mmarshall

Well, Happy Holidays, Club Lexus. It's that time again...that time of the year when I do a special, out-of-the-ordinary review on a special, out-of-the-ordinary car as my Christmas present to CL. And this year, no question about it, the choice of that car was obvious. So, may I present.............the all-new, completely redesigned 2007 Lexus LS460, your new Lexus Flagship.


http://www.lexus.com/models/LS/



IN A NUTSHELL: Yes, everything you've heard, discussed, and read about..........and more.




When the original Lexus LS400 was introduced for the 1990 model year, it was a car that has represented a luxury, quality, pricing, and marketing landmark in the history of Japanese-designed automobiles. Toyota created the Lexus luxury nameplate......and the car that, by definition, represents and typifies that nameplate more than any other Lexus product since.
Along with luxury arch-rival Infiniti and Saturn, a new low-cost division from GM, ( all three divisions were introduced the same year ) Lexus set new ( for then ) standards for customer treatment and service. These three nameplates see-sawed back and forth in both the J.D. Power and Consumer Reports listings as the three highest-rated brands for dealer service and customer satisfaction. The Lexus motto was.....and is....." The Relentless Pursuit of Perfection," and the LS400, at the time, despite a few minor issues like a tendency for the brake rotors to warp from the car's large size and heavy weight, was about as close to perfection as the designers and engineers of the time were able to make it. Its mere presence in the auto market, and its base price ( at the time ) of $35,000 sent the Mercedes and BMW organizations reeling, despite the public contempt for Lexus that the Mercedes corporate people showd at the time. BMW, of course, had, and still has, a highly loyal and dedicated core of sport-sedan buyers, but Mercedes paid heavily for that contempt. In an attempt to keep up with Lexus and compete with them, Mercedes was forced to not only lower the prices on their vehicles but also the quality of many of the parts they used as well. Though Mercedes was......and continues to be.......along with Volvo, one of the auto industry's most highly-regarded nameplates in safety and crash protection........this economizing of their vehicles in the 1990's led to a slow, but steady, and relentless, drop in the reliability of their vehicles. Although there is a loyal core of customers who continue to buy Mercedes products despite their poor reliability, the deterioration of Mercedes vehicles ended up in a vicious circle that drove some of them away from the brand and into new......you got it........Lexus products. Once they experienced Lexus quality and customer service, they were hooked.....and continued to help Lexus grow into the the luxury powerhouse it is today...........the highest-selling luxury nameplate in the American market.

The LS400 became the LS430 as a new 4.3L V8 engine was developed, not only for the LS but for its sister GS430 as well ( experimental versions of an IS430 were produced for testing and evaluation but never made it to production, even with the new IS model ). The LS, more and more, became the new benchmark for mass-produced luxury cars that the Mercedes S-Class had once been......as the S-Class fell further and further behind the LS in the American market despite the well-deserved reputation of Mercedes for safety.......something Mercedes still merits.

So, now, LS430 becomes the LS460 as an all-new, 4.6L-equipped, 2007 model is introduced, with upcoming LS460L ( long-wheelbase ) models for more rear-seat room and a smoother ride, and All-Wheel-Drive LS600H Hybrid models to follow. The latest model, as befits a Lexus flagship, is a true luxury car that is VERY impressive...easily, along with its sister GS300/350AWD and the new SH-AWD Acura RL, one of the Ten Best new vehicles I have ever driven or reviewed. However, like any car, it is not perfect, due mostly to what are IMO unnecessary design and marketing changes...... of which I will go into more detail below. And it is anything BUT a simple car........it has a vast number of technology, convienence, safety, electronic, and communication features in both the front and rear seats that take TIME to learn and practice. You DON'T just get into this car, start the engine, and take off. If you do, it will be like trying to pilot a Boeing 747 with only basic-training-plane experience.

So......most of you have heard about, read about, and discussed this car, quite a bit among yourselves, and publically here at CL. Except for some initial comments, I didn't really get into those discussions very much, for obvious reasons....I was waiting for my own review. Now.........here is my take on this remarkable car.








