2013 LS460/460L/600hL & F-Sport Reviews Thread
08-10-12, 07:31 AM
#2
Guest
Posts: n/a
http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...0_first_drive/
So in summary it feels like a refresh but a damn good one. Base air suspension models drive like a traditional LS but the sport and sport+ modes tighten things up. Interior has higher quality. They really like the F-sport.
So in summary it feels like a refresh but a damn good one. Base air suspension models drive like a traditional LS but the sport and sport+ modes tighten things up. Interior has higher quality. They really like the F-sport.
Being an enthusiast-oriented magazine, we left most impressed with the new LS 460 F Sport. The F Sport keeps the upscale adjustable air spring suspension and is tied in with the same five-mode drive programing. In comfort mode, the F Sport rides much like Sport S+ in the standard car, meaning it’s firm but still with compliance. Body roll is much reduced (partially via the stabilizer bars and lower center of gravity) and shifter response is especially good using the wheel-mounted paddles. As with many ‘performance’ cars these days, Lexus pipes in intake noise to the F Sport’s cabin to douse the occupants in guttural V-8 noises – gone is the seclusion of the non-sporting LS. The F Sport’s larger vented brake discs and six-piston front Brembo calipers seemed up to the task of braking the car down from higher speeds, though pedal feel was somewhat light and grabby – as was the case in the other cars we drove. Steering in all cars (electric powered, as is the norm these days) was also somewhat disappointing, feeling too light in its ‘comfort’ setting, and still too light in its artificial-feeling firmer modes. The end result is a halfway option to a full-on sports sedan – a sports package rather than a full retune.
Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz239axVIoy
Read more: http://www.motortrend.com/roadtests/...#ixzz239axVIoy
08-10-12, 07:39 AM
#3
Guest
Posts: n/a
http://www.insideline.com/lexus/ls/2...rst-drive.html
IL likes it, wishes it had better acceleration....
IL likes it, wishes it had better acceleration....
Thusly equipped, our rear-drive 2013 Lexus LS 460 F Sport feels sharper around turns than any previous LS. That's a modest achievement, but this is a large sedan, and when you consider that it provides appropriate steering effort and good balance on La Honda and still manages to ride like a Lexus on U.S. 101, you have to give some credit.
"I doubt we could have gone down this road faster in our long-term 2012 Audi A8," our colleague says.
"I doubt we could have gone down this road faster in our long-term 2012 Audi A8," our colleague says.
08-10-12, 08:10 AM
#4
C & d
Let’s say the LS nomenclature actually stands for something: L for “luxury” and S for “serene.” It’s a fitting summation of Lexus’s flagship sedan, which isn’t entirely new for 2013 but rather substantially made over—Lexus says that fully half of the LS’s 6000 bits and pieces are new. But while it's not a wholesale revamp, the update successfully modernizes the car in terms of styling, creature comforts, and character.
Like the previous version, the new LS conforms to the Lexus philosophy of inconspicuous consumption. The car’s imposing yet unadorned exterior is largely the same as before, but for one significant change: The subtle, trapezoidal grille has been replaced by the corporate zig-zaggy “spindle” maw that looks like it’s ready to eat people, animals, and casseroles. Combined with the reworked rear end, the new look takes the LS from applesauce to something near aggressive.
There are 7 flavors of the 2013 LS, variously formed from among 2 wheelbases, rear- or all-wheel drive, a new F Sport model, and a hybrid model. Across most of the line, internal combustion is performed by a slightly more powerful, 4.6-liter V-8 that cranks out 386 hp (360 in AWD models) and is backed by an 8-speed automatic transmission. The top-of-the-line car, the LS600hL hybrid, uses a longer-stroke version of the V-8 that expands displacement to 5.0 liters and boosts output to 389 hp; that car drives through a continuously variable transmission.
There are 2 suspension systems, 1 sprung by coils and 1 by air, each of which is directed by myriad sensors and processors. The same computational processes adjust the steering effort and engine and throttle response according to driver settings. In the base LS460, the system can be set to Eco, Normal and Sport modes; air-suspension models add Sport+ and Comfort modes.
