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2007 Lexus LS 460L Review

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Christian Wardlaw
by Christian Wardlaw
November 10, 2006
7 min. Reading Time
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Lexus LS 460L – Review: Lexus shifted the luxury car paradigm when the original LS debuted 17 years ago, turning the pooh-pooh’s of American and European automaker executives into exclamations of "Holy crap!" Since then, Lincoln has dropped off the radar, Cadillac has struggled to compete, Jaguar has battled its electronic demons, and the heavy-hitters from Germany – Audi, BMW, and Mercedes – have been forced to engineer excellence on a budget. For 2007, there’s a new Lexus LS chock-full of technology, but after a week spent in an $81,000 extended-wheelbase LS 460L model, it’s unclear whether Japan’s premier luxury brand is heading in the right direction.

Why We Drove It

Honestly, when someone is serious about spending this kind of cash for a car, what we have to say isn’t likely to sway a vote. We drove this Lexus because we needed to learn what the Japanese luxury maker considers state-of-the-art, and we wanted to try the self-parking feature that is so heavily touted in advertising. Unfortunately, because our test vehicle was a pre-production unit, its equipment spec didn’t exactly match what people are likely to find at the dealership. We still don’t know how the slick self-parking feature works, but we know that brake-by-wire technology is still a dynamic buzz-killer.

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Performance

What a superb, sublime powertrain the new Lexus LS has. It produces effortless power, sounds terrific when revved, and is whisper quiet when cruising. The eight-speed transmission is a touch more responsive in Sport mode, but when requesting added oomph it sometimes skips a beat while deciding which gear is appropriate for the downshift. Manual shifting produces snappy response when selecting a lower gear, while upshifts are a bit delayed. We averaged 16.6 mpg during our one-week test, yet predict most owners will produce better results because we frequently dipped into the LS 460’s prodigious well of power.

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Page 4

Push the Lexus LS 460L in hairpin turns and discover that the car can be throttle steered, often unintentionally because the accelerator is ultra-sensitive. The tail swings out easily, caught by the stability control system before it incurs damage, and because the driver usually isn’t expecting this behavior it’s discomforting. Grand, sweeping, high-speed curves better showcase the Lexus as a rewarding performance machine. Here, the feather-light steering firms up nicely and the soft suspension takes a better set. Regardless of driving style, however, the brake pedal is the LS 460’s dynamic Achilles’ heel. Feel is awful, it’s hard to modulate, and making smooth stops is almost impossible.

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Visibility

Except for rear pillars that are a tad thick, outward visibility is exceptional. Shingle-style rear headrests nestle down onto the seatbacks and don’t block the view out the rear window, though it would be swell to have Mercedes-style dash controls that could collapse them after rear occupants depart the car. Side mirrors are large, front roof pillars are relatively thin, and the driver sits cab-forward close to the front glass for a good view forward. Add parking sensors front and rear, along with a reversing camera, and the long-wheelbase Lexus LS 460L is easy to maneuver.

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Fun to Drive

Depending on the environment, the Lexus LS 460L can be fun to drive. Like when accelerating in a straight line. Or when pulling up to a high school class reunion. What robs the car of its ability to entertain its driver is the electronic brake-by-wire system necessary for the LS 460’s various safety technologies to work as advertised. We’ve complained about brake pedal feel and modulation in the IS 350 and GS 430 – here, the complaint remains. The braking system works brilliantly the few times you’re engaged in a real panic stop. The rest of the time it’s a complete deal breaker.

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Front Comfort

Compared to most cars on the planet, the Lexus LS 460L’s front seats are comfortable. Compared to an Audi A8, BMW 7 Series, or Mercedes-Benz S-Class, they need work. The driver sits too low even with the seat raised to the highest setting, and the side bolsters don’t provide enough support. Our test car included heating and cooling, but no massage feature. I also thought the center armrest height was a bit too high, aggravating my damaged right rotator cuff. The upper door panels are too hard, too. The heated steering wheel feature, however, is nice for colder climates.

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Rear Comfort

Ooooh! Rear vanity mirrors, just like a 1992 Buick Park Avenue! Seriously, the Lexus LS 460L is extremely comfortable in back, with good headroom and amazing leg room. The center armrest of our test car contained heating and cooling for the seats, seatback recline and power headrest controls, and a one-touch button for deploying the rear window shade. Missing were side window shades and a button for powering the front passenger’s seat forward (the latter is easily reached by the driver and located on the inner side of the passenger’s seat). Rear ventilation is nice, but our tester had no separate rear climate control system.

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Interior Noise

Like other cars in its class, the Lexus LS 460L is a rolling isolation chamber that can be filled with rich sound from the available Mark Levinson audio system. Aside from engine growl when the driver plants the accelerator to the floor, nothing gets in to disturb occupants. The world is muffled and distant, the suspension gliding over any kind of road surface as though every street and highway just got a fresh coat of smooth blacktop.

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Loading Cargo

Lexus gives the LS 460L a low liftover height into a trunk that seems small for the size of the car. Our test car lacked a thick Lexus embroidered cargo mat, resulting in a cheap trunk appearance. At this price, the trunk sill protector oughta be aluminum instead of plastic, and the ratcheting tie-down hooks shoulda been smooth and polished rather than a mottled chrome. Enclosed gooseneck hinges are used to support the LS 460’s trunk lid when gas struts are a more elegant solution, and the lid featured automatic opening and closing. A pass-through to the rear seat accommodates longer items such as skis.

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Build Quality

Our Lexus LS 460L was a pre-production sample. It is our policy not to comment on build quality when it is not accurately reflective of what customers will find in dealer showrooms.

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