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2007 Lexus LS 460 and 460 L Road Test

Lexus certainly goes about building luxury cars in wholly different ways than any of its competitors. As Audi, BMW, Mercedes-Benz and even Jaguar battle it out for sport-sedan prominence, Lexus stands alonewhen it comes to calm, quiet, comfortable indulgence. Critics will lambaste its cars for being void of character, or more often chastise them for being so refined that they numb their occupants into a blissful state of passivity. Doesn't sound like a bad way to go, does it?

But is it fair? Well, the new LS 460 L I enjoyed over the Christmas holidays was wonderfully refined, as critics and well-doers alike boldly attest, isolating most every road imperfection and defending against any unwanted noise from getting into its understated yet indulgent cabin. To some, such a statement reads as luxury at its finest. To others it sounds utterly boring. But just because you personally might not have fully grown up, and rather than take in life's splendor as scenery rushes past in a brisk, albeit almost surreal state of separation, not unlike watching an in-car segment of Toyota's Jarno Trulli powering down a straightway at nearly 200 mph from the climate-controlled comfort of your own home theater, would you truly rather feel every nuance of pavement irregularity, every gap between a given bridge's concrete segments, every divot and every pebble as you defy every

Miserable West Coast December weather made for an interesting LS 460 L test, compounded with a trip through snow country. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

law and all forms of good judgment on your quest to a state of motoring purist's exaltation? If so, no problem. Just don't criticize me or my kind for appreciating the finer things in life.

And by the way, the LS is very, very fast. I proved this point by being as immature as my fictitious super-sedan buyer during a 230-mile road trip, late last year. The weather was about as uncooperative as I would never have hoped for without the need to close the roads, and more than once my concerned wife, Jennifer, wanted me to book a 4x4 instead. But I was determined to try out Lexus' latest and felt that the added stability of a comparatively low ride height and the brand's previously impressive electronic driving aids, matched to a set of tenacious winter tires, should combine for an especially safe ride.

Iset out from my mountainside home, over multiple bridges and on towards The Valley, as we locals like to call it, a light drizzle

The LS, just prior to a road trip, is well suited to inclement weather. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

in the air but nothing too intimidating. Lexus' rain sensing wipers putting up a feeble attempt to deal with my West Coast city's almost constant mist this time of year, a technical misstep that caused me to revert to manual actuation, flicking the lever whenever a wipe was needed. The first part of the journey went quickly thanks to my early departure, and had me beyond the 100-mile mark in what seemed like no time at all. As I started to climb the mountainous roads, my hope for a snow free trek came to an end.

Always in testing mode, I couldn't help but look at the situation as an opportunity to experience true man-made luxury in the face of Mother Nature's fury. We climbed, the LS and I, and as we did the road surface went from wet asphalt to packed snow and silt with thin parallel strips of patchy pavement showing where tire tracks aught to tread.Rather than buck the trend for the sake of nonconformity I slotted in and managed to keep my previously “brisk” pace without slowing down one iota. The car felt stable, even when wheels and tires went a wee bit wide

Call me a wimp, but I didn't get out in the snow to get a shot of the LS with a white background... so these soggy shots will have to do. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

and rotating rubber met slippery snow. No worries.

Then came obstructions ahead. No, not from road crews, snowplows or salt trucks, and there were a few of these, but rather from slower moving vehicles not as well equipped to handle the winter elements. Hmmm ... should I risk moving left into the lane of packed snow in order to get around these yokels, or should I, showing restraint and maturity like the responsible, forty-something husband of one and father of three that I am, just bide my time?

I moved into the left lane doing the posted speed of 70 mph (well what did you think I was going to do?), and, proceeding with caution got a feel for how the car would react to having less grip under the treads before attempting a passing move. And for those living in the fly-over-states (well I suppose we can't give a select few such an irreverent label anymore considering it could buy one or two large metropolitan cities included with a year's net state profits) who at this point are laughing at my tender, green capability with the white stuff, please understand that locals where I live don't know how to

This is a completely secure place to take on life's nastier elements. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

drive in the snow simply because we don't live with the bitter cold on a regular basis ... not to mention, we have hills and much wetter, much slippier stuff than you do. So, once my cautionary period was over and I gained confidence in my car's ability and its tires' stickability, I proceeded passing all the slowpokes that were making me late for a morning meeting with my technology partner.

