22 Sept 18th-Sept 24th, 2025 phoenixnewtimes.com PHOENIX NEW TIMES | NEWS | FEATURE | FOOD & DRINK | ARTS & CULTURE | MUSIC | CONCERTS | CANNABIS | Questions? Feedback? Email me at [email protected] • Follow me on RATING (out of 5 McFly’s) 2025 LEXUS TX 350: THE LUXURY STRETCHY PANTS OF SUVS 2025 LEXUS TX 350 The 2025 Lexus TX 350 The 2025 Lexus TX 350 is basically what happens is basically what happens when a Highlander takes a when a Highlander takes a gap year in Switzerland and gap year in Switzerland and comes back with designer comes back with designer luggage. Starting at $55,140, luggage. Starting at $55,140, it’s a three-row luxury barge it’s a three-row luxury barge with a 2.4-liter turbocharged with a 2.4-liter turbocharged I-4 pumping 275 horsepower I-4 pumping 275 horsepower and sipping 21/27 MPG (23 and sipping 21/27 MPG (23 combined). It’s big, plush, combined). It’s big, plush, and makes you feel like you and makes you feel like you should have a golden doodle should have a golden doodle in the back and a latte in the in the back and a latte in the cupholder at all times. cupholder at all times. Driving it? Imagine a La-Z- Driving it? Imagine a La-Z- Boy recliner that learned yoga. Boy recliner that learned yoga. Smooth, flexible, and very Smooth, flexible, and very polite about the whole “moving polite about the whole “moving 4,700 pounds of vehicle” 4,700 pounds of vehicle” thing. It won’t blow your hair thing. It won’t blow your hair back, but it will massage your back, but it will massage your self-esteem with leather, tech self-esteem with leather, tech screens, and enough third-row screens, and enough third-row space for your mom, her book space for your mom, her book club, and a Costco haul that club, and a Costco haul that could feed a small village. The could feed a small village. The TX doesn’t roar—it clears its TX doesn’t roar—it clears its throat and kindly merges. throat and kindly merges. Here’s the deal: the TX Here’s the deal: the TX 350 isn’t trying to be exciting. 350 isn’t trying to be exciting. It’s trying to be dependable, It’s trying to be dependable, comfy, and bougie enough comfy, and bougie enough that your neighbors side- that your neighbors side- eye you in admiration. eye you in admiration. And honestly? Mission And honestly? Mission accomplished. If you want accomplished. If you want fireworks, look elsewhere. If fireworks, look elsewhere. If you want your daily drive to you want your daily drive to feel like slipping into stretchy feel like slipping into stretchy pants that cost way too much pants that cost way too much but fit just right—Lexus has but fit just right—Lexus has you covered. you covered. Comfort: Value: Fuel Economy: Looks: The Drive: Safety & Security: Overall: Sound System: Bells & Whistles: MEET THE NEW ADDITIONS VIEW THE FULL LIST HERE Photo by Jacob Tyler Dunn Chef Stephen Jones of The Larder and The Delta Sun Devil Express You can now take a water taxi to ASU football games. BY CURT ARNOLD | CRONKITE NEWS A rizona State football fans have a new way to travel to Mountain America Stadium. Water taxi, anyone? The new game day service on Tempe Town Lake is made possible through a partnership among Hundred Mile Brewing, Boat Rentals of America and the City of Tempe. It allows fans to avoid traffic and experience some- thing that not many other college football fans get to do. The boats launch just a three-to-five- minute walk from Hundred Mile Brewing and take passengers from the north side to the south side of the lake. After drop-off, it’s another short walk to the stadium. Tickets are $10 one way or $15 for a round trip. Discount packages are also available: two round trips for $25 or four for $45. Two boats are in operation, each holding 11 passengers plus the driver. On game days, rides are available starting two hours before the game through kickoff, then again from halftime until an hour after the end of the game. Parking isn’t included in the ticket price, but fans can use the Watermark parking garage near the brewery for just $5, a fraction of the price that many other lots charge. Tim Gomez, longtime fan and ASU alumnus, welcomes the new option. “It would be the top way to get to the game,” he said. “Hanging out at a brewery, walking with a bunch of fans to go on a boat to cross a lake in the middle of a desert to go see ASU football play in a sold-out stadium. I honestly don’t think it can get any better than that. That’s got to be the best way to get there outside of maybe a helicopter drop- ping you in.” Gomez was among the first to try this new game day experience during the test Arizona State football fans now have the option to take a boat to ASU home games. This trip included fan Tim Gomez, fourth from the left, and Sue Rigler, third from the right, the owner of Hundred Mile Brewing who came up with the idea. (Tim Gomez) run. Known for his LEGO creations, he made sure to bring his handheld pitchfork made entirely out of yellow and maroon LEGO pieces, showcasing his love for ASU and the popular building brick company. Brooke Thul, Boat Rentals of America manager and one of the drivers on game day, said fans immediately embraced the new concept. “We had a super, super good first day of this,” she said. “We were completely sold out and ended up even going over what we were originally planning on selling just because we had the room on the boats. It was a successful first game and I’m hoping that trend continues throughout the rest of the home games this season.” The idea itself came from Sue Rigler, owner of Hundred Mile Brewing. A proud ASU alumna and Tempe’s 2025 Business Woman of the Year, she helped spearhead the project as another way to support the Sun Devils community. The brewery, which also won Tempe’s 2024 Small Business of the Year award, has quickly become a central part of the ASU football pregame tradition. Rigler is not the only ASU graduate at Hundred Mile. Many others work there, including marketing manager Olivia Sopko. Sopko said Rigler’s vision reflects both her passion for ASU as well as the Tempe community. “Sue is an ASU alum and she’s very proud of it, so any time we get the chance to offer anything that supports ASU, we definitely are on top of it and want to do it,” Sopko said. “The city has been looking into something like this for a while, just because the parking over there tends to be a lot, so adding another option for people was a definite yes for us.” Parking aside, Sopko also believes the water taxi has brought back some of the missing energy around game day. “I’ve heard that everyone loves it,” she said. “It kind of gets you into that tailgating spirit which we have been lacking at ASU the last few years, I would say. So just adding that atmosphere and excitement back, I think, is going to bring more people to the game.” For now, the game day boats offer fans a break from traffic and a new way to get into the game day spirit. If it sticks, the ride across the lake could become another important part of what it means to spend a Saturday rooting for ASU football. ▼ Arts & Culture