Model Reviewed: 2007 Lexus LS460 Short-wheelbase

Base Price: $61,715 ( includes processing, handling,and freight )

Major Options:

Premium NAV / Mark Levinson Package: $6345

Comfort Plus Package: $3620

Intuitive Parking Assist: $500

One-Touch Door Package $395

Lexus Link $900

All-Weather Floor Mats; $99

Cargo Net: $59


List Price as Reviewed: $73,633


Drivetrain: RWD, front longitudinally-mounted, 4.6L four-cam VVTi-E V8, 380 HP @ 6400 RPM, 367 ft lbs. torque @ 4100 RPM,
8-speed sequential-shift ECT automatic with with manual sport-shift, snow mode, and ECT-i, 2.937 final-drive ratio.


Exterior Color: Starfire ( White ) Pearl
Interior: Black Leather with Medium Brown Walnut Trim.





PLUSSES:


Quiet enough for King Tut's tomb.

Turbine-smooth engine and powertrain.

Muscle-car performance.

Jewel-quality paint job.

Impeccable wood trim.

Park Assist does the job.....once set up properly.

Supreme interior comfort.

Long-wheelbase model upcoming for even more interior room.

Good agility for a car this size.

Relatively flat cornering with lack of body roll.

Superlatively well-designed gauges.

Complex electronics and controls but easier to use than BMW or Audi systems.

Concert-quality, blow-your-ears-off Mark Levinson stereo
( You've got to hear this unit to believe it )

Extremely well-designed electric power steering gives good feel and feedback.

Plush, well-finished trunk area with cargo net.

Individually heated and cooled REAR seats.

Relatively smooth ride.....but stiffer than it needs to be.

Dull but rich and classy-looking paint colors.
( My favorites were the Starfire White Pearl and the greenish-gray Verdigris Mica )







It was hard to really find many things to complain about in this truly excellent car, but.....






MINUSES:



Expensive......you pay for what you get.

All-Wheel-Drive not available until the LS600 Hybrid....it should be an option on THIS car.

Ultra-smooth ride of the LS400 and 430 now history with the new 50-series tires and suspension.

Lots of set-ups needed for the Park Assist to function.

Effective but slightly spongy brake pedal.

Too much Chris Bangle-styling in the rear end....this detracts from the car's looks.

NOTHING is accessable under the hood except for an oil dipstick, filler cap, and brake-fluid....ridiculous.







Despite this car's status as the new Lexus flagship, there is not really a lot to differentiate it, visually, from its smaller and cheaper cousins, the GS, IS, and, especially, the ES. In fact, in general body shape, it is not easy to tell a new LS from the new ES, especially from the side view, despite the substantially larger size of the LS. And I was not terribly impressed with the Chris-Bangle-inspired trunk-lid, although, underneath the trunk lid, the rest of the LS460's rear end is MUCH better looking than the BMW 7-series. The new LS460, despite the general resemblance to the rest of the Lexus passenger-car line, still retains some LS-traditional styling features like the big chrome grille with horizontal bars and the large fog-light cutouts beneath the grille. But the styling overall, has been made more swept-back and aerodynamic this year......this is no Scion xB or Honda Element. And, while I'm generally not a fan of sweep-back aero styling, it no doubt helps and contributes to one feature that I DID like, very much.....the car's tomb-like quietness.

The exterior, otherwise, is everything one would expect of a Lexus flagship. The paint job is as smooth and even as a baby's butt, and has jeweler-like precision and finish though, of course, Pearl White paint jobs, like the one on my test car, don't have quite the gloss that some other colors do....it is a slightly more matte, oysterlike pearl effect. Toyota and Lexus lead the industry in the quality of paint jobs, and believe me, as the Lexus flagship, this car is no exception.
The exterior hardware and trim is first-rate, from the chrome door strips and window moldings to the power fold-away mirrors, door handles, and wipers. Panel gaps are all as thin as possible without actually interfering with doors opening and closing. An optional feature, which my test car had, was the One-Touch door package, which not only power-closes and latches the trunk lid, but power-latches all four doors as well. Friends....we are getting spoiled when we don't even have to shut our own doors anymore.

