil, some real stuff-- about how you can wipe things on it, make it new and never have to touch it again.

It's kinda far from the truth.

There's several options out there.

You have something that's kind of a topical spray, something like this.

You spray it on, it's essentially a tire dressing, a plastic dressing.

You put it on, you wipe it off, and you're good to go.

You just have to apply it pretty regularly, every time you wash the vehicle.

You have something like this which would be a ceramic.

It's going to last a little longer, but it's a little more process-heavy to apply.

But, not having to do it every time you wash the car, might be worth it.

You have some of these high-condensed oils like this as well, which a small bottle like this could set you back $30, $40.

But, it's very potent, it works quick, it just doesn't last a very long time.

The only permanent solution you have is something like this.

This is a trim black.

You either take the plastic off the vehicle, prep it and paint it like you would a normal fender, or you can mask it on the vehicle, spray it, and it gives you that true black factory finish.

But, it is process-heavy.

You have to mask.

You have to make sure you don't get anything on your paint, and if you do it right, this will last you a long time.

We're going to go through some of these and demo how they might work, and you can see some of the results for yourself.

We're gonna start with this tire spray.

This is a trim and tire coating.

This is the easiest thing to apply, so we're going to start with that.

You just spray it on as if you are painting the fender.

And it's paint safe, so you don't have to worry about it getting on the finish.

And then, you just go through and wipe it across, take off any extra.

And this is gonna add all that hydration back into that panel that the sun took from it.

Now that you've seen the easy one, we'll jump over to the more difficult one.

This paint, you're going to have to just clean the surface really good.

I'm going to actually put a piece of tape down the front, so that you can see the before and after.

(sound of ripping tape) Tape is a lot cheaper than paint, so don't be afraid to use it.

(spraying paint sound) I'm going to let that tack and we'll put a second coat on top in just a second.

Alright, so now you see our first coat is nice and tacked up, it looks kind of satin.

You can go ahead and put a nice even second coat on there.

(spraying paint sound) As you can see, painting the trim gives you that factory-new look with just a little bit of work.

If you don't mind a little bit of elbow grease now and then, you can use the spray dressing and it gives you a very good look as well, but a lot of maintenance.

So, if you have any questions or comments, hit us up, right here at MotorWeek .

JOHN: From First Drives to refreshed rides, we all love going for another QuickSpin!

♪ ♪ GREG CARLOSS: When you think hybrid, you probably don't think Italian super car.

And you certainly don't think high-performance V12.

Well, after this QuickSpin, that will certainly change.

This is the 2024 Lamborghini Revuelto, the latest supercar to wear the badge of the bull, and what better place to wring it out than Italy's Vallelunga Circuit?

The name "Revuelto" is both a callback to a famous fighting bull and translates to "mixed," or "rebel," describing the plug-in hybrid powertrain.

The headlining act is 6.5 liter naturally aspirated V12, backed up by three electric motors, one on each front wheel, with the third built into the 8-speed dual-clutch transmission.

The 3.8 kilowatt hour battery is neatly tucked away in the central tunnel.

EV Range?

Only about 6.0 miles, but who's counting?

Combined, this all-wheel-drive system puts down an astounding 1,001 horsepower.

The V12 alone outputs 534 pound-feet of torque, while each front motor adds an additional 258.

It adds up to 0-to-60 sprints under 2.5 seconds, able to hit a top speed north of 217 miles per hour.

But it's more than straight-line performance.

DAVE SCRIVENER: This car is light and it drives much smaller than it actually is.

The steering is great and very receptive, you don't notice so much when the motors kick in to help the V12, it's a very seamless operation.

It's all made to make the car go as fast as possible at all times and it really works well.

GREG: As powerful as it is light, the Revuelto uses a carbon composite monofuselage chassis, stiffer and lighter than the Aventador.

It's covered by an aggressively efficient design and various active aero elements.

The 2024 Revuelto is an epic rewriting of Lamborghini's V12 formula, and although the first two production years are already sold, there should be plenty more chances to buy one on the way... if you can muster the $600,000 entrance fee.

JESSICA: It's taken until 2024 for Subaru to produce a Crosstrek Wilderness, but as we discovered during our First Drive through Utah's majestic Zion National Park, it was worth the wait.

The Wilderness shares quite a bit with its tamer Crosstrek siblings, of course.

It borrows the 2.5 liter Boxer 4-cylinder from the Sport and Limited trims, still producing 182 horsepower and 178 pound-feet of torque.

Power is still sent to a standard all-wheel-drive system through a Lineartronic CVT automatic, but now tweaked for better off-road performance.

The differential gear ratio has been revised, and the 4.11 final drive ratio improves climbing.

Towing is also up to 3,500 pounds, 2,000 pounds more than other Crosstrek's, and perfect for weekend getaways with pop-up campers.

STEVEN TRUANT: So, if you're looking to find a new adventure, a Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness is definitely going to wind up taking you there.

Definitely don't expect to be crawling through any sort of major terrain, like rock crawling is definitely not going to be this vehicle's strong suit, but what will be your strong suit is going through some snow, some dirt, mud.

