The Wall Street Journals Joseph B. White says that he is planning a road trip this Labor Day weekend, along with as many as 34.4 million of his fellow Americans. He just hopes he can get out of town. Thanks in part to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act, he will have to dodge orange and white highway construction barrels no matter where he goes. Roads and bridges need to be rebuilt and repaired, and in many parts of the country summer is the best time to get the work done. This year, the normal hassles of dodging construction delays have been exacerbated by some 12,000 or more highway projects funded by the federal stimulus program. Click here to see which metropolitan areas should expect to see the worst congestion due to the number of construction projects on their roads. In addition to the road construction, more travelers will be on the road, too. Compared with 2009, when the recession-era travel buzz word was “staycation,” the number of people taking a significant trip this weekend is expected to be up nearly 10 percent. Planning to roadtrip it this holiday weekend? Click here to check out White’s take on what you can expect from roadway projects across the country.
McGrath Lexus Chicago BlogJust another WordPress weblog
Posts Tagged ‘Chicago Lexus’A Slower Labor Day Road TripWednesday, September 1st, 2010Lexus Eco Challenge Makes An International ImpactTuesday, August 31st, 2010Lexus and Scholastic Launch Fourth Annual Environmental Contest with $500,000 in Grants and Scholarships to be Awarded TORRANCE, Calif., August 31, 2010 – The Lexus Eco Challenge has inspired and empowered more than 15,000 middle and high school students to learn about the environment and take action to improve it. This fall, students are invited to participate in the fourth annual Lexus Eco Challenge for a chance to win part of $500,000 in grants and scholarships. Lexus, the luxury automaker, has once again joined with Scholastic, the global children’s publishing, education and media company, to create the eco-friendly educational school program. “The Lexus Eco Challenge has helped change the way I teach,” said Debbie Viertel, a teacher from Lawton Chiles Middle School in Lakeland, Fla. “By giving my students a real-world challenge, they come up with something they care about. Then they learn all the things I want them to learn in math and science, but the difference is that now they care. It’s a wonderful program.” Last year’s grand-prize-winning high school team set a new standard when they reached beyond the border and focused their project on helping Haiti. Not only did they build a solar-powered biodiesel production system, they worked with representatives from a school in Haiti to plant a Jatropha Farm to grow seeds that generate oil for the biodiesel system. In addition to giving the biodiesel system to the Haitian school, they also arranged for solar panels to be donated and installed at the school. “The students at Mother McAuley High School really captured the spirit of the Lexus Eco Challenge,” said Mark Templin, Lexus group vice president and general manager. “When we launched this initiative in 2007, we wanted to see it grow and expand to make a positive impact all around the world. Every year, we see more innovation, more creativity and more passion from the students and their teachers. We can’t wait to see what the teams do this year.” The Challenge has two distinct elements: For each of the challenges, teams will define an environmental issue that is important to them, develop an action plan to address the issue, implement the plan, and report the results. Submission deadlines are: Challenge #1 (Land/Water) – Nov. 3, 2010 and Challenge #2 (Air/Climate) – Jan. 19, 2011. Each of the challenges will have 16 winning teams – eight middle school and eight high school teams. The winning teams will each receive a total of $10,000 in scholarships and grants to be shared among the students, teacher and school. In addition, the winning action plans will be featured on a special Web page to inspire other students to take action in their communities. Throughout the challenges, students and teachers can ask questions and compare notes through a new blog featured on the Lexus Eco Challenge website. In mid-February, the winning teams from the first two challenges will be invited to participate in the Final Challenge. Teams will be asked to reach beyond the local community and inspire environmental action around the world through innovative ideas that are communicated to a wide audience. From the Final Challenge entries, eight first-place teams and two grand-prize-winning teams will be selected. Each of the eight first-place teams will receive a total of $15,000 in grants and scholarships, and the two grand-prize-winning teams will each receive $30,000. The money will be shared by the students, their teacher advisors and their schools. Judging Criteria NO PURCHASE NECESSARY. Void where prohibited. Full program information including rules and entry details can be viewed at www.scholastic.com/lexus. Teaching Tools for the Classroom In addition to providing teachers with the information necessary to participate in the challenges, the website (www.scholastic.com/lexus) also has extensive tools for them to use in their classrooms. For each challenge, the website has lesson plans and teacher instructions including questions to help guide a discussion about the current challenge topic, facts