We spent most of our time in the all-wheel-drive version of the F Sport—it’s also available with rear-drive—and found the differences between modes to be fairly subtle, like the difference between Bud and Bud Light. The most noticeable nuance is in steering feel: in Sport+ mode, power assist is reduced and the sense of control and fluidity is increased. We flogged the car over insanely convoluted roads in the mountains around California’s Silicon Valley and found it to be surprisingly maneuverable for a car of its size and mass. The F Sport gets special treatments inside and out, including a mesh grille, a front fascia with brake-cooling ducts, and a diffuser-look piece at the rear; the wheels are forged and 19 inches in diameter, and ride height is lower by 0.4 inch. The cabin has brushed aluminum in place of the other cars' wood trim, and the pedals are finished in the metal stuff, too. It also features a sound generator that increases engine noise in the cabin under hard acceleration. What it doesn't offer is an increase in power; the package mostly improves driving feel and provides better body control.
Lexus itself doesn’t tout the LS in any form as a quintessential sports sedan, and it’s not as focused as is the latest GS. But nor does it need to be. It is is a near-ultimate boulevardier, its sophisticated technology and innovative hardware concealed from the driver by a façade of impeccable quality and subtle design. The Audi A8 and Jaguar XJ are more precise and more rewarding to take to their limits, although a comparison test ought to tease out exactly where this new Lexus stands.
The attention to finish and detail in the interior of the LS borders on the obsessive; in 1 extreme example, Lexus says it takes 38 days and 67 processes to create a steering wheel from layers of Shimamoku wood, a rare Japanese variety. All of the materials are of the highest quality and craftsmanship is top-notch, and any place the driver touches is padded or polished. Space is abundant front and rear—an Executive package that includes a rear-seat ottoman is again available—and the seats are as comfortable as any you’ll find in this class. Amenities abound, including a 12.3-inch-wide flat screen that displays everything from GPS info to smartphone data. It’s all accessed via Lexus’s love-it-or-hate-it joystick control nub/mouse located on the center console.
Beyond the luxurious rear-seat-focused Executive pack, options include a suite of nanny tech such as blind-spot monitoring, dynamic cruise control, a collision-avoidance system, and driver-attention monitoring. Active high beams, quad-zone climate control, and a 19-speaker stereo also are available.
From the brand’s inception, Lexus has captured a profitable portion of 1-percenters that shun ostentation and appreciate quality, a mission spearheaded by the LS. Judging by its long list of luxury features and the lineup’s overall serene character, this latest flagship will maintain the status quo.
Last edited by GS69; 08-10-12 at 12:35 PM.
08-10-12, 08:17 AM
#5
AutoWeek
What is it?
At the end of 1989, Toyota put the world's schmantziest carmakers on notice. Detroit was stumbling aimlessly through its quality nadir. The Europeans were selling finicky machines that were as expensive to buy and maintain as they were enjoyable to drive.
With the arrival of the Lexus LS400, the BMW 7-series and the Mercedes-Benz S-class were suddenly outmoded. The already-marginal Maserati Quattroporte III gave up the ghost and announced its retirement in 1990. Here was a large, comfortable, suitably luxurious automobile fit for a plutocrat that out-Benzed Benz. And did so for significantly less coin.
In fact, looking at the LS400 today, it can be reasonably argued that the design of the original LS holds up better than the W126 and W140 S-classes it fought with for customers.
It's hard to understate how shocking the car was at the time, especially for something that's considered somewhat of a ho-hum, staid vehicle today. In the early '90s, purchasing an LS over one of the European or domestic marques pegged you as a person of means who was both progressive and practical.
Since then, however, Lexus' fortunes have flagged. The cars are often derided as a safe choice for affluent people who don't care much for driving. The company's new product line aims to address that reputation. The polarizing “spindle” grille has proliferated across the range since last year's introduction of the GS--a car that's gone from an also-also-ran to a darling of the motoring press in its latest iteration.
So expectations were heightened for the new LS. Especially the new zoot-besuited F-Sport edition.
What's it like to drive?
It's an LS. It's cushy. It's luxurious. The new interior is excellent. In typical Toyota fashion, the 4.6-liter V8 is revvy rather than torquey, pulling strongly above 4,000 rpm. Rear-wheel-drive models make 386 hp at 200 revs shy of the engine's 6,600-rpm redline, while all-wheel-drive cars make do with 367 hp. Even in F-Sport guise, nobody's going to confuse the LS with the AMG-massaged S-class. But as Lexus general manager Mark Templin points out, the superheated Sonderklasse amounts to a tiny portion of the large Mercedes sedan's sales mix.
