Lexus LS Saloon 2007 - Present

The LS was Lexus' first car and as such it paved the way for what was to come. Launched while Thatcher was still in power the Toyota offshoot offered a car that spoke of the times. It was big, and offered quality and refinement at a reasonable cost. the badge is only really now being afforded the sort of recognition that the manufacturers surely crave as the Lexus enjoys the label of the ‘Japanese Mercedes'. In the twenty odd years of it's life the LS has seen steady refinement and improvements, resulting in the new LS. Offering great levels of comfort and finish the LS is certainly good enough to be parked next to the 7-Series BMW, but does prompt the question, is it really necessary to own a tow tonne car in the late 2000s? There are good hybrid engine options available but the fuel figures are still pretty grim reading, stretching out from 25 mpg to 30, so little to shout about there. BMW have been channelling executive buyers to their 5-Series range, which offers quality and an array of different levels of performance and consumption. It's more reflective of the time than the 7-series and similarly the LS which comes to the table with the sort of consumption figures that seemed normal as the Berlin wall came down.

The LS is a big car. As already covered, it weighs two tonnes and unsurprisingly it's a big car. Inside the LS the feel of the car is one of solidity and luxury. The seats are all comfortable and on the road the ride is so comfortable and quiet you could almost meditate. Certainly any children with parents that have an LS are unlikely to manage travelling back from parties at night without dropping off. the seats both front and back are electronically adjustable with higher quality models boasting air-conditioned seats. Boasting four zone air conditioning on the SE and SE-L models there's no need for anyone to travel in conditions that they've not chosen. The standard model comes without electric adjustment and air conditioned seats in the back which makes the boot a much more useful size at 505 litres. This is not anything to really sing about but it's certainly better than the 385 litres that is left with electronic adjustment and air-con. This is the same as a Ford Focus Hatchback and does prompt the question of worth of electronically adjustable seats in the back? The LS comes with a rear parking monitor and a parking assist feature, where the car can steer itself into a parking space in a reverse parallel parking manoeuvre while the driver controls the car's speed using the brake pedal. It certainly helps take the sting out of parking such a big car.

The LS was Lexus' first car and as such it paved the way for what was to come. Launched while Thatcher was still in power the Toyota offshoot offered a car that spoke of the times. It was big, and offered quality and refinement at a reasonable cost. The badge is only really now being afforded the sort of recognition that the manufacturers surely crave as the Lexus enjoys the label of the ‘Japanese Mercedes'. In the twenty odd years of it's life the LS has seen steady refinement and improvements, resulting in the new LS. Offering great levels of comfort and finish the LS is certainly good enough to be parked next to the 7-Series BMW, but does prompt the question, is it really necessary to own a tow tonne car in the late 2000s? There are good hybrid engine options available but the fuel figures are still pretty grim reading, stretching out from 25 mpg to 30, so little to shout about there. BMW have been channelling executive buyers to their 5-Series range, which offers quality and an array of different levels of performance and consumption. It's more reflective of the time than the 7-series and similarly the LS, which comes to the table with the sort of consumption figures that seemed normal as the Berlin wall came down.

The LS is a big car. As already covered, it weighs two tonnes and while it may be full of refinement and gadgetry, it's still physically big. Inside LS the feel of the car is one of solidity and luxury. The seats are all comfortable and on the road the ride is so comfortable and quiet you could almost meditate, but not at the wheel! Certainly any children with parents that have LS are unlikely to manage travelling back from parties at night without dropping off. The seats both front and back are electronically adjustable with higher quality models boasting air-conditioned seats. Boasting four zone air conditioning on the SE and SE-L models there's no need for anyone to travel in conditions that they've not chosen. The standard model comes without electric adjustment and air conditioned seats in the back which makes the boot a much more useful size at 505 litres. This is not anything to really sing about but it's certainly better than the 385 litres that is left with electronic adjustment and air-con. This is the same as a Ford Focus Hatchback and does make one question of worth of electronically adjustable seats in the back? The LS comes with a rear parking monitor and a parking assist feature, where the car can steer itself into a parking space in a reverse parallel parking manoeuvre while the driver controls the car's speed using the brake pedal. It certainly helps take the sting out of parking such a big car.

Behind the wheel the LS more glides than drives. There is virtually no intrusion from outside noise in the cabin and anything that does make it in can soon be overpowered by the very impressive stereo system. Powered by a new 4.6L V8 engine or a hybrid 5.0L unit, the LS offers it's driver ample performance for any situation. The hybrid is better in urban situations as in can run on it's electric motor alone up to 30 mph. That said, the 4.6L engine is so quiet at low speeds that you'll think it's running on an electric motor too! The 4.6 unit is coupled to the worlds first 8 (eight), speed automatic gearbox. While this may sound exhausting to try and keep up with, it is so well put together that you always find yourself in the right gear. The ‘sport' mode will hold the car in gears longer to get more speed up. Most of the time you'll be cruising in near silent luxury but if you want to spice things up a little just plant your foot to the floor and hear the engine growl menacingly as you pick up speed at an alarming rate. The regular engine reaches 60 mph in under six seconds (5.7) and the four wheel drive hybrid manages it in 6.3 seconds. The Hybrid motor transmits it's motor through a continuously variable transmission. This is a transmission which can change steplessly through an infinite number of effective gear ratios between maximum and minimum values. This means that there is a constant, widening of the gears as the throttle is pressed down and speed is built up, rather than the more jumpy rise and fall of engine speed as you climb up the manual gearbox. The advantage of this system is that it's less wearing on the engine as a constant velocity is maintained throughout the gearbox and drive systems. As it works with the engine it provides the most efficient gear for the engine speed and therefore runs more efficiently. This no doubt contributed to the hybrids fuel figures (30mpg against 25 for the 4.6L).

The LS offers a more refined luxury motor than just about all of it's rivals. It can sing or drive silently as required. It's not as engaging behind the wheel as the 7-Series or the S-Class Mercedes, but it's not really a car to be driven so much for pleasure as refinement and in that department there is little that will touch in. Still, in the days of dwindling oil stocks and climate change is such a car really necessary, the technology exists to make big cars that aren't so fuel hungry.

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