Lexus rallies with SUVs yet Toyota's bag mixed

"My husband just bought me the top-of-the-line Lexus," a woman told me the other day. "But who wants a tarted-up Toyota with pedal problems?"

How quickly the consumer world shifts. Toyota Motor Corp. and its upscale brother Lexus have been playing the sensible, smart foils to blunder-prone American carmakers for so long that it is almost cliche.

The too-perfect heroes take a tumble.

Last year Lexus celebrated its 20th anniversary in the United States. Along with several new convertibles, it recently released two new versions of its best-selling SUVs, plus an uncharacteristic $375,000 supercar.

First, those pedal worries: "Gas-pedal assemblies in Lexus models are from a different supplier than the ones that are the focus of the recall and are thus unaffected," said Wade Hoyt, a company spokesman.

Still, some Lexus ES 350 and IS models were subject to a separate recall last year to fix floor mats. And this week Toyota recalled 437,000 hybrids, including the new Lexus HS 250h sedan, to repair faulty braking systems.

To get a handle for quality and feel, I tested the latest RX and GX SUVs and got a first look at the oddball LFA supercar.

The hybrid RX 450h starts at $43,500 versus the regular $38,500 RX 350. Both come in front- or all-wheel-drive.

For an SUV, the RX seems gentle and a bit pedestrian. In truth it's a minivan in disguise and therefore brilliant indeed.

While it doesn't have a sliding door or dozens of sippy-cup holders, the RX is aimed at families who wouldn't be caught dead in a Dodge Grand Caravan.

I tested an AWD hybrid. In typical Toyota fashion, the hybrid system is so seamless that I barely noticed. The company has so clearly won the hybrid wars that it was basically a Velvet Revolution.

The AWD model delivers decent pep around town, where you'll enjoy 30 miles per gallon. While it's no highway blaster, power always feels adequate and you still get 28 mpg. The all-petrol AWD 350, by comparison, gets 18 mpg and 24 mpg.

It's no wonder the RX rocks the segment.

By comparison, the second-generation, seven-passenger GX, which starts at about $53,000, is not sure what it wants to be. The new three-row GX 460 replaces the GX 470.

My $58,000 tester had big 18-inch mud-and-snow tires, a limited-slip center differential and low-gear four-wheel-drive settings, all meant for off-roading. It still uses body-on-frame construction, like a pickup truck. So forget about that patented Lexus glide. The heavy GX tumbles you around like a lumber truck.

Still, I can see the appeal of such a big vehicle.

For those who aren't looking to move families around, Lexus offers its unlikeliest vehicle: the very expensive, very powerful LFA supercar.

I haven't yet had a chance to drive this $375,000 javelin, but did get a walk-around.

It's brutal-looking up close, with a blunt snout, big rear wing and many air intakes. Top speed is more than 200 mph.

So, the state of Lexus• It's a mixed bag. Stalwarts such as the RX look as strong as ever and there are surprises like the LFA. But it's the safety questions that are likely to weigh on buyers' minds.

After all, if you're doing 200 mph, you want to be sure the brakes work.