One significant failing on this car is the design of the underhood space. The lightweight aluminum hood ( most new vehicles now have aluminum hoods ) opens up to virtually nothing.....that's right, NOTHING. Not only does the engine have the usual big plastic cover that blocks access to its components, but the entire REST of the hood, as well, is almost completely covered by an enormously wide plastic cover that completely blocks EVERYTHING but the oil dipstick and brake-fluid reservoir. The oil filler-cap, for oil changes, is under a little snap-cover on hinges built into the huge underhood cover. At the risk of sounding like Ralph Nader, there out to be a law against designs like this one.


However, the interior of this car is fit for a king, which was especially nice to see after the disappointment that the new ES350's was.....I have commented and written much on the new ES350's disappointing redesign and won't rehash that here. The quality of the wood and leather in this car compares with a Jaguar, and Lexus, happily, did NOT scrimp with the wood trim and interior parts quality like it did with the new ES. The interior of this car looks......and feels......like a Lexus SHOULD look. And this fabulous interior has four different leather and three different wood-trim colors, depending on the exterior color....my test car had the Black leather with Medium Brown Walnut trim.
Sure, if you REALLY look closely, you can find a few cheap-quality parts inside to b***h about ( you can with ANY car ), but in the LS460, those cheap and flimsy parts are kept to an absolute minimum...a couple of things like the thin plastic snaps for the glovebox door, rear-seat-warmer covers, and front arm-rest flip-compartments, but overall this interior, quality-wise, is first-rate. Again, with a $73,000 price tag as tested, this is to be expected.
The seats are quite comfortable, though obviously they are not designed for sports-car cornering or support. The power-headrest does not go up quite far enough for me while I am sitting upright, but that is compensated for by the NICE, power-driven thigh supports that extend out from in front of the seats with the touch of a button......that is an area that my big legs find lacking in many cars. The leather on both the front and rear seats, as stated before, is virtually Jaguar-like in quality, and there is plenty of legroom front and rear, with even more to follow on the 460L Limosine-like long-wheelbase model.
The dash gauges are superb in their design, execution, and backlighting...some of the best I have ever seen. Most of the controls, despite the car's complexity, have well-designed buttons, pointers, and indicators........but believe me, you WILL spend time learning them....lots of time. As I said earlier, this is not a car to just jump into, turn the key, and go.
There are many, many convienence and luxury features inside, both up front and in the rear seats, and I can't cover them all in detail on a car this complex in just one review, so I'll touch on some of the more impressive and interesting ones. The Mark Levinson stereo (an option on my test car) is just superb....it is the closest thing to perfect sound I've ever heard from a production factory automotive sound system. High-quality speakers are literally everywhere, front and rear...they completely surround you. The much-publicized Park Assist system ( another option ) also works superbly, but it takes some fiddling with the NAV buttons ( with disclaimers ) to set it up properly. I could not do it by myself...the salesman had to demonstrate it. You have to set the frames through the rear-view TV camera, set up the limits, and a few other things. But if and when you do it right, the system is amazing. The car almost literally parks itself. The computer turns the wheel as needed, guides the car as close to the curb as you set and adjust it, and maintains the space between the two cars in front and behind it. ( it obviously will not function, of course, for safety reasons, if there is not sufficient space for the car's length and a buffer zone between cars.
Another interesting feature inside is the HOLD button on the steering wheel. It works in conjunction with the car's electronic push-button parking brake to hold the car still while idling in gear so you can take your foot off the brake while at stoplights.
The NAV system, with the integrated stereo and climate controls, is complex but works quite easily compared to BMW's I-Drive or Audi's MMI system. Like on most Lexus products, the heater will toast you in an Arctic winter and the A/C blows ice-cold continuously. Both front seats and the two outboard rear seats are both heated and cooled as well. Climate-wise, there is little excuse for not being comfortable in this car, and seat-wise, little as well, except for the already-mentioned tendency for the power-front head-rest to not go up quite far enough. The steering column, with exquisite, smooth-as-glass wood trim on the wheel, power-tilts and power-telescopes as well, with a variety of adjustments.