Theneed for restraint quickly became necessary, as I found myself so relaxed at a speed that was just a bit more than the posted limit that I started to get paranoid about that “accident just waiting to happen”. After all, I'd driven this highway many times before, often in mid-winter, and have memories of chortling when that Honda Civic or, even funnier, Jeep Cherokee, which just passed everyone at an “unsafe” speed, sat stranded in the middle of the center divider (in most places the divider is about a hundred feet across and filled with dirt, grass, snow or whatever God, with the assistance of a road crew, threw there), having been naturally slowed as snow packed up against its grille and under its belly, the wide path of a “new road less traveled” the only reason the vehicle was visible at all. Yes, it's interesting

The LS 460 L cradles its occupants in a womblike bliss, albeit with much greater interior room. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

just how effective such images are at slowing a person down (no doubt the reasoning behind our various governments safe driving TV ads), and so I pulled back a bit from the escalating pace the big 380-horsepower4.6-liter V8 allowed most effortlessly, tapped the cruise control button on the steering wheel and once again enjoyed the scenery. Don't get me wrong, I was still traveling faster than most other cars on the highway, or at least the ones in the right lane which probably didn't have the best snow tires and certainly didn't enjoy the level of sophistication Lexus has served up in the new LS, but just the same the odd pickup truck (driven by locals, without question) pulled up behind me, and after I moved over, passed me like I was standing still. I hardly heard them as they whisked by, however, giving me the last laugh.

And isn't that what true luxury is all about? Well, I suppose that's a question that only you can answer for yourself. While the LS 460 cradles its occupants in a womblike bliss, I too have learned to appreciate the Germans' sportier approach to balancing luxury and performance. Each manufacturer mixes up different ingredients to achieve its own unique blend of the sport-luxury equation, with Audi and BMW more sport-oriented and Mercedes-Benz veering more towards Lexus' philosophy of

The big LS takes to the corner well, and even better in the regular wheelbase model than the longer L. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

ultimate pampering, but all in all they're less isolated and, by being so, deliver up more “character”.

Of course, a lack of “character” is exactly why Toyota's Camry has done so well over the last two and a half decades; character being defined as quirky ergonomics and questionable reliability. The German brands may have exorcised the quirky ergonomics out of their cars long ago, but they're hardly dependable in comparison to the Japanese. Just look at the latest J.D. Power and Associates 2006 Vehicle Dependability Study (the new 2007 VDS isn't out yet), which places Lexus in first place, as it has been for years, and relegates BMW, Mercedes-Benz and Audi to 9th, 18th and 27th respectively, all beaten byCadillac and Jaguar to make matters worse. Say what you want about the validity of this third-party study and the topics covered that may or may not have much to do with dependability, but there's got to be some truth to the results.

Partly because of its stellar reputation for quality, Lexus has enjoyed tremendous success at the lower end of the luxury market, particularly with two vehicles based off of that aforementioned Camry, the ES and RX. Its LS, mind you, has not fared as well as Mercedes' number one selling S-Class and BMW's number two 7-Series. And up here in the thin air of elitist transportation, a car that has long proven more reliable, better

Mark Levinson audio system is absolutely sensational, and the interior craftsmanship is as expected for the LS, close to perfect. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

built inside and out, and even quicker off the line, which was the case for the old LS 430 when up against rivals of that period, is no match for a three-pointed star or blue and white roundel. And I suppose Lexus still faces such biases.

After my meeting and blasting back home on the same stretch of highway in better weather, albeit in the dark, and appreciating the car's capability to turn night into day thanks to an obnoxiously bright set of HID headlamps that turn into and light up oncoming corners, I offered to bring the LS over to a friend who was looking for a new luxury car. Yes, this friend, different than the one I showed Hyundai's Veracruz to, can also buy anything on Sheikh Zayed Bin Sultan Al Nahyan's short list if he so desired, but showing restraint only owns a trio of all-black transports that read like the who's who of “what I want to buy when I get rich but don't have much imagination”. In all fairness, its probably just happenstance that a Range Rover,Porsche 911 Turbo and (since calling him for a free tour of the LS) an S550 just happen to grace his driveway right now, as he's owned a bevy of eclectic motor cars in his past, and is a true lover of most things automotive. I say most things, as he had no interest in even looking at the LS, let alone considering purchasing one. The idea seemed as distasteful as purchasing a Kia Rio.