But not only that while you're on the highway making your daily commutes, you're going to have more than a comfortable ride to get you there.

JESSICA: Other defining traits include 9.3 inches of ground clearance, up from the standard 8.7 inches.

Vehicle meets dirt via Geolander all-terrain tires wrapping matte black 17 inch wheels.

And expect unique bumpers, extra body cladding and copper-colored accents.

Inside, water-resistant StarTex material upholsters the cabin, joined by copper accents and top-trim Crosstrek amenities; namely, an 11.6 inch Starlink infotainment system.

The 2024 Subaru Crosstrek Wilderness starts around $33,000, making it just a grand more than the Crosstrek Limited.

We look forward to spending more time with this adventurous crossover and bringing you more QuickSpins...soon!

JOHN: Entry-level models are always tough for luxury brands to pull off well.

You can't deliver the full experience, but you have to give buyers enough of a taste so they'll eventually trade up for more.

Well...one marque, Lexus, has been very successful at doing just that, and this week-- we look at their latest starter SUV, the UX.

♪ ♪ This Lexus UX arrived for 2019 as the brand's smallest SUV yet.

Priced in the mid-30s, it delivered a heck of a lot of the Lexus experience for a modest amount of money.

And with capable handling, easy maneuvering, and thoughtful features, it was an affordable entry-level luxury Ute that was easy to love.

For 2023, Lexus makes this little premium runabout even better.

For starters, the UX is strictly hybrid now as the previously standard naturally aspirated 2.0 liter is no more.

And while the Hybrid used to be exclusively all-wheel-drive, Lexus has now made a front-drive version available with AWD an option.

Lexus Hybrid Drive pairs two electric motors to a 2.0 liter I4 for a total combined output of 181 horsepower.

All-wheel-drive versions add an additional motor in back to drive the rear wheels.

Front-wheel-drive versions get an improved Government Fuel Economy Rating of 43-City, 41-Highway, and 42-Combined; all-wheel-drive versions remain 41-City, 38-Highway, and 39-Combined.

We averaged 39.9 miles per gallon of Regular in our all-wheel-drive tester.

That's a much better than average Energy Impact Score of 7.6 Barrels of Oil consumed yearly with 3.7 Tons of CO2 Emissions.

If there was any shortfall of the original UX, it was that it was a tad noisier, with perhaps not quite as refined a ride as what we were used to from Lexus.

Well, for '23, they have enhanced the body structure with more welds, and quieted down road noise with new tires.

One thing that didn't need changing is that its small size makes it a real joy to whip in and out of traffic... ...or the cones of our handling course at Mason Dixon Dragway, stopping just short of sport sedan territory with quick steering and excellent feedback.

Overall, handling is very neutral, with minimal body roll, and it seems to know where you want to go before you move the steering wheel.

That's courtesy of the F Sport Handling package which adds an Active Variable Suspension with performance dampers, as well as additional bracing for the steering system.

On the acceleration front, there's a nice little jump off the line, but economy is definitely the priority, with a slow and steady trek to 60 of 8.1 seconds; though that is 2/10ths quicker than the Hybrid we tested in 2019.

No fake CVT shifting, just consistent high-revving throughout the quarter-mile; though there are paddle shifters on the wheel to select through 10 simulated gears, if you choose.

Our best time was 16.2 seconds at 87 miles per hour.

A good firm pedal and ample feedback made panic braking above par for a luxury utility.

Some nosedive, but stops of 115 feet from 60 miles per hour were stable and consistent.

Despite being the brand's entry-level SUV, it doesn't look much like a traditional utility vehicle, appearing more like a sleek overachieving hatchback, especially with F Sport Design upgrades.

Visibility is somewhat compromised by the minimal greenhouse, but that's what we have cameras and sensors for these days.

With the F Sport Handling Package's heavily bolstered sport seats, the front cabin experience is not quite the plush high-end Lexus we're used to either.

Still, we loved it.

Granted, rear seat room is really only adequate for pre-teens; but the total interior experience is well above typical entry-level expectations.

Thankfully, the UX joins the rest of the Lexus lineup in eliminating the frustrating Remote Touch Interface and upgrading to a touchscreen in standard 8.0 or optional 12.3 inch sizes.

Pricing starts at $36,490 and reaches $43,920 with F Sport Handling.

All-wheel-drive is now a $1,400 option with all trims.

While, it's an even better gateway into the Lexus SUV family than before, with its considerably handling performance and hatchback vibe, it does seem to be more of a global or urban effort than one designed for wide-open American highways.

But that's okay with us too.

The Lexus UX is a fun little utility with great fuel economy, and just enough of the Lexus treatment to make you want to come back...and step up for more.

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!

As we take the measure of an overhauled midsize pickup, the Chevrolet Colorado.

Then, test a compact with bigger ambitions, the Toyota Corolla Cross.

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... MotorWeek is proudly sponsored by Auto Value and Bumper to Bumper, a nationwide network of stores and shops providing major brand auto and truck parts, and service from coast to coast, and in your local community.

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 TireRack."

Forty years later, we're not slowing down.

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

(engine revving) ♪ ♪ You're watching PBS.