The driving experience could best be described as “generic platonic luxury ideal.” It's a car built for people who used to buy big Cadillacs and Lincolns. It does everything without drama, without jostling its precious occupants. There's not the measure of flashy opulence that comes with Jaguar's XJ, a car that also trades at a price point below the big Bimmers and Benzes. In fact, it's rather the Jag's opposite, even if the Lexus does wear the more outré maw. Other than the exterior, the LS is fundamentally restrained in every respect. The 2 cars compete in the same segment, but we doubt they'll compete for buyers.
Niggles over the spindle grille aside, the new car looks ace. Lexus found the confidence to make the new LS look more Japanese than ever before. The sculpted hood seems to catch the light in any color--it even manages to grab one's eye in silver. From the rear, it's a presence out of anime; something elegant and rather threatening--a yakuza hover tank, perhaps.
What's more, Lexus didn't get the “sidewall is the devil” hype memo. There is no 20-inch wheel option--19-inchers are as big as they come in the land of the LS. We'd like to hug somebody for that.
Perhaps the most ballyhooed addition to the LS line is also the most left field. It's the aforementioned F-Sport. Primarily an appearance package, the more menacing iteration of the big sedan features a 0.4-inch suspension drop, unique 19-inch wheels, more aggressive front and rear end caps and its own milled-aluminum-accented interior package. It's also fitted with Brembo brakes; rear-drive models also get a Torsen rear differential. Over the road, the F-Sport is more sprightly than the base car, but don't mistake it for a corner-carver. It's more a high-speed, long-distance transport. A sinister Shinkansen with no need for rails.
Our favorite, however, is the least performance-oriented model, the LS600h hybrid.
Despite the inherent dynamic goodness engendered by its rear-drive setup, trying to make an LS sporty seems to defeat the purpose of the car. Mercedes-Benz has a long history with incongruous rocket ships, dating back to the 300SEL 6.3 of 1968. Lexus does not. And the F-Sport, while a fine-driving automobile, feels a bit out of step.
The long-wheelbase 600h, however, stands as the ne plus ultra of LS-ness, and it's only available with all-wheel drive. There's no pretension of tail-happy tomfoolery whatsoever. From the rear seat, the 12.3-inch multifunction display in the dash seems far, far away. But you don't care. You don't want to be anywhere near the dash. You've got shiatsu massagers! You've got a rad little bamboo-laminate table that pops out of the massive center console. You've got a freaking ottoman, bub. Just beneath the Blu-ray player, said console features a box marked “Box.” At least that's how it was denoted on stickers in the preproduction prototype we drove. It's all enough to make 1 hire a driver and adopt a Jim Backus accent as a full-time affectation.
If 1 is forced the gauche ignominy of actually operating the machine, rest assured that it's smooth as whirled peas to drive. While we're generally opposed to added weight, in the extra-large LS hybrid the heft of the battery pack and auxiliary powertrain goodies--not to mention the additional sheetmetal--makes the car even more plush feeling. In stop-and-go traffic, it nearly matches the Rolls-Royce Phantom's low-speed ease of use--and the big Roller owns that category. The continuously variable transmission coupled to the electric motor delivers seamless power all the way up, with pleasing atomic-jet-techno noises accompanying the song of the V8 in a polite way. Sure, you can buy a long-wheelbase LS460 without the hybrid powertrain, but why would you?
Do I want it?
It's hard to call the LS a return to earthshaking form, given that the rest of the world's copped on to Lexus' formula. Not a clean-sheet design, the new car consists largely of a series of worthwhile refinements wrapped in new and daring sheetmetal. No doubt, the 2013 LS is a better car than the vehicle it replaces, and you probably already know if you want an LS460 or an F-Sport. What you might not know--especially if you're in the market for a long-wheelbase plutobarge--is that you may well want the LS600h.
The luxo-hybrid's a car that knows exactly what it is and makes absolutely no apologies for it. Now in its 2nd generation and no longer alone in the electrified-exec segment, it nevertheless manages to stand as something different. It's a fine heir to its forefathers' throne.