My friend laughs when he calls me Lexus lover though, as if it's an insult, while I thank him

Six-speed? Seven-speed? No, only an eight-speed automatic with manual mode will do for Lexus' flagship. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

for complimenting me on my understated good taste, desire to be seen as smart by my opting for superb build quality and reliability over bling and a badge, and my keen sense of style ... the LS does look good. So much style plus the benefit of a wind defying 0.26 coefficient of drag? It's hard to believe. Adding that the big Lexus comes with a state-of-the-art eight-speed automatic transmission, not an anachronistic ... ahem ...seven-speed unit, and has the best turning radius in its class, is every bit as safe as the Merc, can be had with an almost overwhelming 19-speaker, 450-watt Mark Levinson audio system with DVD 7.1 surround sound, a rear ottoman (much like the Maybach although not quite as comfortable on the calves), has learned how to park itself if so fitted, and what's more, can be optioned out with the latest generation of the Japanese giant's Hybrid Synergy Drive system for best-in-class fuel economy and seriously quick acceleration, and, well, you get my point. There's no way my friend can make me feel ashamed for being a Lexus lover. Truth be told, the LS 460 is at the very least as good, and in many ways a better car than the S-Class, and for tens of thousands less. Now that's smart.

Lexus offers two different body configurations, the norm in this class, and I tested the regular wheelbase model as well as the L, or long wheelbase version.Both are wonderful on the straights and fully capable in the corners, although the former is slightly better in the latter and the latter in the former, if you get my drift. Both have ample legroom, too, and all other

A number of touches set the LS apart from its German competition. (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

interior dimensions are what should be expected in the large, luxury segment, as roomy as can be. The trunk too is large and accommodating, and powered for convenience. Buyers of some of those European cars just mentioned will be envious of your self-closing power-assist side doors, however, which, if only partially closed, will cinch up for a perfectly tight fit ... if the Power Door Closers and Power Rear Trunk option ($395 on base LS, standard on L) is chosen, that is.

Packages in mind, the LS 460, which comes with a list of features much too long to repeat, and at only $61,000, which, by the way is $26,475 more affordable than the base S-Class, can be had with a $6,345 Navigation System/Mark Levinson Premium Audio System/Advanced Parking Guidance System Package that features the Mark Levinson audio system I just mentioned, including its hard disk driven “Sound Library Music System”, a rear subwoofer, and an in-dash 6-disc audio-DVD changer, automatic parking feature, plus voice recognition for a hard disk based navigation system with a backup camera.

The LS can be had with several of the aforementioned options either on their own or as part of a package, such as those self-closing doors and the power trunk lid ($395), Milli-wave Radar Cruise System and Pre-Collision System ($2,850), a wallet-size Smart Card Key for the proximity sensing remote entry and ignition system (standard), clearance and back-up sensors ($500), the Advanced Parking Guidance System (APGS) (above mentioned package or $3,815 Navigation System/Advanced Parking Guidance System Package), rear seat side thorax airbags (curtains for all outside occupants come

Is the LS underpriced or the S-Class overpriced? Obviously Mercedes charges more because its clients are willing to pay the price, but what a difference! (Photo: Trevor Hofmann, American Auto Press)

standard, as do front thorax bags), rear power headrests, heated and air conditioned rear seats, rear power recline seat, rear power seat slide, and rear seat memory (the latter six are part of the $3,620 Comfort Plus Package). You can get a number of accessories too, such as a block heater, all season floor mats, optional wheels and tires, and more of the usual stuff.The most notable is that for a simple XM satellite radio to be equipped, the nav system has to be selected for the outrageous sum of $3,115 (or you can get it with the even more expensive packages) ... oh well, at least it's available. Factor in that its fully-loaded list price of $73,086 is a staggering $14,389 less than where the S-Class merely gets started, and the high price of XM is immediately forgivable. That's a lot of car for the money, filled to the woven fabric headliner with class-leading refinement and technology.

But is it all technology overkill? By taking in all of the LS 460's upgrades in one sentence it seems like it, but the way Lexus makes everything work together in one harmonious whole puts the LS in a rarified category amongst luxury flagships. Yes, the Germans do seem preoccupied with complicating matters, which is one of the reasons BMW's 7-Series has gone from the top of my list to an also-ran I wouldn't even consider for purchase, now. The Lexus is just easier to make sense of, and therefore easier to live with.

Truly, Lexus' user-friendly technology philosophy goes beyond the gadgets and into the entire car, making it a joy to while away the miles in, whether traveling across country or through town. For me, the LS 460 is the new “luxury” benchmark, and all others should pay their respects or get left behind.

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