Lexus LS 460 Video Road Test & Review

The Lexus LS 460 is the Japanese luxury brand's full-size flagship sedan.  The Lexus LS 460 is stocked with high tech features and top-tier luxuries, and the four-door vehicle can be had in both regular and extended-wheelbase (L) editions, with the latter offering improved interior room for rear passengers.  The Lexus LS 460 comes with safety equipment such as dual forward airbags, knee airbags for those riding up front, side-impact airbags mounted to the two front seats, side curtain airbags that protect those seated at all four exterior positions, electronic stability control and traction control, and a rearview camera.  Lexus also offers the Safety Connect telematics system with the LS 460 as standard equipment.

The Lexus LS 460 comes with a 4.6-liter V-8 under the hood whose power output varies depending on its drivetrain layout.  When matched with rear-wheel drive, the eight-cylinder generates 386 horsepower and 360 lb-ft of torque, while all-wheel drive models make do with 360 horses and 347 lb-ft of twist.  An eight-speed transmission handles the gear shifting duties for the sedan, and fuel economy tops out at 16-mpg city and 24-mpg highway for rear-wheel drive models.

The Lexus LS 460 (MSRP $71,990) provides an extensive list of standard accoutrements.  Adaptive HID headlights, LED running lights and fog lights, 19-inch rims, automatic wipers, parking assistance, power-folding mirrors, a sunroof, power closing doors, keyless entry and ignition, cruise control, dual automatic climate control, leather seats with power adjustment, and a rearview camera are just some of the sedan's included features.  The LS 460 also offers a navigation system, Bluetooth connectivity, the Lexus Enform mobile phone integration system, HD radio, satellite radio, the Remote Touch interface, and a huge center-mounted LCD screen.  The LS 460 L (MSRP $78,290) adds heated rear seats and a stronger rear heater (when ordered with all-wheel drive), a heated steering wheel, a power rear sunshade, an advanced climate control system, and a power closing trunk.

The Lexus LS 460 can be enhanced with the All Weather package, which provides a de-icing system for the windshield wipers as well as washers for the headlights, and the Ultra-Luxury package, which installs heated and cooled power rear seats with massage feature and as well as four zones of automatic climate control.  Rear seat-mounted side airbags also come with this package.  The F Sport package is new, and it upgrades the sedan's brakes, provides a performance-oriented air suspension system, grafts sporty trim inside and outside the LS 460, and provides paddle shifters mounted to the steering wheel (as well as blips the throttle during downshifts).

The Lexus LS 460L adds to the equipment found in the Ultra-Luxury package by way of the Executive-Class Seating package, which provides a refrigerated center console, an ottoman for the right-side passenger, extended leather trim, and a DVD entertainment system for those riding in the rear of the car.

Similar cars include the Audi A8, BMW 7-Series and the Mercedes-Benz S-Class.