2013 Lexus LS
On Sale: Fall
Base Price: N/A
Drivetrain: 386-hp, 367-lb-ft, 4.6-liter V8 (RWD); 359-hp, 367-lb-ft, 4.6-liter V8 (AWD); 8-speed automatic. 389-hp, 385-lb-ft 5.0-liter V8 with 221-hp electric motor (max. combined output 438 hp), CVT, AWD.
0-60 mph: 5.4 sec (mfr)
Curb Weight: 4,250 lb (LS460 est.)
Fuel Economy: 16/24/19 mpg (RWD), 16/23/18 mpg (AWD), 19/23/20 mpg (hybrid)
On Sale: Fall
Base Price: N/A
Drivetrain: 386-hp, 367-lb-ft, 4.6-liter V8 (RWD); 359-hp, 367-lb-ft, 4.6-liter V8 (AWD); 8-speed automatic. 389-hp, 385-lb-ft 5.0-liter V8 with 221-hp electric motor (max. combined output 438 hp), CVT, AWD.
0-60 mph: 5.4 sec (mfr)
Curb Weight: 4,250 lb (LS460 est.)
Fuel Economy: 16/24/19 mpg (RWD), 16/23/18 mpg (AWD), 19/23/20 mpg (hybrid)
Last edited by GS69; 08-10-12 at 08:21 AM.
08-10-12, 09:17 AM
#6
2013 LS by autoblog (pics n short video)
here is the link. http://www.autoblog.com/2012/08/10/2...-review-video/
Those pictures are amazing. I really like the black sleek colour. Plus i like where they finally removed the "lexus" emblem @ back. So now its just "L" logo.
And short video
Those pictures are amazing. I really like the black sleek colour. Plus i like where they finally removed the "lexus" emblem @ back. So now its just "L" logo.
And short video
Last edited by imherenow; 08-10-12 at 09:26 AM.
08-10-12, 12:24 PM
#7
Cnet
When asked which model in the Lexus lineup is the automaker's flagship, many will probably point and shout emphatically at the LFA. Those people would be wrong (it's actually a halo car, but that's not really the point right now). The true flagship of the brand is the LS. As the 1st model to wear the "L" badge when it was introduced back in 1989, the LS is the quintessential Lexus. If you want to know what Toyota's premium marquee is all about, you need look no further.
For 2013, what looks like a standard midcycle fascia refresh is actually a fairly substantial upgrade to the original Lexus. Lexus' chief engineer for the LS model ensures us that that more than 3,000 of the sedan's 6,000+ parts are new or have been refreshed for this model year.
Engine options
However, almost none of those parts is in the engine bay, as the 2013 LS 460 is still powered by the same 4.6-liter V-8 engine as the 2012 model was. 6 more horsepower have somehow been massaged out of the mill for a new maximum output of 386hp, and torque is rated at 367 pound-feet. The 8-speed automatic transmission also survives largely untouched in the 2013 model, receiving only a slight reprogramming for additional shifting smoothness. The overall dimensions, wheelbase, and track remain largely unchanged for both the standard and long-wheelbase (L) models. All-wheel drive (AWD) remains an option for both chassis configurations.
Likewise, the mack daddy LS 600h L AWD's 4.6-liter, 438 combined horsepower hybrid power train remains largely unchanged, save slight reprogramming of the continuously variable transmission (eCVT) and a tweak that should make the regenerative braking stronger than before.
Interior overhaul
So, what has changed? Well, just look at it. All LS models now feature the automaker's new love it or leave it spindle grill treatment, a new LED headlamp option that includes a full LED upgrade for all of the LS' exterior lights (fog lamps, puddle lights, reverse lights, etc.), new reshaped LED tail lamps, and a few aerodynamic tweaks that should make this large, quiet sedan even quieter at highway speeds.
The LS' interior receives a complete overhaul to bring the styling and tech in line with that of the recently announced Lexus GS. Gone is the cramped 4:3-aspect screen nested low in the dashboard. It's been replaced with a new massive 12.3-inch display that sits high and near the driver's line of sight. This new display isn't touch sensitive and is controlled with Lexus' second-generation remote touch controller, a sort of joystick/touch pad combo that features haptic feedback. This controller is located about where your right hand would fall naturally when resting on the center console, and moving the controller's touch pad causes an onscreen cursor to move to select options. Force feedback comes into play when the cursor crosses an icon or option and physically locks in. In this way, I was able to quickly make selections after a few hours with touch, rather than staring constantly at the screen. I really liked it, but my colleagues have been put off by previous generations of this tech, so I accept that it's not for everyone.