OK...fire her up with the starter button. If it was not for the dash lights coming on, you would never know when the engine caught. This car, while idling, would make a library at midnight seem noisy. The engine is so smooth and quiet, reinforced by the large amount of plentiful and effective sound isolation built into the car's body and interior, that it makes you wonder why Lexus is spending the time and money to develop an electric-motor-equipped version of this car, albeit it with the larger 6.0L V8 instead of the 4.6L. If the car's idling is comparable to a library at midnight, then its normal riding noise level is like a library at other times.....almost as quiet. King Tut could ride in this car without waking up. Lexus, of course, is famous for low noise levels, and this car is just what yould expect of its flagship.
The 4.6L V8, with 380 HP, 367 ft-lbs. of torque, and VVTi valve timing, gives muscle-car performance despite the car's large size and weight. Lexus quotes a 5.4 second 0-60 time, and while I did not push this brand-new engine to its limits, give the gas pedal a good nudge and the acceleration will shove you back in your seat. The transmission bumps off all 8 gears ( I'm not sure I got fast enough for 8th ) with amazing smoothness even under hard acceleration, though in my opinion 8 gears is somewhat of overkill.....if you are going to put in that many gears you might as well just use a CVT, although I don't think there is a CVT currently in production that will withstand the kind of torque this engine produces. My opinion ( and this is just my opinion, not necessarily a fact ) is that Lexus uses this transmission just so they can one-up Mercedes advertising with their 7-speed, but there seems to be little or no practical reason to actually have that many gears in normal driving.
Ride quality, though acceptably smooth for my tastes, was mildly disappointing when you consider that Lexus, this year, like on the ES350, went to lower-profile tires and a slightly firmer suspension that on last year's model. This tire and suspension change, in my opinion, was NOT necessary, and while it does give good cornering and handling response ( more on this next ), it also does stiffen up the ride a little.....the loss of the ultra-smooth ride of previous LS models is small but noticeable. I would, personally, like with the new ES, rather have the suspension and tires of last year's model, but, unlike the new ES, I don't find the stiffer ride of this new LS to be objectionable....the car is heavier than the ES and with a longer wheelbase, and even with its 50-series tires to the new ES's 55-series still rides smoother....and the long-wheelbase LS460L, of course, promises an even smoother ride.
Steering and handling, on this big, heavy car, was first-rate for its size, with a marked lack of body roll and relatively quick, smooth response. After my experience with the numb, feathery, WAY overboosted electric power steering units on some other vehicles ( worst was the Saturn VUE's ) the electric power steering on this car was a REAL surprise......smooth, acceptably high effort, good road feel, linear response......almost BMW-like in its characteristics. The Lexus engineers really did their homework on this one, considering that electric power steering is a relatively new automotive invention and that they don't have BMW's long history of expertise in steering excellence to fall back on.
Brakes were a little on the spongy side but powerful and effective. I pleasantly did not have the brake problem in this car that I have often mentioned with other vehcles....my big size 15 clodhopper shoes getting hung up under the right tip of the brake pedal whan I try and lift off the gas. The big footwells in this car and the wide placement of the pedals give big feet plenty of room to move.



The verdict? Despite my slight disappointment with the more aggressive tires and suspension this year, the lack of an AWD option on the rear-drive 460, the too-Bangleish trunk lid, and the absurd and inexcusable lack of access to anything under the hood, this is truly an outstanding and superb car. Except for AWD snow traction, it has almost everything you could want in a modern car......muscle-car performance, handling, a reasonably smooth ride, interior comfort, plushness, and and quality fit for a king, jewel-like fit-and finish, reasonably simple controls ( except for the Parking Assist ) for its complex systems, not only a killer but a mass-murderer stereo, tomb-like quietness, and an impeccable reliability record to boot....one of the best in the industry.

So....I'm proud to award this car the title of one of the All-Time Best cars I have ever driven or reviewed. It is, without question, THE finest front engine / rear-drive car I have ever reviewed, and it now takes its place with others in my All-Time-Best category.....its own sister 2006 Lexus GS300 AWD, the 2006 SH-AWD Acura RL, the Audi A8, and the last-generation pre-Bangle BMW 530i.

Congagulations, Lexus, for a job well-done.......and Happy Holidays to everyone at CL.

picus

Excellent review, I always enjoy reading through your thoughts on cars. The Lexus White Pearl on the 460 is something else, huh? You can tell they hand sand each car.

mmarshall

Yes, the Pearl White ( Starfire ) is certainly nice, but the Matador Red is even more stunning. Unfortunately, Lexus doesn't offer it on the LS460. Check it out on the GS and you'll see what I mean.

