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I have a family recipe for Italian Creme Cake from which I never deviate. Even people who don't like sweets, or coconut, or pecans, devour this cake, and with my decidedly limited cooking skills, I know better than to mess with success. That's not to say this recipe hasn't been improved over the years. My grandmother used to make...





I have a family recipe for Italian Creme Cake from which I never deviate. Even people who don't like sweets, or coconut, or pecans, devour this cake, and with my decidedly limited cooking skills, I know better than to mess with success.



That's not to say this recipe hasn't been improved over the years. My grandmother used to make it from scratch. The aunt who gave it to me, however, offered a version that begins with a cake mix - a change that made this recipe quicker and more accessible without sacrificing any of the ingredients that make it so satisfying. Thanks Aunt Antoinette!



Like Cake



That same philosophy of making something better, yet keeping the essential soul-satisfying creamy deliciousness of the original can be tasted in the redesigned 2010 Lexus RX350.



Back in 1998, Lexus decided to build a luxury SUV on a Camry platform, which ignited a whole new segment - the luxury utility/crossover category - as well as a whole lot of buyers. Over a million RX models have been sold worldwide since its debut and it remains a perennial best-seller.



Given that popularity, the people at Lexus would be fools to shake the RX up too much in the 2010 version - and the people at Lexus are no fools. So here's what they did do:




Tastier, Less Fat - The RX350 is still powered by a 3.5-liter V6, but it's now a bit faster, delivering 275 horses and 257 pound-feet to be exact. The engine has also been matched to a new 6-speed "Multi-Mode" automatic transmission, which allows for manual shift control if you're so inclined, but which also delivers power, via quicker shifts, in an even more competent manner than I remember from before.



But here's what many of you will really like: EPA ratings on the all-wheel-drive model have risen to 18 mpg in the city and 24 on the highway. Meanwhile front-drive models like the one I drove have ratings of 18 mpg and 25 respectively - a jump of two on the highway miles.



Don't forget this little utility vehicle is also capable of towing 3,500 pounds too.



More Cutting - Lexus reworked the RX350's double wishbone suspension, so not only is it more athletic, it offers more cargo space (more later). I've always found the RX350 a quick, relatively agile being, even though its mission is to provide luxury more than sport, and this is the sharpest RX yet.



More Slices - The RX350 has gained some inches here and there, but the biggest noticeable change has resulted in the cargo area, which can now hold 40 cubic feet (80.3 with the second row folded down). That gain is a direct result of the reworked suspension, which now takes up less room, freeing up more rear area.



Bigger Plate - The RX350 now rides on 18-inch standard wheels, as opposed to 17. (And I know, that last cake analogy is reaching.)



Essential, Unchanged Ingredients - Everyone who rides in the RX350 thinks of it as creamy and buttery, a description that describes everything from its smooth, quiet ride to its luscious wood-trimmed interior. Leather seats are optional, but if you get them, you too will describe them, as one critic did, as being from "cows that enjoyed Oil of Olay rubdowns every day of their lives." And even if you don't opt for the "leatha," you will still find your seat roomy and comfortable. Plus, the RX350 can hold five without anyone complaining as my peeps demonstrated.



As ever I love Lexus' wonderful illuminated gauges, its thoughtful placement of controls and its top-notch materials. If you don't think a well-wrought interior doesn't make an immediate impression, tell that to my passengers who, to a man (and

Tags: Lexus

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Cake Walk: New Lexus RX350 is still creamy smooth, while offering more was originally published by New Orleans Auto Reviews: Lexus. Read the full story by clicking here.