The large 12.3-inch touch screen from the GS makes its way into the LS' dashboard.
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)
The bigger screen is not divided into 2 horizontal sections (a large main section and a narrower secondary 1) to allow for basic multitasking while driving. I'm not talking browsing the Web and watching a video here, but this 2-section design does allow the user to easily configure the screen to show, for example, the map with navigation and the currently playing audio source.
The LS is now available with a full array of audio sources, including USB, Bluetooth (HF and A2DP), HD Radio, satellite radio, and more. The Entune suite of in-car apps makes an appearance under the alias "Lexus Enform" on the LSes I was able to test, bringing Pandora Internet Radio, iHeartRadio audio streaming, Bing Destination search, OpenTable reservations, Yelp reviews, and Facebook Places check-ins when the vehicle is paired with a compatible smartphone.
Audio usually pours out of a 10-speaker stereo system, which has been upgraded with a new digital amp for 2013 for better power consumption. It sounds pretty good when fed compressed digital audio from HD Radio or USB-stored MP3s, but I was also given a listen to the 19-speaker Mark Levinson premium audio option with a DVD source and found it to be fantastically detailed. This surround sound system really comes into its own when watching films on the optional rear seat entertainment system (which now features a Blu-ray player for HD video playback) or listening to DVDs of musical performances, making me truly lament that uncompressed DVD-Audio still hasn't really taken off.
Blu-ray playback finds its way into the LS' back seat entertainment system, which folds down from the roof.
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)
Thanks to that optional rear seat entertainment system, the LS 460 L and LS 600h L's rear seats aren't a bad place to be. This is especially true for models equipped with the optional executive package, which adds a number of power controls that allow the rear seats to recline, an ottoman to fold out, and shiatsu massaging.
All 4 seats in the LS can be spec'd for heating and ventilated cooling, and the steering wheel is also heated. For 2013, Lexus has tied the seats, the steering wheel, and the automatic 2-zone (or the optional 4-zone) climate control system together for automatic operation. Set a temperature and the car will figure out which seats need heating, which need cooling, and if the steering wheel needs warming up based on the body temperature of the occupant. That's pretty neat.
The cabin is also filled with other nice little touches, such as an analog clock that's tied into the GPS system, so that it automatically changes times when you cross into another time zone. Most will never see this feature in action, but it's nice to know it's there.
Driver safety features
Lexus hasn't forgotten about driver safety with the LS. The sedan can now be equipped with a rearview camera and blind-spot monitoring with cross traffic alert, which notifies the driver of approaching vehicles when backing out of a parking spot. Radar-based active cruise control can now slow the vehicle down to a complete stop, meaning the driver doesn't have to intervene when traffic suddenly slows to a stop. The automaker's precollision system has been updated as well. It now uses a combination of dual cameras mounted at the top of the windshield and radar from the adaptive cruise control system to watch the road for vehicles and pedestrians. If it spots an obstruction, the system can automatically apply full braking pressure to attempt to stop itself should the driver not heed its visual and audible warnings. If the closing speed is less than 25mph, the car can stop itself short of collision. At nighttime, the optical system's range is augmented by infrared arrays in the headlamps that extend the computer's visible range to about what you'd expect from a high-beam headlamp, meaning it can possibly see farther ahead than you can.
The LS can be summed up in 2 words: smooth and comfortable. The long wheelbase variant is all of that and more.
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)
Ride quality
Gadgets and safety are great, but I'm sure that by now you'd like to know how the new LS rides. Like most things about this model, that question can be answered in 1 word: smoothly. Models equipped with the adaptive air suspension feature 5 driving modes (Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+), but during a long ride down California's coast in the LS 460 L, I noted that even the sharpest Sport+ setting was pretty darn cushy. The big sedan soaked up bigger undulations in the road without feeling boaty and rounded sweeping bends at just a hair above posted limits without a squeal from the tires. My co-driver for the event described the ride as "very magic carpet-like" as we switched the drive selector back into its Comfort mode for the low-speed city portion of our trip.
The LS 600h L was more of the same, but with an even more quiet ride around town thanks to its hybrid system's ability to shut down the gasoline engine and run, occasionally, on electric power. I found that it was more difficult to keep the LS in its full-electric mode than, for example, the Toyota Camry Hybrid, but this is a much larger vehicle after all.