about the topic, and guidelines for a specific classroom project. Lexus’ Environmental Efforts The Lexus Eco Challenge is part of The Lexus Pursuit of Potential, a philanthropic initiative that generates up to $3 million in donations each year for organizations that help build, shape and improve children’s lives. # # # Media Contact: Toyota Plans 5 Million Cumulative Hybrid Sales by 2015Saturday, August 28th, 2010Toyota Motor Corp. said it wants to reach cumulative sales of 5 million hybrid vehicles in the early part of this decade. Automotive News reports that Toyota, the pioneer in gasoline/electric hybrid vehicles, said earlier this month it had sold more than 2.68 million hybrid vehicles globally since it launched the first model in 1997. The best selling Prius and other models have received a boost in Japan especially in the last year thanks to government subsidies that favor hybrids over other fuel-efficient cars. Toyota has a goal of selling at least 1 million hybrid vehicles a year in the early part of this decade, and plans to introduce a hybrid option across its whole lineup as early as possible in the 2020s. Under a five-year environmental action plan to run through 2015 and released on Wednesday, the world’s biggest automaker also said it would improve its vehicles average fuel efficiency in all regions by 25 percent compared with 2005 levels. According to Finchannel.com, the plan is based on Toyota’s environmental principles of contributing to the growth of a sustainable society and earth through manufacturing that is in harmony with the environment, making cars, and offering quality products and services. 20,000 Lexus customers offer feedbackFriday, August 20th, 2010Mark Rechtin LOS ANGELES — About 20,000 customers have signed up for the Lexus Advisory Board, an initiative launched in spring to survey Lexus owners about the brand and its products. Lexus is still getting the feel for the research tool, (lexusadvisoryboard.com). So far one questionnaire focused on owners’ interaction with social media and another involved their relationships with technology. Upcoming surveys will affect product plans, says Deborah Senior, Lexus corporate manager of marketing strategy and communications. Having just turned 20, and with an aging boomer owner base, Lexus is battling to hold its sales lead over Mercedes-Benz and BMW. Customer feedback may help. In building its survey base, Lexus wanted a broad range of demographics, psychographics and vehicle ownership. New members will be added as new vehicles are launched, Senior says. “This is a great way of listening to customers,” she says. Lexus has dangled the carrot of one $500 cash card and two $250 cash cards as monthly prizes for participants. Of course, some people say there can be too much market research. After all, Giorgio Armani doesn’t ask what kind of suit a customer wants next time around. Senior doesn’t entirely agree: “We can use this information in combination with information from other resources to develop future plans. Everything from products to the customer’s relationship with the dealer to the ownership experience to how we communicate with them.” Summer Driving TipsFriday, July 30th, 2010From extreme heat to sudden downpours, driving during the summer is not without its own special set of challenges. Follow these helpful tips to ensure you have a safe summer driving season. Check your fluids. Heat can really stress out an engine. To reduce how hard your engine works on hot days, have McGrath Lexus of Chicago change your oil, and check your transmission fluid and engine coolant before the summer heat sets in. Check your tires. If you use winter tires, switch to summer or all-season tires. Winter tires wear out quickly on hot, dry pavement. Also, make sure your tires are properly inflated, which increases fuel economy and tire longevity. Watch the temperature gauge. If your car’s temperature gauge starts to rise, turn on the heater. While the passenger compartment may get pretty warm, diverting heat away from the engine can prevent your car from overheating, possibly saving the engine. Don’t overload your car. When packing for an extended summer road trip, know your vehicle’s weight load limit. An overloaded vehicle can be difficult to stop, especially on wet pavement. In addition, the added stress makes the engine more susceptible to overheating. Refer to your owner’s manual for your vehicle’s weight load limit. Speedy Lexus IS F Will Not be a Sleeper for LongWednesday, July 14th, 2010The 2010 Lexus IS F remains a sleeper, writes Scott Burgess at The Detroit News. Not because it cannot blow the doors off most sport sedans. It can. But it is a sleeper because it is still very early in its life, and no one associates Toyota Motor Corp. luxury brand with a true performance brand: They should. In fact, it’s an absolute hoot to drive. Click here for a photo. The first performance Lexus, introduced in 2008, is surgical in its precision. Every detail feels exact and plush. For this model year, Lexus has even bumped up its offerings, including things like the first direct shift eight-speed automatic, a Torsen limited slip differential, and connectivity for the driver’s iPod or other personal music device. The additions improve the car’s capabilities and its user friendliness, which make them exactly the kinds of things you want to add. Burgess says his Matador Red test vehicle might as well have come with neon signs that