LexFather

Wow, nice review, also thanks for mentioning the LS history. I didn't know about that "hold" feature for the brake, pretty cool.

mmarshall

A car's history is usually part of my reviews.......and I sure wouldn't skimp on the Lexus flagship's.

And, in some ways, I like this car, overall, as much or more as my prize Acura RL. The RL surpasses the LS460 only in sheet metal/door solidness, realistic-looking matte-wood dash trim, some dash hardware, and, of course, slick-road traction. Both are on my ALL-Time-Best-Car List.

Gojirra99

Another nicely written review, thanks

Mr. Jones

wait a minute, you didn't drive the LS460 around a skidpad, slalom, and then auto-x it. How about a drive at the local roadcourse???

Who cares about the fine wood, leather, audio/NAV, attention to detail and craftsmanship.

This review isn't very informative to perspective premium luxury buyers.

mmarshall

I typically review brand-new cars on normal, suburban, street and driving conditions, and so therefore don't ( and can't ) push them to their limits. Most people who actually BUY new vehicles are more concerned about what they are getting for their money, how well they are built, what that vehicle is going to be like for them every day.....commuting, shopping, carpooling, occasional long trips, etc...... then trying to play Michael Shumacker with it.
Those are the primary questions I address. If this is not your cup of tea, or if you are more interested in track results than normal street use, then I agree that my reviews are not for you.........you can get that information from other sources.

rominl

iTrader: (4)

nice review marshall, awesome! i am surprised you think the car is relatively flat on corners, i felt quite a bit of roll. but either way, i totally agree with your discussion betwene the LS and the ES. the new ES interior is nice, but it's far from the LS. after driving the new ES as loaner, i was actually asking myself if i prefer the new ES or the old ES interior. somehow i felt the previous one might be more comfortable. but either way the new LS interior is just far superior

encore888

Wow that review was a pleasure to read, and unlike quite a few LS reviews recently, I learned something new. Glad you went into details of the car...thanks for taking the time to write this review!

Your details on ride quality are very interesting, you seem to discern the variations very well. I couldn't tell the difference between the ES 350 and my memories of older ES cars, but then again I only had a few minutes drive at Taste of Lexus to find out. The LS 460 ride felt very smooth when I drove it, although I might have to be in the back seat to do a complete evaluation of ride quality.

mmarshall

Well, of course, the new LS is not sports-car-flat on corners, but for its size, heft, and weight, and the heavy V8 up front ( it would be even heavier if it were not aluminum ) it corners relatively flat and with a lot of gusto, at least by normal street standards ( see my reply to Mr. Jones above ). Yes, it has SOME roll...but not 1950's Buick-style roll. Credit some of the relatively good response and flat cornering to the new 50-series tires, a slightly lower center of gravity, slightly stiffer underpinnings, and to the design of the new electric power steering rack.

marshmallo

I'm pretty sure he was being sarcastic.

Car and Driver's review ticked us off big time because apparently
their intention was to race Porsches and Corvettes with the LS.

Thanks for the thorough review.

I do have a couple of comments :

1) AWD will hopefully be available early next year according to some
sources.
2) Why do you say it is hard to start the LS? Is it different than
the GS which has a simple push and go scheme?

4TehNguyen

iTrader: (1)

i will disagree with your expensive, look at the competition, far more content and lower price

rominl

iTrader: (4)

maybe he's talking about absolute values? i agree it's doesn't make sense to say the car is expensive for its class

mmarshall

As I understand it, AWD will only come with the LS600 Hybrid, not the regular 460.......I hope I'm wrong.

You misunderstood me about " starting " the LS. I wasn't referring to just physically starting the engine ( it is so smooth and quiet you can't hear it anyway when it starts ). I was talking about it being a very complex car and not just jumping in it and taking off....it takes a few minutes of study just to see where all the primary controls are.....and then, there are about a dozen different levers and buttons just to adjust the driver's seat, two to adjust the steering column, and a number of NAV screen touch-buttons just to set up the climate control and stereo. This car is not a simple econobox.