Overall, I came away from the drive impressed with the level of comfort and composure the LS presented. Many people, myself included, criticize the automaker for building boring cars. There simply isn't much excitement to be found in a car that does everything right while seeming so effortless and drama-free. Nobody likes a goody 2 shoes. With this generation of Lexus, the automaker has managed to inject the LS with quite a bit of style and technology, which adds quite a bit to this model's (and this brand's) desirability.
In F-Sport trim, the LS gains aggressive looks and a bit more grip, but no power upgrades can be found.
(Credit: Antuan Goodwin/CNET)
The new F-Sport trim level
At the end of the day, I was tossed the keys to the newest LS model on the block, the 2013 LS 460 F-Sport. This sporty variant includes a more aggressive front bumper with a mesh grille and intakes to blow cool air onto the hot 14.8-inch brakes with Brembo calipers. The 19-inch BBS forged alloy wheels with performance tires fill the wheel wells, and a Torsen limited-slip differential sits on the rear axle to increase traction when cornering. The whole vehicle sits 10mm lower in the saddle than the stock LS' air-suspension (and 20mm lower than coil-spring models). Inside, unique seats feature more aggressive bolstering, leather and aluminum replace the wooden steering wheel and trim panels, and paddle shifters appear on the steering wheel to augment the 8-speed's manual shift mode. Under the sheet metal, the F-Sport receives a number of chassis braces and additional stiffening over the standard model.
The LS 460's 4.6-liter V-8 goes untouched again for the F-Sport model, making this mostly just an appearance and suspension package. Consequently, the LS F-Sport doesn't manage to feel particularly sporty under most straight-line circumstances. However, I did notice that the big sedan seemed to have more grip available when cornering, allowing it to squeeze a few more miles per hour out of every exit. Likewise, I was able to note the brakes' improved stopping distance. However, the big LS isn't the sort of ride that you'll want to go diving into a hairpin turn with; even in this F-Sport trim, it's simply too much car. More importantly, the F-Sport package doesn't ruin the best thing about the LS 460 -- its ability to isolate the driver -- a fact that I noted when I switched the drive selector back into comfort for the ride back to home base.
Pricing
Lexus hasn't released pricing for the 2013 LS 460, LS 600h L, or LS 460 F-Sport, but I expect the price to baseline somewhere in the ballpark of the 2012 model's $67,630 entry point.
Last edited by GS69; 08-10-12 at 12:38 PM.
Trending Topics
08-10-12, 12:39 PM
#8
Lexus Fanatic
Great reviews, finally the LS that truly competes with the big boys from Audi, MB, and BMW.
A new engine will be along the way and it was confirmed in one of the reviews somewhere (it will be smaller displacement).
This is the best spindle version and the interior is awesome.
Have to say, the 2013 LS styling will make everyone forget the 07-12 look. Same with the interior design.
A new engine will be along the way and it was confirmed in one of the reviews somewhere (it will be smaller displacement).
This is the best spindle version and the interior is awesome.
Have to say, the 2013 LS styling will make everyone forget the 07-12 look. Same with the interior design.
08-13-12, 12:52 PM
#11
Lead Lap
I noticed that too on the LX and GX which in previous models were flip down screens. I actually like the flip down screen better in my old 2008 GX vs. my new 2012 GX. It really didn't obstruct the rear visibility and you didn't need the remote to operate it like the newer style. On the LS, it is nice that it is a powered flip down but it does block rear visibility significantly so the headrest style would be better.
08-13-12, 02:37 PM
#12
I noticed that too on the LX and GX which in previous models were flip down screens. I actually like the flip down screen better in my old 2008 GX vs. my new 2012 GX. It really didn't obstruct the rear visibility and you didn't need the remote to operate it like the newer style. On the LS, it is nice that it is a powered flip down but it does block rear visibility significantly so the headrest style would be better.
1) just one more thing to break. a lot of gx470 rses screen actually broke after years of operations. saw quite a few. it's especially the case when it gets all the heat from the roof when car is parked outside
2) viewing angle. with flip down, passengers will need to tilt the head up more, and the side passengers (more likely to happen) will have to stare at an angle. i surely don't want to be doing that for 2 hours.