screamed, “Pull me over, officer,” as this car looks almost as fast as it goes. The IS F may be a sleeper right now. But eventually people will learn. They always do. Click here to read Burgess’ entire review of the Lexus IS F. Lexus Earns Three Segment Awards in J.D. Power and Associates 2010 Initial Quality StudySaturday, June 19th, 2010Lexus Ties for Most Segment Awards of Any Nameplate TORRANCE, Calif., June 17, 2010 — Toyota Motor Sales (TMS), U.S.A., Inc., today announced that its Toyota, Lexus and Scion brands received a combined six segment awards in the 2010 J.D. Power and Associates Initial Quality Study (IQS), more than any other manufacturer. “We are very pleased to have earned the six segment awards and by the strong showing of our Lexus brand in the 2010 IQS,” said Jim Lentz, president and chief operating officer, TMS. “However, the 2010 study was conducted at the height of intense media coverage of Toyota’s and Lexus’ recalls earlier this year, so we anticipated an impact on this specific ranking of these vehicles.” Lentz continued: “The IQS 90-day feedback is one measurement – along with warranty claims, long-term durability, resale value and buyer loyalty – that helps us gauge the overall quality of our products. We stand behind our strong performance in these and other areas and remain firmly committed to ensuring the superior quality, safety and long-term value of our cars and trucks.” Lexus LS Shows Fewest Quality Problems in the Industry Lexus also captured three segment awards to tie for the most awards of any nameplate in this year’s study. These include the Lexus GS for Midsize Premium Car, the Lexus GX 460 for Midsize Premium Crossover/SUV, and the Lexus LS 460 for Large Premium Car. This is the third year in a row that the LS had placed first in its segment and the 10th time in 13 years that the LS has been at the top of its segment. Production Facilities Earn Top Honors For the North and South America region, the Cambridge, Ontario, Canada, plant (RX 350) earned a Gold Award with 30 PP100. Toyota Segment Awards Chart Model IQS Segment Problems per 100 Two Lexus Models Make List of Consumers Top Rated VehiclesThursday, June 10th, 2010Edmunds.com, the automotive information service, announced Wednesday that Toyota and Lexus have three vehicles on the Edmunds.com 2010 list of Consumers Top Rated Vehicles. These awards recognize the vehicles that actual owners rate the highest, Edmunds.com noted. The vehicles honored are the Toyota Highlander and Lexus IS 350C and ES 350. The Edmunds.com recognition came one day after the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) named three Toyota vehicles – the 2011 Sienna and Avalon and the 2010 Lexus RX – as Top Safety Picks for 2010. For more information on Edmunds.com’s Consumers’ Top Rated Awards, please visit http://www.edmunds.com/help/about/press/163527/article.html. Lexus LFA Supercar Adds Perfect Pitch to Its Legendary Pursuit of PerfectionFriday, June 4th, 2010In a feat reserved for virtuoso performers no CGI, no camera tricks, a new commercial shows the Lexus LFA supercar elegantly shattering a crystal champagne flute in glorious slow motion using nothing but the unique sound of its 552-horsepower engine. The new commercial, titled Pitch, will remind viewers of the brands iconic 1989 ad that featured a pyramid of champagne glasses on the hood of a revving Lexus LS. Where that memorable commercial highlighted the precision engineering of the LS, the new ad showcases the LFA’s signature engine sound. The champagne flute shatters when the unique frequency or pitch of the LFA’s revving engine precisely matches the pitch of the crystal flute. In fact, the note is so unique that Lexus has created an LFA ringtone that can be downloaded for free at http://www.lexus-lfa.com (click “Digital Premium.”) “Pitch” can be viewed at YouTube.com/lexusvehicles To read the press release, please visit: Three Toyota/Lexus Vehicles Earn the 2010 Top Safety Pick AwardTuesday, May 25th, 2010Based on new rollover test results, the 2011 Toyota Avalon and Sienna, and the 2010 Lexus RX are the latest vehicles to be designated Top Safety Picks by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. The award recognizes the vehicles that earn the highest rating for front, side, rollover and rear crash protection, and that have electronic stability control, which is standard on all three of these models, the IIHS said. To read more about the awards, visit: http://www.iihs.org/news/default.html#052510 |
Our passion is providing you with a world-class ownership experience. We share the thrill our customers get from owning and driving a Lexus. Whether you come in for a new or pre-owned Lexus, to have your vehicle serviced or to arrange financing, we are committed to providing a Lexus experience that keeps you coming back.
At McGrath Lexus you always get the best experience: your buying experience is as luxurious as the cars themselves. At McGrath Lexus we have a great selection of used and new Lexus cars including the Lexus ES 330, Lexus GS 300, Lexu GS 430, Lexus LS 300, Lexus RX 330, and more. View our online showroom and used Lexus today!
McGrath Lexus is the leading provider of luxury automobiles, parts, accessories, and service in the Chicago area, including Westmont, Bolingbrook, Orland Park, Oak Lawn, Oak Park, Rosemont, Park Ridge, Des Plaines, Elk Grove Village, Bloomingdale, Glendale Heights, Naperville, and Wheaton areas.
