Ls430Coy

AJT123

Well, I finally saw and sat in one at the dealer today.

I don't really care for the looks of it, it looks smaller in person. I like the futuristic design but there's just something about it that doesn't do it for me.

The interior was amazing, plush, though the cheap seatbelt anchors IDK what they were thinking. Everything else was amazing inside--except the space. The backseat I sat in, it barely has more legroom room than my LS430, let alone a LWB 460. It felt rather cramped back there with the low roofline, too.

I'm sure it's a great car but as of now I don't really aspire to own one someday. A late model 460 whenever my 430 bites the dust (at the end of time?) is looking better and better each day.

BrownPride

I've noticed that despite the reasonable starting price, dealers have all picked up models going for $100K+.

That's gonna be a tough sell when most S-classes at dealers are priced around $110K.

The new LS is very good but in my experience it's not as good as the new S-class, nor does it have the brand recognition of Mercedes.

webra

Ls430Coy

AJT123

I agree. The one I sat in and messed with today probably wasn't 100k as it didn't seem fully loaded(no sticker), but it didn't really wow me too much aside from the interior materials and fit and finish. I don't like how cramped it feels inside. Big part of a flagship luxury car is just the amount of space you have. I honestly don't think I like this new LS very much, now that I've seen it in person, unfortunately. I don't think I need to drive it, all I know is the isolation chamber effect is gone, smooth V8 gone. That's what I like about my LS. Everything the "car people" have bashed the LS for since day 1.

Like I said, in 5 years or so a very late 460 is looking better and better to me.

SW17LS

That will change. The first run of cars is always the highest optioned, its always the same way whenever Lexus launches a car. Give it some time, within 6 months, definitely within a year it will be nearly impossible to find an LS500 optioned that highly.

Case in point, executive package LS460s. WAY more 2007s of them than any other year. I scoured the country for my LS460L, there were none optioned any higher than mine and my MSRP was $89,400...the 460L topped out around $110k.

Toys4RJill

Ls430Coy

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Sulu

It seems that each reviewer describes the Hybrid operation differently -- and not quite correctly (this review highlights the 4-speed transmission without stating that it operates in conjunction with the hybrid transmission in front of it to offer 10 forward transmission speeds) -- probably because none of these reviewers has taken the time to understand the operating concept of the Multi-Stage Hybrid System.

I believe that Lexus needs to produce (if they have not already done so) a short and official technical summary of how the Multi-Stage Hybrid System operates. Use this technical summary in all official communications (including websites) and hide the longer, detailed description, which is harder to understand without some technical knowledge and knowledge of how the Toyota / Lexus hybrid system operates.

oldcajun

I'm 6'2" and did not find the rear seat "cramped". Certainly lot more room than a GS. It does not have as much room as a 460L though, more like the base 460.

pbm317

I'm 6'0" and the rear, while adequate, definitely felt more intimate than the rear of the S-Class, 7 Series, G90, A8. Mix of that low-ish roof line and maybe a more angled greenhouse/tumblehome. Foot space under the front seats also seemed quite tight from where I had the seat positioned for myself as a driver.

Toys4RJill

ydooby

It's a shame that the new LS is so poorly packaged that it offers less rear legroom despite having a longer wheelbase than the outgoing LS460L. Almost all of Lexus's recent new models follow the trend of offering less room in both passenger and in luggage compartments than the competitors' models of the same class. Lexus needs to get the basics right first before going for fluffs like a sleek roofline, super aggressive suspension geometries, etc., or they'll keep losing more and more sensible customers, which constitute the vast majority of the market.