08-14-12, 01:22 PM
#13
Popular Mechanics
On-Sale Date: October 2012
Price: $68,000 to $120,000
Competitors: Mercedes-Benz S-Class, BMW 7-Series, Cadillac XTS, quadruple-bypass heart surgery.
Powertrains: 4.6-liter V-8, 386 hp, 367 lb-ft; 5.0-liter V-8, 389 hp, 385 lb-ft with two electric motors for 438 total hp; 8-speed or CVT auto, RWD or AWD
EPA Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 16–19/23–24
What's New: The structure, most of the sheet metal; the suspension; and the basic powertrain carry over from the last LS. But all the plastic parts (such as the bumper covers and front grille) and interior have been redesigned. The result is an updated luxury barge that carries Lexus' current design cues, has a more sweetly detailed and technologically advanced interior, and has exactly the same character as before.
Tech Tidbit: A new Advanced Pre-Collision System uses radar to detect obstacles in front of the LS and, if the car is moving at less than about 25 mph, apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The braking force applied can be up to a full g of deceleration with no action whatsoever on the driver's part.
Driving Character: Short of floating in a sensory-deprivation chamber, you'd be hard-pressed to find a more soothing experience than riding in the updated 2013 Lexus LS 460, the longer-wheelbase LS 460 L, or the hybrid LS 600h L. This is a luxury car in the old-school sense, not a spiffy sports sedan or high-performance 4-door with some fancy flourishes. Lexus will try to plug the new F-Sport version of the car as the most driver-oriented, but you won't notice its slightly lowered air suspension, 19-inch wheels and tires, Brembo six-piston front brakes, and Torsen limited slip differential unless you push the car well beyond its real-world comfort zone.
The big LS now wears the new Bold Signature Lexus design elements, but underneath that superficial revision it's very much the same car it has been since 2007. The 4.6-liter, direct-injection, DOHC, 32-valve V-8 is now rated at 386 hp (up 6 hp over the 2012 edition), and it's still backed by an 8-speed automatic transmission whose shifts can be detected only by specially trained German shepherds. All-wheel drive is available, but that option drops the engine's output to 360 hp while increasing the claimed curb weight by about 400 pounds.
The hybrid, all-wheel-drive LS 600h L uses a 5.0-liter 389-hp version of the same V-8 but adds 2 electric motors to the mix for a system total of 438 hp. It all operates seamlessly, but its lackluster EPA-rated 19 mpg in the city and 20 combined make the hassle and expense seem silly.
Favorite Detail: Inside is where the updated LS is in its glory. The leather is supple; it's all stitched together perfectly. The wood trim—in Walnut, Shimamoku Espresso, or Matte Brown Bird's Eye Maple—is exquisite. Lexus' traditional Optitron electroluminescent gauges are now supplemented by a huge 12.3-inch high-definition nav screen. The Remote Touch system that controls the display isn't perfect, but it's more intuitive than what you'll find on a BMW or Mercedes.
Driver's Grievance: The LS's steering is nicely weighted, the ride is brilliantly smooth, and the V-8 engine makes nary a sound. But there's nothing interesting or engaging about how it drives.
The Bottom Line: When Lexus introduced the fourth-generation version of its large LS luxury sedan as a 2007 model, the big news was that the car could automatically parallel-park itself. The heavily revised and updated version of the LS that's coming for 2013—call it Generation 4.5—has dropped that technology. It seems LS drivers were comfortable parking the car themselves, and few of them were actually asking the car to do the chore.
That says plenty about the state of the LS. It's been updated for 2013, but in character and substance it remains what it has been—and the car that it has been seems to be fading in popularity. Perhaps Lexus should pay attention to those drivers who rejected the automatic parking system and build more personal involvement into the next generation of this car.
08-14-12, 01:24 PM
#14
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Great reviews, finally the LS that truly competes with the big boys from Audi, MB, and BMW.
A new engine will be along the way and it was confirmed in one of the reviews somewhere (it will be smaller displacement).
This is the best spindle version and the interior is awesome.
Have to say, the 2013 LS styling will make everyone forget the 07-12 look. Same with the interior design.
A new engine will be along the way and it was confirmed in one of the reviews somewhere (it will be smaller displacement).
This is the best spindle version and the interior is awesome.
Have to say, the 2013 LS styling will make everyone forget the 07-12 look. Same with the interior design.
08-14-12, 05:07 PM
#15
